LAVH: Menopause question

Surgery will be on April 22 - What are the different things that come with the type of menapuase you have after a LAVH? The Dr. says's I will go through it and many say I will go through it - but no one tells me what "IT" is, what will I feel? what will happen? Can someone please tell me what I will go through?

Thank you,
80s fan age 33

Hi 80's fan!

A hysterectomy patient doesn't experience surgical menopause if she keeps her ovaries. Her ovaries should continue to produce all the hormones she needs until natural menopause would occur at around the age 50 on average. Are you able to keep your ovaries? If so, you wouldn't have to to worry about this.

I will have NO ovaries

I know for me I have hot flashes, night sweats, itchiness, dry skin, some insomnia but not too bad though. I have no mood issues thank god and the other symptoms are tolerable. Will your doctor be prescribing HRT for you or have you opted not to take anything? Believe me when IT starts you will know. I asked the same question and got the answer that you will know and they were right. Good luck with your upcoming surgery.

If you search on-line you will find that there are up to 35 different menopause symptoms (doesn't matter if it was surgically induced or natural) with the most frequent being night sweats, hot flashes, insomnia and mood swings. Others like itchy skin and fire tongue are less common. As with any woman that experiences menopause you can / will also experience vaginal dryness and eventually some vaginal atrophy. When it hits is totally dependent on your body if you are a little heavier it may take a little more time because fat produces some lower level estrogen. I had my surgery on a Monday and menopause hit the following Friday. I was estrogen heavy so I had searing headaches for 3 days along w/ hot flashes and night sweats. The surgery and the menopause triggered insomnia so I started taking some xanax at bedtime for a few weeks to help settle things out. I have the vaginal dryness. Sexual response is different for me I have clitoral orgasm used to have vaginal but that's no more and also don't have the blood and hormone rushes that I used to have. Others say they don't experience a difference but maybe they had already gone through menopause before. The thing is you'll know when it hits but it will be your own personal experience because every body is different.

I am a little over 6 weeks out and I am just starting to deal with symptoms. I am over weight so I have retained estrogen. I also suffer from migraines - estrogen being one of my main triggers. Therfore, I have choosen not to go near HRT. I am getting some mild night sweats and get very warm easily - not a hot flash really but close. The worst was last week dealing with a migraine every day - but as I said I am a migraine suffer whose main trigger is hormones.

Everyone is different. Do as much research as you need to feel comfortable. I just started reading Menopause for Dummies. They had a half way good chapter on surgical menopause.

you might want to google surgical menopause, ovary removal, hormone replacement therapy...and become familiar with all the different symptoms and what can be done for them. talk to your dr before surgery about hormone replacement. i dont know the reason why youre having your surgery, but is keeping your ovaries an option? good luck!

don't forget there is the book Sudden Menopause available from the bookstore here.

Thank you all so much for your help! It means a lot to me to have a place to ask a question with people who have been there done that! My surgery is April 22 I and I just finished my 4th cassarole to freeze, my husband can't cook , now I am cleaning up the house so it will be all organized when I return home. I have a little OCD and everything must be just right, I am a planner and everything must be planned out! Thank you all for your help!

My surgery is this Thursday and I'm so scared. I'm afraid I grew out of touch with the latest bikini wax style so wanting to have it trendy for the OR I left it up to the technician.....Ugh...now I'm bald. Can someone help me out here? Is this what the style is? I think it looks horrible. My husband said my old style went out in the 50's....

please help!