Menopause/pots Symptoms

[Tara Lynn]

I am scheduled for removal of my ovaries due to endometroisis in a month. Does menopause cause worsening in POTS symptoms or an improvement?

Thanks for your input.

Tara

[MamaTrain]

Hi Tara,

I am currently undergoing treatment for severe hormone deficiency. Female hormones and adrenal gland hormones! We believe it's the root problem of my dysautonomia. Since taking them I have been feeling better. I would think if you put your body into a surgical menopause your body is going to react very badly to that. Somewhere on a older post of mine a lady said that Dr. Grubb himself said that menopause is a dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system so anyone with autonomic problems is going to fare much worse. I would strongly suggest getting the replacement hormones as soon as possible...preferably the bio-identical ones. Good luck on your surgery and keep us posted!

KC

[Jan]

I am in menopause. I went off the pill a year and 1/2 ago and right into menopause. My POTS is much better.

I get a ton of hot flashes, about one an hour, but no longer get menstrual migraines or get the fluctuation of symptoms that came with my monthly cycle.

I was on the pill with out the 7 day break. That helped not have the cyclical symptoms, until I would have break through bleeding and had to go off it for a week once in awhile. Then it was week from heck.

Menopause is GREAT. I highly recommend it.

[comfortzone]

Hi Tara,

I am currently undergoing treatment for severe hormone deficiency. Female hormones and adrenal gland hormones! We believe it's the root problem of my dysautonomia. Since taking them I have been feeling better. I would think if you put your body into a surgical menopause your body is going to react very badly to that. Somewhere on a older post of mine a lady said that Dr. Grubb himself said that menopause is a dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system so anyone with autonomic problems is going to fare much worse. I would strongly suggest getting the replacement hormones as soon as possible...preferably the bio-identical ones. Good luck on your surgery and keep us posted!

KC

Can you share what kind of doctor discovered your hormone defiency(s)? I was told by one rather simple blood test I was in peri-menopause couple years ago .... Just ignored the news and kept living -- In January hot flashes (I guess?) began -- funny though - they can be so different - like one an hour ...... for a couple of days..... and then none. I live in a very cool temperature area in summer and I was actually starting to miss them because I was freezing and they would warm me up (I know how weird is that) Now and again I'd get big rushes of bounding heartbeats etc.......... Sometimes just facial flushing....... Heck I had a monthly cycle till then one the end of Novemeber last year....one March 1 this year - and none since. Now I just feel nauseated and dizzy and not sure about menopause because I know no one that's been through it to talk to. Kinda ignorant about it all -- I see my ob/gyn next week and I'll ask him what he thinks. I have never sweat in my life and now I sweat ALL the time - enough to have me buy breathable athletic apparel so the sweat doesn't show! This with the ANS stuff and hypermobiity syndrome makes life challenging lately...... Does menopause ever officially end symptom wise? I have no idea what my hormones are doing or which one's they check for this stuff...

thanx for any helps

[issie]

I had a complete hysterectomy at age 36 with endometrosis involvement. This was my 8th surgery -- I had wanted kids. DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT go on hormones immediately after surgery. With endometrosis if they miss even one little speck of it, it will grow back and fill the abdominal cavity and you have the same problem all over again. It can get on the bladder, bowels everything in the abdomianal cavity. I stayed off hormones for 5 months after my surgery. I tried to stay off for 6 months, but mentally couldn't do it. I have not had a recurrance of the pain that goes along with this. I'm pain free from the endometrosis issues. As for the POTS, does it make it worse ----YES. Unforntuantly, it does. But the relief from pain is worth the POTS being worse. I wish I'd had my hysterectomy sooner but wasn't ready for it mentally. My life revolved around the pain of endometrosis for tooooooo long. I'm so happy that is not there any more. I feel like I have more of a life now. But, not taking hormones is very very very hard. But, I knew it was only temporary and if other people could do it -- I could too. I did do it and am so glad that it is a part of my past. When you do go on hormones, the bioidentical ones are the way to go. They have to be compounded. It may be that a little progesterone cream may help you with the first few months, but no estrogen. Hope you do good, the next few months will be the roughest, but things will get better.

[MamaTrain]

KC

Can you share what kind of doctor discovered your hormone defiency(s)? I was told by one rather simple blood test I was in peri-menopause couple years ago .... Just ignored the news and kept living -- In January hot flashes (I guess?) began -- funny though - they can be so different - like one an hour ...... for a couple of days..... and then none. I live in a very cool temperature area in summer and I was actually starting to miss them because I was freezing and they would warm me up (I know how weird is that) Now and again I'd get big rushes of bounding heartbeats etc.......... Sometimes just facial flushing....... Heck I had a monthly cycle till then one the end of Novemeber last year....one March 1 this year - and none since. Now I just feel nauseated and dizzy and not sure about menopause because I know no one that's been through it to talk to. Kinda ignorant about it all -- I see my ob/gyn next week and I'll ask him what he thinks. I have never sweat in my life and now I sweat ALL the time - enough to have me buy breathable athletic apparel so the sweat doesn't show! This with the ANS stuff and hypermobiity syndrome makes life challenging lately...... Does menopause ever officially end symptom wise? I have no idea what my hormones are doing or which one's they check for this stuff...

thanx for any helps

Hi! I have a doctor who is a regular MD but also believes in and uses naturpathic medicine. She only uses saliva testing as she feels it is the best way to see what's really going on with the hormones. I think it's different for everyone but it's MY belief that if you have a ANS that is just a little "off" for whatever reasons (I think genetics myself) then every little thing that affects it is going to REALLY affect you. That's just how I think about it so please take it with a grain of salt. No pun intended for those of us who use alot of salt to ward off symptoms! LOL! Just an FYI too about seeing your gyno. I saw one and they were like no way you're in menopause you're not even 40. They did the blood test that tests FSH and it was "normal". My current doc said that is not the way to really see what the hormones are doing. All that test said was the relay system is working but not HOW MUCH I was making. Good luck and feel free to ask any other questions if need be!

Best of the week to you!

KC

[firewatcher]

I had extended hormone testing done by my endocrinologist. I had weekly blood draws: exactly the same day and time of day, each week for six weeks. They tested for LH, FsH, Estradiol, Progesterone and Testosterone. My hormones were all at the lowest point of normal or below. My endo called them "barely adequate." I am on hormone replacement and it has made a huge, positive difference for me. Having a sudden lack of hormones may help, or send you into a tailspin. Talk to your doc about it and be ready to ask for hormones if you NEED them. You can always wean off slowly.

[friday7]

I am scheduled for removal of my ovaries due to endometroisis in a month. Does menopause cause worsening in POTS symptoms or an improvement?

Thanks for your input.

Tara

I think whether it makes it worse depends on the person. I had my ovaries removed 3 years ago.

I actually wanted to do it because I felt like my period was actually making my POTS symptoms worse. Every month I would be so sick and weak I coulndt' get out of bed, my blood pressure would lower and I'd have bad hypoglycemia.

I did a trial of Lupron for 6months ..that suppressed my hormones and mimicked what it would be like for me in Menopause. I felt much better and decided to go along with the surgery.

The first 6 months I went without Hormones. I felt pretty good though, except the hot flashes were so bad I could not sleep at all, and I was experiencing really bad anxiety, and mood swings. So, I went on Hormones, the lowest dose, and that helped me out..I am now off them for about a year.

Overall I have had ups and downs but in no way did it make my POTS worse..I have definitely improved as far as what was bothering me. I think for me it was the right thing..Again I think it depends on the person , whether it will help or hurt.

[Tara Lynn]

Thanks for all the input.

I had a hysterectomy almost 2 years ago - leaving my ovaries in. When they did the hysterectomy - they found endometriosis everywhere, bladder, left ovary, colon... They should have removed them at that time - however, my MD just burned off the endo and left the ovaries. But since then, my pelvic pain has returned 5 times worse. I did some research and found that most women who have a hysterectomy and leave the ovaries in with known endometriosis it comes back. So now - I have to have another surgery just to fix the problem again. I was concerned - because after they hysterectomy, my POTS got soooooo much worse. Even w/beta blockers - my heart rate still runs @ 135 - 150 when standing. I know hormones play a BIG role in POTS, I think my estrogen levels are sky high. Im hoping, no hormones = less POTS symptoms. Im a wishful thinker

[issie]

I don't know why doctors go in and take just the utereus, when it's estrogen that causes the endometrosis. If you still have your ovaries, it doesn't solve anything. Everyone I've talked to about endo. that didn't have their ovaries removed at the same time within 2 years has to go in later and have them removed. I just don't get it. My doctor told me that the ovaries are the most sensitive thing in the ab. if there is endo. and scar tissue, it pulls on the ovaries every time you move. So therefore, the PAIN. You should feel allot better with them out. Like I said before, it is okay to use transdermal natural progesterone cream after the surgery (this doesn't cause any left over endo. to grow.) It may help with the hot flashes and mood until you just can't wait any longer to have some type of estrogen. My Mayo doctor told me to now use Red Clover. This is a plant estrogen. Wait as long as you can before you replace estrogen, that's what makes the endometrosis grow. Look back on some of the other threads on endo. Seems like a few of us have it here. Type it into the search.