Can you answer jecaerinb’s question about Menopause?:

My doctor just prescribed Clomid and Progesterone. We’ve been trying for about 8 months. The clomid is for the beginning of my cycle and the progesterone is for the 2nd half of my cycle. Has anyone else also taken this combination and how did it work out?

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Hysterectomy and menopause continues to create confusion among many women who are not sure whether the latter will be induced by having a hysterectomy. In explaining what can occur let’s look at the link between the two.

Firstly, what is a hysterectomy? In simple terms, it’s the removal of a women’s uterus and cervix or part of a women’s uterus. Some procedures may also involve removal of the ovaries and fallopian tubes.

The Effects Of Hysterectomy

So how does a hysterectomy affect menopause? Women can no longer menstruate or become pregnant following a hysterectomy but it seems there is confusion surrounding the issue of whether this means that menopause has occurred. Simply explained, if one or both of the ovaries are retained then menopausal onset could continue as normal. In fact, one of three things could happen: the ovaries will continue to function normally until menopause occurs; the ovaries could stop functioning as soon as one year following surgery or ovarian failure could be silent.

What Is Surgical Menopause?

Complete removal of the ovaries in pre-menopausal women will result in a drop in oestrogen and progesterone levels which can bring on what is described as surgical menopause. A sudden drop in ovarian production can lead to menopause symptoms occuring just a few days following the procedure. The increased risk of osteoporosis is one of the downsides to this as well as the usual symptoms of menopause including hot flushes and night sweats.

Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) is an option for women who experience surgical menopause. This can help alleviate some of the symptoms such as hot flushes. Information on the benefits of HRT are sketchy to say the least with the treatment having both it’s detractors and supporters. Whether it’s the right course of action for you can only be made following a consultation with your health physician. The good news for women who elect to skip HRT is that there are alternative and more natural treatments available and this should be one of the first questions you ask your doctor.

Women who have one or both of their ovaries left behind following a hysterectomy will generally experience ovarian production until menopause is reached. The difference is that hormone levels can fluctuate alarmingly or, they can stop producing a lot sooner than expected. If it’s the latter and oestrogen deficiency is recognized, then a visit to the doctor is of the utmost importance.

More Issues To Consider

There are other issues regarding whether the ovaries should be left behind. The threat of ovarian cancer always lingers and many doctors will advise their patients to consider removing them. The risk however, is low and in many cases if the ovaries are relatively healthy then many patients will elect to retain either one or both.

Hysterectomy and menopause seems like a very complex issue on the surface and in reality it is because there are many factors to consider. Hysterectomy is one of the most performed surgical procedures in the western world for women and for most, it’s a decision made after lengthy analysation. You’ll need to weigh up the pros and cons with your doctor before making any decision.



Thanks to Dean Caporella for contributing this article to our Menopause blog:

Premature Menopause

The menopause topic came into discussions recently. Not to long ago, it was a taboo topic. Women were afraid to talk about this transition even to their daughters. It was a new generation, free of inhibitions that started shamelessly the topic and opened a new era in the medical studies on the menopause and made it public.

A few generations ago, not to many women lived after menopause, but nowadays, most women live 25-30 years or more after menopause, which represents about one third or in some cases maybe even a half of their life, so it is very important to develop methods of improvement for some of the consequences of this transition and give women the possibility to overcome the problems that occur by menopause. Menopause is a natural process, not a medical one and even if it is caused by hormonal activity and has effects on both physical and psychological states, it is not the end of life. Sexuality may continue after menopause.

What is the actual process?

Menopause naturally occurs at an advanced age, and that is because once the body is aging, the egg supply ages too. Because of this, the ovulation are getting rarer and this is what is causing variations in hormone production. This process will go on until there won’t be enough progesterone and estrogen for menstruation in the body and it will stop. The process takes up to 12 months and when it is complete, the woman has reached menopause.

A woman is more exposed to heart disease after the menopause. The reasons for this are unknown so it is harder to prevent. It is recommended to take into consideration this factor before deciding on a treatment or a lifestyle.

Menopause represents a deficiency disease?

Doctors, scientists and researchers have started a topic on the menopause to decide whether it should be regarded as a natural process or as a health threat. Some specialists believe that the menopause is a hormone deficiency syndrome associated with dysfunction of the ovaries, requiring diagnosis and treatment. This affirmation is based on the predisposition of menopausal women for health disorders and on the statistics that 1% of postmenopausal women develop heart diseases, 0.5% encounter osteoporosis, 0.3% are develop breast cancer and 0.2% are affected by endometrial cancer. The risks for these conditions can be diminished by a replacement hormones therapy, which is strongly recommended by physicians to all the women that have no other medical reason to avoid it. On the other side, different specialists deny the idea of compulsory treatment of menopause believing that it will create an abnormal image of the old ages and put it in a bad light. Even though, they also approve that the risks for some health conditions increase in postmenopausal women.

Some menopause facts

The Perimenopause, the time preceding menopause starts most often between the ages 39 and 51 and it lasts averagely 5 years. One year after the menstruation periods stopped, it is said that the woman has reached menopause.

* - The average age of menopause is between 50 and 51. In 95% of all women, it occurs between the ages of 44 and 56.

* - Menopause before the age of 40 (spontaneous premature menopause) is rare, affecting about 1% of women in the United States .

* - Menopause is in many cases dictated by genetic factors so if your mother had an early or late menopause, you probably will also.

* - Smokers experience menopause an average of 1.5 years earlier than non-smokers.

Surgical removal of the ovaries or radiation therapy to the abdomen or pelvis may cause menopause too.



Thanks to Ruben Knisely for contributing this article to our Menopause blog:

Premature Menopause

Can you answer anjoek5859’s question about Menopause?:

And does your method seem to help you? I’d appreciate any ideas on how I can control my hot flashes naturally. I use all natural progesterone cream now but it hasn’t helped here lately.

Menopause Hot Flash Relief

Can you answer Cutie_McPie’s question about Menopause?:

What side effects do each of these hormones cause? I know a BIT about estrogen, but not progesterone.

Supplements For Menopause