Ovaries: Please respond if you had them removed

thanks for posting this, I'll be interested to read the responses. Just started lupron a few weeks ago, letrozole to follow after the second injection. I can't tell if my joint pain is from lupron or because I'm on the tail end of rads

I had mine removed and it seems the only side effects I have are what normally occur with menopause anyway.

I had my ovaries removed after I finished chemo so they could give me Arimidex instead of Tamoxifen. The surgery was done at the same time my port was removed and my expanders were replaced with silicone implants. It was a breeze compared to my double mastectomy! There was some abdominal bloating afterwards as they fill you full of gas so they can move around in there, and a little spotting during the night, but I didn't even need a pain pill the next day and drove myself home 50 miles from the hospital (we had bought a car & had to get the other vehicle home - luckily both had power steering!).

My menopausal side effects were already well underway thanks to chemo, so I can't really distinguish if anything more happened due to the oophorectomy. I'm still on Arimidex nearly 10 years later...although my bones are paying the price!

Julie

NYT, I had mine removed at the same time as mastectomy. My doctor firmly believed that I need them off !! I recovered very quick from the surgery and do not regret. Menopause have been mild too. Altogether I am happy I had them removed, there is less worry about estrogen in my body. Gained some weight, but hey ho, should be some price to pay off to survive

Wish you well !

Had mine out a year after mastectomy due to a cyst that had been there for years. It was an slightly elevated OVA1 test result that made me say Get them out! Surgery went well. No pain. Little bit of discomfort in the belly button. Negative for ovarian cancer as well!! Glad I did it.

Shortly after I finished chemo I started Tamoxifen and Lupron shots. I feel I managed those both quite well but I had already decided to remove my ovaries so that treatment was short lived. I had my ovaries removed 4 months after completing active treatment and started Letrozole at the same time. My hot flashes and achy joints were pretty bad but I stuck it out for about 2 years. My Onc tried to get me to change the AI several times but I resisted until just a month ago (I guess I felt it was a situation of 'better the devil you know').

I changed to Aromisin last month. I am happy to say the achy joints are much better. Not totally gone but much better. I still have hot flashes but they come less frequently now. It's nice to know there are a few options out there so you can always try something different.

I started with six months of Zoladex shots before getting my ovaries and tubes removed laparoscopically. The surgery itself was fairly easy. I had surgery about 11 am on Friday and was at my son's baseball game the next morning. No bloating or discomfort. Side effects from the ooph were the same as the Zoladex shots. The hot flashes did seem to increase a little for a couple months after surgery and then they mostly went away. Now I just get some warm flushes occasionally.

had mine removed even though was already in menopause from chemo and on Femara. Just didnt want to take any chances.

Momine- I had the cervix removed with the rest, how do you conclude leaving it helps with bladder control? I have not noticed any difference in control since hysterectomy. Only thing I have experienced is vaginal dryness and loss of libido- which sucks enough!

I had mine out lapriscopically. Had a 3.5 cm cyst on one ovary for six years. After getting breast cancer I said take them out!!! Surgery was not bad at all. Should have had it done when I had my exchange surgery but I was afraid. Both ovaries and Fallopian tubes out.

I had a cyst on my right ovary and the surgery was still done laparoscopically. The incisions were very small so I guess it didn't matter.

I am debating this now also. I am trip neg but my onc still wants my ovaries shut down since i started back having periods after chemo, because says that you can still have a recurrence and it be hormone receptive. i don't know if i want to take lupron for possibly years. Anyone else just have a hysterectomy instead?Also i figure i wouldn't have to worry about a recurrence shooing up in ovaries or cervix, etc.

I am someone who has done both. I took Lupron shots for 4+ years. When it became obvious that this needed to be a permanent solution, I decided to quit having the shots and get the operation.

The side-effects were the same. I asked an endocrinologist I know about menopause. Every woman has a different timetable through menopause. I wanted to know whether I was "resetting the clock" on the length of time I'd have hot flashes. She said no one knows but she thought not.

FYI I didn't have trouble with the shots, and the operation (laparascopic) was easy. Home the same day, back at work two days later. All I needed was a little Advil. [your experience may vary -- all I needed after my mastectomy was a little Advil]

I had one shot of Lupron (3 month shot) before I had my ovaries out, so I can't really compare the 2. I was peri-menopausal when I was diagnosed and chemo stopped my periods...onc didn't think they would come back but still put me on Lupron so I could start AI's. I will be honest, it is tough being thrown into instant menopause, even at 50!! The surgery itself was relatively easy...done laproscopic, day surgery. I took a week off work and needed just due to fatigue. I had bilat, then chemo, rads, AI's and ooph all in about 7 months.