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Dear Theresa I just read your post about me, i just posted about my experience with bioidenticals, i hope this helps. I found out about them from my mom. She gave me a book by Suzzane Summers, she wrote two. I read them in depth and I thought it was the answer for me. Well, you can read what i went through. I am only four weeks post TR, so I don't know what lies ahead for me in terms of symptoms. I hope we can all find relief, but we are all different. Linda
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Dear Tracy I feel the same about my TR. I am 4 weeks post TR today, and I feel whole again. It has changed how I feel about everything. I did bioidenticals for about 7 months but didn't really notice a great difference, maybe less night sweats but the hair loss was still there and I was having a hard time losing those last 5 pounds around my middle and I was a wreck emotionally. I think that was the worst,the emotional rollercoaster just before my period. I ended up going off Progesterone b/c the company that analyzed my saliva couldn't tell for sure if I had estrogen insuffiency or dominance. I was also not really being followed by a doctor, my gyn at the time just reordered the med when i needed , but then one month her secretary told me that the doctor didn't know that i was on them.!!!! My husband who studies cancer, came home one day and told me that progesterone causes breast cancer. So that was enough for me I went off them, but I had put so much faith in these bioidenticals that i wasn't sure what to do next. Then I found a web site called Women to Women and they talk about all sorts of issues, including hormone balance. I ended up ordering their vitamins and herbal supplements and felt great. I took the vitamins to my new gyne and she told me the vitamins were just Centrum Silver......I paid over 70.00 for them, and another 25 for the supplements. Talk about feeling ripped off. To make a long story short, i went off the deep end with a bout of depression this spring and I found Dr. B. Since I had to stop all herbals before the TR and since I have now recovered, I still am off of them and I have no symptoms. I am thrilled, all the money I spent, for what? I think bioidenticals in theory are great, but you need a physician who knows about them and that's why i stopped them. I got scared and didn't really know if it was helping me. So good luck, I know this was a long post , i just wanted to share my experience. Linda
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Sometimes I just think that when you mess with nature..there are bound to be some consequences..You can eat right and take vitamins and exercise and yet simply disconnecting your tubes can wreak such ungodly havoc on your body...It is amazing... I started taking fertility blend for women by Natural Wellness and damiana leaves for libido and I tell you..I have never felt better. I go for the prgesterone test on Friday (7 days post O) and we shall see what happens. If I remain this way, feeling good with disappearing symptoms..my testing is done and I will be one happy camper. I feel like a new person, alive again, enjoying things, close to my husband again in every way and better able to communicate with him. Please keep in touch and let me know how your testing goes. I read a little about saliva testing. I actually use a saliva microscope to track my fertility this month for testing purposes. It is so easy..not like peeing on sticks that cost 50 bucks a box to read on the fertility monitor! I used to do that when I was trying to conceive my son. What a grind. Well, I hope you are well and talk to you soon!
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Tracy, It sounds as though Linda5 is the one with the experience with the bio-identicals. I am waiting to see her response. In theory the imbalance that has been created by disrupting things surgically should be able to be compensated for via estrogens, progesterone, androgens, desiccated thyroid and cortisol and maybe others. (I recomend Dr. Gillson's book to you, it is a great resource for understanding hormone balance and in preparation for menopause) However, I think that God made our bodies to function in balance properly in the first place, so I feel that if we don't "pollute" them with too many chemicals and stressors, such as simple carbs, caffeine and so on and give them the vitamins and minerals they need, they should function as they were designed to. The world in which we live (food, water, air, stress) has already predisposed our bodies to getting off balance, then you add in a TL and for some of us it was the "straw that broke the camel's back". It was for me, even though I am on a comprehensive food supplement regime(Vitamins, minerals and herbs) My mom did a lot of research about nutrition and so on when I was young (she now teaches classes)and she had us on a good supplement program since I was about 10. Nonetheless, here I am with PTLS :-(
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Theresa - When I was at the height of my PTLS I tried progesterone cream, first from my GYN and then a more natural version from my Naturopathic Doctor. I was on a gernal vitamin/mineral supplement program just for overall health.
None of it helped at all for me. I never went on any kind of bio-identical hormone regimen though, nor did I explore that so I would be interested to hear what you find out on that..
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Linda, What was your experience with bio-identicals? Did you just use progesterone? Did you use desiccated thyroid/adrenals as well? Please talk to me about your experience and how old are you, if I may ask?
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Good questions, but I know lots of women who do not hit meonpause until their 50's..though I know it is a gradual process as the homones levels change over time..I have a freind who had a baby at 44 so she is nowhere near menopause, completely fertile still... I am 43 and did this solely for PTLS thinking that I could possibly have 10 more years quality of life before these symptoms rear their ugly head the natural way...I also go to a naturopath and she has talked to me about making sure my hormones are balanced "pre-menopause" to make that transition easier..I also did not want to wind up with a hysterectomy as happens in some cases more frequently to women who have had a TL. I feel "put back together" in every way and would do it again in a heartbeat. I truy feel like I am in my 20's again emotionally, physically and sexually and I am only 5 week post TR. Let us know how your tests work out!
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Hi Ladies, I had an interesting day the other day. It occured to me along this jouney that none of us truly considered the possibility that a TL would so drastically upset our hormone balance, thus no one had their hormone balance measured before their TL and then a year or 2 after the TL. I didn't either, but I have decided to have a female panel hormone saliva test done (and some blood tests in a couple of days) to get a base line so that, in the event I decide to have a TR, Dr. Berger and any other PTLS researcher would have some "before" and "after" data for the purpose of comparison. I was able to take my saliva sample in person to the lab. I think this lab is the only lab in Canada that specializes in salivary hormone analysis. It just happens to be an hour from my house. While I was there, I was able to speak directly to the man who is the President and Medical Director of the lab, his name is Dr. George Gillson MD, PhD. I had purchased a copy of his book entitled "You've Hit Menopause, Now What? 3 Simple Steps to Restoring Hormone Balance". It is a very comprehensive examination of female hormones and how they work together. I asked him why he didn't make mention of PTLS in his book and he replied that it is really a book about peri-menopause and menopause. I told him that because the symptoms of PTLS mimick, in many ways, peri and menopause, he should put something in the next edition of his book about PTLS. He looked a bit doubtful and I said, "look, my GP thinks I am going into menopause, he doesn't even believe there is such a thing as PTLS". Dr. Gillis kinda threw up his hands and said that there was lots of literature to support the existance of PTLS, then he said that I was right, it would be a good idea to make mention of PTLS in the next edition of his book. I mentioned to him the fact that Dr. Berger, while specializing in reversals for the purpose of fertility, also performs them for PTLS suffers. He had never heard of this- a TR for PTLS. His practice has always involved balancing hormones through the use of bio-identical hormones and nutrition... I told him that I was considering a TR. He said to me, "you can take a lot of progesterone and other bio-identicals for $7000". He asked me what kind of difference getting a TR at my age (40) would make. Sometime in the next 5 years my ovaries would be starting to "sputter" and I would I just be in the same position again? Questions that I had been asking myself already. I will pose the following questions in a new thread also so that those that had no desire to wade through this long story can just see my questions. Questions: Is there anyone out there who has had a TR in their late 30s or early 40s, 5 or more years ago? How are you doing after 5 years post-TR? Is there anyone out there who has actually gone into real menopause or peri-menopause in the 5-7 years after a TR that also previously suffered PTLS?
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Mmy brain fog also seems to be lifting too though I will not tell my husband about that one so I can still use that as an excuse for forgetting to do stuff around te house(LOL)..
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My first period (3 weeks post TR) was just as heavy and clotty as pre-TR but is was shorter in duration with less cramping. I am hoping they all improve from there. I feel much better..the only thing that seems to be "worse" post TR is that my breasts hurt a lot with that period and are still kind of tender. I used to get soreness pre TL, then I did not get it after TL and now I had it pretty bad this first cycle...If all my other symptoms clear up I can sooooooo live with a little boob pain, though!!! Having some libido back and re-connecting with the husband just made life a lot better for me...now, on to the weight loss goal...yikes!
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HI Ladies My doctor didn't put much merit in PTLS either and just told me she would prescribe whatever antidepressant that my therapist wanted me on. Talk about being left out in the open. I went to her crying and left feeling suicidal. My previous gyn doctor told me I was too young for menopause, but that I may have Lupus. Well that just made things worse, I cried for days and days, my youngest was only 3. Well, I am a great believer in being my own advocate and I read and read then tried bioidenticals then after my bout with depression this spring I found CH web site and couldn't think of anything else but getting a TR. I am 3 weeks post TR, and I have too noticed less hair falling out in the shower, increased libido. Too early to tell anything about my cycles, although my first period 5 days post op was almost like the periods I had in my early 30's. I am maybe 10 days from my next period and cramping already , which is what I was doing post TL. SO we'll see. I hate the cramps from mid cycle on, I was really hoping since I didn't have them last month I wouldn't have them again. It is a shame that doctors can't be more open to the concept of PTLS. I don't think it affects everyone, but then again how many out there suffering even know about it? I didn't before finding DR. B's web site. Good luck and God bless to all of us. Linda
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If you want to find a naturopathic doctor...you can go www.naturopathic.org and see if there is someone nearby. I have had much success with the one in my town in terms of treating me for various ailments. I also have a friend who is getting her PHD in ayurvedic medicine and she is always full of info on herba and supplements that are safe and effective for given conditions. Whatever you do or whoever you see..do you research before you dive in and make sure you are comfortable with the advice you are given. Having the TL taught me that!
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Purplefairy - I am not sure it will be fully successful, but I suggest you visit a decent natural health practioner and get information about supplements that help balance hormones. There are "fertility" formulas on the market that are meant to keep cycles balanced. I am actully going to start those myself now that I got normal test results and have been told I am not pre-menopausal (so that was not the cause of my multitude of symptoms) and that I am still fertile at 43. I want my body and hormones back in sync and I am working hard to get there. I am not sure if they would work with a TL still there, but it can't hurt to try, right? In the mean time are you able to start saving a little money at a time to try to save up for a TR if you need one down the line?? I can tell you that I am like a new person just 4 weeks post TR. I had a normal length period, still heavy but shorter in duration,my cramps were better, my fog has lifted, my aversion to sex is gone, my hair is improving (less in the comb every morning), nails are growing, I lost my sense of doom, my PMS was much less harsh, I am gaining my energy back and have started exercising again, and my clothes are getting slightly looser!..I hope to see more improvements over time but I feel well on the road to getting "me" back.. I hope your journey brings you back to health whichever one you choose. Keep me posted...and much luck..
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first of all..you are not crazy..Take a deep breath and know that we have all been where you are and many still are..You are not alone! What you are feeling is real and it is physical and psychological. Hormones out of whack send everything spiraling out of control (mind and body)..I have felt like a helpless stranger simply observing the life going on around me in my own body for 3 years...I wish I could tell you it will be easy to find a doctor with an open mind in regards to PTLS..I have yet to find one and my other tubally challenged sisters here seem to hit the same wall with their MDs. Nobody has expeience with it and therefore you are dismissed as depressed or pre-menopausal....blah..blah..blah...I have had a horrible..long list of symptoms that have multiplied gradually over 3 years..all tests were negative for whatever..no answers..I was offered birth control pills and told it was normal to be tired 24/7 and not want sex if I was a working mom of 3..What am I suppsed to do with that??..I won't bore you with all my symptoms..you can read them in yesterday's doctor's blog here (my tubes now forever live in infamy on the net!)..Suffice it to say that I am already feeling better 3 weeks post TR. My OB/GYN is doing some tests on me and is now curious about the aftermath of the TR to see if there is any merit to the TL being the cause of my hell! I wish you much luck if you decide to make the TR journey. If you do..please feel confident that you will be well taken care of and in excellent hands at CH.
I am a 34 year old who has been suffering from PTLS for 5 years!! I have been in and out of Doctors every year trying to figure out what is wrong with me. My last resort was a Physichiatrist because I thought I was going crazy. Wellllll he "fired me". Talk about really feeling crazy then. 2 days ago I found this website telling me all about PTLS. I cried after reading some blogs because of joy and terror because I finally know Im not crazy, but there is no way I can afford to have the reversal. Are there any other treatments that help? Oh yeah, and Im in Colorado. Does anybody know of a physician here that may listen to me?
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