What happens to your hormones after a hysterectomy | CION Cancer Clinics

No, not straight away. The womb does not make hormones. The ovaries do, and if they were left in place they carry on making oestrogen and progesterone as they did before. Your periods stop because there is no womb to bleed from, not because your hormones have stopped.

Why some women still notice a change

The ovaries share part of their blood supply with the womb. When the womb is removed, that supply is reduced, and some women reach menopause a few years earlier than they otherwise would have. You cannot tell in advance whether that will happen to you. Without periods there is no obvious sign, so hot flushes, night sweats or broken sleep are the clue.

When the ovaries were removed as well

Many cancer operations remove both ovaries with the womb. If you had not yet reached menopause, your hormones fall within days, not years. This is called surgical menopause, and it usually feels stronger than a natural one.

The first things most women notice are hot flushes and night sweats, often within the first week or two. Broken sleep follows, and with it tiredness and a low or irritable mood.

The changes you feel

Vaginal dryness, a loss of interest in sex, aching joints, thinner hair and drier skin come on over the following months. None of these mean anything has gone wrong with the operation.

The changes you do not feel

Low oestrogen also thins the bones and, over years, affects the heart and blood vessels. You will not notice either. This is the main reason your team may raise hormone replacement even if your flushes are mild, and why a bone density scan may be suggested later. If hormones are not an option, calcium, vitamin D, exercise and not smoking still protect the bones.

Help that does not involve hormones

Some non-hormone medicines reduce flushes, including certain antidepressants and nerve-pain medicines. Vaginal moisturisers help dryness. Cooler rooms, cotton clothing and less coffee help more than people expect.

Sometimes yes, sometimes no, and this page cannot tell you which. The answer depends on the type of cancer, whether it grows on oestrogen, its stage, your age and your other health. Your oncologist weighs all of these with you.

What your team weighs

For cervical cancer, hormone replacement is usually considered safe and is often offered to younger women. For womb lining cancer, the cancer itself often grew on oestrogen, so the team will be cautious and may suggest waiting or using non-hormone options. For ovarian cancer it varies with the exact type.

What to ask at your next visit

Ask whether your ovaries were removed. Ask whether your cancer was oestrogen-driven. Ask what the team would suggest for flushes, for dryness and for your bones, and whether a bone scan is needed. Never stop or start a hormone product without asking the doctor who prescribed it.