Zoladex following a subtotal hysterectomy (?)

[Endoq]

Hi there.

I am 47 yrs old had a subtotal hysterectomy in March 19 and as I am still in pain have just been prescribed Zoladex by my Consultant 3.6 mg x 3 months . I have also had 'some' spotting but certainly not like a period. Additionally been referred for a scan re: suspected left ovarian cyst.

My Consultant was so matter of fact re: the Zoladex and minimised the implications re: side effects. He effectively conveyed that it was a 'cure-all' Having read up on the side effects however I am now in a real dilemma about whether to proceed (with the Zoladex).

It is now apparent to me that embarking on the Zoladex course of treatment is not to be taken lightly and it is a case of weighing up the pros and cons in terms of implications.

For me it basically boils down to this:

i) I am at a relatively early stage in my recovery (3 months) and I wonder whether a degree of cyclical pain/spotting is normal i.e. does this indicate a reoccurrence of endo or 'things' will settle down of their own accord without me having to resort to Zodalex ?

ii) It may be an ovarian cysts which is causing my pain so would it be better to await the results of my scan in this respect before I make a decision re: Zodalex ?

iii) Or, is it essential I proceed with the Zodalex a.s.a.p. to minimise reoccurrence or the odds of reoccurrence?

I appreciate no one can make the decision for me but I'd be reallt grateful for any advice, thoughts shared experiences etc.

[geekybird]

I took Zoladex for 3 months prior to a sub-total hysterectomy, although I am only 7 weeks out. As far as cyclical spotting goes, I presume by sub-total that you kept your cervix. Did your consultant mention the possibility of a mini period to you? I have seem some ladies on other hysterectomy forums experience this. From what I have read this can happen to 1 in 10 women who keep their cervix - where remaining endometrial tissue results in a mini-period each month, consisting of spotting or very light bleeding . I had some spotting for a couple of days at last week and must admit am torn between whether I'd rather this was due to a mini-period or having damaged something inside because I overdid it ;0)

My experience of Zoladex was positive in that I experienced no scary side effects, or in fact any side effects to speak of, although I was taking progesterone so that would have negated the potential medical menopause symptoms. In this case it didn't do what it was meant to, which was stop the heavy bleeding, but it seems I'd reached the point of no return as the progesterone and transexamic acid didn't work either, so don't think I'd blame the zoladex for failing as such. I also had one dose of Zoladex a few years back which did give me the hot flushes (and stop the bleeding) but no other symptoms as far as I recall.

I too read about how it seems Zoladex can trigger immune disorders like arthritis and so on so I appreciate your concern. Unfortunately you do tend to get the negative perspectives on the internet so it's difficult to tell what the percentage of serious side effects really is. You never know what your personal reaction to a drug will be so all you can do is try to assess how much of a risk you think it poses and whether you think it would be worth it.

[Endoq in reply to geekybird]

Hi Geekybird

Thanks so much for responding. Believe it or not It didn't even occur to me to look for hysterectomy forums. Having now checked these out, it is apparent that monthly spotting post subtotal hysterectomy is not necessarily an indication of a reoccurrence of my endo. It may just be that it is the cells in my cervix simply 'reacting' to my monthly cycle. If the latter applies then it will hopefully settle down/cease either in time or once I've had the menopause. So on balance I am going to wait to see what happens and only resort to Zoladex if my other symptoms become absolutely unbearable. Thanks again for your advice, thoughts on the matter which have certainly eased my mind and helped me reached a decision. Much appreciated!

Best of luck with your recovery x