Removal of the ovaries (oophorectomy) is permanent and means that your body will naturally be in a menopausal (low hormone) state for the rest of your life. 

However, your menopausal symptoms and the associated need for treatments (e.g. Hormone Replacement Therapy) may change over time. In general, it is recommended that those in surgical menopause continue HRT at least until the point at which natural menopause would be expected (primarily based on your mother and sisters’ ages at menopause).

Is the relief of my PMDD permanent?

For those with underlying hormone sensitivities (e.g., PMDD), it is important to note that, although the removal of the ovaries prevents the cyclical hormone fluctuations that may trigger brain reactions to hormones (e.g., emotional or cognitive changes), your brain will always be abnormally sensitive to hormones, and surgical treatment will not change that. 

Since it may take quite some time to find the optimal dosages of HRT, many people with a history of hormone sensitivity still experience changes in their symptoms during this process. It does not mean that you still have PMDD - it just means that your brain is reacting to those fluctuations that are caused by a change in HRT, the natural depletion of hormones from your body, or the HRT not being correctly absorbed.

It should be noted that, in the case of PMDD, there is thought to be a time lag of about 2 weeks between hormone changes and brain reactions; therefore, frequent changes to HRT levels should be avoided, and every change should be evaluated for about one month before deciding if it is effective and tolerable. 

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.