ask: How does a vaginal hysterectomy affect the hormones and weight gain in a 32 year old.
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Anonymous
August 13, 2009 - 11:01am
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Dr. Sanz is my doctor who performed my surgery. Since the surgery, I've had difficulty controlling my weight and moods swings to include bouts with depression.
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What type of hysterectomy did you have? Do you still have your ovaries? Were you provided any hormone replacement therapy?
Hysterectomies can have a profound effect on women emotionally and physically, while other women (including a few in my family) do not experience adverse reactions after the initial recovery process. Both of these scenarios are completely normal, regardless of age, and it is wonderful that you are seeking help and answers...you've come to the right place!
How long has it been since you've had your hysterectomy? Did your doctor and nurses provide information on what changes your body will go through, including emotional and physical? Do you have a follow-up appointment with your doctor soon?
Either way, what you are experiencing warrants a call to your doctor, particularly regarding your bouts with depression. Your health care provider can help you with mood swings, depression, and provide some answers regarding your weight, so please don't live in sadness and frustration when help is just a phone call away!
In fact, here is some information from EmpowHer's encyclopedia regarding the Outcomes from Hysterectomy:
"Physical
Removing the uterus ends abnormal bleeding, reduces pelvic pressure, and removes fibroids. Some other conditions, such as cancer, may continue or return. You will no longer have monthly periods and can no longer get pregnant. Birth control is not needed. If you still have ovaries, the eggs will dissolve in your abdomen. If the ovaries are removed, menopause happens right away. Your doctor may have you take estrogen replacement therapy."
"Emotional
Some women have strong reactions, including depression, in response to the loss of their uterus. Talk to your doctor about your feelings."
"Sexual
August 13, 2009 - 12:13pmSome women notice a change in their sexual response. Because the uterus has been removed, uterine contractions you may have felt during orgasm will no longer occur. If the ovaries have been removed, vaginal dryness may be a problem. This can be relieved with estrogen. Some women have an increase in sexual enjoyment. This may be because they no longer feel pain from the condition and they no longer have to worry about pregnancy."
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I read aton of blogs before my vaginal hysterectomy 11 days ago. I was scared and horrified because of all the very negative posts their are about hysterectomys. I had a very good surgeon. Have had no bleeding since day after surgery. i had my ovaries removed, I am 38, had a small tumor in left one last sept. I have lost 12 pounds, getting around very well since day aftger surgery, and feel better every day. I have been tired, but that is normal. I am a very sexual women, and my husband and i have a very good sex life, and I have and orgasm every time we have sex. You need to know your bodies, and everyone quit being scared, and have a strong mind. This is the best i have felt since 2006.Orgasms come from the clitoris, learn to stimulate there, and you will be fine.I have not been depressed, and am in a good mood. I am not planning on taking any hormones at any time. I will do exercises, vitamins, and herbs.Everyone needs to do their own research,and quit listening to everyones opinions. Everyones recovery is different. I feel great after my surgery. I have had 5 kids that are wonderful, and a wonderful husband. If you sit around and not get up and just eat for 6 weeks you will gain weight. Drink lots of water, and get up moving. It gets everything in your body working. I think having a strong mind, and willing yourself to have a great recovery, and thats about everything in life, will change your life, and you will have a good recovery. It is all in your mind. Your brain controls everything.I wrote this because I was sick of all the negative blogs. Gosh, be positive, and everyone will have better recoveries. If you look on everything as negative, those are exactly the results you will get. thanks.
January 29, 2010 - 10:23amI had a vaginal hysterectomy November 25, 2009 with overies and uturus removed. I also felt wonderful 2 days after my surgery, but my how things changed. I had lost about 13 lbs before and after the surgery. After about 3-4 weeks went by I started noticing my body was changing little by little. I am now totally transformed into an egg type shape. Believe it or not I still weigh the same but my body is completely different. I have a big bulge above the waist of my jeans that I can't hide, my husband always loved "as he called it"--a W shaped ass in which I no longer have! I have a big, wide, flat butt. My jeans are way to big in the waist but to tight at the bottom of my big stomach bulge. I constantly have to go around pulling up my pants in the back. My boobs in which I had worked to acquire a size 34 C firm cup are now quite a bit droopy. When I stand in front of the mirror with no clothes I am ashamed of myself. I had worked so hard to get to where I was and now all those hours of endless exercise and starvation went down the drain. I have not had any problems with hot flashes or any of the other side effects, but my body has really went in the wrong direction. I'll guess I'll start all over again. I was told that everybody's bodies does that because the Uturus gives support and when it's gone the support is gone.
March 27, 2010 - 5:00pmMandylue,
I'm so sorry that you've had this experience. Are you on any sort of hormone replacement therapy?
Some of the changes you describe have more to do with being in menopause (for you, a surgical menopause) than they do just having a hysterectomy. With the loss of your ovaries, your hormonal situation has changed in a huge way.
I know what it's like to stand in front of a mirror and not be happy with what we see. But please don't be ashamed. You had a medical procedure that has affected your body inside and out, and that's all.
The reason I ask about the hormones is that if you are in menopause (surgical or otherwise), losing weight and toning your body IS harder than it was before menopause. You may need to work out in different ways and adapt your diet and nutritional needs differently as well.
I think it's awesome that you weigh the same. That is a big deal!
Hang in there, Mandylue. Don't sentence yourself to "hours of endless exercise and starvation" again -- but just realize that bit by bit, this is a change you have to learn to deal with all over again. It's discouraging, but certainly doesn't have to be permanent.
March 29, 2010 - 11:12amI had a complete hysterectomy at the age of 35 I am now 53 and have for the past 15 years fought the change in my body. I had taken replacement hormones but have been with out for 5 years. I hate the way my body has changed and it has consumed my daily life. I work out 6 days a week....boot camps...cross fit and running.... and still the weight stays...750 cal diets I loose then when I get back to regular life and I am back were I started. My Natural Pathetic Dr. says my adrenals are not working and when I ask what I can do I get herbs when I ask my physician he says it is menopause. I am at my whits end....anyone else in the same state or is this a one of? I look forward to anything anyone can offer.
May 7, 2010 - 10:54pmAnon,
You are CERTAINLY not alone. Menopause and the hormonal changes it brings about just seem to change everything about the way our bodies behave.
Have you had your thyroid levels tested?
You certainly are working hard at exercise, so that isn't the problem. I am sure that you know that 750-calorie diets put your body into a temporary state of thinking it's starving, though, right? So that when you go back to more normal eating, your body grabs those calories and hangs onto them.
How much weight are we talking about?
Here's what the Mayo Clinic says about "adrenal fatigue":
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/adrenal-fatigue/an01583
And an in-depth exploration of adrenal stress:
http://www.womentowomen.com/adrenalfatigue/default.aspx
And while your physician is, ultimately right -- it is menopause, for sure -- that doesn't mean there's no hope to change anything. I wonder, have you considered bio-identical hormones? (What was the HRT you were taking -- synthetic or bio-identical?) Yours are the kind of symptoms that make many post-menopausal women consider the health risks and take bio-identical hormones.
Please let me know a little more, I'm really interested.
May 10, 2010 - 9:07amI think your answers make a lot of sense
August 4, 2010 - 9:06pmI have had a total Hysterectomy about two & a half years ago. At first I thought - Wow, no big deal - Not so - My body has changed totally - egg shaped like the lady above describes - cellulite all over - I must say I hate it - no matter what I do the weight stays - I have mood swings - cold and hot flashes - sleepless nights - lack of energy - trouble with memory and comprehending things - sex with my husband is no longer the same - I have no nerves left - just about everything gets on my nerves most times - I even had to move into my own place just to have enough peace to carry on day to day living - BUT - I said all of this, so those whom are out there feeling & looking the same, don't have to feel like you are alone - I hold onto the fact that I am a child of God - he reminds me that I would have been going through Chemo or not here, one - ya, see the doctor didn't even know I had Cervical Cancer starting - until all was done and over when the pathology report came back - she said "Can you believe this!" - my pap never showed any signs of it - I felt compelled to have this surgery - I figure it was the Holy Spirit leading me to that decision - GOD himself took care of it - so I have only to trust in hime to see me through what the rest of my life has to hold - even if I am not 130 lbs, no depression, no mood swings, no memory loss, blah, blah, blah - LOL - just hang in there - it is something we have to learn to accept :)
April 26, 2011 - 5:27pmI think these women are awesome,yes I too changed,uterus out at 27 ..one child before that though..a few miscarriages...and I went thru menopause,started at 43..3yrs ago went on hrt...sweats and couldn't sleep...1 yr later went to get off them and the gyno found 2 huge tumours on my ovaries..oh he had to do a pelvic before I could go off them.....I had backaches bloating gas, the back pain was the worst as the tumours were pressing on my back and nerves..ouch. had ovarian cancer,had suegery 25 lbs came out of me....had chemo and now am cancer free, my body will never be the same, lack of abdominal muscles, flabby skin, no waist,tits droop more ...yukky for me..oh I am eating healthier, antioxidants,more fibre, vitamins, just bought reishi mushroom capsules..i will see if they work..I have to start exercising again, have been slack,walking will be a start, I also just went back to my job...keep positive as much as possible and have faith in a higher being(GOD).....peace
June 25, 2011 - 7:23pm