hormone replacements and the side effects

Since my hysterectomy in late November I have been on hormone replacement pills. I haven't really had any major problems with them so far except for one very common thing...they are causing weight gain. I take Premarin every night before bed and that keeps my body from going into menopause. Before starting this post I googled Premarin and I was surprised to learn a couple of things about this medicine. Number one I didn't know that one of the less serious side effects are problems with contact lenses, I have been having a terrible time with my contacts more than normal and I never thought that maybe it was my medicine, I actually go see my optometrist this week. Another thing that caught my attention, but was not really surprising, was increased hair growth. My hair grows fast in the first place but since starting this medicine in late November my hair has really grown at double speed, as a matter of fact I went yesterday and had it trimmed a bit. Something else I have been experiencing is more headaches than normal. I have been blaming these headaches on allergy and sinus problems when it could be the meds.

Since gaining weight with the pills I thought about going off of them but I am never one to really do anything like that without finding out some information on it first , I am not and idiot. I found that women who are post menopausal sometimes take hormone replacements to fight osteoporosis. My thought before finding out that little tid bit of info was that it would be okay if I went off the meds and let my body go through menopause, I would never have done this without my doctors consent of course. I also found out that the HR's also decrease my chances of cancer, cervical or breast. A lot of people do not know it but even women who no longer have a cervix can still get cervical cancer and that is why all women need to be checked at least once a year.

I don't look forward to taking the pills for the next twenty years but taking them sure looks better than what could happen if I quit taking them. The night that I started researching the ups and downs of the medicine I also joined a group called The HysterSisters. This is a site where I can go and communicate with other women who have had a hysterectomy or even help women who are considering or preparing for a hysterectomy. All varieties of news tidbits are posted there daily and so far it has answered a lot of my questions. I still have a couple of questions that I am a bit embarrassed to ask. One of these questions make me feel really stupid but it is something that I want to know because I have been experiencing a problem. I don't care to tell you all the question but I don't know those women on that site so it kind of makes me feel foolish but anyway, the question I want to ask is about smells. I have always loved onions and I cook with them often, however in the past month I am afraid to touch them because for two to three days after handling them that is all I can smell. About a month ago I made some homemade vegetable soup and what is veggie soup without a small portion of onion in it. For three days after that it didn't matter how many times I washed my hands I could smell the onion on my hands as if I had just handled one, also when I would get in the shower each morning and wet my hair I could smell onion permeating the air. Through those three days Mr. Breazy smelled my hands more than any other time throughout our 17 and 1/2 year relationship, he also got called to the shower each morning and all of those times he never smelled onion on my hands or when I was in the shower. That left me wondering why I am smelling it so strongly when no one else is smelling it at all and if the HR has anything to do with it. Weird I know but very true.

One thing that really turns my stomach about Premarin is what is used to make it...PRE stands for Pregnant..MAR stands for Mare...RIN stands for Urine. That is right, it is made from pregnant mare urine...excuse me while I gag a bit. Just the thought of that turns my stomach but what choice do I have, it is either take it or have brittle bones before I am 50.

Some of you are probably wondering if I regret having to have the surgery, my answer is a big fat NO! Life is so much better without all of my evil female organs bothering me. I am not complaining in this post either, just bringing up conversation, in a way I am fishing for more info here so if any of you have ever had or know someone that has had a hysterectomy maybe you understand what I am experiencing. The only really bad thing that I am experiencing currently is not being able to sleep well but for those of you that have been reading my blog since the beginning or close to the beginning know that I sometimes suffer from bouts of insomnia for weeks or months at a time, my problem now is understanding it if it is the meds causing the lack of sleep or if it is just another go with insomnia. Nothing in my research thus far has mentioned sleep, it has mentioned feeling more tired than usual which I am also experiencing but I am sure that is due in part to my lack of sufficient sleep.

Like I said before, those of you who have had a hysterectomy or have had to take hormone replacements before please share some of your experiences with me and with that I will say good bye.

Y'all have a great day, be safe and God Bless!