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Post by akcheryl on Jan 8, 2007 21:07:59 GMT -5
I know there's kind of already a thread on this topic ("Aaaagh!" below), but I don't know why this happens. My cycle is typically 26 days long with 8 days of bleeding. I had a lap on Dec. 1 (stage 4 endo). My period (second one after surgery) started on December 27, ended January 3-4, and started again yesterday (Jan. 7). It's really light right now, just light spotting, but it's persistent and I have BAD cramps.
I initially thought it was blood in my urine, because more seems to come out when I pee, but now I think it's from my uterus, not my bladder. It has hurt every time I've peed since my surgery (there's a LOT of pressure on my bladder, like someone is pushing on my lower abdomen as hard as they can).
Why does this happen??? I never really had painful urination or mid-cycle bleeding before surgery.
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Post by ouchy on Jan 8, 2007 22:14:47 GMT -5
If it really is uterine bleeding and you're not on the birth control pill, it sounds like hormone issues. If it is not uterine bleeding, I'd say you need to go to the doctor for a U/A (urine analysis), urine culture, and possibly a kidney ultrasound if the other tests were to come back positive.
Actually, either way you need to go to the doc. because 1) this is a new occurrence and 2) it can't be healthy whatever it is. Keep us posted.
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Post by akcheryl on Jan 8, 2007 22:37:31 GMT -5
Yeah, I'm thinking I'll make an appointment tomorrow morning to go into the Women's Clinic where I had my lap.
Just for a bit of a background: I've never taken BC before (in any hormonal or IUD form - only ever used condoms and my husband and I haven't even used those for a year and a half since we've been trying to get pregnant).
Also, I had a UA on about December 14 because of my pain during urination and was given antibiotics kind of as a precaution, since the UA results wouldn't be back yet, but my OBGYN (in Omaha) said even if I didn't have a UA, the meds wouldn't hurt anything.
I had a PAP (normal results) back home in late December and a UA the same day - during my PAP I was in EXTREME pain when my OBGYN went anywhere near my bladder, so she did the UA, but it was clear (no infection). Plus, I had already taken the full course of antibiotics that should have cleared up any bladder infection.
The bleeding is really light, which is odd for me because my periods are very heavy (lots of clotting, etc). There's just a little spotting in my pad, and when I wipe after urination the t.p. is all pink. I also have really bad cramps and feel "sick" (not quite nauseaous, but I feel like I could throw up pretty easily).
When you mention hormones, could it be from low progesterone? My progesterone on Day 21 was 3 ng/ml, measured at the end of my last cycle in December (my fertility book says "Normal Blood Test Results during a Premenstrual Cycle: Progesterone postovulation: Greater than 15 ng/ml" (Fertility For Dummies by Jackie Meyers-Thompson & Sharon Perkins, RN).
What about high prolactin (also measured on Day 21)?
Or low TSH? I think my T3 and T4 are within normal limits.
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Post by ouchy on Jan 9, 2007 0:25:56 GMT -5
Humm. I don't know much about prolactin other than what we've posted in the other thread and that it can interfere w/ ovulation. I'm not sure about thyroid causing it, though I have read about thyroid hormone being messed up in some women w/ irregular periods.
If it is hormonal, there are several common factors that could influence/cause this. If you haven't ovulated already (You're on what, day 12 or something?), you could have had an anovulatory cycle, and this could be your "period." I've had short cycles before that were anovulatory.
If that's not it, I'm guessing that estrogen and progesterone may have something to do with it; did your estradiol levels get checked? Low estrogen can definitely cause irregular bleeding.
It sucks that sometimes certain hormone tests are best done on certain days of the cycle.
An ultrasound might also be good to check for fibroids?
Definitely keep us posted!!!
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Post by ouchy on Jan 9, 2007 0:32:36 GMT -5
When you mention hormones, could it be from low progesterone? My progesterone on Day 21 was 3 ng/ml, measured at the end of my last cycle in December (my fertility book says " Normal Blood Test Results during a Premenstrual Cycle: Progesterone postovulation: Greater than 15 ng/ml" ( Fertility For Dummies by Jackie Meyers-Thompson & Sharon Perkins, RN). What about high prolactin (also measured on Day 21)? Ah ha! I am obviously NOT a doctor, but I think you could seriously have had an anovulatory cycle. 1) Your progesterone showed you didn't ovulate last cycle (one anovulatory cycle sometimes leads to another and another anovulatory cycle (per my doc. and my personal experiences) 2) Prolactin was high--can interfere w/ ovulation 3) Light bleeding. When I, myself, have had anovulatory cycles, the bleeding I have encounterd has been considerably lighter than when I do ovulate. bleed has been light. You should start BBT charting! It is a GREAT way of knowing what is going on hormonally and gives your doctor a springboard and a LOT of useful info about what is/is not going on w/ your body. If you'd like to see one of my anovulatory charts to compare to an ovulatory chart, I'd be glad to show you. Then you can see the difference. It's really cool to know what is going on with your body.
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Post by ouchy on Jan 9, 2007 0:35:11 GMT -5
Here is also a GREAT webpage on hormone levels. A lot of labs use their own values, but I've found this to be of great help. It shows that a value of 5 on a progesterone test (day 21) shows some type of ovulation (weak), and over 10 is prefered for a natural non-medicated cycle, and 15 is prefered for a medicated cycle. www.fertilityplus.org/faq/hormonelevels.html
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Post by akcheryl on Jan 9, 2007 2:01:48 GMT -5
Would BBT work for me, considering that I have chronic sinusitis (I've had the same sinus infection for years, despite 2 nasal surgeries, and I have "a very high white blood cell count" according to my GP)? I've read that infections can cause BBT to be off (I generally have a low-grade fever between 99-100). Will this throw off the calculations? Is it even worth me trying to chart my BBT?
Why does it seem like there's always SOME problem??? I thought I had all this fertility stuff worked out when my docs found my ovarian masses and I had surgery; I also thought that endo was my only problem, only to have my hormone levels tested and be off. And now this mid-cycle bleeding. Also, I don't remember which of my problems it was, but my OBGYN mentioned that for one of my problems the treatment is usually baby aspirin + something else, but I'm deathly allergic to aspirin! I swear, whenever my husband and I DO have a child, he or she better never accuse us of not loving him/her enough!
Thank you for the link. It's frustrating trying to keep track of the dozens of different tests and schedules anyway, nevermind that the target ranges for each hormone fluctuate so much! It's really helpful knowing where I "should" be versus where I am at, and what the problem may be.
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Post by akcheryl on Jan 9, 2007 2:05:21 GMT -5
BTW, all my blood tests were done at about 9:20 am and were fasting.
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Post by ouchy on Jan 9, 2007 11:41:12 GMT -5
Cheryl, I think that charting would probably work for you. I always run a low-grade fever, too. My friends who chart usually stay in the 97deg. range until ovulation--then they reach the 98deg. range. I, however, usually start in the 98's and sometimes reach 99's after ovulation, sometimes just the upper 98's. I temp. vaginally to be more accurate. It wouldn't hurt to try temping!!! The first anovulatory cycle will throw you off, but you learn to deal with it. I know it is terribly disappointing to have anovulatory cycles--you know, "why can't my body do what it was designed to do" type thing. Here is a link to a thread on this site that talks about BBT charting and a GREAT free charting website that analyzes your chart for you! There are 2 pages as of now, so you'll have to flip-through the thread manually. cjlevett.proboards33.com/index.cgi?board=infertility&action=display&thread=1145235783&page=1
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