Menopause is something that no woman looks forward to. With the many symptoms and issues that can arise in the time running up to, during, and after, it’s something that, while it has to be dealt with, is one that most people would put off if given the choice.
However, some health conditions and procedures can force menopause to be triggered earlier than you would normally expect.
One of the procedures that often gets brought up in this field of discussion is removing your fallopian tubes, a form of contraception that is often permanent, and with no current way to reverse it.
Can this treatment cause women and other people that menstruate to go through the menopause (see also: Can Menopause Cause Nausea?)early? And, if that’s the case, why might a person resort to such drastic action in the first place?
We take a look at all these questions and more and answer them all in this guide. From the potential causes of early menopause, to whether or not removing fallopian tubes can cause them, to other key information that you need, we’ve got everything here!
What Can Force An Early Menopause?
So, one of the biggest questions that some people may have is what exactly could cause the menopause to start sooner than expected.
The menopause is triggered as the body changes as it gets older. Most women’s bodies (this is different for women with fertility issues) produce estrogen throughout their adult life. But as they get older, the amount of estrogen that they produce decreases, especially after the age of around 45.
Because estrogen is one of the key hormones that trigger the menstrual cycle and periods every month, the decreasing amount of estrogen causes those periods to change their cycles.
This doesn’t trigger menopause immediately, but it does indicate that it is likely to be experienced soon (This is known as the premenopausal or perimenopausal stage.)
This naturally happens to women between 45 and 55 years old. Again, it should be noted that it is different for both infertile and some intersex women, as well as potentially trans men in the early stages of transitioning.
And, crucially, any issue that causes a woman’s estrogen levels to drop, or the physical process to be interrupted, can cause the perimenopausal (see also: Can Perimenopause Cause Dizziness?)stage to begin. Effectively, anything that interrupts your body’s natural menstrual cycle can trigger early menopause.
Can Removing Fallopian Tubes Cause Menopause?
With the explanation that we have just given, it should be pretty clear to most people what the answer to our original question is.
Removing the fallopian tubes, an integral part of the menstrual cycle, will almost always trigger the menopausal cycle to begin, even if the woman or person is below the standard age of 45.
Reasons You May Need To Remove Your Tubes
Many people may be reading about this procedure, and wondering what exactly anyone would force themselves to have their fallopian tubes removed. After all, it’s a drastic action to take, especially with no way to undo the damage.
However, there are several reasons why this may not be such an outrageous option to take, especially in dire situations.
Dangerous To Have Periods
While periods will always range from uncomfortable to incredibly painful, some health conditions can make having periods much more serious than they already are.
Conditions such as liver and kidney disease can cause blood flow to be much more difficult to stop, which runs the risk of a person bleeding out due to their period flow.
Not only that, but there are also similar conditions such as Von Willebrand disease that make clotting blood incredibly difficult.
Conditions like this currently have no known cure, so having periods with this condition almost always turns what would be an already stressful situation into a life-threatening issue every month or menstrual cycle.
With conditions like this, having a person’s fallopian tubes taken out may be the safest thing they can do in the long run, even if that means being unable to have kids or having to go through menopause early.
Cannot Carry Children
Similar to the last point, some people have medical conditions that make carrying a baby either difficult or life-threatening for both the child and the mother.
High-risk pregnancies that may cause the mother’s life to be put in danger are one of the main reasons why this would be considered an option for a health professional.
Disease & Other Ailments
Of course, it doesn’t simply have to relate to the menstrual cycle. Sometimes, parts of a woman’s introductory system can contract diseases that mean that part or all of it has to be amputated or removed.
Ovarian cancer is probably the most famous example, but there are quite a lot of other conditions out there too, like uterine prolapse.
Contraception
Then of course there is the fact that removing the fallopian tubes all but eliminates the chances of becoming pregnant. If other forms of contraception or becoming pregnant are dangerous to a woman, (see also: Can A Woman Get Pregnant After Menopause?)then this is sometimes considered a last resort for some people.
It’s certainly a drastic action to take, and one that most people shouldn’t take lightly. But if the situation calls for it, or the woman chooses so, then it is an option.
Stages Of The Menopause
The menopausal cycle can be broken down into 4 primary stages.
Pre-menopause stage. Here, a woman will have her menstrual cycle as she normally does.
Perimenopausal, which is the main transitory period between pre and menopause stages. Here, the menstrual cycle starts to change, as fewer eggs are released, and the ovaries slow their functioning.
When a woman has not had a menstrual cycle in at least 12 consecutive months, she is considered to have entered the main menopausal stage.
Post-menopausal is the final stage after the 12 months have passed from the last menstrual cycle.
Final Notes
So, as you can see, removing your fallopian tubes will undoubtedly cause menopause to start early. However, sometimes our health needs to come first and the procedure needs to happen. Now, you’ll be prepared for when or if that needs to happen.
I'm Clare, the owner and operator of Off The Couch, where I serve as a qualified Nutrition & Health Coach.
Based in Dublin, Ireland, I offer coaching services both locally and globally, providing personalized strategies in nutrition, stress management, sleep quality, and fitness.
My journey into this field began as I navigated my own chronic illnesses, including early menopause, Interstitial Cystitis, Lyme Disease, and hydrocephalus.
