Question:
has anyone had problems with menstrual periods after losing weight?
i take depo-provera shots and have no desire to quit because i don't want to get pregnant anytime soon. my doctor has put me on extra estrogen patches to stop the periods and spotting i've had since surgery. has anyone else had this problem and if so, what are you doing or taking to stop the periods/spotting? — heidi G. (posted on January 30, 2004)
January 30, 2004
Oh my gosh...YESSS. I thought I was menopausal, until I had surgery and
then it was back to the cycles from hell, lots of bleeding, clotting, heavy
spotting through the entire month between cycles, etc. The doctor said
that because estrogen is regulated by the fat cells that's the reason that
my hormonal system is all screwed up. He put me on a low dose of birth
control pills and has since had to increase them. Note that at the age of
49 and with a husband who had a vascectomy almost 15 years ago I am not
taking them to prevent pregnancy, but rather to try and control what to me
feels like uncontrollable bleeding. After seeing and speaking with the doc
earlier this month and coming to the conclusion that I suffer from
menorhagia (I hope I spelled that correctly), and having the bcp dosage
upped once more, we are now discussing a procedure to remove the vaginal
lining for once and for all, whether it be done through balloon therapy or
surgically. We'll talk about it again in 3 months if this particular birth
control pill does not help the problem. This was one difficulty I never
expected, but even had I known it was going to happen, I would still have
had Open RNY. My life is so much better now, I feel guilty complaining. I
can't help but wonder though how much better I will feel once I stop
bleeding and correct the anemia that seems to accompany this malady.
— Laurie H.
January 30, 2004
I was always regular up until wls, then I stopped my monthly for 3 cycles,
I seemed to loose slower and be on a platue durring that time. I finally
got back to a regular cycle, and in Dec I had to have a lump-ectomy in my
breast(get those mamo's) and since then I have stopped my period again :0(
and now I am on another platue, and I have read surgery can do this to
you. My monthlys before surgery, were heavy, with clotts, sorry to be so
grafic, and now they are lite to medium, and not such a bother.
— wizz46
January 30, 2004
Let me preference this by saying that o am a OB/GYN NUrse Prtactitioner.
Depo Provera can cause irregular bleeding as a side effect of the drug. If
you are happy with it, I would go every 10 weeks to have your shots (You
can use it every 10-13 wks). Some times that is enough to stop the
bleeding. If you can tolerate it Motrin 800 Mgs every eight hours can help
to stop the bleeding too (Note I am not saying for pain). Hope this helps.
~Keri
— Kerijohnson
January 31, 2004
I have had a period since I turned 9yrs old and I have struggled with
cramps, hemmoraging, cysts on my overies and endometriosis and nothing was
worse than my periods on the Depo-Provera shots. After I had my 3 kids I
started the shot and I had a period 3wks out of every month, heavy bleeding
& clotting and migrains so bad I had to be put on daily medication,
after a year I said forget this and got my tubes tied and migrains gone and
periods back to at least abnormal, but regular for me. After WLS a year
later, my periods are 100% normal and no female problems so far, not even
cramps! I'm not sure why b/c WLS has nothing to do with our female
production, but it seemed to do something. I have looked into the shot and
questioned everyone I knew on it and looked it up on-line and 85% said they
quit due to bleeding, migrains and hair falling out. I hope you stop
bleeding soon, I just feel that is not normal for us to bleed like that,
periods suck as it is lol Good luck!!!!
— Sandy M.
February 1, 2004
if pregnancy is the only reason for not wanting to stop using depo, you may
want to consider different types of birth control. there are so many
different options out right now that are wonderfully effective. there are
hormonal and non-hormonal options. there is a new product on the market
called Nuva-ring, it is a ring that goes around your cervix and you just
change it once a month (note: you must be very comfortable with your body
to do this. it does require some 'feeling around'), you could try
ortho-evra (birth control patch changed weekly, although like depo, you
should be under a certain weight ~190 i think), have you thought about
getting an IUD, there are two on the market, one that lasts for 10 years
with no hormones (Paraguard) and one that last for 5 years and has some
hormones in it (Mirena). there are vaginal foams, diaphragms, cervical
caps, condoms and several different oral contraceptives that have different
benefits. some even clear up acne. you said that you didn't want to
become pregnant anytime soon, how soon? i personally have an iud and it
has been wonderful (i've had it for 5 years and it is good for another 5
years). it was a little painful to have put in, but not any worse than the
depo shots that i was getting before hand. i chose to have the iud put in
after my twins were born (6 months later) and we weren't sure if we wanted
anymore kids. they were my first and my doctor wasn't comfortable doing a
tubal on me (although he would have it i had pressed the issue) my dh has
since gotten a vasectomy and i still have my iud. double protected i
guess. lol. there are so many wonderful options out there, please don't
just settle for one that causes so much headache (literaly). by the way,
my periods are normal since surgery.
— Keri P.
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