When to start HRT - post op?

Had everything removed on November 24,2010..was already having mild hot flashes before,I do not take any HRT.

Its ben almost 3 years since my OP and I've not been started on regular HRT, was told there was no need for it in general even if it was all taken out. But I also can't take estrogen or progesterone so options that have those within them are not an option for me.

But I do take a herbal version on my own accord that according to hubby works well enough for him, as in he notices the difference when i take it or don't take it.

My Doc started me Vivelle Dot, the day of surgery. Unfortunately, it looks as though it caused Ovarian Remnant Syndrome. So, 9mo after my hyst, I had to have further surgery. I avoided all HRT even natural. My hormone levels were checked every year, and for 6 years although my estrogen remained elevated, I had relatively little pain, until last year. Last year, I had further excision surgery.
And a year a surgery, for the first time ever my blood levels of estrogen are low enough to actually start HRT. So, 7 years post hyst, I am finally on HRT.

My doc had me start the morning after my surgery. I can't imagine with your doc being out of the country that someone isn't covering his/her patients for stuff like this. That's one great thing about e-mail...the website tells me if someone's going to be out of the office, so I can try another provider.

Hi,

I think it varies depending on your situation. I had a total hysterectomy June 21, 2010...every gone! Because of clotting issues that run in my family my Dr told me to wait 2 weeks before starting, I chose to wait 3 and by the 3rd week I really needed the patch....hot flashes that would leave my shirts dripping & hair soaked....seriously I could wring the sweat out of them.

Because my mom died of ovarian cancer, doc wanted to try wait and see approach. I am okay with that, as I am 50 and not suffering as some ladies are. No night sweats, but I do feel what I call warm fronts, where I feel the need to go outside for some cool air. Mostly I feel exhausted, but I don't think HRT would help that, as that could be a side effect of major surgery. I think that is what causes me to feel moody. I think I will start on a higher does of antidepressants when i refill my RX, though.

I asked about it either at the pre-op or when I was in the hospital and the Doc said we would see if I needed it. Before the surgery we thought I was going to be able to keep at least 1 ovary but when he got in there he saw that I had a kiwi sized cyst in the right one also so it had to go.

I am 48 and for the last 2 yrs have started to have pre-menopause symptoms (missed periods, longer cycles, mild hot flashes, moodiness. I think his thought is that I wont need them. I sure hope he is right. 2 weeks tomorrow and all I have had are a few warm periods (I also have thyroid problems so that is something I'm use to) and nausea one day and hungry the next (could also be thyroid). lol also been almost living with the heating pad on me.

Good luck

Because of family history and the possibility that I might not have terrible symptoms I was advised to wait and see how I felt. I made it a little over 10 weeks before I started on Vivelle. I honestly think it was a mistake to wait so long. I was pretty miserable and it took quite a while to feel better. That said everyone is different and you may do just fine without. I was 46 at the time of my surgery.

Good luck!