PCOS And Endometrial Ablation

Updated on May 15, 2010
H.B. asks from Saint Michael, MN
8 answers

Hello Mama's... I've got a personal one for you!

I was recently diagnosed with PCOS. I've been having abnormal bleeding for a number of months now and coupled with "breakouts" and thinning scalp hair, I was moved to see my GYN.

His answer to the PCOS is an endometrial ablation (hysteroscopy). I am fine with this from a "manage the bleeding" standpoint as my husband and I are done having children. My concern is how will an ablation handle the rest of the issues that PCOS causes (hair loss, acne, etc)?

I should also mention that I am athletic, and not overweight, I do not have diabetes or some of the other associated problems that are sometimes linked to PCOS though I do have Rheumatoid Arthritis that I am managing with Methotrexate.

Does anyone have any advice on how they are managing their PCOS and the hormone imbalances it causes? Also, any words of wisdom on the ablation... It is schedule for the 25th. What am I in for here?

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J.M.

answers from Dallas on

I have PCOS too. I had the hysteroscopy 2 years ago. The recovery was about 2 days and the pain was pretty bad - but nothing Tylenol or Advil couldn't take care of. It totally helped. I was put on Metformin, and aside from the GI issues, it has really helped. I was actually able to get pregnant. I haven't experienced the hair loss or acne as a result.

Best of luck.
~ J.

1 mom found this helpful

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K.C.

answers from Portland on

I have PCOS and Metformin seems to be helping me a bit. I am not ready to stop having kids so this is as drastic as we've been willing to go. There are websites that suggest diet and other more natural ways to help out with it. You doctor can also prescribe hormones to help. I'm sorry you're going through this. A diagnosis at least helps explain things. My dr. offered a topical cream for acne or a trip to a dermatologist. Sorry I'm not more help!

2 moms found this helpful

L.S.

answers from Philadelphia on

Metformin is also what I was prescribed, and I did not really see a difference, other than the fact that my blood sugars were running so low I was getting headaches all the times, just something to look out for. Metformin is actually a diabetic drug, used to control sugar, so if you don't have sugar problems to begin with, it will lower your sugar. It's no big deal, I just checked my sugars when I felt lightheaded or got a headache, and usually that was exactly what the problem is.
I wish I had better news for you, but I have yet to have a normal cycle, and have been trying to have a child for 2 years now without using extreme measures.... don't sweat though, there are plenty of babies out there with no parents looking for a home!

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K.H.

answers from Minneapolis on

I don't have this so I don't know if this will help, but I get accupuncture to control heart symptoms (and I'm seeing a cardiologist) but I also used accupunture to help get and stay pregnant after some miscarriages. Accupuncture could help in managing the bleeding and pain, possibly. Again, not sure, but it's an alternative suggestion to surgery and medication. Good luck!

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J.S.

answers from Minneapolis on

I agree you need to see a RE, they could help you figure out what to do with the hormonal issues. I noticed a huge difference once I started eating a low glycemic diet, whether you're overweight or not, it's more about how your body uses the food. An abalation probably won't do much for the hormonal issues because you need to balance that out other ways. Good luck, once you see the RE I promise it'll seem like someone knows what's going on! :)

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C.F.

answers from Milwaukee on

The surgery addresses the bleeding problem mainly. I still have hair loss and hair on my chin that I have to take care of every week. I had to have two hydro-thremal ablation surgeries because some tissue was missed the first time around. I went from having two week long periods to spotting occassionally.

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A.C.

answers from Madison on

I have had irregular periods my entire life. Got sick two years ago. Thought for sure PCOS was involved. My period cycle radically changed. I moved to a different clinic and a different OB/GYN, who worked wonders! She discovered that I had (non-cancerous) hyperplasia of about 11 cm and suggested that I have the NovaSure Ablation done. While I was in and out for that I also had her go in and do a laposcopy because I wanted to know once and for all if I had PCOS. All of my female organs were fine, no cysts, no fibroids, no bad stuff. Whew!

For me, the surger(ies) went absolutely well and I barely had any pain whatsoever. I had it done June 2008; pretty much haven't had a period since, not even spotting.

I have also been doing alternative medicine for two years now. I have switched my family over to an entirely organic diet. We pretty much only see an Integration or Naturopathic doctor. We use herbals and nutritional supplements to keep ourselves healthy and our immune systems strong; none of us has had a cold or flu in the past two years. We discovered that we have (had) severe heavy metal toxicity, severe nutritional deficiencies (most of them caused by the pharma drugs we were on), dairy allergy, gluten and soy intolerances, other food intolerances, and I found out I have moderate adrenal fatigue. I went from being on 12 pharma drugs at the age of 40 (for high blood pressure, asthma, severe acne/Roscea, allergies, depression) to only 1 drug at the age of 42 (for my high blood pressure), which I hope to be off of shortly.

I used to lose gobs of hair; that pretty much has stopped, now that my nutritional deficiencies have been found and are being cured. Being dehydrated/not drinking enough water can have a lot of harmful effects on the body. Once you rid your body of all of the bad stuff (processed foods, processed sugar and white flour, chemicals/additives/dyes/excitotoxins, high fructose corn syrup, GMOs, junk food, any food allergies/intolerances) it's amazing how much healing power your body has all on its own, when you give it the RIGHT type of nutrition/food to nourish it.

Most of the "symptoms" I had that felt like PCOS have disappeared now that I'm working on making my body healthy. There is no magic pill; it's all about reeducating yourself on what it good/not good for your body. And that includes not only what goes into the body, but what goes on the outside of the body as well. I was even told that I was beginning what's called Metabolic Syndrome and that there was NO WAY TO STOP IT. Still chuckling over that one, because I HAVE stopped it. And I will keep on stopping it because I refuse to be a guinea pig for pharma any more.

I also want to mention that a lot of the symptoms people experience with PCOS can also be found with food allergies and food intolerances. Many people (me being one of them), when they discover which foods are not good for their body and they cease consuming them, find out that many, if not all, of their symptoms disappear.

My hormonal issues (and arthritis and PMS symptoms and shakes and cold fingers/toes and dizzy spells and foggy brain and extreme tiredness and gut aches and constipation and hair loss and acne/Roscea and asthma/allergies and high blood pressure and high cholesterol and black spot/eye floaters) have been taken care of by finding out my nutritional deficiencies, my food allergy/intolerances, my adrenal fatigue, etc., and taking specific nutritional supplements to reregulate my system/body.

I have spent every available moment of the past two years learning about my body, nutrition, and everything I need to know to keep myself healthy and let my body take care of itself outside of Big Pharma drugs. There is a ton to learn, but if you're dedicated enough, it will be the best amount of time you will ever spend. It will also leave you totally disillusioned as to how duped we have been by the medical establishment. I never knew they (more people than you can ever think of) were profiting/getting wealthy off of our suffering. As they'll say, Just pop another pill (it makes us billions of dollars).

Um, no thank you.

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J.J.

answers from Dallas on

It won't do anything for the hormone imbalance - you need to see a Reproductive Endocrinologist who knows how to treat PCOS!!

I had the ablation done to control my heavy bleeding as I was done having kids as well - I was fortunate - I had no trouble getting pregnant - and I wasn't diagnosed with PCOS until just a few years ago - though the signs/symptoms had been there since my teens!!

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