HGH and Hysterectomy: How Does Hormone Therapy Help?

HGH and Hysterectomy: How Does Hormone Therapy Help?
Avatar of Linda Hohnholz
Written by Linda Hohnholz

Arguably, one of the most life-altering medical procedures that a woman can undergo is a hysterectomy. For those who are not familiar with hysterectomies, they are surgical procedures that entail removing a womanโ€™s uterus and, in some cases, other reproductive organs. When this happens, her menstrual cycles will stop, and she will lose the ability to get pregnant. According to a study published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an estimated 600,000 hysterectomies are performed in America every year, with the average woman getting one around the age of 42.

The success rate for hysterectomies is quite high for women who undergo them to combat specific health problems, some of which include fibroids, pelvic pain, endometriosis, and a prolapsed uterus. Hysterectomies are also sometimes recommended to women diagnosed with cancer of the uterus or cervix.

What Every Woman Should Know Before Getting a Hysterectomy

When it comes to hysterectomies, the end of a woman’s menstrual cycles and an inability to get pregnant represents only a part of what she can expect after surgery. Before detailing the additional side effects that a woman is likely to encounter, let’s take a moment to go over the three types of hysterectomies that a physician might recommend depending on the health condition their patient is facing:

Partial hysterectomy โ€“ This surgical procedure entails removing a woman’s uterus while leaving her cervix intact.

Standard hysterectomy โ€“ This surgical procedure entails removing both the uterus and cervix.

Total hysterectomy โ€“ This surgical procedure involves removing the uterus and cervix. Additionally, the surgeon will also remove one or both ovaries as well as the fallopian tubes.

Regardless of the type of hysterectomy procedure a woman undergoes, she will likely encounter an array of short-term side effects afterward. Some of these short-term side effects can include the following:

  • Pain and inflammation at the incision site
  • Burning or itching sensation near the incision site
  • A numbing sensation near the incision

Although short-term side effects will typically resolve themselves, women who undergo a total hysterectomy may encounter long-term side effects that sometimes require additional medical treatment. A few of these long-term side effects, which are also commonly associated with menopause, include the following:

  • Hot flashes
  • Insomnia
  • Night sweats
  • Vaginal dryness
  • Low libido
  • Low bone density

How a Hysterectomy Can Impact a Woman’s Hormone Levels

Many women who undergo a hysterectomy often find themselves struggling with hormonal deficiencies. And this is especially true following a total hysterectomy. According to Science Daily, an online aggregator of science-related press releases, total hysterectomies can increase the risk of early menopause in younger women by nearly two-fold. In short, this means that women who undergo these types of hysterectomies, in addition to hot flashes, insomnia, night sweats, vaginal dryness, and low libido, may experience hormonal imbalances as well. In fact, some women who undergo a hysterectomy that includes the removal of one or both ovaries experience a sharp decline in estrogen and progesterone production. This decline is triggered by a severe drop in human growth hormone production, which, unfortunately, is yet another side effect of undergoing a hysterectomy for many women.

HGH Therapy Following a Hysterectomy

To combat many of the side effects that follow a hysterectomy, many women turn to human growth hormone (HGH) replacement therapy. This form of therapy, administered by injection, provides the same level of symptom relief to women following a hysterectomy that it does to menopausal women. Considering that low growth hormone levels often lead to low estrogen and progesterone levels, it makes sense that many physicians are recommending growth hormone replacement therapy alongside traditional treatments consisting of estrogen and progesterone replacement therapies. Some physicians are even recommending growth hormone replacement therapies over estrogen and progesterone since they are less likely to result in complications.

For reference, a study published by the National Cancer Institute found that estrogen replacement therapies can increase a woman’s chances of developing blood clots, gallstones, or suffering a stroke. Further, when combined with progesterone or another bioidentical hormone, such as progesterone, can increase the risk of developing breast cancer.

How HGH Therapy Works to Combat Hysterectomy Side Effects

When it comes to hormone replacement therapy involving the use of growth hormones to combat the side effects of a hysterectomy, the long and short of it is that these treatments help return a womanโ€™s growth hormone levels to a healthy and normal state. In response, her estrogen and progesterone levels return to a normal and healthy state as well. Once her growth hormones, estrogen, and progesterone levels are normalized, the side effects that follow a hysterectomy, such as night sweats, low libido, hot flashes, and low bone density, for example, will start to subside. Further, her chances of developing breast or uterine cancer will also decrease. Some of the more commonly prescribed HGH-based medications that physicians prescribe to women following a total hysterectomy include the following:

  • Genotropin
  • Humatrope
  • Norditropin
  • Nutropin
  • Nutropin AQ
  • Saizen
  • Serostim
  • Zomacton

How Long Does It Take for HGH Replacement Therapy to Work?

If youโ€™re thinking about starting HGH-based replacement therapy to relieve side effects following your hysterectomy, youโ€™re probably interested in knowing how long it will take to see results. If so, you will be happy to know that, for most women, these treatments begin to work almost immediately. However, long-term improvement of symptoms can take anywhere from 3 to 6 months.

Bottom Line

In summary, even though human growth hormone replacement therapy is a relatively new approach to combating side effects brought on by a hysterectomy, there is evidence that proves it is just as effective as estrogen hormone replacement therapy. More than that, it is significantly safer by comparison, according to most physicians.

About the author

Avatar of Linda Hohnholz

Linda Hohnholz

Editor in chief for eTurboNews based in the eTN HQ.

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