Stopping the pill to have children but...
I had a laporoscopy 5 years ago to remove cysts on both my ovaries with one of them being endo. I started on the pill after my operation and been on it for 4 years now but as I got married last year, my husband and I would like to try to conceive and i stopped taking the pill 3 months ago. One major change I have noticed is that I am bleeding very heavily and now I have 3 kinds of sanitary pads to help deal with the bleeding. As I am working from home, it has not been a big issue but i feel very disturbed by often having the blood leaking into my pants every few hours. Also I have put on a considerable amount of weight.
I wish to know in this forum about this situation and whether anyone has made any dietary changes to help control the bleeding and also increase chances of getting pregnant? I am nearing 40 years old by the way so age is also a factor here. Thank you.
I'm sorry to hear you're having so much bleeding. There are several reasons why you might have weight gain and heavier periods. If you haven't already, I'd definitely bring this up with your doctor so they can check for any other issues, such as fibroids or anything else that might be going on. They can also talk with you about medication that might help the heavy bleeding — here's an article from one of our community members on her experience: https://endometriosis.net/clinical/tranexamic-acid.
With that said, I turned 40 last year. I started noticing much heavier bleeding the first and second day of my period when I entered my late 30s. I follow an anti-inflammatory diet, but it doesn't seem to make a difference with my bleeding.Thank you. I will be seeing my doctor next week. I was diagnosed with endo by chance as I never had any pain during my periods and only had IBS symptoms. I had a laparatomy not laparoscopy. Before marriage, I was quite careful with my diet eating mostly vegetables and no red meat but it became difficult to continue this strict diet after getting married. I will see how much impact this may have had since I have also stopped the pill now and my body seems to be transforming with higher estrogen levels. Pimples, weight gain, bloated belly are all back.
It is so hard to stick with a strict diet! I hope you give yourself some grace on how you eat. Sometimes we put a lot of blame ourselves -- was it what we ate? too much stress? not enough exercise? But endo isn't your fault, and bloating, weight gain, acne can be so hard to predict. It might be worth talking to a dietitian to see if they can help you figure out a diet plan that can help you achieve your goals. Some foods do worsen symptoms, but that can be different for everyone. I had a lot of luck with a dietitian who worked with my GI doctor. She knew about endo and had IBS herself.
I've also had to re-visit my dermatologist in my late 30s. It was as if I was going through puberty all over again. I started getting breakouts before ovulation and before my period. I also have pre-period eczema flares. My derm did help me figure out how to manage those with two kinds of medication. It might be worth asking a doc if there are some options that might work for your skin 😀 - Keri (endometriosis.net team member)
Thank you. I do have a very bad feeling that my endo is back now as i am having unexplained dull pain around my lower abdomen and spouts of gas. I will know for sure next week what is happening but it will be definitely a stressful time for my husband and I as we have been trying to conceive for a few months now and if I have it again, i will not know what to do and whether i can ever stop the pill again 🙁
oh warrior. We are thinking of you and sending all the good thoughts we can. I am right there with you having that bad feeling that endo is back. I have got that same pain and gas too. It is so frustrating. Keep your head up and keep on fighting. Hopefully, you can check out Nancy's Nook and find you a great surgeon who will be helpful <3 Keep us posted. Hugs. -Kimberli (team member)
