hi plutus, I too had a hysterectomy and oopharectomy in my 30's and the gyne surgeon immediately implanted an oestrodiol pellet which I was on for years until they stopped making them.
All would have been well except as I was not menstruating I was iron overloading (genetic haemochromatosis) which my dr did not diagnose till one of my hips broke up 9 years later. She blamed it on everything else including the hormone not working instead.
Ok, so I am diagnosed and having venesections to get rid of the iron out of my blood. 4 years later I suddenly started spurting sweat from my face and head, right in the middle of lunch with high level work colleagues. While I was surreptitously trying to wipe it away with a navy blue serviette, a women had to ask me if I was ok. Was my face blue from the dye from the serviette, I thought? Obviously, it was obvious I was leaking bad.
Once again complaining to dr regarding strange symptoms - first stupid look was "well, you are going through menopause, you stupid woman", but I have already told you I am on hrt. Oh, must be thyroid then. Thyroid normal. For 6 years, dr never got passed those two assessments.
Yes, I too would have a fan above me, one in front of me, one behind me. I would keep wet washers in the freezer to wrap around my face, neck. At work, the air con was so cold it was a relief, except when I had to go to lunch and move around. My hair was always wet from sweat or sticking it under the shower. Sometimes at midnight I would get up and wash my hair because I could not stand the smell. I know it would end up smelling at work.
Desperate, I decided to visit a Botox dr. Years before I had read about botox used to relieve sweating, but apart from the obvious places, only saw it used on the hollow in the back of the neck (from which sweat also poured). The dr said she would check out using botox on the top of the head. She said it would be only tiny little pricks (that would not work like botox is used to reduce wrinkles) and it would have to be repeated often, but first she wanted to find out why I was sweating so much and referred me to an endocrinologist. Yay! a different look at it.
He ran blood tests which found that my prolactin was excessive, and my growth hormone a little over too. Sent me off for an MRI of my head. I had a small tumour on my pituitary gland which was making my prolactin excessive. I discovered that women with prolactinoma needed extra oestrogen. So I searched why - and guess what! excess prolactin makes our oestrogen ineffective. So I was in severe menopause for 6 years, despite having the hrt. I did not have the usual symptoms of prolactinoma because I did not have a uterus nor ovaries.
As soon as I was put on Cabergoline to reduce the prolactin and the tumour, the relief was instantaneous. The sweating stopped. Oh so sweet. I am still taking the Cabergoline 7 years later because everytime I try to reduce it, menopause symptoms come back. Endocrinologist said continuing to take it won't do me any harm.
So please ask your dr to test ALL your pituitary gland hormones, or refer you to an endocrinologist if she cannot order the tests.
I swear by the oestrodiol pellets, but had to move on to patches and daily gels to supplement when they stopped making them. I finally decided to seek out a compound chemist who made the pellets supposed to be the same as the original. However it did not work, and it took a while to add up the symptoms and separate them from the haemochromatosis symptoms which are very similar and realise that my hrt was not working but I had already gone back into severe menopause symptoms again, severe head sweats, no patience, loss of libido, weak bladder, etc. etc. Back to the patches again. But night sweats still occurring. It is like the flood gates have been opened and can't be closed.
So I am working on that but have not been back to my dr for other tests. However I don't think it is the pellet's fault. I think the gp did not put in a place that was fatty enough. So I have ordered another one, just got to get back to have it implanted. I know when the oestrogen starts working - i get a surge in the breasts like milk coming down.
I would not use anything other than bio-identical oestrodiol, whether in implant pellets, patches (the matrix type) or the daily gel. So if you have not tried that, ask for it too. But get those blood tests done.
I did not have to go back to the Botox dr but I am so grateful for her.