Rachel Charlton-Dailey is a journalist specializing in chronic conditions and disability. Her work is featured in publications such as Healthline, Huffpost, Metro UK, The Guardian, and Business Insider. Charlton-Dailey often uses her platform to spotlight issues that affect disabled people, as well as reproductive health issues. Here, she shares her first-hand experience with medically-induced menopause.
After suffering from heavy periods for a decade, I was sick of going back and forth to gynecologist offices and never finding a solution. I’d been patronized and treated like I was making it up for nearly a third of my life, and just wanted to get rid of what was causing the pain. I decided I was ready for a hysterectomy—but I was only 28. My doctors decided my best bet was something called chemical menopause, also referred to as medically induced menopause.
Chemical menopause is a temporary (and reversible) treatment that involves a class of medications calledgonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonists—drugs which act to suppress ovulation and production of the hormones estrogen and progesterone. They may be used to treat conditions like:
As a result of hormonal suppression, GnRH agonists cause your body to experience the symptoms of menopause. This phenomenon is also referred to as medically-induced menopause.
GnRH agonists are used when you haven’t been able to find relief from less invasive treatment, such as birth control. GnRH agonists can also be used to see if you would benefit from having your ovaries “turned off,” or eventually, removed. Surgical removal would involve a hysterectomy (uterus removal) with a bilateral oophorectomy (ovary removal).
Oophorectomy: Everything You Need to Know
Because my doctor thought I was too young for a hysterectomy, they agreed to put me on monthlyZoladex(goserelin) injections to see if my body would benefit from having my ovaries shut off. While the recommended duration of this treatment regimen is six months,my doctor would only allow me to stay on it for four months. This is because I havelupusand had previously experienced atransient ischemic attack(TIA), placing me at a higher risk of developing blood clots from the medication.
Initial Reaction & Bodily Changes
I remember a near immediate reaction after my first Zoladex injection four years ago. I began to feel fatigued while traveling home on the bus, and was hit with a wave of nausea and sickness. Over the next few days, the nausea settled, but in its place came symptoms of menopause. I experienced incredible mood swings that would flip at the drop of a hat.
The biggest thing I noticed was my cravings. I would have classed myself as someone who liked cheese a normal amount, but cheese became a full-blownobsession. I could not get enough of cheese. I put on 6 pounds in the first month of my treatment regimen, and I’m still convinced it was all from cheese!
Symptoms of Menopause
As the menopause kicked in, I noticed my body changing. My breasts shrank, but they were tender. My hips widened. My voice deepened. My doctor told me it was all from a lack of estrogen. It was a shock to me and didn’t help my already struggling body image.
As the end of the month neared and my next injection was approaching, I was saddened to find that my pelvic pain came back and I was battling with my hormones again. This time, though, it seemed like I was going through my period and menopause at the same time. I had cramps, mood swings, and hot flashes simultaneously. The heightened sex drive I experienced during a period arrived, but at the same time, I was experiencing vaginal dryness from menopause. It was a super confusing time.
“As the menopause kicked in, I noticed my body changing. My breasts shrank, but they were tender. My hips widened. My voice deepened. My doctor told me it was all from a lack of estrogen. It was a shock to me and didn’t help my already struggling body image.”
Taking the Good With the Bad
Every time I got a new Zoladex injection, it took a few days for my system to settle. During those days, I’d have to adjust my routine. I rushed off buses to be sick; I made sure I dressed in layers that could be easily taken off in case a hot flash struck; I was never too far from home in case my energy ran out.
It was also a ridiculous time to start a relationship with my now-husband. But it happened!
This same pattern continued for the duration of my time on Zoladex. But overall, it helped my pain.
After four months, I was cut off—and the withdrawal was tough. My body was flooded with hormones. As a result, I spent days crying in bed. I had the heaviest period I’d ever experienced, which left me screaming in pain on the bathroom floor.
Ultimately, this meant my body was better off without a period. Satisfied with how my body had reacted to Zoladex, my gynecologist allowed me to get a hysterectomy. By April 2016, I was finally rid of my uterus. But the doctor was hesitant to also remove my ovaries because of my young age.
Uterus Gone, Pain Remains
Although the pain eased for a short while, it soon came back. I attributed this to the fact that I was still ovulating since the doctor hand’t removed my ovaries. I hadn’t realized ovulation was possible without your uterus, which just shows how little we’re taught about our bodies.
My doctor prescribed theDepo-Proverabirth control shot, which had worked for me in the past. But I had a bad reaction to this time. I experienced constant cramps and couldn’t sleep, I also felt increasingly depressed. After a discussion with my gynecologist, we agreed to try Zoladex again.
Thankfully, partway through this Zoladex regimen, my doctors prescribed a synthetic steroid called tibolone in tandem, which is not available in the United States.It’s an alternative to hormone replacement therapy, and helped balance out my hormones, reduce headaches, and ease nausea.
By February 2021, I had my ovaries removed. During the procedure, my gynecologist found lumps of endometriosis—a diagnosis I had never received before, and a diagnosis which explains that pain.
How Endometriosis Is Diagnosed
Now that I no longer have my ovaries, I’m going through actual menopause, as opposed to chemical menopause. It’s not so different from what I’ve already been through; it’s just a lot more intense.
In a strange way, I’m thankful to the chemical menopause for preparing me for menopause. My body is more resilient than I ever thought it could be.
2 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Zoladex 3.6 mg prescribing information.Ângelo ML, de Lima Moreira F, Araújo Santos AL, Nunes Salgado HR, de Araújo MB.A review of analytical methods for the determination of tibolone: pharmacokinetics and pharmaceutical formulations analysis and application in doping control.CPA. 2020;17(1):31-39. doi. 10.2174/1573412916666191025143214.
2 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Zoladex 3.6 mg prescribing information.Ângelo ML, de Lima Moreira F, Araújo Santos AL, Nunes Salgado HR, de Araújo MB.A review of analytical methods for the determination of tibolone: pharmacokinetics and pharmaceutical formulations analysis and application in doping control.CPA. 2020;17(1):31-39. doi. 10.2174/1573412916666191025143214.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Zoladex 3.6 mg prescribing information.Ângelo ML, de Lima Moreira F, Araújo Santos AL, Nunes Salgado HR, de Araújo MB.A review of analytical methods for the determination of tibolone: pharmacokinetics and pharmaceutical formulations analysis and application in doping control.CPA. 2020;17(1):31-39. doi. 10.2174/1573412916666191025143214.
Zoladex 3.6 mg prescribing information.
Ângelo ML, de Lima Moreira F, Araújo Santos AL, Nunes Salgado HR, de Araújo MB.A review of analytical methods for the determination of tibolone: pharmacokinetics and pharmaceutical formulations analysis and application in doping control.CPA. 2020;17(1):31-39. doi. 10.2174/1573412916666191025143214.
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