Different approaches to correcting heavy bleeding

Well, here I am again CONFUSED...
First I find a dr that I trust who does the procedure that I would want.. (LSH)... then she suggests I try Birth Control pills for a few months, to see if she could stop my periods all together... possibly correcting the situation of heavy bleeding......... the thinking is when I get into menopause (im 46 now) the fibroid would shrink on its own)
I had a month long salivia test done, a total of 27 test through out the month... (not by her)
The results of the saliva test say that I need to use this cream their lab makes for each individual. They seem to think IF my adeniline hormones were better supported then the "sex" hormones (proges. est. and testostrone) whould then be in balance.
I ordered the cream and decided after talking to them that IF I took the pill........... I would be messing up my hormones not doing anything to improve them.

I guess I am dealing with two different approaches to how to treat my heavy heavy bleeding and fibroid condition. Regular medicine and compound pharmacy/(somewhat more) natural way.

A part of me wants to try this natural approach and the other part wants to just be done with the whole thing and have the **** hysterectomy.......... with all the risks associated with it.

For 6 months I was using just natural progestrone cream(that I got from health food store, after reading Dr. Lee's books).. and the saliva test showed I had too much in my system. The cream this lab makes up consists of (I think he said) 47 differnt things... just for my system, after analyzing my saliva tests.
So, when my gyno suggests taking the progestrone only birth control cream.......... HOW can that be good for me?
Sometimes it seems like one can get obsessed with differnt opinions........... and it makes things more confusing.
Had to vent............ hope you all dont mind.
I think I am leaning towards NOT doing the birth control thing............. trying the cream made for my system... and IF it doesnt work (control bleeding) then have the hysterectomy. (then my confusion will be about keeping ovaries.......... geeeze does it ever end?)
xoxo DonnaFay

I have not dealt with perimenopausal issues that much but hope this little bit of info may help.

To have a period, we must have sufficient amounts of estrogen and progesterone. Estrogen causes the lining of the uterus to thicken to get ready for a possible pregnancy. When progesterone sees there will be no pregnancy, it then drops and then estrogen drops, and a period occurs. Problems can occur when there is not enough progesterone. With too little progesterone, estrogen can keep thickening the lining and cause heavy blood flow. The amount of bleeding is dictated by your estrogen activity. If you have light periods, then there is less estrogen.

Then I just read you have a fibroid tumor, which is most likely caused by estrogen excess. So with the constant bleeding and the fibroids, it sounds like an estrogen problem. You have some choices here, with one being the hysterectomy. I would make that my last choice. The other choice would be to minimize the estrogen by adding progesterone. Talk with your doctor about the compounded progesterone creams or capsules. In your situation, I would think the creams may be better so you can adjust when needed.

Hypothyroidism can cause heavy bleeding as well so checking for this would be very important. The low thyroid can be caused by too much estrogen. I think it would be best to fix the estrogen excess problem first by the progesterone and then after several months on progesterone, start working on the thyroid is it's still low.

BCP's are not a good choice to control bleeding in my opinion. I think you're smart to stay away from them.

Lauran,
Thanks for you response..
Thus far... what you suggested is what I have been doing for 6 months. Using progestrone cream.

6 months ago I had a D and C... two days later had MAJOR bleeding (almost had to have emergency hyster.) I then started the cream. Since then, my periods remained heavy.... heavier than before the D and C.

My hair was starting to get thinner and dry, I had doctors do a thyroid test, thyroid was fine. I then found a lab to do a month long saliva test... those results showed too much progestrone. (only one day out of the month my estradial was high)

You would think that since my progestrone levels were too high... I would have had lighter periods.

This last month I have cut out all the progestrone cream. I want to see if stopping it would make me become back to normal. (the verdicts still out)

Thanks for the validation about Birth Control pills.......... I dont like the idea either.

Being that the month long saliva test showed my stress hormones were low......... I will try the new cream that they are formulating for me.
All that you have said, is what I believed to be true too.. accept in my case........... Adding more progestrone (even to the point of it then becoming too high) didnt effect things................ I suspect even made them worst.

I feel like learning all this stuff has become my new hobby... geeze.. lol

take care
xo DonnaFay

After I had posted and then reread your post, I realized then you had tried the cream and that the saliva tests showed you had plenty of progesterone. According to Dr David Zava, a breast cancer researcher and associated with ZRT Saliva Labs, he is very much aware of the progesterone creams showing high levels on the saliva tests. He has no answer for that except that it could possibly be the progesterone metabolites making the progesterone levels appear sky high. Even though he works at this lab, he knows that the saliva tests are limited and that we should not use them solely in the decision making but as an adjunct possibly. We must realize they are limited.

Here's more possibilities on the heavy bleeding--Maybe the progesterone cream was not strong enough to slow down the bleeding. OTC strengths most likely are not effective. You may need a 5 to 10% cream, possibly. The other possibility is the thyroid issue. To really know if you are hypothyroid is to test for the free T3. You have to ask for this because it is not tested routinely. If you are unfamiliar with T3, let me know. It's discussed some on the hormonejungle.

I'm interested in what this cream has in it that you will be using. Also, I'm curious as to the company. I know of a pharmacist that I met last year at a seminar that could be associated with this company. If you don't feel comfortable posting it, I understand. I'm just curious.

Thanks again Lauren for your informative response...

The name of the Lab that I had my tests done is called Sabre Sciences. (sabresciences.com)
That is interesting about the T3 test.... I do not know if that is what was tested on me by my primary doctor or not............ knowing HMO's, I doubt it..

Prior to ever using the progestrone (otc) cream, my hormones levels were checked by a blood test. Twice in fact......... once by my then gyno (they were normal) and the second time by another doctor I went to see who was more of an alternative doctor. Her report although said I was in the normal range but, had an interesting error, which I never followed up about.
It said I was in the normal range for being in the "luteral phase of cycle"........... but I wasnt in that phase, I was on day 7 of cycle, and still flowing. That kind of tells me, that the level was high, thus they contributed it to being in a different phase of my cycle. (she never asked me what day of my cycle I was on, or when my first day of last period was).......... maybe I am off track here..who knows? It is my understanding that the luteral phase is after one ovulates, thus progestrone level would be elevated.

You seems to be very very knowledgeable about all this stuff.............. with all that you know, do you feel you understand it all? For me just when I think I have a grasp on a mind set, it changes...
Thanks again for all your imput, I am going to do a search on other posts you have responded to or written, I think you have a lot of wisdom..
take care
DonnaFay

It's funny that you asked if I ever felt I understood it all. I go through these periods where I feel I finally understand it all and then WHAM! I'm always trying to figure out something. When I got started in this about three years ago, I would have never thought I would be still trying to figure the jungle out. Learning about these hormones has become a big part of my life--just ask my family.

That is very unusual for you to have high estrogen readings on day 7 of your cycle. To me it indicates you are probably always estrogen dominant and it probably gets worse for you during the luteal phase. No wonder you have heavy bleeding. Besides the bleeding and fibroids, what are your other symptoms? What were your periods like as a teenager and up until now? Sometimes just knowing your history, we can figure out what's going on.

Even though I know more about hormones and hysterectomies, I am very interested in perimenopausal issues. It's an area I need to learn more about. It can be difficult to "treat" since the hormones are always fluctuating. You may like this book "Natural Hormone Balance" by Uzzi Reiss, MD. He has a chapter in there for perimenopausal women. It's one of my favorite books.

Hi, Donna. I am so sorry you are having this trouble. All of the stuff you hear
can be so overwhelming and confusing. I, too, had heavy heavy bleeding and
a fibroid. I tried the birth control pills for about 6 weeks. They made me so
nauseous and didn't help the bleeding that much, so I decided to have a hysterectomy.
I was 38 at the time. I have never regretted it, as a matter of fact, I wish I would
have had it much much sooner!!!!!!!!!!! I kept my ovaries, but they never did
start working. The hormonal ups and downs were troublesome, but nothing compared
to the bleeding and pain I went through before. I am now regulated and on premarin
twice a day. Anyways, hope this encourages you. Good luck!

Donna, I just read that fibroid tumors can interfere with normal regrowth of the lining of the endometrial tissue after menstruation. This particular book seems to think removal of the fibroid (not a hyst) would be helpful. Have you talked with the doctor about that?

Lauren,
I said I had high levels of progestrone on 7 day of my cycle not estrogen....
So that even makes this whole thing more confusing, huh?

As for the suggestion of just removing the fibroid alone... I did talk about that with doctor. But there would be no guarentee that the heavy bleeding would be less. My thinking was... IF I was going to have surgery and have to do the whole recovery thing, why not have the benifit of no more periods... and no more birth control issues. I am starting to rethink this now.

As for my history (periods)........ I have always had heavy periods. It all seemed normal to me. When it was discovered I was anemic (7.2).... the doctors were slightly shocked, that I didnt consider this a problem of a bad flow. To me............. nothing had gotten worse. Well, in looking back over the last few years.. things had gotten a tiny bit worse over a long period of time. (but, very gradually)
This last cycle, I had stopped the progestrone cream........ and this flow was more like my usually heavy flow (prior to the D and C and progestrone cream)........... now to see if it is less days. (they have been 16 days.. yuck) Prior to D and C and proges. cream they were about 7 days.

I am with you on this "trying to understand hormones"... it truly has become my new hobby.. lol
thanks again for your responses..
xo DonnaFay

Karen,
Kind of a bummer that your ovaries didnt kick back in.. sorry to hear this.
Along time ago, I tryed Birth Control pills, (for the intent of birth control) and I hated them, I only lasted a few days... lol
That is why, I am not keen on trying again. Not to mention I am a baby...

Your experience with your ovaries not kicking in, validates to me......... that having a hysterectomy has to be the last resort....... because, one might be trading one set of problems with a new set of problems. (even IF the new set is better......... one has to weight this possible outcome)
I wish you the best in your situation.
take care and thanks for the response.
xo DonnaFay