Question:
POST MENOPAUSAL FEMAL - WLS CAUSE HOT FLASHES TO REOCCUR

I am a 55 year old post menopausal female - no symptoms for at least 5 years - At 4 months, hot flashes have reclaimed my life - I go from freezing to 100 degrees in 2 seconds flat - Can WLS cause hormone imbalance again?    — sandra L. (posted on February 13, 2004)

February 13, 2004
I am 9 wks post op at 51. I had stopped having hot flashes about a year ago - and now they are back with a vengence. From what I've been told, hormones are stored in fat and when you lose the fat, the hormones are released into your system - and voila! - hot flashes are back.
   — mriley

February 13, 2004
Ohhhhhhh noooooooooo
   — Betty S.

February 13, 2004
MeToo!! I have been sooo surprised and hoping it will stop soon. I am 8 months out and they didnt start until about the 5th month.
   — deespol

February 13, 2004
OH MY GOD!!! I thought I was a freak. I just turned 55 and started having them (again) about a year ago. I did not even think to associate it with WLS, 16 months ago. I really thought I was past all that but it is now back even worse than when I had a hysterectomy at 46. The hot flashes can hit when everyone else is fine and only last about 2 minutes, but so miserable. The night sweats come several times at night and wake me from a sound sleep. The cruel part in all this is that most of the rest of the time I am freezing. Will there ever be a happy medium?
   — Tawnda C.

February 13, 2004
I've had them since my surgery 2/02 and I'll be 70 in June. Whoopee! Nina in Maine
   — [Deactivated Member]

February 13, 2004
Yup, Mary has it right. Estrogen is stored in your fat cells; and when you lose a lot of weight like this, the estrogen is excreted out of those cells, and our hormone balance goes amuck. I'm 55, and I'd had just one brief spell of hot flashes a couple of years before my WLS in Jan '03. While doing my pre-op research, I'd read quite a bit about how women can expect to have increased PMS symptoms after surgery. However, I never saw anybody refer to the counterpart scenario for us "older folks," lol, and I didn't think about the logical expectation for us in menopause to have a similar increase in symptoms. But, starting about 3 months post-op I was miserable from hot flashes. I thus went (back) on HRT. I'm not thrilled to be on the hormones, with all the bad press that HRT has now gotten; but I hope that the symptoms will subside as my weight loss tapers off, and then I can stop the HRT again.
   — Ososian

February 13, 2004
Yes me too! I am 53. I had my surgery 13 months ago. I thought it was the different foods bringing them on. I go from freezing to burning up, at all different times of the day. BUT, I will take HOT FLASHES over being 321 pounds again anyday! Good luck to you!
   — Mae B.