I think (hope) doctors today have the mindset of sparing what organs they can. I've read/heard arguments on both sides of the story. Here's some info from the wall street journal health journal: Cutting Less More doctors are challenging the convention of removing the cervix during a hysterectomy. Here's why: * Pap smears have sharply reduced the incidence of cervical cancer. * Sparing the cervix reduces the risk of bladder damage. * Some doctors say it may improve sexual function. Some 600,000 hysterectomies are performed in the U.S. every year, making it the second-most common women's surgery after Caesarean section. It is done to remove cancers of the uterus or cervix, or more commonly to treat a painful condition called endometriosis or because of noncancerous uterine growths called fibroids. Prior to 1940, nearly all hysterectomies preserved the cervix because it was easier and safer given the lack of antibiotics and blood banks. But by the 1960s, removing the cervix, viewed as a cancer preventative at a time when Pap smears were still fairly new, became standard. Now the tide appears to be turning. In 2006, 9.7% of U.S. inpatient hysterectomies, which account for more than 90% of the procedures, preserved the cervix, compared with just 1.7% a decade earlier, according to federal data. ------- Just sharing that info, not saying they are right. It's something anyone considering a hysterectomy should think about. I'm just thankful that we have alternatives to an actual hysterectomy these days. tina

Judy, Although we think I have had fibro since my late teens and I am 45, I was just diagnosed last year. I'm on several fibro message lists. I have not heard of anyone who is not taking meds for pain that is pain free. Fibro is most often treated with meds OTHER than traditional pain meds...Dr.'s are VERY reluctant to prescribe pain killers for Fibro. Some think we are all lunatics looking for drugs and are not really in pain, and some Dr.'s don't want the paperwork of prescribing pain meds.....others send patients to pain mgmt. Dr.'s. I don't want to be on "heavy" pain killers, so I try to get by with other methods and medications. I've had it so long, I've sort of adapted after 30 years. Now that I AM being treated, I do feel better. For instance, at night, I take a muscle relaxer, an old antidepressant that changes seritonin levels in the brain therefore lowering pain thresholds, and also an anti-seizure med that helps lower pain. I also take an anti-inflammatory. With all of this, I still hurt. How can I explain the pain.... To be hugged does not feel good to me - it hurts! The pressure of a blood pressure cuff is really painful. There are something like 60 symptoms other than muscle pain that you can have with Fibro (chronic sinusitis is one of them). And, my case is considered a mild one! There are 18 "points" on the body that they test by pressing with a certain pressure, and you must react to I think it is 11 of them to have Fibro. I can't believe that a lot of docs think this is a disease that's in one's mind! Geez! It's in my muscles! It's much worse when sleep is bad. Sleep patterns was one way I was diagnosed. I have no problem going to sleep - but wake every half hour to hour for a few minutes, and seldom slept more than 5 hours a night before becoming so painful and stiff I had to get up. Now, with treatment, I can sleep about 6-7 hours. But, I have to carefully monitor my stress and all sorts of things to maintain a comfort level. I went into all of that to help explain why I think you probably don't have fibro because you don't have all over body pain with your fatigue. One thing with fibro - it's an all over pain. Look on the internet for Fibro there are many places that give a diagram of the 18 points they test. Have someone press them, and see what happens (many are on the back of your neck and shoulders - you can't press them yourself) From the lists I read, a person can develop chronic fatigue from the lack of sleep caused by fibro.... but I have not heard of someone being diagnosed with fibro from just fatigue alone. Pain is the MAJOR problem of fibro. You need to go to a top notch rheumatologist (sp?) to get a GOOD fibro diagnosis and treatment. My neighbor is in her early 30's and suffers from Chronic Fatigue, and that sounds more along what you are having to me. She is just bone tired no matter how much she rests. You might try going to the message boards and info pages at www.immunesupport.com and looking at the info they have there. They have info on both Fibro and Chronic Fatigue. Good luck. Hope like heck it's not Fibro !! Jules

My gosh. I thought I was the only one in the world, and here you all are! I'm 55. I had an hysterectomy when I was 41 and my ovaries removed at 43. I have been on estrogen only HRT since I was 44 with no issues. I had a normal mammogram six months ago. I started taking methotrexate for arthritis six months ago and my extremely sore and swollen breasts seemed to start when I moved to the higher doses of that drug. I even had some evidence of lactation from my right breast. My GP ordered hormone tests and they all came back in the normal range except SHBG which is a protein that binds to sex hormones to carry them around in the blood stream. I also had a mammogram which showed enlarged ducts with some debris. (My boobs are trashed after breast-feeding five kids but nothing they did is anything on this pain and tenderness.) I missed a couple of doses of methotrexate (taken weekly) and my breast pain seemed to start to diminish. I also stopped my HRT because I was so desperate for some relief. After a month, the pain has substantially subsided but I still have a residual tingly burn and they haven decreased much in size. I am yet to have repeat hormone tests or a repeat mammogram. I will try the flaxseed recommended above and post anything else that changes.

Hi ladies, I've been mostly a lurker here, desperately seeking a remedy for terrible hot flashes. I'm 47 and a breast cancer survivor, so menopause is starting a little early for me and HRT is absolutely not an option. A few months ago I suddenly found myself in hot flash hell (and here I thought Tamoxifen and chemo hot flashes were bad!), having awful, sweaty ones every 30 minutes (I charted them) and didn't get a good night of sleep for about 7 weeks. Nettle tea for adrenal support, wild yam cream with no bio-identical progesterone, and magnesium brought them down to once an hour. Several other things did zero. Then I found people talking about Borage Oil (also known as Starflower oil) and started taking it. I started at 1000 mg twice a day for a week and had mild improvement in the intensity, but not quantity. Then read that some people have better luck with 3000 mg a day. I increased to 1000 mg 3 x day about 5 days ago and just realized that although I woke up a couple of times with hot flashes last night, I've only had one today in the last 6 hours, and it was mild! Just wanted to share something that helped me. I hope it helps someone else too! Mindy