Night sweats pre-hysterectomy

I've got my LSH programmed for Monday 10 October. I'm keeping my ovaries and cervix so am hoping not to have hormone problems after surgery. However, for the last 6 or 7 years, even before I started having heavy fibroid-related bleeding, I've been having night sweats 5 out of 7 nights a week. I've mentioned it to my doctor and have had tests for lymphoma, which are negative. Nobody has been able to come up with any treatment except my acupuncturist, whose treatment is getting too expensive for me to keep on seeing him on a weekly basis. I've read that night sweats can be linked to excess estrogen in the body. Is this true, and is there anyone out there who's premenopausal who has the same symptoms? Have you found any treatment?

Night sweats are absolutely a common occurrence with estrogen excess. Many women also have progesterone deficiency. Sometimes the estrogen level is within normal range, but by having a deficiency of progesterone, there is a relative estrogen excess in relation to that low progesterone. One way to evaluate your levels is to perform a saliva test for hormone levels. And yes, there is a very effective treatment: replace bio-identical progesterone and/or reduce excess estrogen levels through the use of I3C or other methods.

Jennifer Siefert
Pawnee, Illinois

Thank you for your answer! However, I'm not so familiar with the terminology you use - bio identical progesterone and I3C! Could you explain, please? I live in France, and it's possible that terms/treatments are different. To help control excessive bleeding I was given synthetic progesterone, but preferred not to take it after reading about the side effects. I've been using progesterone cream on and off for over a year, but have found that it makes no difference to my symptoms.

First of all, there is NO synthetic progesterone, at least in the U.S. I suspect you meant synthetic progestins, such as medroxyprogesterone acetate (Provera in this country). You were very wise to refuse taking it after reading about its side effects. Synthetic progestins are NOT hormone replacement at all, as that substance has never been bioidentical to anything the female human body produces. I referred to bio-identical Progesterone: it is the form that is structurally identical to that which the body makes, and in replacing it you are replacing exactly what the body has lost its ability to make. Bio-identical Progesterone functions exactly like that which the human body produces, and will not produce unwanted side effects when used in the correct amounts for each patient.

I3C refers to Indole-3-Carbinol, which is proven to lower estrogen levels in males and females. It is beneficial to supplement with I3C when patients have a high level of estrogen, so as to prevent unwanted effects of estrogen excess, hormone imbalance, and ultimately cancers (breast, uterine, ovarian in women and prostate in males -- as estrogen excess in either gender can lead to those types of cancer). I3C is found in cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, kale, etc. But you would have to consume such huge amounts of those that is usually more advisable to take I3C in supplement form from a pharmaceutical grade manufacturer. These are not "forever" or lifelong therapies. There are other things a person can do to reduce estrogen load. That is a whole other subject!

Jennifer Siefert
Pawnee, Illinois

Thank you again. Where can I get bioidentical progesterone? Do you know of any brand names?

I had night sweats, hot flashes a couple of years before my hyst and excessive bleeding and fibroids. I was actually having periods every month at 53. I understand that I was in peri-menopause and the ovaries for years start fluctuating hormones way before we actually go through the change. It is the highs and lows of estrogen and the lowering of progesterone that cause all the symptoms and pms as we go through the change.

There are options to get rid of the fibroids without a hyst though. I ended up not taking the option because I was close to menopause age and ovarian cancer in the family. Also had learned that the ovaries have a chance of failure after a hyst and especially at my age. It was my choice. I had started getting fibroids, polyps, cyst on ovary and in general increasing female problems.

There is no guarantee that your sweats will go away, in fact your symptoms of menopause may increase. When the uterus is removed, sometimes the ovaries go into shock and sleep for some time, but no one knows for sure. The bleeding should be a thing of the past since your uterus will be removed.

Please read in our Resources Library and do a search on ovaries. There is a lot of good information in our library.

Here is a link on ovaries after hyst:http://www.menopausematters.co.uk/aftermeno.html

s

Thanks for your reply. My night sweats started at age 37, and I'm still having them at age 45 - so I don't think they're related to premenopause. I asked about a myomectomy and was told that it would involve heavy haemorrhaging and a long recovery, plus there would be chances that the fibroids would grow back afterwards, so I plumped for the LSH. This was after holding out for a year. After I ended up in the emergency room because my fibroid had made my uterus swell so much it blocked my bladder - I decided to go for the LSH.

I am so relieved to know that I was normal! I am 36 years old and have had night sweats for about 4 yr now. I was embarassed and thought that I was just too fat! I had the full LAVH/BSO 2w ago and have lots of hot flashes (which I had started getting previously but not as bad) but haven't really gotten the night sweats. I can't have HT due to endo for six months. It's nice to know that is normal. But, I am exhausted and having trouble sleeping. I slept any time I could pre-hyst, but I can sleep at all now. I am so tired and take Tylenol PM to help at night, but don't want to become dependent. Thank God for this site, I have learned so much.