HRT advice needed

[i_am2bz]

I had my ovaries & tubes removed last week (against my better judgement, but I was beaten down by 4 doctors & everyone in my family), so now I am dealing with the aftermath of "surgical menopause" & would welcome any/all advice on how to proceed.

My ob/gyn prescribed prometrium & premarin, but I haven't started taking either. Frankly, I'm confused about what they do, & if there's a way to treat menopause symtoms more naturally & cheaply. (The Rx will be $60/mo! :/ )

I haven't had any hot flashes, but frankly am feeling very depressed...not sure if that's a symptom or something else entirely. How soon after ovary removal would I "feel something"? I don't have a follow-up with my ob/gyn until May.

 

[FarmerChick]

last week?

yikes girl take a minute to relax, slow down, recover and worry about all that later lol

hope you are feeling OK...that is rough surgery. No answers for you cause have not been there, no one I know has been there, but please take alot of time to recover your strength!!!!

depressed....yea I would think that would kick in cause you just had big surgery........relax, all is fine......recover the body first, let the tissue heal......then go gung ho on how to balance your body if needed.

wow, fingers crossed for a fast recovery!!!!

 

[morgj]

When my wife had her hysterectomy a couple of years ago. she decided against any hormone replacement therapy. She just didn't like what she had read. She had some good days and some very rough days, but we weathered through it okay. It was the appropriate choice for her even though her doctor preferred she take the meds.

I'm sure there are natural alternatives to explore, but I'll leave that to the ladies or google. But don't let your doctor scare you into HRT the long term effects can be bad in some people and only you know your body well enough to make informed choices. Good luck.

Wife bought a little battery powered water mister which helped her a lot with the "flashes"

 

[morgj]

http://www.holisticonline.com/remedies/hrt/hrt_home.htm

will give you some reading stuff as you recover. And as FarmerChick said, go slow, heal, research and learn, but you don't need to rush.

 

[i_am2bz]

Thanks for the link, morgj - yep, it says depression is a biggie for surgical menopause. Lovely, just one more thing to look forward to!

FC - yeah, it has not been a fun week at all, I thought I would bounce back quicker than I have. Also no appetite, & obviously not eating is making me weak & shaky. I have no energy & just lay here feeling sorry for myself. I was thinking more about HRT because I wanted to have my ducks in a row, so I would have a plan in place when I started having symptoms. (DH has been NO help; my one ally is my SIL, but she just had hip surgery 2 days ago so has her own problems at the moment! :/)

 

[FarmerChick]

girl you have every reason to have that little pity party. but you will come around cause honestly, I think fast physical body healers do very well after something traumatic.

hang in there!

pick your most fav foods....eat a little of those. indulge and take care of yourself NOW.

I sure can't be a help in what to 'replace things with' but relax your mind, heal that body and eat something you love to eat LOL there is time, you are in no hurry. It is great to think about the future IF PROBLEMS might arise, but don't make it your focus.

You live in the moment right now and relax!

Where did you go, Raleigh like Duke or something?

 

[raro]

I have chemical menopause, which is about as sudden as the surgical kind. It hits harder than the "natural" way, but think of it this way: As lousy as you might feel in the next 3 months or so, it won't get any worse!

For hot flashes, I use black cohosh pills. Mine are frequent but not usually terribly severe, so I only do it once a day. You can take them 3 times a day at least.

For vaginal dryness, I used to use Replens, (or the cheap Walmart brand, it's just as good), but I have found I dont' really need it much anymore (I'm not sexually active, though, so that's another issue!)

As to emotional issues, you have to give yourself a lot of time. There are all sorts of emotional issues even if you never planned on having any more kids, hated having periods, etc. It just takes a while to get used to. Give yourself plenty of time. And with husbands...they can be a help or a hindrance!

 

[i_am2bz]

FC - thanks; I tried my "favorites" like pizza, but it's just "blah", nothing appeals to me...I'm forcing myself to eat, but that's about it. I feel kinda tricked - I can't think of the right words, everything's a blur - that I wasn't warned about these symptoms, just the physical pain, not the psychological ones. :/

Got a call from the HR lady at work, asking how I am...I kind of beat around the bush...didn't feel up to telling her I felt like I was going crazy. At least she reassured me, said not to try to rush anything, I qualify for FMLA so no worries for another 11 weeks...

Oh, I had the surgery at UNC-Chapel Hill, they're supposed to be good, but....

raro - can you tell me what "chemical menopause" is? I've heard of using black cohash, guess I need to make a trip to the place next to Whole Foods. Here's the kicker - I was really looking forward to not having cycles anymore (who wouldn't?), so why do I want to start taking hormones that will continue them...???

 

[CrownofThorns]

Take a look at what I said about Chaste Tree Berry in this thread.

 

[miss_thenorth]

I hope things turn around for you quickly.