Depression Understood Forums

****for a check-up for the bleeding.... He suspects I may have PCOS... (Polycystic ovary syndrome), just like I had thought after reading an article on it the other day. Um... Apparently, my hair growth has a male pattern....

{Hhmm... Maybe I'm not half bad after all... I didn't put in my 2 cents. I just let him talk & he came up with the hypotheis of PCOS....}

To confirm, I will do some tests (again). I did them 10 yrs ago or so & nothing showed up as being wrong.... We will see now....

I will ask him about the problem I have of wanting to kill myself whenever a dot is slated to arrive... That is really disturbing & distressing....

What's of note with this situation is that in my case, depression is having several different causes for me. The every day low was a vitamin/mineral deficiency & now the periodic one is due to hormones.

Maybe I am on my way to solving this thing. I can now say that treatment might very well need to involve medicine on the 1 hand + a nutritionist/folk medicine on the other. Leaving your health in just only 1 of the hands might not be such a good idea.

Well, I'm signing off... This whole doctor thing has been exhausting.

I am puzzled about 1 thing.... The doc said that my dot looked normal, but if I'm supposed to be on it, the flow dang near stopped ALREADY after 1 day & hardly any thing was shed....

I've gone to the doc b4 while being on that thing, got examined & continued on with it doing what it had to do....

So I am sitting here with a bunch of question marks over my head. Y'all where'd the blood go?! What the heck!

hmmmmm.....did you do a preg. test? When the embryo implants you have a small amount of bleeding. Something to consider. (Hope I'm not scaring the **** out of you!!)

~LOL~ No, that doesn't scare me at the moment because I don't have ANY symptoms at all for that but YES! I did one in late late December & it was NEGATIVE! The result was quick to appear on the monitor! (I didn't even have to hold my breath, worry or retest!)

This stuff with the REALLY odd periods has gone on for 3 months now. I mean... I would have started showing or something by now (morning sickness), right?!

I will do another one some time in the future because I heard about so many women having incorrect results. The doc might even be testing me for that too... I'm not sure!

There was a little more blood today. Strangely, it only tends to occur after 8 in the morning in the last 2 days, usually after I drink my cranberry juice/rose tea mix!

I have always had irregular periods, though, from ever since I was 9 & have never been preg. in my life, but there's always a 1st for every thing, right?

Still slow, I hope this darn thing ends soon. Frankly, I am tired of it!

I am going to the doctor today to get my test results.

I may go to a cardiologist soon.... although really I don't think any thing is wrong, but as is said, "better safe than sorry?"

((((((((((((((( Crys )))))))))))))))))))

Will be thinking of you friend

love
dandelion

Really glad you went to see a doctor. ( I had an outline for a 26-page nag on standby at the back of my mind if you hadn't! )
Good luck at the cardiologist!
( PS if you dont take care of yourself, I still have that 26-page nag outline at the back of my mind. Just encouraging you to take care of yourself! )

best of luck for test results sweetie. I am on cerazette,one of the mini pills and i get no periods at all (apparently this isn't a problem) and get no other side effects from it. I used to get horrendous PMS so am really glad to have a break from my menstrual cycle for a bit. don't know if this is an option for you?

Oh my gosh! Lisa, you are a GODSEND! Thank you for the info! I will look into it!!!!

Tacking.... Thank you!!!

Dande.... Thank you for your warm thoughts...!


Alright.... Here's the verdict.....

My blood tests show that two things are " "

First my testosterone level (male hormone aka androgens) is elevated.... Normal range for a premenopausal woman, if I remember right, is 0 - 81.... Mine was 108, at the time of the test but is still QUITE A WAYS from what the beginning of the normal range is for men. (How about that now? )

****This can help explain why I have irregular periods & why my hair growth has, as the doctor put it, a "male pattern". (I've got a good bit of body hair, but I don't have a deep voice. I don't have a mustache or beard, but I do get annoying hairs on my chin & neck.)

The prolactin test was top normal.... It was like 18, but the highest for normal is 18.6. I am not sure what to think.

****Now prolactin may be high, if there is:

(a) pregnancy, as it helps to make breast milk in women for the baby (I don't think I'm pregnant. I'm not trying to get pregnant. There is no discharge from my boobs. Weight is still the same. There have been no changes in my body shape or any thing. I will check again later & keep an eye out for the discharge, though.)

(b) tumor (microprolactinomas and/or macroprolactinomas)

(c) taking certain meds (but I am not taking any, now!)

(d) It's possible there could be some other reason for all the oddities seen in the tests.


****I won't speculate because I don't know.... However, I have had at least 2 seizures from 2004 to the present--which is a brain-related issue, just as the prolactin is (pituitary gland, located at the base of the brain). One seizure was at least grand mal.... The other (unconfirmed) occurred in my sleep & I bit my tongue in my sleep to the point I had like painful marks (cuts?) on the sides of my tongue. (I mean... I don't know of any one who bites their tongue in their sleep & doesn't stop...!)

I don't know what to think..... Um.... The testosterone really blew my brain out of the water. I laughed all the way home; it was so funny! I was SO SHOCKED! I really wasn't expecting it, although in a way it was kind of obvious.

I was floating for a bit; I even went to camp out for a little bit at my favorite shop (photo shop) & had an orange carrot Sobe beverage.... I really wanted a hard drink, but I refrained. (I need some type of cork screw thingy for the wine in the fridge... I am so mad. I've been wanting to try out some Red Zinfandel....!!!! Gotta go to the store!!!!)

As usual, I forgot to ask my doctor something.... (about the d-wish or the s-urge coming EVERY TIME I GET my monthly....) I will ask him later.....

My doctor is SO kind & calm & nice & warm & gentle.... OH MY GOSH!!!! I ALMOST WANT HUG MY DOCTOR.... Did I say he was gentle?

The other one I went to.... she was rough in comparison (didn't use enough or proper lube).... She did an examination & it felt like she was scraping my insides for gold or something.... (which I know she didn't find)

Some things actually take a man's touch!

Follow-up: The doctor wants me to take a blood test in 3 months to see if the results for those 2 tests increase, decrease, or stay the same....

I will go back to the office to get a copy of my blood work results....

OH YEAH.... I FORGOT.... SO I asked the doctor about sterilization procedures (specifically Essure), & if I could put words to his expression, I think he would have said, "Woman, are you serious?! Young people these days...!" It was so funny! My poor doc! I think his heart skipped or somethin'. It was funny!

(I still have no idea why people think that just because I'm biologically female, it means I must have children! WHAT? I must be an alien from another dimension! )

--------------------------------
I haven't gone to the cardiologist yet..... but I just might go. (I think the doctor's office is like right down the hill from my house. It'd be a crime NOT to go! )

I went back to the doctor. After asking him what he thought was wrong, he said that I MIGHT--MIGHT--have a problem with a valve in my heart (maybe).

He said he doesn't hear anything wrong (yet), but that is what he suspects. He is the only one to ever make a dent with my situation.

I am glad that I managed to finally find a doctor who is humane.... Thank goodness....

With the news... I have decided to start taking my medicine more seriously and how I should, just to be on the safe side.

There was also good news for the tests I took in May. I had been afraid to look for some time, but they were ALL NORMAL. Now, how's that for a surprise! Even the doctor was like, "Huh? Wow! This is amazing...." and probably "Hhmm.... I wonder what the cause is...."

Might is a very powerful word. This might happen. This might not happen. This might be ok. Sometimes it can be like a train.... snowballing down the tracks... don't let it get derailed. You are on the right track sweetie.