One of the most common complaints of women of peri-menopausal or menopausal age is excessive bleeding. There are a number of reasons for this situation.
First, you should go to your gynecologist to be sure you do not have cancer. He or she will do a number of tests to check this out. If you do not have cervical cancer and if you do not have hyperplasia or severe hyperplasia which is most often rectified by a hysterectomy (removal of the uterus only), then you can assume it is one of two things.
1. Building of the endometrial lining due to static dosing of bioidentical hormones or synthetic hormones.
On bioidentical hormones static dosing is the same amount of estrogen every day, and then for two weeks of the month the same amount of progesterone every day. For synthetic hormones (please get off of these dangerous drugs) only estrogen (fake drug estrogen) is being poured day in and day out the way it never did in nature.
Static dosing generally works for women who are still making estrogen from their ovaries, which is usually the case of women in their 40’s, because they still produce estrogen but not enough to feel good and be symptom free. The little amount of estrogen you are making combined with what you are adding from taking bioidenticals creates a natural rhythm in you that corresponds with the way your body made them when you were making a full compliment of hormones.
This worked for me for about 10 years. Everything was great; I felt great, was sleeping, had a sex drive, my weight was good. And then it started to fall apart. My sleep became interrupted; I was hot flashing; my sex drive went away, and I started bleeding….here and there at first and then after about a year of bleeding daily and sometimes heavily, it became unbearable. At the time my doctor was Dr. Diana Schwarzbein, who would increase my estrogen by little bits, but the problem kept getting worse. I couldn’t find that ‘sweet spot’ that I had enjoyed for a decade. I kept complaining to my doctor that I wasn’t feeling great. Then I had a pap smear and it showed hyperplasia, severe hyperplasia. That meant having my uterus removed. The continual build-up in the endometrial lining from the static dosing had created hyperplasia which is pre-pre-cancer. Not cancer, but a prelude, and the thinking is to remove the evidence (uterus).
Shortly after I had my hysterectomy, I discovered ‘rhythmic cycling’ created by T.S. Wiley. She is a very controversial person because she is not a doctor, but she is a brilliant woman who has invested all of her time, intellect and efforts in molecular biology to understand the entire hormonal system. It is her theory that nature never poured hormones in a static dose. We are rhythmic beings, we cycle to the moon and the tides just as early man did and we make hormones in different amounts every day of the month but it follows a ‘rhythm.’
In the beginning of the month we make our lowest amount of estrogen for the first three days, then in the next three days we make a little more until by the time we reach the 12th day, we are making our estrogen ‘peak.’ It is at this point the progesterone starts to pour; and if the estrogen reaches a ‘peak,’ the receptor sites open and receive the progesterone.
But if you are on a static dose, there is no ‘peak;’ and if you are of an age when you are no longer making any estrogen, then the receptor sites never open so the estrogen and progesterone never meet. Like a motor on ‘rev,’ the estrogen keeps building lining until the uterus cannot hold it any longer and it starts to leak and bleed, eventually reaching a point when it can’t be stopped. Had I known about rhythmic cycling, I would have started taking my hormones in a rhythm and most likely would not have had to have my uterus removed.
My sister had been experiencing the same scenario; and after I had my hysterectomy, I told her about rhythmic and she switched over. The bleeding stopped, her periods became normal and she is quite a happy women.
2. The second reason for excessive bleeding is low thyroid. The thyroid gland has receptors for estrogen and progesterone and it depends on the cyclic ebb and flow of these hormones throughout your menstrual cycle to function optimally. Irregular ovulation caused by low thyroid brings heavy periods and excessive bleeding throughout the month.
Check out my blog for an in-depth article about the thyroid and how to check if you feel you may be experiencing low thyroid. Click on Life Extension on my website. They offer a complete hormone panel blood test including thyroid.
Sincerely,
Suzanne Somers
Visit me at SuzanneSomers.com!
While I know many
of you have specific medical questions, only qualified experts can
advise on individual cases. Use my advice to arm yourself with
knowledge to pass along to your doctors. The more informed you are, the
better questions you will ask of your health care providers. This will
help you determine if your doctor is right for you. If you are seeking
professional help, please check the Dr. Resource Guide. If you are interested in bio-identical hormone replacement, click on the Life Extension Hormone Panel to get information on low cost blood work and a referral to a physician who can prescribe natural hormones for you.
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