My 17 YO daughter has been having her period almost non-stop for the past 8 months. She even got a depo shot to see if it would stop/slow. Nope, she'll bleed for 10 days or so, then stop for a couple of days. Then she starts all over again.
Her fatigue is her most disabling symptom right now. We are having her iron levels tested soon as I am thinking she must be anemic by now.
What causes this bleeding? Anyone else? Posted by KaitlinB (Member # 11718) on :
This happened to me when I was in my early 40's.
As I later found out, my body was not producing any progesterone, maybe because I had stopped ovulating or possibly due to effects of Lyme on my hormones.
Taking Prometrium (orally) quickly stopped the bleeding. Be certain to get a bio-identical progesterone.
Possibly the depo didn't work because it's a synthetic hormone?
Posted by mojo (Member # 9309) on :
It does sound like some sort of hormone imbalance.
It's definately not normal and should be addressed.
My 22 year old had the opposite problem - she was having no periods or she was wildly irregular. Her GYN said it was "OK" so I took her somewhere else and we tested hormones - as well as a lot of other things.
The depo not working is a little scary - but then I once took a hormone to make me start my period and it didn't work (was supposed to definately work) so who knows?
I hope you get this sorted out - so your dear young one can have some relief!
Can you find a doctor who uses bio-identical hormones? They tend to be the ones who do the 'better' tests and can think 'outside the box'
Posted by Remember to Smile (Member # 25481) on :
quote:Originally posted by LymeMom Kellye: What causes this bleeding?
Sounds like endometriosis. But I am not a healthcare professional, just another Lyme patient.
For your daughter:
You may wish to join the Endometriosis Association based in Milwaukee, WI. It is a wonderful resource with caring, dedicated staff. Members can receive a list of gynecologists (by State) who are members of the Endometriosis Association. Thru the EA, i found my best gyn ever who's even "Lyme-friendly!"
Your daughter may have endometrial growths, called adhesions, in her abdominal region. These grow & change as hormone levels change.
Acupuncture is an effective tx for endometriosis. It can decrease pain, decrease heavy bleeding, and make periods shorter & lighter. She may need to go weekly for 5 or 6 wks, then reduce acupuncture visits to just monthly, then eventually just seasonally to keep things on track.
Gluten-free, low carb, Candida-control diet will go far to reduce endometriosis problems.
It is also highly recommended that endo sufferers do their best to engage in gentle exercise (walking, swimming, biking, qi gong, or dance) to keep organs healthy and disrupt adhesion formation.
Some consider surgery too soon as a tx for endo, but then endometriosis often comes back. Be very wary of any surgery for your daughter, because endometrial growths proliferate at surgery sites (just as Lyme Bb spirochetes gather at scars).
Also note that Bartonella can cause pelvic pain, groin pain, and GI issues. Could contribute to the endometriosis problem...
Many women with LD also have had endometriosis. Endometriosis symptoms include chronic yeast infections, fatigue, chemical sensitivities, and GI problems...
May you find help & hope thru the EA and others here on LymeNet. Smile
Posted by momlyme (Member # 27775) on :
When I got the depo shot... I bled for 3 months straight. Never happened before or after. I know some people say it stops their period. For me, it was 3 months of terrible bleeding!
Hope she finds a way to stop the flow!
Posted by nefferdun (Member # 20157) on :
I had the same problem when I was young. I bled for a year with some heavy bleeding equivalent to a miscarriage (I had two miscarriages later to compare them to). I was very anemic.
I suffered with abnormal periods most of my life. Finally I found out my thyroid was not functioning normally and I did not produce enough progesterone. My thyroid always tested normal because the doctors only did the TSH test.
When I got thyroid medication in my late 40's my periods became normal and regular for the first time in my life.
Progesterone is higher during pregnancy because it is the hormone that keeps you from bleeding. It drops when you give birth or right before your period. This drop is what causes PMS. Low progesterone caused my miscarriages and it also was responsible for my insomnia which I started having at the age of 12.
My whole life would have been different if I had know then what I know now. The doctors told me in my 20's that it was endometriosis but it wasn't. They just didn't know - sounds familiar.
Finally in my 50's I was given bio-identical hormones and it was such a lift. I could sleep like a normal person for the first time in my life. Unfortunately I was then bitten by a tick!
I hope your daughter gets relief. I would try thyroid first and then progesterone.
Posted by mojo (Member # 9309) on :
neffer: That's why I had my daughter tested at a place where they use only bio-identicalhormones and use the FULL thyroid tests and not just TSH! My daughter is normal and fortunately she is having periods almost every month for the last three to four months.
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