Zoladex

Hello,
I am new to this group.Sorry about the name,husband's pc.I am not
sure whether or not my symptoms will be helped by a total hysterectomy,so my
consultant has suggested I try Zoladex to see if these are period based or
not.Has anyone else gone this route?Any info would be welcome,thanks.
I am 47,on mefenamic every month so I can go to work etc and
function normally.Periods have got more painful over the last few
years,especially after being sterilised.But also get some pain and twinges
through the whole month.Still not sure this is the right option for me,so
she thinks this will help me to decide.
Periods were regular until xmas then had bit mid month and now all
over the place!She says I will get hot flushes by the second month,so will
give me hrt to relieve it.All sounds scary to me.Thanks,
Celia

"John Smith" <gwahir@btinternet.com> wrote in message
news:FuudnbeKfOJp_UbYRVnyvAA@bt.com...
> Hello,
> I am new to this group.Sorry about the name,husband's pc.I am not
> sure whether or not my symptoms will be helped by a total hysterectomy,so
> my consultant has suggested I try Zoladex to see if these are period based
> or not.Has anyone else gone this route?Any info would be welcome,thanks.
> I am 47,on mefenamic every month so I can go to work etc and
> function normally.Periods have got more painful over the last few
> years,especially after being sterilised.But also get some pain and twinges
> through the whole month.Still not sure this is the right option for me,so
> she thinks this will help me to decide.
> Periods were regular until xmas then had bit mid month and now all
> over the place!She says I will get hot flushes by the second month,so will
> give me hrt to relieve it.All sounds scary to me.Thanks,
> Celia


Celia - your doctor can't say for definate *what* symptoms you'll
get and how bad they'll be. Everyone is different. HT (hormone
therapy, not hormone *replacement* therapy) as it's called these
days isn't for everyone. Some find it helps, some find it doesn't,
some find it makes things worse, some don't want to risk the
extra risks of cancer or heart attack that comes with the extra
hormones.


--
Jette Goldie
jette@blueyonder.co.uk
http://www.jette.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/
http://wolfette.livejournal.com/
("reply to" is spamblocked - use the email addy in sig)

"John Smith" <gwahir@btinternet.com> wrote in message
news:FuudnbeKfOJp_UbYRVnyvAA@bt.com...
> Hello,
> I am new to this group.Sorry about the name,husband's pc.I am not
> sure whether or not my symptoms will be helped by a total hysterectomy,so
> my consultant has suggested I try Zoladex to see if these are period based
> or not.Has anyone else gone this route?Any info would be welcome,thanks.
> I am 47,on mefenamic every month so I can go to work etc and
> function normally.Periods have got more painful over the last few
> years,especially after being sterilised.But also get some pain and twinges
> through the whole month.Still not sure this is the right option for me,so
> she thinks this will help me to decide.
> Periods were regular until xmas then had bit mid month and now all
> over the place!She says I will get hot flushes by the second month,so will
> give me hrt to relieve it.All sounds scary to me.Thanks,
> Celia

Hi - I can't address all points in your post, since I'm not familiar w/the
meds you're taking.

OTOH, I find it really weird that the doctor would say that you'll have hot
flashes (flushes) at "x" time. I went through perimenopause from ages 40 -
46 (periods all over the place - no rhyme or reason), then my first batch of
hot flashes kicked in a couple of months after my last period. But other
people get them during peri, & some (lucky ones!) apparently don't get them
at all.

My periods became more painful during peri - some months I had the cramps
from hell (à la high school) again. And there was a good amount of time
when I felt vaguely (very mildly) crampy all month long. Then again, during
the last several months of having periods, they got super-light - although
closer together, & the cramps bit became much, much better.

Everybody's different, re: menopause & its symptoms.

But personally, unless there was a HUGE reason for it, I wouldn't go the
hysterectomy route.

Cathy

John Smith <gwahir@btinternet.com> wrote:

> Hello,
> I am new to this group.Sorry about the name,husband's pc.I am not
> sure whether or not my symptoms will be helped by a total hysterectomy,so my
> consultant has suggested I try Zoladex to see if these are period based or
> not.Has anyone else gone this route?Any info would be welcome,thanks.
> I am 47,on mefenamic every month so I can go to work etc and
> function normally.Periods have got more painful over the last few
> years,especially after being sterilised.But also get some pain and twinges
> through the whole month.Still not sure this is the right option for me,so
> she thinks this will help me to decide.
> Periods were regular until xmas then had bit mid month and now all
> over the place!She says I will get hot flushes by the second month,so will
> give me hrt to relieve it.All sounds scary to me.Thanks,
> Celia

Hi, Celia, and welcome!

I recommend getting a second opinion. In the US, doctors tend to be to
eager to suggest hysterectomy. In Europe, other alternatives are usually
offered first. And many doctors still like to give hormones to women, in
spite of what the WHI found out (check out this group's FAQs for info
and links). Nobody should suggest HT so casually; there are side-effects
(like an increased risk of heart attack or stroke). It is for short-term
use. Also, many women find that the symptoms they took the hormones for
come back when they stop taking the hormones. So, ride it out now, or
ride it out later?

I read Dr. Susan Love's "Menopause & Hormone Book" (I recommend it) and
the uterus and ovaries do have function beyond fertility: The uterus
produces vitamin D (prevents osteoporosis and apparantly also breast
cancer) and the ovaries "switch jobs" to produce a different type of sex
hormone to keep the body in shape after menopause. Uterus and ovaries
are linked to each in a feedback loop.

You may have success with acupuncture. I'm thinking that if this all
started after the sterilization, there was an interruption in the flow
of energy. Acupuncture could help with that.

Then there is, of course, the likelihood that you are perimenopausal and
for you, it means more painful periods. That happens to a lot of women.
Sometimes the pain is due to fibroids. There are other treatments for
fibroids besides hysterectomy.

Taking out a whole healthy uterus is like shooting sparrows with cannons
(as we say in Norway). If your doctor won't explore options with you,
get another doctor.

--
Keera in Norway * Think big. Shrink to fit.
http://home.online.no/~kafox/