new here - why no threads about alternatives???

Sharon, would you mind sharing what the options were that your doctor gave you, what you have tried, and how did it go?

here's what my doctors have suggested, and my reasoning behind the choices I have made so far (hyst is the last option, and one I am not ready to even consider at this point):

I've been on Lupron. It was really really bad, and on top of the side effects that never completely went away, it did nothing for my endo-related pain. My endo got worse even while in chemically-induced menopause!

progestin only mini-pills helped until they stopped making the kind I was taking. the kind that contains norethindrone does not help and came with some really bad side effects for me. Unfortunately, not even my compounding pharmacist can get the ingredients to make norgestrel, which was the active ingredient in the other pills. seems they are still covered by a patent or something.

I categorically refuse to take depo-provera or estrogen-containing bcp of any kind because of possible side effects and my past experiences with such medications.

basically, I'm doing whatever I can to put off having another surgery so soon after the last one. I recently switched to continuous progesterone cream at 60mg/day to see if it might work in the same manner as the first progestin pills did. Not having the bad side effects I was having while on the mini-pill, but haven't been using it long enough to be able to judge its effectiveness yet.

Not convinced,

the options were..

1) pain killers and antidepressants since it can help to relieve the symptoms and works for some ladies. (he said it didn't have a high success rate)

2) lap. (I've had 4 already)

3) hysterectomy (either taking both ovaries or leaving one)


depo has Medroxyprogesterone acetate (I don't think it has any estrogen) I have used it for years. I'm currently on it now to stop the bleeding and pain. Now it is black boxed that you can use it for two years. But, I do understand not wanting to take it.

I saw you have taken quite a few things that have worked for you.

Have you ever tried herbals or natural progesterone cream?

I used natural progesterone cream, vitex, evening primrose oil, flaxseed oil and I had success longer than I did on any prescription medication until this previous fall.

There are two books that can help you What your doctor may not tell you about menopause or what your doctor may not tell you about premenopause both by Dr John Lee. There is alot of information in there about controlling endo without prescriptions. I highly recommend either.

If I can be of more help please email me I'll try my best to help.

Sharon

Dear not convinced

As women we do have it very tough when it comes to gyn problems. Unfortunately, I think, that hysts are huge money spinners for doctors. In Australia a doctor can earn on average $3,000 per hyst, if the doctor does 4 hysts a week that is $12,000. Then there is the flow on effect of phamaceutical companies that make the money, which doctors are usually in with. To see this just look in the doctors draw of all the samples being given to him, there is kick backs and all sorts of things going on behind the scenes that we don't know about and which is very, very wrong.

I can totally understand your frustration and not wanting to have the hyst, also I applaud you for not agreeing to have this surgery done and looking at options. Personally I suffered with ovarian tumors and endo, first op at 16, then 19, five more ops during the year I was 20, another one at 28, then finally a hyst at 34, six days before I turned 35.

I decided on the hyst because I felt overwhelmed by the pain (which by the way was more adhesion based as you describe) and was fed up with hormone therapy and having to change. In hindsight it was the worst decision I could have made for myself. Totally wrecked my life, sexually I am completely dysfunctional. This also has to do with some 'creative plastic surgery' my gyn did to me which I won't go into here.

I had a little voice nagging at me but I had had enough of mucking around for so long. When I made my decision I did find this website and one thing I can say is that it is slowly changing. I read how wonderful sex would be and all my problems would be gone, if only. At least now we have women, I am one of them, who are standing up and saying this is not the case. Life is not wonderful for all of us. I find that this site, while I think still more pro-hyst is now getting balanced view because of women like me and some women who have posted in this thread willing to stand up and tell a truthful experience which is far from positive.

One thing I will mention that may be worth speaking to your doctor about is the intra-uterine coil, I know it as Mirena in Australia and wasn't given that option. Unfortunately like many of us we don't find all we need to until after the surgery and our doctors are totally useless. I know this has had very positive results in Europe and it is also a birth control as well. Basically the Mirena will last for 5 years and releases progestin directly to your uterus without any of the horrible side effects you can experience with synthetic progestin, another thing to possible try is natural progesterone cream from a compounding pharmacy. Unfortunately many doctors are not all for this and again, this comes back to kick backs from pharmaceutical companies.

I do hope you do not have this surgery done as I think that the consequences are awful sexually and psychologically. I am now 39 and have lost so much and am much too young.

If you would like to talk more please feel free to PM me anytime and I will help you in any way I can to find an alternative so you do not have to go through this surgery.

All the best