Hormone imbalance - treatment and weight gain - you can never go back.....

Back in 2005, I spend my entire birthday I bed, unable to get up and with no interest in the 101 daily chores that were waiting for me.

Reason? Bleeding of the sort that left me shaking when I stood and made my knees buckle when I walked. Having always been a person who can take everything in her stride, this debilitating experience shook me. I had been having trouble with this for over an year then but this was the worst! Our family doctor advised me to consult a gynecologist as such loss of blood on a regular basis leads to the heart and kidneys being affected.

Went to a private hospital and had an ultrasound and other tests done. Diagnosis was endometriosis I think - a condition that makes the uterine wall thick and bulky with folds that trap the flow etc. Was advised a D&C, as this will stop the bleeding problem for many, and got it done.

No difference.

More tests - and then I was told it was better to have a hysterectomy done 'immediately'. This, when all reports were normal?!!!!

Went for a second opinion - a gynac recommended by friend. This was an older lady who said 'you have already had two cesareans - why do you want to be 'cut up' again? We can treat it by medicine.'

She prescribed the same pills that are given for contraception and told me to come after 3 cycles. I did. And found I had gained 3 kgs. But the problem was as before - there was no improvement. She told me not to worry as sometimes we need to adjust the dosage for some people.

OK.

She then prescribed a new medicine and told me to come back after 3 cycles. This time, my weight was up by another 5 kgs but the problem was as before.

She reassured me again and changed the prescription and again told me to come back after 3 cycles. I was desperate for a 'cure' and followed the advice. This time the weight gain was a shocking 6.5 kgs and the problem still the same as before.

On my next visit she again assured me and said there were 5 or 6 more combinations we could still try and she was sure we could beat this.

A quick calculation told me - almost 15 kg increase with 3 prescriptions, with each one adding the weight faster, I could potentially weigh more than 120 kg by the time she tried all the combinations!

A point that needs mentioning here is that during this entire treatment I was training under an gym instructor - 1 hour of rigorous training 5 days a week! And I still put on 15 kg! The sort of workout I was doing should have whittled down the weight considerably because I was also eating the ideal diet.

Of course, I simply took the prescription with me and went to another hospital. I also went back home and did some research on the medicines I had been given. The word she used - 'combinations' - raised a doubt. I found out that all of them were the same combination of hormones but were of increasing strengths! And I also found out from other women's experiences that all who had gone the same route gained varied amounts of weights. And the doctor never mentioned this at any time during the treatment though I had expressed concern over the increased weight several times. Had she even hinted at the relationship I could have made an informed decision after 'weighing' the pros and cons of avoiding surgery against such phenomenal weight gain.

To cut a very long story short, six months later I had the hysterectomy.

This was in October 2007. Since then, my struggle to lose the weight I gained has been a total failure. My weight shot up from 70 kg to 85 kg during the treatment within a span of 9 months. In the 3 years since then, it hasn't budged from that reading - it sits stubbornly at 85 kg.

I am writing this for one simple reason - I want other women to have the information and for them to make their decision after knowing all the facts. My cousin also developed the same symptoms and was having the same type of experiences at the beginning of this year. She was also told the same things that I was. When she found the same effects taking place after she began the treatment, she asked me about it. Seeing that the the first medicine did not do the job and she gained weight, she opted for hysterectomy.

So girls, if you are faced with:

1. Severe bleeding that does not stop after 5 days - consult a gynac immediately.
2. Do not allow the situation to continue for long as such heavy blood loss on a regular basis can effect your kidneys and heart.
3. If you are advised hormone treatment - be alert.
4. Don't dismiss the option and do try it out. But observe yourself for side effects. If you find you are gaining weight at an abnormal rate - ask the doctor for an explanation.
5. If the doctor ignores your questions, do some research on your own. The internet is a store house of information.
6. Go back to your doctor with your findings and ask again.
7. All good doctors have one thing in common - if you have specific questions and doubts they will give an explanation. Always BEWARE of a doctor who refuses to explain.
8. Get second, third and fourth opinions if necessary.
9. Set yourself a reasonable time limit for the expected results of any treatment.
10. Don't approach the treatment with a "I want to avoid surgery" attitude. It could blind you to some important observations that you need to make.
11. Finally, if surgery is the best option - take it. Life after surgery is goooood - if you know what I mean!!!!

 

Hi All,

Good to see that some of you found this good enough for Stars!

What prompted me was that a friend of mine is suffering from something slightly different but has a doctor who does not like her to take any decisions. She is timid by nature and does not dare to go against the doctor's diktat - hasn't had an ultrasound done for her cyst for over a year because he has told her not to do unless he tells her to.

She had been suffering for some time before starting his treatment - which means she has had this problem for over 2 years now. All of us see how weak and thin she has become and are worried. But she refuses to get a scan done because the doctor has told her not to.

SHE will not listen to any of us, but there are many women out there who have similar problems and don't know what to do or which way to turn for advice when treatments don't work. I just wanted to connect with those women and offer them some guidelines so that they can see a picture of what can happen and then make informed decisions.