Re: fibroid bleeding management

[Guest guest]

>An ultrasound revealed that

> I have 4 small fibroids, one of which is submucosal in the

> endometrium. I was started on birth control pills but after the

> first pack, continued to bleed excessively which led to a short

> course of norethindrone followed by a hysteroscope and D & C.

Question: Was the submucosal fibroid removed via hysteroscope? Or,

is it still there?

If it is still there and was NOT removed, why not?

It is doubtful that any course of hormonal drug therapy would be

effective as a definitive solution to your bleeding issues when

submucosal fibroids are present.

Can you clarify?

Carla Dionne

[Guest guest]

dacrn56 d.croucher@...> wrote:

Has anyone out there been managed with Depo and what has been the

experience.

>>>In reply, I started on Depo Provera in January in an attempt to control heavy

bleeding. Each shot was a double dose (300 units, mg's, I believe). I had

shots in Jan., Feb., Mar., and April. The first shot stopped the previously

non-stop bleeding. I had no bleeding for a couple of weeks, then started to

spot every day. That was infinitely preferable to bleeding a pint or two once a

month, though. Then, I had some clots in March. It stopped following another

double shot of Depo and a few doses of methergine (oral).

I only had very light spotting after that, until today, as a matter of fact. I

returned from my daily walk, and was suprised to discover I'd had some clots.

So, the Depo has sort of worked but, at the moment, appears to be sort of NOT

working. I'm waiting to see if the bleeding will stop on its own before taking

methergine. My gyn said to take the methergine if, and as soon as, any clots

were back in the picture. But, I'm being stubborn for some reason.

OK. That's my experience so far with Depo. I'm open to questions if I left

anything out or mangled the story.

Hope it helps. Thanks to all for the wealth of info. This site is a great

resource.

[Guest guest]

eeeck! why would you even want a hyst if you can have a resection to

take out the submucousal? That is like shooting a gnat with an elephant

gun. I had excessive and dangerous bleeding. A resection for my

submucosal was a breeze. I would do it again even tho I was scared

before. I would not hesitate.

gigi

dacrn56 wrote:

>I am a 48 year old woman who embarked on a treatment path to diminish

>the frequent and heavy bleeding accompanying my frequent periods

>(evry 21 days with 10 days of bleeding--3 of which I cannot leave the

>house with very heavy clotting as well) An ultrasound revealed that

>I have 4 small fibroids, one of which is submucosal in the

>endometrium. I was started on birth control pills but after the

>first pack, continued to bleed excessively which led to a short

>course of norethindrone followed by a hysteroscope and D & C. After

>the D&C I opted for an injection of Depo-provera, the thinking was

>that if we could thin out the lining of the uterus, and eventually

>have no period, I could cruise to menopause with my uterus intact. 4

>days after the procedure and injection I began to bleed, sometimes

>heavy, sometimes with large clots, sometimes spotting. Suffice it to

>say that I have been bleeding on some level for 90 days now. I am

>scheduled to have another injection of Depoprovera next week, but I

>am skeptical that this is going to work for me. I have read

>tremendous amount about the Depo and can say that the only side

>effect I have had is the erratic bleeding. I don't really know if it

>is the Depo or the fibroid.

>

>Has anyone out there been managed with Depo and what has been the

>experience. I really don't want surgery, unless it is to do a

>hysterectomy at this point, and I am not sure that I want that

>either. Although on some days, I would welcome it! Right now I am

>feeling that the cure is worse than the problem. At least before I

>stopped bleeding for 10 days!

>

>Any thoughts?

>

>

>

>

>

>MEETUP! with other local women who have Uterine Fibroids.

http://uterinefibroids.meetup.com

>

[Guest guest]

try taking vitamin A, C B6 and an iron supplement. My dr. told me that if iron

levels are low then you continus to bleed because you don't have the ability to

create the clotting that stops it. These vitamins are what I took and now I

don't have any problems. My blood level was 6, I had to have a transfusion. I am

48 and since I took these vitamins stopped the heavy bleeding. I also take a

regular multi vitamin and a zinc supplement.

NOTE FROM CARLA:

Sometimes we write responses quickly and may not fully understand how it is

being read by others on the group -- and with the above email it is important

for me to step in and offer a wee bit of guidance on how to offer

information/support to women on this group.

There have been many posts recently which contained directives for specific

treatment or care, just as this email has an opening sentence that is a

directive for another member to " do " something very specfic. It is important

for all members of this group to remember that we are NOT doctors (well, most of

us aren't!) and that 'offering and sharing information' about our own medical

situation, treatment, and physician recommendations is not the same thing as

telling someone what it is they should specifically do. Please refrain from

writing medical directives -- and try to remember that information sharing and

offering suggestions for women to ask their physician about is very different

from telling them exactly what it is they should do.

Iron supplements should NOT be taken without physician advice and oversight.

Just because you can buy it over the counter does NOT mean it is safe to take on

your own diagnostic whim. It is not.

So, perhaps a better opening sentence to the above email might be:

" Maybe you should ask your doctor about taking A, C, and B6 and an iron

supplement. "

In adding a " NOTE FROM CARLA " to this email, it is NOT my intent to single out

Darla. There have been many emails containing directives in them this past week

and, well, I simply needed an example to use to explain all of this. Sorry

Darla!

Let's be careful out there ladies....

Carla Dionne

Executive Director

National Uterine Fibroids Foundation

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 5/19/2004 4:35:46 PM Eastern Daylight Time,

cdfike15401@... writes:

My dr. told me that if iron levels are low then you continus to bleed because

you don't have the ability to create the clotting that stops it.

To my knowledge (which anyone can tell you-- is hardly exhaustive!), I don't

know whether your doctor's statement is accurate.

I don't think the presence (or lack of iron) contributes --in any direct

way-- to increased hemorraghing/and or clotting.

What DOES contribute to clotting are PLATELETS, which the body clumps

together to STOP bleeding.

As a matter of fact, and interestingly, in women with ID (Iron Deficiency)

Anemia, the number of PLATELETS normally RISES in response to their iron

deficiency.

Usually, with iron deficiency caused by excessive bleeding, platelets

(normally 100-400 billion in a liter of blood) will increase about a 100 billion

or

so.

Platelets are the smallest elements in the blood and are necessary for

coagulation. If you think about it, that increase in platelets (in patients with

heavy bleeding) is the body's emergency compensatory response to the blood

loss--an attempt to help coagulate the blood.

Now, if you were sufficiently LACKING in platelets, your bleeding WOULD

increase--and then, yes, you'd have a problem--you could potentially bleed to

death. But low iron, as I mentioned, usually comes with HIGH, not low--

PLATELETS.

The whole clotting phenomenon is incredibly complex--involving all sorts of

coagulation factors, calcium, Vitamin K, etc--but I don't think iron plays an

integral part here one way or the other.

One lousy fibroid, however can interfere with the uterus being able to

contract properly, leading to uterine blood vessels remaining open longer, and

resulting in more prolonged and heavier bleeding.

-Roma

[Guest guest]

I had a UFE for my fibroid treatment. My symtoms were extreme

gushing and hemmoraging periods. I am thrilled with my results.

It's been about 4 months. My period is so light. It is truly

amazing. UFE works wonders for bleeding problems. (my fibroid was

much bigger than yours) Can't you get them removed? a D & C is

only a temporary fix, and so is the hormone stuff. Sounds like you

need to do some sorting out and get to the bottom of this. Save the

hysto for a last resort. You may be trading one set of problems for

a whole other. Also, some say hormones may just feed the fibroids.

[Guest guest]

> eeeck! why would you even want a hyst if you can have a resection

to

> take out the submucousal? That is like shooting a gnat with an

elephant

> gun. I had excessive and dangerous bleeding. A resection for my

> submucosal was a breeze. I would do it again even tho I was scared

> before. I would not hesitate.

> gigi

I agree with gigi. Sounds like perhaps this particular doc doesn't

know how to use a resectescope (check out this website for info:

http://www.gynalternatives.com/resectos.htm) Too many doctors will

only offer you the procedures that they can do such as D & C,

ablation, hysterectomy instead of referring you to a doctor who can

perform the procedure that you really need, which sounds like a

hysteroscopic resection. Since there is no incision made for a

reseciton the recovery time is practically non-existent. My

recovery from oral surgery took longer than from my resection.

[Guest guest]

THanks for your reply--My doctor said that she would refer me to

someone who does the resections routinely as an general ob/gyn does

not. The hysteroscope was done to determine what was going on inside

the uterus. A transvaginal ultrasound located the fibroids, and

there was a undefined ? of a polyp. The hysteroscope confirmed that

there was no polyp, that there was a small submucosal fibroid, the

pathology of the scraping was fine, and the D&C presumably was done

to stop the bleeding, which it did for 4 days. Of course prior to

this, I had taken 4 doses of norethindrone daily to stop the bleeding

and the lack of bleeding initially could have been because of the

carry over in my system, especially since the bleeding began in

earnest 4 days later.

By the way, when I signed up for this group, I did not expect that

people's responses and reactions (not this one) would leave me

feeling worse rather than empowered.

thank you for your concern, Carla.

Debbie

> Question: Was the submucosal fibroid removed via hysteroscope? Or,

> is it still there?

> If it is still there and was NOT removed, why not?

>

> It is doubtful that any course of hormonal drug therapy would be

> effective as a definitive solution to your bleeding issues when

> submucosal fibroids are present.

>

> Can you clarify?

[Guest guest]

I thought it was a matter of clotting factors...like factor eight! That

they give people for hemophilia so they don't bleed out? You bleed so

much your clotting factors are low?

anyone? docs?

gigi

ARomaWithAView@... wrote:

>In a message dated 5/19/2004 4:35:46 PM Eastern Daylight Time,

>cdfike15401@... writes:

>My dr. told me that if iron levels are low then you continus to bleed because

>you don't have the ability to create the clotting that stops it.

>To my knowledge (which anyone can tell you-- is hardly exhaustive!), I don't

>know whether your doctor's statement is accurate.

>

>I don't think the presence (or lack of iron) contributes --in any direct

>way-- to increased hemorraghing/and or clotting.

>

>What DOES contribute to clotting are PLATELETS, which the body clumps

>together to STOP bleeding.

>

>As a matter of fact, and interestingly, in women with ID (Iron Deficiency)

>Anemia, the number of PLATELETS normally RISES in response to their iron

>deficiency.

>Usually, with iron deficiency caused by excessive bleeding, platelets

>(normally 100-400 billion in a liter of blood) will increase about a 100

billion or

>so.

>

>Platelets are the smallest elements in the blood and are necessary for

>coagulation. If you think about it, that increase in platelets (in patients

with

>heavy bleeding) is the body's emergency compensatory response to the blood

>loss--an attempt to help coagulate the blood.

>

>Now, if you were sufficiently LACKING in platelets, your bleeding WOULD

>increase--and then, yes, you'd have a problem--you could potentially bleed to

>death. But low iron, as I mentioned, usually comes with HIGH, not low--

>PLATELETS.

>

>The whole clotting phenomenon is incredibly complex--involving all sorts of

>coagulation factors, calcium, Vitamin K, etc--but I don't think iron plays an

>integral part here one way or the other.

>

>One lousy fibroid, however can interfere with the uterus being able to

>contract properly, leading to uterine blood vessels remaining open longer, and

>resulting in more prolonged and heavier bleeding.

>

>-Roma

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi-its sad to hear about so much discomfort! My gyn put me on progesterone and

my hemmorhaging has come to a stop. No more tiredness, doubled up Overnite

pads! Does this help? She gave me enough for 12 days to get me thru my

ultrasound etc.... before any decisions can be made.

cya-Cat

dacrn56 d.croucher@...> wrote:

Has anyone out there been managed with Depo and what has been the

experience.