Lack of sex drive, sweating, fatigue, mood swings, sadness, incomplete feeling due to hysterectomy. On estradiol i mg. Help
Patient: I had a hysterectomy when I was 38 I am now 43 year old I have no sex drive is there any I can take to improve my sex life? I am on estradiol 1 mg don't seem to help I have sweats all the time I feel so tard and I am miserable I cant stand it. mood swings sadness I have strange smell when I urinate .I feel by far this was the worst thing I ever done .I was bleeding .   and wouldn't stop so that's why I hysterectomy complete no orvaries everthing gone can I   ever feel some what normal I feel so bad ever day is a struggle for me I need some can of help ? Doctor: Your symptoms will resemble post-menopausal symptoms. However, they will also be more severe than post-menopausal symptoms because of the sudden withdrawal of hormone levels after the surgery. In post-menopausal state, the transition is more gradual and hence bearable in many women. These symptoms can be in various domains:1) Physical: Fatigue/ tiredness; low libido/ sex drive; sweating episodes, flushing2) Mental: Mood swings, panic attacks, sadness of mood, occasionally psychosisIt is ideal to replace with hormones if the symptoms are severe and unbearable as they are more likely to address all symptoms. This benefit has to be weighed against the increased risk of cardiovascular disease and certain cancers. You may take your Gynecologists advice for this decision. As I see you are not able to tolerate hormone replacement therapy. You may consult a psychiatrist for the mental symptoms which can be treated and handled well with the use of Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) like sertraline. They will help you regardless of your taking estrogen pills or not. Alternative Medicines like phytoestrogen supplements/ soya based supplements may also be tried from a practitioner of this system. They may have the advantage of having less side-effects but may work as effectively as hormone replacement. The phytoestrogens are compounds which are similar in action to estrogens, but are derived from plants. They may still have similar side-effects as estrogens, but at a lower risk probably. You may decide on which of these options suits you the best. You have to consult a Gynecologist or Alternative Medicine expert for the first and the third options.