everywoman's Blog

Hello everyone,

Meridian 1, what is DD? It sounds like you are experiencing barriers with your doctors like many of the rest of us. You are smart not to take the anti-depressants. Doctors are always pushing synthetic pills that are bad for you to patch your symptoms instead of helping you get to the real root of the problem. I hope you find some success with the acupuncture. I won't be taking that approach. That's a little out of my league of understanding. And it doesn't sound like a pleasurable experience to make you feel better. Keep us posted.

I’ve been taking Prometrium for two weeks during my last month’s cycle. It worked miracles for me and it’s natural. My period is lighter and more normal. I’m not as bloated and my PMS symptoms are not as bad. I’m not as irritable. And my sex drive has increased. I actually look forward to sex and have multiple orgasms like I did before the tubal ligation. And I’m not dry anymore. I’m so happy. And I don’t have to worry about getting pregnant.

Replacing the progesterone and taking the recommended vitamins helped balance my hormones. I took 100mg pill of Prometrium in the morning and another 100mg pill at night with my dinner (every 12 hours). I highly recommend the book Natural Hormone Balance by Dr. Reiss. His regimen worked for me. Read it to customize your regimen.

I also recommend the book Belly Fat to Belly Flat by Dr. C.W. Randolf this book focuses on hormone balance and weight loss. Dr. Reiss and C.W. Randolf have basically the approach and method for hormone balance. One diet supplement that C.W. Randolf recommends is Chitosan. I don’t recommend taking Chitosan to control appetite and absorb fat. I tried this supplement and it made my stomach hurt. And I had a lot of gas. However I still recommend this book. The two books are great reads for women with our problems.

I still have one problem. On occasion, I have sharp pains in my lower abdomen when I make certain moves when sitting. I feel the pain from my lower abdomen down to my rectum. It is a shocking pain. It causes me to yell out. I don’t know exactly what’s causing it. I didn’t have pain like this before the tubal ligation. I’m not bothered too much because it is very infrequent. A friend of mine told me that I may have scar tissue due to my C-section or tubal ligation. I’ll keep you all posted if it gets worse.

For now, I’m very happy with my new found natural hormone balance regimen. I feel like I have me back again.

Hi Angelwhispers,

I’ve notice some new symptoms of my PTLS since my last post,

• Piercing pain in my lower abdomen that comes and goes
• Lack of breast fullness

Kaiser doesn't cover Naturopathics, but I have been reading a book called Natural Hormone Balance for Women by Dr. Uzzi Reiss. It is an excellent reference for answers and a few cures to hormonal problems. I was very excited after reading it. It gave me hope that I might not have to spend thousands of $$$ on a reversal and take the chance of getting pregnant again.

We can help get our hormones back in balance naturally by using natural medications derived from soy and yams. Dr. Reiss explains all of your options in balancing your hormones naturally for different situations. It is an easy read in terms you can understand. He goes in depth about endocrinology, estrogen, progesterone, DHEA, Pregnenolone, and other hormones for youth and vitality as well as hormonal harmony.

I received a better understanding about what is going on in my body. Here is some information I paraphrased from his book. “My OB/GYN cut the blood circulation from my ovaries to my uterus when she tied my tubes, interrupting the ovulation process. Immediately after a woman ovulates, her ovaries produce progesterone. Among the most important role of progesterone is to balance estrogen. Anytime that the estrogen level rises in the body, you want to have progesterone there to offset it. Unlike estrogen the body never overproduces progesterone.

In a normal 28 day cycle, barely any progesterone is produced during the first two weeks. After ovulation, at day 14, progesterone kicks in. The level peaks at day 21. If no fertilization takes place, the body pulls the switch on progesterone and the hormone level starts to fall. The mechanism is precise. The progesterone phase lasts for 2 weeks after ovulation.

The loss of hormonal balance is a root cause of many female problems, such as endometriosis, fibroids, polyps, adenomyosis, irregular periods, heavy bleeding, and out of control cycles. Longer periods or no periods at all are also signs of progesterone deficiency.

I highly recommend this book to all of you to get a better understanding of your own body and its hormonal balance. I’ve started a natural hormone balance regimen based on his guidance. I have to control stress, eat right, take supplements (Vitamin B Complex and Magnesium help manage stress and PMS), and keep of record of my monthly cycle while taking hormones.

I could not afford to see a specialist; so the book recommends Prometrium which is a pharmaceutical that is an all natural form of progesterone. My OB/GYN is familiar with it and prescribed it for me. I plan to take one capsule daily for 14 days starting on day 14 day of my cycle (the day I’m supposed to ovulate). This will give my body the progesterone it is lacking at the precise time. And I can finally ditch the Nuvaring for birth control.

Hopefully adding progesterone will balance my hormones and regulate my period, improve my irritability, increase my sex drive and help with vaginal dryness. I will let you know how it works out for me.

Angelwhispers, thanks for the info on Chapel Hill. I may contact them and ask more questions if I don't find another physician. I really didn't want to fly for surgery. I'm hoping I can find a physician close by with a good track record and one I can also afford. I also agree that $16k in way too much.

I apologize for being out of touch. I was vacationing for a week and taking an additional 3 weeks to bond with my 6 month old.

I took my hormone test before I left on my vacation on 04-22-08. I received the results and low and behold my doctor says I have a hormone imbalance. And I quote my doctor here “Hormone imbalance can be exacerbated by getting my tubes tied. It is usually caused by your ovaries. And the way we treat the hormone imbalance is to give you enough hormones to stop the ovaries from producing hormones and thin the lining of the uterus with birth control pills or an IUD.”

Here are my test results LH level 15.7 ml and FSH level 5.4 ml. I have a ratio of 3:1 which is abnormal. I normal ratios are 1:1 and 2:1 depending on different medical sources of information. Mine is definitely out of the normal range.

LH (lutenizing hormone) controls the production of female hormones, estrogen and progesterone, in the ovary and FSH (follicle stimulation hormone) controls the development and release of eggs in the ovary. If your FSH level is >25 you have reached ovarian failure.

My LH levels are way too high. This leads me to believe that I’m not ovulating at all. Anovulation (lack of ovulation) leads to relative deficiencies of progesterone production by the ovary which overall causes abnormal periods.

I also find out that my tubes were tied with metal clamps as opposed to them being burned or banded. This is good news to me because that increased my chances of a successful tubal reversal because I should have enough length in my tubes to reconnect them.

So in the meantime, I’ve started on birth control to get through my vacation and life itself until I have my tubal reversal. I have one month supply of the Nuvaring left. It is an expensive form of birth control so I have to choose another. I will let you all know what I decide to take and why.

Although the bleeding has stopped, I’m still irritable, moody, depressed at times, and have extreme fatigue. And I don’t have a sex drive at all. I only do it out of duty and I never thought I would say such a thing. In the past, I really enjoyed sex. Now it’s a chore. I’m really dry and have to use lubrication. And I have to really concentrate to have an orgasm. Sometimes concentration works, sometimes not.

I’m hoping another form of birth control will help with these symptoms. I’m reading books on hormones and hope to come up with some natural or close to natural alternatives to help with these symptoms in conjunction with the birth control. I’ll keep you posted.

I’m looking forward to regaining my own regulation back with my tubal reversal. That’s what keeps me positive when I’m feeling down. And of course my children’s smiles help me through the days as well.

AngelWhispers, thanks for your response. I've been posting to other sites, but with no words in return. I will work with you to get the word out about this horrible experience. Here is the latest. I'm keeping a diary of my symptoms and test.

I inserted the Nuvaring and noticed that my bleeding subsided a lot. I did some research the next day and found that I may be experiencing hormone shock due to tubal ligation. So, I should not be taking the pill. The Nuvaring is the pill in a different form that contains estrogen and progestin. This pill is usually prescribed by doctors to cure your symptoms and not the real problem. These symptoms I have are due to my ovaries producing too much estrogen and not enough progestin. So I removed the Nuvaring the next day because too much estrogen can cause stroke. I’m still bleeding but not as heavy. I requested a Hormone Test from my doctor. That way I can be treated naturally for the hormone that I’m lacking. When your hormones are altered it causes your whole system to go hay wire.

I’m mostly interested in FSH and LH levels. FSH stands for follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). This hormone is released by the anterior pituitary gland. Some disorders that keep popping up in my investigation of PTLS that may be associated with abnormal FSH results are:
Polycystic ovary disease
Ovarian failure (ovarian hypofunction)
Anovulatory bleeding
Ovarian cysts

Luteinizing hormone LH levels are also useful in the investigation of menstrual irregularities and to aid in the diagnosis of pituitary disorders or diseases involving the ovaries or testes. The test may be ordered along with an FSH test if a women is having irregular menstrual periods to help determine if she has reached menopause. In women, Increased levels of LH and FSH are seen in primary ovarian failure. Some causes of primary ovarian failure are:

Chronic anovulation (failure to ovulate): When a woman enters menopause and her ovaries stop working, LH levels will rise. Some drugs can cause LH to increase, such as anticonvulsants, clomiphene, and naloxone, while others cause LH to decrease, such as digoxin, oral contraceptives, and hormone treatments.

My symptoms closely relate to anovulation. I’ve also picked up a new symptom. I have a throbbing but sharp pain on the left side of my pelvis that comes and goes.

My guess is we unknowingly signed up for early menopause and may be at risk for other diseases in the future due to hormonal imbalance. I’m not happy about this at all. I plan to fight this. I don’t want to rely on birth control pills or HRT pills for the next 15 years of my life. I’m only 37. That is the reason why I had my tubes were tied to avoid being a pill popper. So my long term plan is to take the necessary steps to have a Tubal Reversal (TR) to hopefully correct the ill effects of the Tubal Ligation. Kaiser will not pay for the TR. They said if I wanted to have the operation through them it would cost $16K. They are crazy. Once I get myself back, they will hear from me.

In the meantime, I’m researching other options for this surgery. I live in Northern California. Any info would be greatly appreciated. For now, the hormone test will be my next step in my attempt to be diagnosed.

I paraphrased a lot of this information from the following sites:
http://www.tubal.org
Info from Medline Plus Medical Encyclopedia http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003710.htm http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/lh/test.html

I'm filled with so much regret and anger. If only we knew...Good luck to all of you in dealing with these horrible symptoms.

I would like to give a little background about myself. I'm 37 years old I work as a Business Analyst in the Silicon Valley and live in the Central Valley of California, USA. I have a husband who is my rock and 3 boys who are my joy. I'm very concerned about this issue. I will do all I can to help myself and others through this condition. I asked my OBGYN why they didn't tell me about the possible side effects of having a tubal ligation. She said it is because women can have the same symptoms whether you have a tubal ligation or not. So PTLS is very contraversial for that reason. Well I'm on a mission and want to put a plan in place so women can have all the information facts or not before they elect to have a tubal ligation.

Well, I had a biopsy to test for cancer cells yesterday. I took 600mg of ibruprophen before the procedure. That helped immensely. I didn't have any pain at all. :D

I asked what the next step would be if no cancer cells were found. She told me she would prescribe a higher dose of progestin pills or insert an IUD. I will choose the IUD because it is localized medication. I also asked if using the Nuvaring in the meantime was OK. She said that would be a good idea to use to control my bleeding until the IUD is inserted.

I inserted the Nuvaring yesterday afternoon and I noticed an instant reduction in my flow. I used one pad for the rest of the afternoon and evening and one pad during the night like I used too. I feel so relieved. :D

After doing a little more research, I realized why I'm having this problem. When your tubes are tied the normal function of your ovaries is interrupted. During the menstrual cycle, estrogen and progesterone (two hormones made by the ovaries) cause changes in the endometrim (the lining of the uterus). On about the day 14 of your cycle, an egg is released from one of the ovaries. This is called ovulation. The egg moves into one of the fallopian tubes connected to the uterus where it can be fertilized by a sperm. The level of hormones then drops. This signals the uterus to shed its lining. This shedding is your monthly period. It marks the start of a new cycle.

So now my tubes are tied the hormone levels my ovaries produce are lowered consistantly because the ovaries can't release the eggs through my fallopian tubes therefore you shed the lining of your uterus continuously. So ovulation is taking place but it is interrupted, because it can't move freely into the tube to be fertilized.

Medication like birth control pills, Nuvaring, and the IUD contain hormones to help normalize this interruption by taking over the job of your ovaries to control bleeding.

I plan to use the Nuvaring for only 3 months because it is a costly form of birth control. After 3 months I will have the IUD inserted. I will keep you all posted on my status regularly.

I think it would be a good idea to for all of us to find scholarly sources of information to share with everyone about PTLS. I plan to do some more research after reading all the previous posts from other women with the same problem. I'll keep you posted on my progress.

I am so relieved to find a forum to talk to women who are experiencing these problems. I had my tubal ligation done at the same time my 3rd child was born by C-section in Oct 07.

I chose tubal ligation because oral birth control pills don't agree with me, the Mirena IUD made me uncomfortable because I no longer had a period and a strange discharge, and Nuvaring worked perfectly but my insurance with Kaiser didn't cover the ring so I had to pay $65 a mo. I purchased my 3 rings and was waiting for my period to start. It never did because I got pregnant in the meantime.

My first period after breast feeding was fine it lasted the normal time. Then two weeks later I started bleeding again this time very heavily and consistant. I'm still bleeding. I'm on my 24th day. I contacted my NP and asked her if there is such a thing as PTLS. She said yes; due to hormone imbalance, heavy bleeding can occur. After 10 days of bleeding heavily I couldn't take it anymore. I went to see my OBGYN and she perscribed a 10 day dose of progestin which reduced my flow to spotting after 2 days of taking them. I was comforted but on the 8th day the heavy bleeding kicked back in. I've had a neg. pregnancy test, and blood count and ultrasound both were normal. I'm going in for a uterine biopsy later today to see if there are any cancer cells, polyps, fibroids, etc.

My gut tells me there will be no cancer cells found. I've never had this problem with my past two deliveries. And I've always had a normal period. My OBGYN says she can manage my hormone levels with birth control pills or an IUD with Progestin. :x That is the reason why I had my tubs tied to avoid those options. And ablation (Novasure) or hysterectomy are not opitions for me.

After the biopsy, I will use the Nuvaring which is just like the pill but it provides the hormones directly to your uterus instead of going throughout your whole body. I have a 3 month supply left over. Hopefully that will stop the bleeding and bring me back to my normal self. I will explore my next option of having a D&C performed to get me back to normal if the bleeding persist.

I will keep you posted on my journey through this madness. I'm not myself. My symptoms are:

Severe hormone imbalance
Decreased lactation
Weight Gain in mid section- I look like I'm 5 months pregnant.
Moodiness
Difficulty concentrating of tasks
Heavy Bleeding for days
Aching Back
Dry Itchy skin
Brittle dry ashy hair
Low sex drive (sex isn't the same- I need a lot of clitoral stimulation now which I didn't need in the past.)

I'm mad that the side effects were not explained to me. I wish I would have done more research rather than relying on my OBGYN and word of mouth from relatives and friends. My goal now to find a way to solve my problem. I hope our shared experiences will help us all make the right choices. :!