Hysterectomy

RozHopkins
RozHopkins Member Posts: 578 Member
in Breast Cancer #1
If I am having problems with Tamox hot flashes are so bad would a hysterectomy enable me to stop taking this drug and swop to another. I am pre meno and Estrogen receptive, (we think as periods stopped 18 month ago after second chemo). My mother took Tamox for five years and when she stopped taking it she got cancer back two more times. Ovaries taken away could solve my problems. Any thoughts ladies, I will ask oncol about this at my next appointment but he says us ladies blame too many ill effects on Tamox course he is a man after all............. (not counting the gentlemen out there with breast cancer) Thought I was coping very well when he suggested me taking this for TEN YEARS instead of the usual 2 - 5 I just cant do it, would be 65 when I come off.

Comments

  • cinnamonsmile
    cinnamonsmile Member Posts: 1,187 Member
    #2
    If you are thinking about
    If you are thinking about having your ovaries out to stop hot flashes, that may not be the case. You will be put into menopause when they are removed and the majority of women in menopause and some time before menopause when estrogen starts to diminish get hot flashes.
    Some women get instant menopause, but my ob-gyn said the hot flashes usually start after the body uses up the estrogen already made. I got some pretty bad ones here and there a couple weeks after, then lightened up. Now my hot flashes are horrible even with gabapentin,black cohosh, vit e, and evening primrose oil. I think they really started to increase at the two month post op mark. At three months, I am sweating now, sometimes for hours in places that I didn't even know my body could sweat!

    If you are wanting to reduce the amount of estrogen in your body, removing the ovaries is a good way to go. The body can still produce some estrogen, but not as much as the ovaries do.

    A hysterectomy removes the uterus. Then there are different types of hysterectomies that include the uterus and/or cervix, and/or the top of the vagina. A hysterectomy does not remove the ovaries.

    An oophorectomy removes the ovaries and a salpingectomy removes the fallopian tubes.

    There is a good website called hystersisters.com to check out. You can even order a free brochure.
  • laughs_a_lot
    laughs_a_lot Member Posts: 1,368 Member
    #3
    Estrogen
    Estrogen is stored in body fat. If you are over weight than there is a chance you may be able to effect the hot flashes through weight loss. I am no expert in this but you may want to ask the doctor if it will help at all.
  • Frankie Shannon
    Frankie Shannon Member Posts: 457
    #4
    Your hot flashes my get
    Your hot flashes my get worse with a hysterectomy I've been on Tamoxifen for a year and a half also on Gabapentin it helps to diminish the intensity of them and lets me sleep at night but doesn't stop them completely.I was on HRT for 30 years and then the ONC.took me off when i was diagnosed with breast cancer and 2 weeks later went into full blown menopause at age 67 not fun.You may end up with more side affects changing to another drug and Tamoxifen is the best one for ER cancer.

    Hugs Frankie
  • disneyfan2008
    disneyfan2008 Member Posts: 6,583 Member
    #5
    I had hysterectomy May of
    I had hysterectomy May of 2011 due to tamoxifen! I had thickeningn of uterus. I started bleeding 4 yrs post meno-the dr took me off med for month...no change so did surgery. I went back on tamoxifen right after surgery..I have about year and half to go..

    Denise
  • Ritzy
    Ritzy Member Posts: 4,381 Member
    #6
    cinnamonsmile said:

    If you are thinking about
    If you are thinking about having your ovaries out to stop hot flashes, that may not be the case. You will be put into menopause when they are removed and the majority of women in menopause and some time before menopause when estrogen starts to diminish get hot flashes.
    Some women get instant menopause, but my ob-gyn said the hot flashes usually start after the body uses up the estrogen already made. I got some pretty bad ones here and there a couple weeks after, then lightened up. Now my hot flashes are horrible even with gabapentin,black cohosh, vit e, and evening primrose oil. I think they really started to increase at the two month post op mark. At three months, I am sweating now, sometimes for hours in places that I didn't even know my body could sweat!

    If you are wanting to reduce the amount of estrogen in your body, removing the ovaries is a good way to go. The body can still produce some estrogen, but not as much as the ovaries do.

    A hysterectomy removes the uterus. Then there are different types of hysterectomies that include the uterus and/or cervix, and/or the top of the vagina. A hysterectomy does not remove the ovaries.

    An oophorectomy removes the ovaries and a salpingectomy removes the fallopian tubes.

    There is a good website called hystersisters.com to check out. You can even order a free brochure.

    Have you talked to your
    Have you talked to your doctor about medications that might help with hot flashes? Also, having a hysterectomy will not remove all estrogen from your body. Your body will still produce it.


    Good luck,


    Sue :)
  • cinnamonsmile
    cinnamonsmile Member Posts: 1,187 Member
    #7
    laughs_a_lot said:

    Estrogen
    Estrogen is stored in body fat. If you are over weight than there is a chance you may be able to effect the hot flashes through weight loss. I am no expert in this but you may want to ask the doctor if it will help at all.

    I found this on
    I found this on bc.org.
    Marisa Weiss, M.D., Breastcancer.org president and founder: The amount of estrogen in your body depends on a number of factors. If you are pre-menopausal, the estrogen levels depend mostly on how much estrogen is being made in your ovaries. After menopause, most of the estrogen in your blood comes from a chemical process in your fat and muscle cells. The more fat you have, in general, the higher the estrogen levels in your blood stream. Controlling the amount of fat in your body, therefore, has only a partial effect on how much estrogen is in your blood.
  • cinnamonsmile
    cinnamonsmile Member Posts: 1,187 Member
    #8
    Ritzy said:

    Have you talked to your
    Have you talked to your doctor about medications that might help with hot flashes? Also, having a hysterectomy will not remove all estrogen from your body. Your body will still produce it.


    Good luck,


    Sue :)

    I realize that having the
    I realize that having the ovaries removed does not take away all the estrogen, it only lowers it. I didn't have mine removed for that reason. I have already talked to my dr.s about meds for hot flashes. I had already been taking two of them for eight months prior to the ovary removal for totally natural hot flashes. I am taking everything I can and for some reason, am plagued by horrible hot flashes. That just happens to some women.
  • Kylez
    Kylez Member Posts: 3,761 Member
    #9
    Frankie Shannon said:

    Your hot flashes my get
    Your hot flashes my get worse with a hysterectomy I've been on Tamoxifen for a year and a half also on Gabapentin it helps to diminish the intensity of them and lets me sleep at night but doesn't stop them completely.I was on HRT for 30 years and then the ONC.took me off when i was diagnosed with breast cancer and 2 weeks later went into full blown menopause at age 67 not fun.You may end up with more side affects changing to another drug and Tamoxifen is the best one for ER cancer.

    Hugs Frankie

    If you have a hysterectomy,
    If you have a hysterectomy, your hot flashes could get worse as it will throw you into menopause possible. Check out all of your options with your doctor and the best of luck to you.


    Kylez

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