Question 23 - Hysterectomy Without Hotflashes
(Posted March 15, 2000)

Dr N

I had a hysterectomy on Feb. 11, 2000. I was given 1.25mg of Premarin. I took the drug for 4 days and felt terrible. I stopped taking it and have not taken a single drug since. No hormone therapy-replacement. I have not changed my diet and I feel better than ever. My doctor and everyone else I know tells me that evenually I will NEED the hormones. Hotflashes are so mild it does not effect my daily activities. I feel much more relaxed than ever. My family tells me that I have not been in this good of a mood in years.

So, my question is----Is it possible that my body has all it needs to function without hormone therapy? Or is it a matter of time before I loose my mind and am taken over with hot flashes? I am 25 and I had both ovaries removed.

Hi,

Around 25% of women never have hot flashes, so you may never get them. The rationale for HRT is to prevent the long-term affects of sex hormone deprivation on hormonally dependent tissues, (bones, vagina, labia, clitorus, skin, bladder, breasts, etc.), and to avoid the decreased longevity associated mostly with the increased rates of death from heart attacks, strokes and osteoporosis.

While the tissue changes are often noticeable in the short term, the cardiovascular and skeletal changes are usually silent and without symptoms and may not become apparent until a heart attack, stroke or bone fracture has occurred.

I would think that the Premarin was obviously not the HRT regimen of choice for you and if you decide to try HRT again, I would try a non oral route. Consider, reading the sections of the web site that deal with HRT as this may provide some insight for you as to what some of your alternative choices may be.

Dr N