Preventing serious problem?

[MelissP]

Having fears for my health on a periodic basis,
and in recognition of the fact that my insurance
is tightfisted, I suppose I should ask this question;

What medically known ways are there for shutting
down cycles? Adding outside hrt suspended them for
about 11 months, but then failed. As I understand it,
BC pills only prevent ovulation, and that's the least
of my troubles.

Just curious

[Dana Gold]

Hi Melissa,

The question you ask is difficult to answer in the medical sense since the actual condition creating the painful menses has not yet been definitely diagnosed.....or disclosed by you in detail. Therefore to arbitrarily induce cessation of the cycle may invite other problems of an endocrine nature or mask the primary problem.....providing immediate relief, but neglecting long-term consequences. You mentioned having had, or will have, a pelvic scan....it is important to get an evaluation of the scan results since your pain may be anatomically related and responding to or with the endocrine cascade (prostaglandins, progesterone, estrogen (yes, you know that already), gonadotropins etc). I apologize if I am assuming that you know little of your condition, for you certainly have gone through enough of hell with it......but eliminating the menses may or may not be the answer. To that then, I am providing you with some links to give some insight into the many possible causes of pelvic pain associated with the various stages of the menstrual cycle..., with some medications and procedures to alleviate the curse of chronic pain you have been suffering with. Also you said your insurance is unable or unwilling to provide adequate expense coverage.....I do not know what kind of relationship you have with your doctor/s....but now is the time to push the issue and be your own advocate. My own experience has been that I actually had to write a letter of protest to my health care provider group and insurance to get what I needed for 'adequate and responsible" medical care.....as well as establishiong a closer relationship with my primary care physician (PCP with my HMO...Pacificare) and my endocrinologist....who I also wrote a letter to.

Bottom line.....don't fix something unless you know for sure it is the thing that's causing the problem:....please read carefully through the below links; it may help you to understand the mechanics of your body and "armed" with this , be able to interact assertively with those who are "taking care of you".

And if you ever do get the word that stopping the menses is the "answer' then it may be efficacious to consider Lupron, a gonadotropin releasing hormone inhibitor (Gnrh), which is very expensive....stay away from any kind of progestins and androgens (yes, they do administer that in some cases...to suppress endogenous estrogen)...you will probably still have to take your estrogen.and maybe even progesterone (natural progesterone....Prometrium ok) ...if not already doing so, consider 17-B estradiol patches or (Estrace) sublingually; as these routes of administration are not only the most natural , but result in avoiding first bypass of liver to conversion of 90-95% of the estradiol to estrone..others like ethinyl estradiol and Premarin (has weak testosterone metabolites) are xeno-estrogens.....which may or may not be part of your problem....exacerbating the original condition, that is. Importantly: Everything stated here is theoretical; it doesn't seem to be known for sure "what you have"....always consult or follow-up with a doctor or endo.....do not try it on your own (with Internet drug access)....it may compromise your health.

Are your doctors monitoring your hormone levels, by the way? Are you allowed to be referred to a specialist? ...being passive with the med community, especially when they attempt to tell you (as they did me) that "there's nothing else we can do"?.....bullsh*t!....there's always something that can be done!...you have to "force their hand" in some cases...."going with the flow" is not an option when dealing with these people.

Lastly, all the above and below are for informational purposes only.....my attempt to answer your plea for help....and not to be taken as medical "advice".

http://www.emedicine.com/med/topic606.htm

http://www.reutershealth.com/wellconnected/doc100.html


http://www.merck.com/mmhe/sec22/ch244/ch244c.html

Take care......I hope all of the above helps a little....anything is better than zero, I guess.

Dana

[Sarra]

The only way I know of, which stops Ovulation and 90% of the actual bleeding, is BC injections. They are hard on your liver, and may not be completely effective.

That's all I can think of...

[Betsy]

If you never intend to bear children, it often isn't difficult to find a medical necessity for a hysterectomy, particularly if you have such painful periods so as to be debilitating. Of course, it is rather permanent.

[MelissP]

If you never intend to bear children, it often isn't difficult to find a medical necessity for a hysterectomy, particularly if you have such painful periods so as to be debilitating. Of course, it is rather permanent.

Hi Betsy,
Nope, I've got no illusions about getting pregnant :-) Even if everything
was working enough for that to be conceivable (sorry, bad pun) ... Any
offspring would have to survive 38 weeks of heavy-duty hormonal meds
with her/his adrenals intact and then face a huge chance of having the
same curse that harmed me. Assuming that Mommie Moi could survive
that long when she can't make it through a period w/o screaming. And
after that, I do have some doubts as to whether I could financial support
a child on my own; while my finding a long-term relationship would be a
whole other problem.

On the other hand, my bizarre situation does provide something else.
Undeniable proof, and a means to Revenge. Yes, part of me is furious,
and I want to bring some hurt to the family who did this to me, as well
as some serious professional embarassment for the MD'd who screwed
me up and messed with my head.

So for now, I'll consider hysterectomy possible, but a last bitter pill
option.

cheers,
Melis

[MelissP]

I did read your answer to me, and I'm not forgetting to reply. I'll try to
give you a fuller response later on today. Right now I've had a busy couple
of days. A surgeon (expert actually) got interested in my case enough to
make contact with me, and I've got another appointment (of sorts) this
afternoon.

But to make it short, we're mostly talking about endometriosis and clogged
passages, and the interaction between biology and a doomed attempt to
sew it all up as an infant. And a lifetime of Addison's-like symptoms, due to
having one suspiciously large adrenal and the other one either missing or
seriously atrophied. And a patient who was never brought up expecting this
particular little fact of life :-(


Hugs and stuff,
Mel

[Dana Gold]

....endometriosis and clogged passages, and the interaction between biology and a doomed attempt to sew it all up as an infant. And a lifetime of Addison's-like symptoms......
Gee, Melissa,

You do have a lot "on your plate".....I really do hope all of thesethings get resolved in a short time (doctor upgrades diagnosis so insurance will cover necessary issues), so you can start to live more comfortably and peacefully......especially after all those years. :confused3 ......and thanks for sharing all that.

Take care, good luck on your writing project.
Dana :wavey: