provera allergy

Hi
I am scheduled for a LAVH on April 21-
I have had "my period" for 7 months and tried all kinds of
things to get the bleeding under control (polyp removal, ablation and Provera). Now I am severely anemic and ready for surgery-
but..........
I am concerned as I have read how most women , even who keep their ovaries go into a little mini menopause as their ovaries go into some sort of "shock" and stop working for the first few weeks after surgery-
and most women go on PRogesterone after surgery for a few weeks to control hot flashes and moodiness-

I am severely allergic to Progesterone- went into anaphylaxis, throat closed shut- ambulance........ not fun

what am to do after surgery? why hasn't my doctor talked to me about this?

any tips or thoughts would be appreciated-
thank you

Hi Cindy Welcome to the Hormone Jungle!

It's not typical for women to start out on any hormones following surgery unless the ovaries are removed, and then the hormone started is estrogen, not progesterone.

Do be sure to discuss your allergy with your doctor and make sure you have all allergies noted on all of your medical history forms.

Best wishes for your surgery!

s

(((Cindy))) I agree with (((April Dawn))), talk with your DR, but it's more likely that if you're put on HRT, it'd be estrogen initially.

I also wanted to add, in your title you mentioned an allergy to Provera. Provera is not progesterone, it's a synthetic molecule that acts like it in some ways. Being allergic to progesterone itself would be pretty much impossible, since your body makes it on its own (with or without ovaries).

Was it depo provera you reacted to? Or oral Provera? Were any tests done to see if it was the Provera itself or the carrier/binders or other so-called "inert" ingredients (which can be anything but inert for some people)? This would be worth noting on your chart, because it could be that some meds you could be given in the hospital might use some of the same ingredients.

s,
-Linda

I went to an allergist after the anaphylaxic episode. The allergist said not to ever be on any progesterone based med again.
The medication I reacted to was oral Provera. Within 15 minutes of taking the first pill my throat closed shut and I could not breath.
The allergist said I could try Prometrium but only under a doctor controlled situation in a hospital setting.

I am glad to hear that it is estrogen I may be on after surgery, not progesterone. I have heard of women who kept their ovaries, but they never worked correctly after surgery. Is this true?

thanks so much- you are all so helpful-

Interesting. Prometrium is natural progesterone, ground up and suspended in peanut oil and made into capsules. It's usually safe for anyone except women with peanut allergies. However, taking it orally means it does change into different molecules by passing through the digestive system. I would think a transdermal progesterone cream would be a safer bet.

About the ovaries... well, the trouble is, you never know. Some women do just fine keeping their ovaries, and they continue working right up until they would have naturally passed through menopause, and they do that just as if they'd never had surgery. Others find the ovaries stop working for a time, as their blood supply is disrupted by the surgery; then, as the ovaries establish a new blood supply, they are able to start working again. Some women find that they work OK for a while, but then they fail a few years earlier than they otherwise would have; and some find that their ovaries never work properly again after the surgery.

There are links to articles about this in our Resources directory. To get there, just click on Resources in the banner at the top of the page, and then scroll down to the Options and Alternatives section.

Good luck!
s,
-Linda