Fatigue

Fatigue during surgical menopause is a life changing experience that catches many women off guard, especially when the reasons for having the surgery to begin with, were to make you feel better, not worse!! 

Unlike natural menopause, surgical menopause occurs when medical procedures like an oophorectomy are done to remove the ovaries. When the ovaries are removed, it’s game on for full-on immediate menopause.  You can read more about the differences between natural and surgical menopause here.

One of the most challenging and often misunderstood symptoms is the deep, persistent tiredness. For me, just missing a couple of hours of sleep for a night or two will leave me so tired, I’ll have to lay down for a long nap, possibly lasting all day.

1.The Complex Origins of Fatigue During Surgical Menopause

Hormonal Transitioning

After a lot of research on many different sites, I’ve come to believe that fatigue during surgical menopause depends on factors that are individual to each woman, when it comes to feeling exhausted or tired during and after surgical menopause.

There’s no doubt about it.  When your hormones start decreasing, so does your energy.   But there’s more to it than meets the eye. 

Questions like this come to mind:

How old were you when you had a hysterectomy/oophorectomy?

What is the reason that you had a hysterectomy/oophorectomy?

What kind of physical condition were you in prior to surgery?

Have you had children or are you planning on having them?

How is your diet?  Do you eat well?

Do you take a lot of prescription medication?

Do you drink or use drugs of any kind?

How is your living situation?  Are you happy? Are you stable?

Are you employed? (How much extra time do you have?)

These questions and the answers to them are an example of how every one of us is unique in our circumstances.

Physical Aftermath of Surgery

I believe that anytime we are put under for surgery, it’s a trauma to our body.  From the anesthesia to organs being removed, if you think about it, it’s quite the thing.

I personally went my whole life never having had surgery of any kind.  Just a broken bone in my wrist, that didn’t even hurt. Then, when I developed fibroids in my uterus, I had to have two trans-vaginal ultrasounds and ultimately four surgeries under general anesthesia to get everything sorted out.

It takes a toll on your body to go through that many surgeries in just a one and a half year span of time.  In other words, give yourself a break!  Just the process of having an operation and having body parts removed plus stopping hormones in their tracks is one thing. Then on to the healing and the symptoms that you start having, almost immediately.  

Psychological Dimensions of Fatigue

The emotional impact of surgical menopause cannot be overlooked. Many women experience:

• Grief over lost fertility: Especially if you haven’t had children yet.  Some women feel as though they have been “castrated.”

• Body image challenges are definitely what I’m dealing with currently.  I’ve never been overweight or had a “belly.”  I have one now as my body composition has really changed.

• Anxiety about sudden health changes: This was quite the let down for me.  I remember my husband saying, “Debbie, this is going to be your year!!”  I truly believed that when the fibroid tumors were gone and the bleeding stopped, I would feel great.  But they found cancer and I had to have my ovaries removed four weeks later and that’s when everything started going downhill.

• Depression related to hormonal shifts came on as the different symptoms started happening.  When I realized that these symptoms weren’t going away anytime soon and HRT was out of the question, I felt helpless and didn’t know where to turn.

The above psychological factors compound fatigue during surgical menopause, creating a complex web of energy loss.

2. Recognizing Symptoms of Complete Exhaustion

• Overwhelming tiredness that doesn’t improve with rest.  You’d think that taking a nap would help but I found that I would just stay in bed until the next day.

• Difficulty concentrating or thinking clearly can happen normally when you’re tired, maybe at the end of a work day but in surgical menopause it’s different.  It’s a more persistent feeling that sticks with you.

• Muscle weakness and reduced physical stamina happened with me because I took off nearly 3 months between my last two surgeries.  I laid around and ate more than I should have. That’s my bad!! I can’t say enough times to get moving as soon as your doctor clears you to.

• Disrupted sleep patterns go hand in hand with laying around.  Obviously, you have to rest after surgery but laying around all the time makes going to bed and sleeping a full night challenging. Night sweats and hot flashes can really impact your sleep patterns. More about hot flashes here.

• Lack of motivation: Of course your motivation will feel low because when all of the symptoms are compounded, it feels like everything is pushing back against you!

• Emotional flatness or unexplained sadness can be a by-product of depression.  

Have you ever just caught yourself staring into space for long periods of time and have absolutely no idea what you were thinking about?  I do this all of the time.

3. Practical Strategies for Managing Energy Levels

Medical Interventions

• Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) is something I will post more about soon.  For me personally, I’ve had to navigate this road without the benefit of HRT.  That doesn’t mean that you have to.  HRT could very well work for you if you’re a candidate for it and are prescribed the correct dosage.

• Did you know what a little wonder the thyroid is? An underactive thyroid, (hypothyroidism) can closely mimic the symptoms of being in surgical menopause so it’s always a good idea to have yours checked.
• Comprehensive blood panels to check for underlying issues should always be done before your surgeries as a base line but always double check if you feel that something is off.  Even if you are mildly Vitamin D deficient, this will show in a blood test.

• Vitamin and mineral level assessments:  If you want to go even deeper and check your levels for these, you could and one place that’s less expensive is here 👉🏻Ulta lab tests. If your doctor words the order properly for some of these screenings, it could be covered under your insurance.  Always check to see if you’re covered first!

4. Lifestyle Approaches to Combat Fatigue During surgical menopause

• Balanced, nutrient-dense nutrition:  It’s pretty obvious that eating healthy is the way to go but a lot of people simply “don’t.”  Ladies, our food is loaded with toxins, have you noticed the incidence of cancer going up in younger people? Scary!!

• Gentle, consistent exercise is a mainstay but it also needs to be weight bearing. Using weights, (even your own body as weight,) helps our bones stay strong.  Again, you have to “DO IT” for it to work!! 🏋🏻‍♀️

• Prioritizing sleep hygiene:  This one is huge and I think my next post will be all about sleep.  If I don’t get the right amount of sleep at night, I just don’t do well, PERIOD…Sleep hygiene, routine, staying busy during the day.

• Stress management techniques:  Whatever it takes for you to destress, calm down, so on, so forth.  I lost a really good friend in October of last year from Stage 4 inoperable pancreatic cancer.  I was there from the diagnosis until about an hour before she passed away. What I learned from this wonderful woman is that LIFE IS SHORT, don’t waste your time on things that really don’t matter!!!

Alternative and Complementary Therapies

• Acupuncture: After studying many different articles, I’ve come to the conclusion that acupuncture might very well be worth a try.  It’s been shown to help with hot flashes and pain if used on a regular schedule. It can help regulate sleep cycles and promote deeper sleep by addressing the underlying imbalances in the body. From here.

• Herbal supplements: Some supplements can be good but your best bet would be to first see if you can get all of your vitamins and minerals from the food you eat.  I’ll be doing a separate post on this soon.

• You can measure your vitamin D level with a blood test and when taking a calcium supplement, studies show that taking it with vitamin D helps it metabolize in your intestine and not mostly in your blood causing cardiovascular issues.  There is a ton more information here:

• Adaptogenic herbs: These are plant or plant extracts that are widely available today that can help with many different issues including: stress, fatigue and others.  More posts on this subject are surely coming!!  Two that I currently take and really like are Ashwagandha and Maca in a chewable form.

• Cognitive behavioral therapy:  Here’s another topic worthy of a dedicated blog post.  Studies show that it can definitely help with moods, mood swings and changing our thought patterns around symptoms that are bothering us.  When you fix these underlying issues, fatigue gets better.

• Support groups: There is so much more information out there then there was even 6 years ago, when I started into “surgical menopause.”  There are even “menopause cafes,” although only in the U.K. so far.  I did find a link I’ll share about more potential meet-ups for menopause.  Here

When to Seek Professional Help

If your exhaustion:

• Persists for several weeks and is really inhibiting your daily life.  If this is the case then it’s time to first call your GP for a workup to make sure there isn’t something else at play.

• Narrow down your worst symptom first and tackle that.  No need to spread yourself too thin.

• Is accompanied by significant mood changes: If you start experiencing depression or anxiety that is more than usual for you, it would be a good idea to talk with your GP and engage in some form of counseling. You can do this with a virtual app if you want to be at home, although, you’ll probably need to be seen the first time in person.

• Doesn’t improve with lifestyle modifications: Again, you know you better than anyone and you know when you’re feeling something that is over the top or not typical for yourself.  Don’t ever be afraid to speak up and shout if you have to.
• Everything that you’re feeling during this time “Is Real!” There’s no doubt about it and you should always be taken seriously. If you’re not, then perhaps it’s time to find another doctor.

It’s crucial to consult healthcare professionals who understand the complexities of surgical menopause.

A Message of Hope

Surgical menopause and the exhaustion that comes with it are challenging, but they are not insurmountable. With the right support, medical guidance, and personal strategies, you can rebuild your energy and rediscover your vitality.

There is so much to know about surgical menopause and surgical menopause symptoms and I’m only scratching the surface. Trust me, there’s a whole lot more to come. We’ll all be experts before I’m finished!

On a more personal note:  I know first hand how tough this can be, I really do!  Please reach out if it ever seems “too much.” The symptoms will get better with time and for some, it takes a little more time.  

Something I’ve done is I’ve used this time as a HUGE reflection and sometimes, I don’t like what I find.  The cool thing though is that you can change. You really can!  That’s what I’m doing and it’s working!

FAQ

Final Thoughts

Every woman’s journey through surgical menopause is unique. What works for me might not work exactly the same for another. Be patient with yourself, listen to your body, and don’t hesitate to seek support – both medical and emotional. You deserve it!

Please Note: ALWAYS ask your doctor before making any changes in your diet, medications, or exercise. I’m not a physician or expert, just a woman going through surgical menopause and learning tons!!