Hi, I had a hysterectomy about 3 years ago, but still have my ovaries, and I have just started using Estradot patches for menopause, and I am wanting to know if it might be the reason that I think I am getting ovulation pain. It feels like the pain I used to get when I was ovulating before the hysterectomy. Is this possible it is ovulation pain?
Endometriosis
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Great question! An estrogen patch won’t make you ovulate if you have stopped ovulating due to menopause, but it is possible that it is stimulating endometriosis tissue and that it causing pain. Estrogen alone causes endometriosis cells to grow. However, estrogen plus progesterone does not. For that reason, I typically recommend women with a history of significant endometriosis be on estrogen plus progesterone if they need hormone replacement therapy, even if they have had a hysterectomy. (Typically, after a hysterectomy women can be on estrogen alone because they don’t need the progesterone to protect the lining of the uterus, but again, in women with a history of significant endometriosis I still recommend they be on both.)
Hi! Great question.
The average age of menopause in the US is 51. After hysterectomy with ovarian conservation, women tend to go into menopause a few years earlier (1-4 years).
During peri-menopause (the period of time prior to menopause), women can ovulate, although ovulation tends to be become less and less regular. By definition, ovulation stops during menopause. Use this information with your age and family history (when did your mother go into menopause?) to determine whether this could be what you are experiencing.