Prostad?

[gorgussg]

I've just been given my first and only injection today as I will be getting a full hysterectomy at the end off November. I was given HRT medication. ..with no instructions on when to start them.!! Can anyone help? x

[Impatient]

You probably mean Prostap also better known as Lupron.

The HRT doesn't need to be taken before hysterectomy unless you experience the side effects of the Prostap are getting too much to bear, in which case they may help with some of the side effects but won't solve all of them.

You certainly should not be taking HRT before you have got through the flare stage of the Prostap. this happens around the 2nd or 3rd week and is when all your sex hormone based body functions get swamped and going in to overdrive for a week or two before settling back as the pituitary gland shuts down. There are more than enough of a hormone surge from the Prostap dose, you certainly don't want any more from HRT till afterwards when the menopause takes over.

That's when HRT may be of some benefit to you.

If you are getting a full hyst including both ovaries then you will need HRT for many years after that. One way to avoid needing HRT is to opt to keep one of the ovaries. You only need one ovary to avoid HRT.

If you do have endo - it makes no difference to the endo whether it gets hormones from HRT or the ovary it can still remain active.

So in that sense a hysterectomy will only be of benefit if all endo is removed at the same time.

If you have adenomyosis then you only need the uterus removing to be rid of adeno.

Do try and keep one ovary if you can, it is much better for your long term health to have an ovary than be relying on HRT, unless you are in a very high risk catagory for ovarian cancer in which case better to get rid of both of them.

It might actually be a good experiment to see how menopause will feel like without HRT,just using Prostap. And then try HRT nearer to your op date to see if you get on with it and then you will know if you want to risk decades on HRT, or would rather keep one ovary left inside during the op to save you needing HRT every day.

Not everyone gets on well with HRT, and yet you will need it, so see how you get on with Prostap for 5-6weeks then try the HRT and keep a diary of what side effects you feel before and after HRT.

We are all different and do react in our own unique ways to GnRH drugs like Prostap and also to HRT, so this give you the opportunity for a trial run before the irreversible surgery option.

Very best of luck - do make sure you have read the Prostap patient advice leaflet so you know what to expect.

There's also a good list of side effects on

rxlist.com/lupron-side-effe...

which would be worth printing off so you have ready access to the list and can check any strange events or feelings with that list and tick them off as you progress through your journey on the drug.

[gorgussg in reply to Impatient]

Typo..sorry

Thanks that was very helpful! ! Need to remove both ovaries as they both have cysts that have ruptured and both have endo, Which has attached itself to my bowel. My gyne ha said he will remove all endo or as much as he can.... in pain constantly now. Fed up Is an understatement.