hysterectomy question,regaurding pcos and insulin resistance

prophecy · 07-23-2008, 09:17 AM

first off,thanks for any advice in advance.mods if i post in the wrong place feel free to move me.pcos forum newbie.lol

im in need of making a well educated choice,because of a few factors wich i will state.

i'm 30yrs old,and i have PCOS related insulin resistance,and a very high insulin level issue,and have been getting large cysts (grape to pingpong ball in sizes)about every 3 months or so.im allergic to hormones, in bc pills,and cannot take metformin, tried herbals,not enuff relief and im having alot of issues with my life due to the constant cyst activity.ie, had to stop clinicals for school,due to this, pain keping me up etc.

i had extreme dysmenhorragia for several years,(surgical stop by d/c of 4 month long periods,i'd get 6month break to fix anemia,repeat,filling 2 or more depends layered in 2-3 pads at a time everyday (went thru a full pack of maxis in 3-4 days on top of the 2 depends a day)for the bleeding amount,every period,every year, )i wanted a hyster then,but got an endometrial abolation as it was a 'less invasive' precedure. hoping the bleeding would stop. it did up until now .(i spot)

i had extremely elevated insulin levels last year wich i now find was insulin resistance. i went into diabetic shock multiple times and now have fully developed metabolic cataracts. my pelvis hurts,im sick of my cysts,my insulins still a bit elevated.my features are masculinizing from hormones. my insulin is worse just after a cyst breaks.im moody and frustrated,its wrecking my life!

my main question is, will a hysterectomy ease or stop the issues with pain,blood insulin/sugar,and let my system settle down?

any thoughts/opinions would be great.

LaTejanaFria · 07-24-2008, 01:25 AM

From what I understand, no, a hysterectomy won't get rid of all of the problems. Since have issues with IR, changing your eating habits (if you haven't already), may alleviate some of the problems. Eating low gi/carb or another plan similar to a diabetic diet might help you to respond to herbs/supplements better. The cysts are related to an unbalance in hormone levels, so giving your body fewer challenges in processing insulin/glucose will help to get those back into line.

splashsmama · 07-24-2008, 03:42 PM

Having a hysterectomy would alleviate the menstrual problems and cramping, because it would eliminate the uterus altogether, in turn eliminating your periods altogether as well. However, with getting a hysterectomy at such a young age, you have to be prepared to be thrown into early menopause.
Also, the cause of your insulin resistance has nothing to do with your uterus, so by eliminating the uterus, you'll still have high levels of insulin in your system. It's because of these high levels that you're getting the side effects of horrendous periods and so on. By trying to treat the side effect, you're not tackling the source of the problem.
By getting the hysterectomy, you'll rid yourself of the menstrual problems, but your insulin levels will continue to be high until eventually down the road, you'll wind up with type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Which are two serious side effects of PCOS and insulin resistance that occur later in life.

If you can't stand Metformin, you may want to look into Actos.
And as the PP mentioned, you need to change your diet and concentrate on lessening your carbs, especially bad carbs and refined sugars. The low GI diet is recommended for diabetics, so it can also work for us with insulin resistance.

HTH.

tina_d · 07-25-2008, 10:09 AM

I had a hysterectomy in March. I chose to keep my ovaries because of my past history with estrogen BCPs and my dr was against putting me into surgical menopause. Neither of us knew what my life would be like without the ovaries because there is very little research out there. I did learn that the alopecia and hirsutism could get worse during menopause without HRT.

You have to remember that having a hysterectomy can bring on its own set of complications too such as chronic pain, anxiety, decreased sex drive, depression, IBS, etc. And the recovery from a hysterectomy is no walk in the park. Most drs will have you on restrictions for 4 to 6 weeks, but it can take up to a year for your body to fully adjust after the surgery.

My hysterectomy wasn't an elective surgery, it was a medical necessity. Since the surgery, I have had more problems with memory loss, anxiety, and I am now battling prehypertension.

I agree with the pp and think that you should look for other treatment alternatives. If you take the more natural (herbal) approach, you have to remember that it can take up to 6 months before you start seeing any difference.