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How do I Balance Hormones After a Hysterectomy?

Amanda R. Bell
Amanda R. Bell

Trying to balance hormones after a hysterectomy can be challenging and downright exhausting. The most common way to go about it is to undergo synthetic or bioidentical hormone replacement therapy overseen by your doctor. While these therapies can provide the best outcome, changing your diet, exercise routine and the chemicals you come in contact with on a regular basis can also help.

It is important to have a hormone panel done by a specialist before undergoing a hysterectomy. This provides both you and your doctor with a baseline of where your body's hormone levels naturally were before a hysterectomy, which is the key to balancing hormones after a hysterectomy. For hormone replacement therapy, your doctor will likely prescribe a mix of estrogen and progesterone. Make sure to discuss with your doctor the difference between synthetic and bioidentical hormone therapy, because each poses different risks and challenges.

Hormone replacement therapy can be used to balance hormones after a hysterectomy.
Hormone replacement therapy can be used to balance hormones after a hysterectomy.

With hormone replacement therapy, it is important to note that symptoms such as hot flashes, mood swings, dizziness and insomnia — all caused by a hormone imbalance — won’t go away overnight. Hormone replacement therapy is meant to bring your hormones back to your body’s baseline level and keep them there for the rest of your life. The amount and types of progesterone and estrogen needed to meet this goal may require adjusting both initially and later down the road as you age. Working closely with your doctor or hormone specialist is essential to ensuring hormone replacement therapy success.

Hysterectomies are commonly performed gynecological surgeries that are usually performed by a gynecological surgeon.
Hysterectomies are commonly performed gynecological surgeries that are usually performed by a gynecological surgeon.

Other than undergoing hormone replacement therapy, changing your diet can greatly help you to balance your hormones after a hysterectomy. Chemicals have a strong effect on hormones, so eating organic fruits and vegetables and avoiding heavily processed foods can play a major role in ensuring the hormone therapy you are undergoing is working to its full potential. It is also important to cut out any red meat or dairy products that contain added hormones, because these can alter the effects of hormone replacement on your body.

Women who experience a large amount of discharge following a hysterectomy should consult a doctor immediately.
Women who experience a large amount of discharge following a hysterectomy should consult a doctor immediately.

Exercising several times a week can also help you to balance hormones after a hysterectomy. Exercise helps to alleviate both depression and anxiety, which can help you to keep your hormones in check. Despite this, having an elevated heart rate for a long period of time can actually change your hormone levels for the worse, so it is important to wear a heart rate monitor and keep your heart rate low when you are exercising.

Hormone replacement therapy can be used to balance hormones after a hysterectomy.
Hormone replacement therapy can be used to balance hormones after a hysterectomy.

Other than hormone replacement therapy, diet and exercise, paying attention to what you clean with can help balance hormones after a hysterectomy. You should avoid any kind of cleaner with chemicals, especially petrochemicals, and stick with natural products such as vinegar, baking soda or prepackaged cleaning products labeled “green” or “all natural”. If you follow all of these suggestions and work closely with your doctor, you should be able to balance your hormones and feel like your old self — or better — in no time.

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    • Hormone replacement therapy can be used to balance hormones after a hysterectomy.
      By: forestpath
      Hormone replacement therapy can be used to balance hormones after a hysterectomy.
    • Hysterectomies are commonly performed gynecological surgeries that are usually performed by a gynecological surgeon.
      By: Gennadiy Poznyakov
      Hysterectomies are commonly performed gynecological surgeries that are usually performed by a gynecological surgeon.
    • Women who experience a large amount of discharge following a hysterectomy should consult a doctor immediately.
      By: Dragos Iliescu
      Women who experience a large amount of discharge following a hysterectomy should consult a doctor immediately.
    • Hormone replacement therapy can be used to balance hormones after a hysterectomy.
      By: Fernando Madeira
      Hormone replacement therapy can be used to balance hormones after a hysterectomy.
    • Insomnia issues may still be present after a hysterectomy.
      By: tiplyashina
      Insomnia issues may still be present after a hysterectomy.
    • Women should avoid heavy lifting for about two months following a hysterectomy.
      By: jrwasserman
      Women should avoid heavy lifting for about two months following a hysterectomy.
    • Estrogen cream is a form of hormone replacement therapy that can be used to balance hormones after a hysterectomy.
      By: Picture-Factory
      Estrogen cream is a form of hormone replacement therapy that can be used to balance hormones after a hysterectomy.