Several therapies (e.g., Hormone Replacement Therapy) and medicinal treatments are available to improve the mood changes experienced by women with hysterectomies. Even though many women feel emotional and sexual changes after a hysterectomy, some remain unaffected.
Fortunately, much of the emotional stress associated with a hysterectomy will pass with time, as you recover from the procedure.
Younger Women More Likely to Become Depressed After Hysterectomy. The investigated women showed an absolute risk increase of 6.6 percent for depression and 4.7 percent for anxiety. For women who had hysterectomies between ages 18 and 35, the risk of depression was higher, with absolute risk increase of 12 percent.
The therapeutic effects of hysterectomy thus include both the cure of physical symptoms and improvement of mood. However, in women with preexisting psychiatric illness or predisposing personality problems, depressed mood may persist or occur with the stress of hysterectomy.
Since the uterus is a very important part of the body, its removal has physical and emotional consequences and it may lead to severe psychological reactions in women [3–5]. A psychological complication of hysterectomy includes depression [6], Anxiety [7], and stress [8].
If you have a total or radical hysterectomy that removes your ovaries, your menopause will occur immediately after your operation, no matter what your age. If, however, you're left with one or both of your ovaries intact, you may experience menopause within five years of having the hysterectomy.
When your ovaries are removed (oophorectomy) during a hysterectomy, your estrogen levels drop. Estrogen therapy (ET) replaces some or all of the estrogen that your ovaries would be making until menopause. Without estrogen, you are at risk for weak bones later in life, which can lead to osteoporosis.
(Removing the uterus itself won't impact your hormone levels, because the uterus doesn't make or store hormones.) The sudden loss of estrogen following ovary removal can trigger symptoms of early menopause like hot flashes, vaginal dryness, trouble sleeping, mood changes, and painful intercourse.
You Won't Necessarily Go Into Menopause
The myth about hysterectomy Streicher hears most often in her medical practice is that a woman will go into menopause afterward. You won't have periods, and can't get pregnant after your uterus is removed. But that doesn't necessarily mean menopause.
You will not be able to do much for at least 3 weeks, or even longer if it is an abdominal surgery. Organise help for meals, domestic chores, childcare and pets. Make sure that your partner understands what to expect, so they can support you. TRUST YOUR BODY.
The results showed that if the uterus alone was removed by surgery, short-term memory suffered in the short term, as assessed two months later. No memory loss was detected when the ovaries were removed along with the uterus. This suggested that the removal of the uterus had a unique impact on memory.
Jelovsek (2006) stated that whether done before or after menopause, a hysterectomy could lead to stress disorders and psychological consequences in women (11). Furthermore, Cabness (2010) reported, in a qualitative study, that depression in a woman may increase following a hysterectomy, especially at younger ages (19).
It may take at least 4 to 6 weeks for you to feel completely better after your surgery. The first two weeks are most often the hardest. You may need to take pain medicine regularly. Most people are able to stop taking pain medicine and increase their activity level after two weeks.
Hormonal changes
Ovaries removal in women of childbearing age triggers immediate menopause, which causes mood changes due to a decrease in estrogen levels. The sudden change in hormone levels due to menopause leads to depression, crying spells, insomnia, mood swings, and irritability.
Continuing life changes
You'll no longer be able to become pregnant and will no longer menstruate. You may find that menopause symptoms begin suddenly after your procedure. We can support you through the changes of menopause with treatments like hormone replacement therapy.
Some of the most common side effects of a hysterectomy are vaginal drainage (which may occur up to six weeks after surgery) and irritation at the incision sites. If your ovaries were removed at the time of your hysterectomy, you may experience menopausal symptoms such as: Hot flashes. Vaginal dryness.
Research does suggest a link between hysterectomy and an increased risk of weight gain, but it affects some women more than others. Several factors can affect how much weight you gain after a hysterectomy, including what you do during and after the initial recovery period.
Typical costs
For patients with private health insurance who had a Vaginal hysterectomy in a private setting across all of Australia, 54% had an out-of-pocket cost. Of those: Patients typically paid: $500, Medicare paid: $1,300, Insurer typically paid: $1,200. Typical specialists' fees: $3,200.
About half a million hysterectomies are performed each year in the U.S. It is the second most common surgical procedure for women, after cesarean delivery (C-section). Most hysterectomies are performed between the ages of 40 and 50.
Genes associated with follicle growth were not significantly altered by vitamin D3. However, it increases expression of genes involved in the estrogen-biosynthesis. Further, estrogen concentrations in porcine granulosa cell-cultured media increased in response to vitamin D3.
Hormone replacement therapy has been identified as the most effective treatment for menopause symptoms and is routinely recommended to help women recover hormone balance after hysterectomy. In particular, these medications are effective at relieving the following symptoms: Hot flashes and night sweats.
Symptoms of a Hormonal Imbalance
After a hysterectomy, the sudden withdrawal of certain hormones can take a toll on a woman's physical, mental and emotional well-being. Symptoms that are most common include hot flashes, mood swings, night sweats, sleeplessness, light bleeding and discharge, and vaginal dryness.