How lonw can I take Premarin if 6 months ago both of my overy is removed at the age 39?

Question

Both of my ovaries removed due to endometriosis. I am taking Premarin @ .625 per day. Do i need any other medicine"? or change it after a duration?or a combination medicine needed or can I give a short gap for taking of the medicine?Now I am suffering by mental depression. Is it a side effect?

Answer 1

Hi. You can take Premarin till you're 51, the average age of natural menopause. Taking it less than that exposes you to various potential risks, like early dementia. Your depression may also be due to the dose you are on--it is a dose that is high enough for protecting your bones, but sounds low for someone of your young age. Increase it to 1.25mg, and see how that is. Ignore the comment about how it's safe to take for 5 years--that information ONLY applies to older women taking it after natural menopause. It has NO RELEVANCE to a younger woman taking it for surgical menopause. In reality, NOT taking hormones is more dangerous than taking them. See:
http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/news-159256-66.html
There are other articles that also show increased deaths from other causes if you don't take estrogen after surgical menopause at your age.

Answer 2

The depression could be a side effect of the medication or even as a result of the removal of the ovaries. I would recommend checking with your doctor as well to see what they say.

As for how long to take the Premarin, I've read that with some of the HRT it is ok to take up to 5 years after surgical removal of organs but I would recommend checking with your doctor as well.

In the mean time here's the link to a site that may help you find more information. It's at:

http://forums.obgyn.net/womens-health