Questions re: hormones and women

[Rafiki Rafiki Rafiki]

Trust me guys. TMI for you. Leave or be subjected to chick stuff.









I've read that abnormal cycle bleeding for women can be due to hormone problems, cancer, perimenopausal symptoms, and tumors. Obviously, tumors are removed with or without a hysterectomy, but how do they handle the hormone and/or perimenopausal symptoms? Do they do some sort of hormone treatment? If you had abnormal bleeding, what have your outcomes been?

I've had problems for about a year and have finally scheduled an appointment with a women's health doctor--of course, it's long overdue. I'm just afraid of what's ahead, and I'm hoping someone here can put my mind at ease. I had a tubal ligation 4 years ago and have only had one pap smear done since then, so I know I've put it off too long.


Any info you can give would be really helpful!

 

[LoraJ]

Could be caused by stress too. Hopefully everything is fine.

 

[TeresaMc]

When I had my hysterectomy they left one ovary, took everything esle. So supposedly I will go through menopause naturally. Was 35 when I had my hysterectomy and now at nearly 42 still no signs of menopause, so I guess things are good.

 

[minnie56]

I have technically been in the 'perimenopausal' phase for about the last 9 years! Seems endless sometimes....

I have months where I have a period that lasts weeks (once 9 weeks!) and then I have Endometrial biopsies etc and all is fine, it's just hormonal! So now I am on the pill...at the ripe old age of 49...and as long as I stay on it...I am ok. I have to have hormones checked in 6 months and as long as I am not menopausal..I will be recommended to keep on it. We often think of the peri and premenopausal stage as being less periods..but very often it is more often and more flow....always fun!! NOT...

In the years leading up to menopause...nothing is the norm and more often than not any erratic pattern is totally normal...the 'new' normal!!

Better days ahead!

 

[Aidensmom]

I have had problems caused by hormones ever since my first cycle. I have been on the pill (or now the patch) for over 20 years to treat it.

 

[i like stitch]

Make sure you get your thyroid tested, particularly if you have a family history of thyroid problems. Ask to see a copy of your thyroid lab results and if your tsh is over 2, do some online research....

 

[Rafiki Rafiki Rafiki]

No stress here to speak of, but my mom had a hysterectomy after similar problems.

I guess what I would love to hear is that whatever is wrong is what has caused me to gain weight that I haven't been able to get rid of!

 

[graygables]

Sorry if this is TMI, but it's my experience.

Unfortunately, hormones are a complex thing that a medical society focused more on males and defining "normal" has not been able to come up with a solution for. I just turned 41 and I started what I thought was a normal period a year ago Christmas after being on the pill for 6 years. After 3 months of constant bleeding, I went to the gyn (I have no insurance, hence the wait) and he switched my pill and added a high dose of progestin to stop things. As long as I was taking the progestin, the bleeding was held at bay, but the minute I stepped it down or went off, it started up again. I've also had weight that will NOT budge, no matter what I do (this is well-documented also). My doc finally agreed to do some thyroid testing which mostly came back in the "normal" range. I decided to go to an endocrinologist who explained that "normal" does not always mean "optimal" for some people and he prescribed a low dose of synthroid. I have felt somewhat better and could probably use a higher dose, but I'm still swamped with the bills from the first round of dxing. The synthroid did not stop the bleeding, so I went off all other prescriptions completely and started using a natural progesterone cream (OTC) daily and that finally stopped it. I started cycling more naturally, albeit irregular when you used to be able to set your watch by me. I honestly still believe that my thyroid levels are off and I do need to have the meds re-adjusted, but I'm choosing to wait.

BTW, the gyn's "solution" was for me to have an ablation or a hysterectomy rather than try to find out the underlying cause, once the endometrial biopsy came back clear. Just another example of an attempt at fixing a problem without fixing the cause.

 

[aprilgail2]

I just went through this recently....had to have a D&C and was then put on the pill...I haven't taken the pill since back between the ages of 16 through 19...I HATE it..but it sure helped!

 

[safetymom]

I had that problem. They gave me low dose birth control pills. 21 days later I was in the hospital with a blood clot that was in my entire left leg. They told me they had never seen one so large and the person lived.

When I went back to the gyn she said I guess you know you can't take hormones.

So I had to suffer through it until my periods stopped.

 

[aprilgail2]

I had that problem. They gave me low dose birth control pills. 21 days later I was in the hospital with a blood clot that was in my entire left leg. They told me they had never seen one so large and the person lived.

When I went back to the gyn she said I guess you know you can't take hormones.

So I had to suffer through it until my periods stopped.

Thats the reason I stopped taking them 2 months ago....it worked and regualted my periods and last month was ok..hopefully this month will be to but I just h ate taking pills of any kind..especially ones that could gvie me blood clots and kill me..I was on them for 7 months and that was way long enough for me..I did take them when I was young and dumb but once I learned the potantial deadly side effects that was the last time that I took them when I didn't need them for a medical reason and not just to prevent pregnancy-theres enough alternantive methods that have less/no side effects......

 

[SunFloridaDisney]

In the years leading up to menopause...nothing is the norm and more often than not any erratic pattern is totally normal...the 'new' normal!!

ITA!! I'm 48, have been 'experiencing' this for several years now. So far I haven't felt that any of the symptoms have been bad enough to try hormone therapy.
But my DH may feel differently

 

[AMcaptured]

Unfortunately it is perimenopause. I swear I have been in it for about 5 years now and I am so "over" getting my period constantly.

Some months I am exactly 28 days and other months I get it for four days then a break for 10 days and then its back for a week or so.

I had all the tests done recently, an endometrial biopsy, a d & c, endless blood tests, ultrasounds, etc....The endo biopsy was horrific, actually, so was the d & c but everything came back normal. The doctor wanted to give me some shot that would put me in menopause but that really didn't appeal to me. I think the whole thing stinks and I doubt men would be expected to live with the same thing but that is another story now, isn't it?

I think the worse part is that I seem to constantly be in PMS mode, its very hard for my family and for me too. Everything upsets me, I worry constantly about things that would never bother me before, I can cry these days at the drop of a hat and I swear somedays I am losing my mind but then I will get my period and be fine for a week or so. Its all very upsetting and I sympathize with anyone going through the same thing.

Good Luck

 

[jody]

Fibroids can cause irregular and heavy bleading. Uterine Fibroid Embolization is treatment that can be used to treat fibroids without hysterectomy however there are no guarantees that it will be a total cure for the bleeding.

 

[minnie56]

Not only is 'unbudgeable' weight gain normal (remember, the 'new' normal!) during peri-pre menopause but the BC pill only perpetuates that in addition!! I often have to take double BC pills which is great fun and especially aids the 'blowing up' with even more weight!! But what can you do when the bleeding won't stop?? An Ablation has been suggested as a last resort...but frankly, I am sick of 'lady procedures'!

 

[Tiffann4k]

I have been having a lot of female problems since I got my tubal ligation done 5 years ago. I have meno symptoms ( hot flashes...gotta love those ) and am just plain sick of it. My periods cant make up their mind, they are always really heavy, last about a week and they very from 35-45 days in between ( that part I wont complain about..lol) went to the doctor and was basically told that most of my problems were in my head ( ya okay, strange how none of these problems started until AFTER my tubal ligation but they are the doctors they know ) Its very embarrasing to have to shave every week because I am growing a beard and I am only 28 ( been doing this since I was 22 years old) I am just getting sick of it. Have had my thyroid tested , also have had tests done to look for cysts etc and nothing.

Hope you find out whats giving you so much trouble

 

[Rafiki Rafiki Rafiki]

I'm having a hard time believing I could be in perimenopause--my mother didn't go through it until she was 50 (12 years older than me), and I haven't had a single hot flash. As a matter of fact, I'm cold most of the time.

My cycle lasted a full 9 days last month, and then I spotted for 8 days after that. I had 12 days off before starting another heavy cycle two days ago. Unfortunately, the spotting has gone on for nearly a year now--it just hasn't lasted this long.

I haven't had any unusually heavy cramping, which seems to be a cornerstone of the cyst problems. But who knows.

You guys aren't making me feel any better about treatments, though!

 

[i like stitch]

Before they knew I had thyroid issues, my more prominent symptoms were weight gain, heavy bleeding, and feeling cold. I also had some spotting.

I had normal thyroid test results but as another posted stated, normal doesn't always mean normal when it comes to thyroid results because the lab ranges are too wide and we all have different "set points".

Dr. Gillespie has some interesting stuff on hormones you may find helpful. http://www.goddessdiet.com/

I also like Dr. Vliet's books are good too.
http://www.herplace.com/

My personal favorite: http://www.goodhormonehealth.com/index.html