There are many symptoms of menopause, which can occur quite quickly after surgery. Here are a few of the most common symptoms:
vasomotor symptoms (for example, hot flushes and sweats)
musculoskeletal symptoms (for example, joint and muscle pain)
effects on mood or anxiety (for example, feeling abnormally sad or worried)
urogenital symptoms (for example, vaginal dryness)
sexual difficulties (for example, low sexual desire).
There are also long-term health risks associated with surgical menopause, including the following:
osteoporosis and broken bones
cardiovascular disease (for example: heart attack, stroke)
dementia and Parkinsons disease
psychiatric disorders (for example: mood or anxiety disorders)
vulvar and vaginal atrophy
sleep disorders (for example: persistent and impairing insomnia)
higher risk of death by any cause
Surgical menopause is known to cause all of the above symptoms and health risks-- but these problems can generally be reduced or eliminated by using estrogen therapy following surgery through to the typical age of menopause (51 years). Most individuals in surgical menopause choose to continue some level of estrogen through at least age 60 to maintain symptom relief.
Source: Menopause: diagnosis and management (NG23)
© NICE 2019.
Visit www.iapmd.org/surgery for lots of evidence-based information and resources for those considering, going through or recovering from surgery for PMDD/PME.