Banders and menstruation problems?

[Bella'sBand]

Hi Banders and other WLS peeps

I am having a few issues in this department and wondered if it is down to surgery? I have normal cycles every 28-30days and I had a normal cycle before surgery then post op approx 2 weeks after I started to spotting for two weeks. Thinking this was a light cycle due to surgery. Then it stopped for one day and I began bleeding on 1st August and have not stopped so that is continuous for 3 weeks now (excluding the 2 weeks of spotting prior). Also on Sunday evening (and forgive me for being graphic but I am worried and if you dont ask...) I had a large amount of blood clots, and I mean a LARGE amount, it was like an afterbirth!!!
I did go to my GP today and am being sent for scans and blood tests etc but am not sure if it is all just down to stress after surgery? Or hormonal changes from surgery? I would love to know if anyone has had a similar experience.
My GP did say the body does react strangly to surgery and stress etc but she did not sound convincing. Also I have had much more stress in the past and it has never happened and I have had more complex surgery in the past and it has never happened. So I dont know, I am at a loss, anyone?
I am rather worried so I would appreciate any info anyone has on menstruation after WLS particularly banding.
Thank you everyone and sorry for the unpleasant topic, I would not ask but I am worried out of my mind.

 

[tracyt84]

im 4 months post op and still having the same probs as u,hopefully soon it will settle down..my gp and surgeon told me that its just ur body changing after surgery x

 

[Bella'sBand]

Hi Tracey, Thanks for sharing. If you don't mind me asking when did your stop? Because including my two weeks of spotting I have had 5 weeks of bleeding now and the clots really scared me. On top of that we are trying to concieve so I do not want to mess with my cycle. The GP offered me something to stop it but I am wearing a duofertility monitor and do not want to interfer with my readings as it could effect the result of when I am ovulating. But to ovulate the bleeding needs to stop on its own.
Thanks

 

[Tracey1404]

Hi Bella. I had the same problems 2 years ago - so obviously not surgery related. I found out I had fibroids, which have become less of a problem as I entered early menopause - oh the joys!! Tracey xxx

 

[bexh]

Hi

I've heard that fat stores hormones and as we lose the loss is fast after surgery it floods the body with them. So upsets normal menstrual cycles.

Hope your body settles soon and it doesn't turn out to be anything else to worry about about, best of luck with the scans etc.

Bex

 

[Mazza]

I have had similar issues but they were due to gynea problems - not related at all to surgery.

Its good that you are getting referred even if it just puts your mind at rest! x

 

[Bella'sBand]

Hi Bella. I had the same problems 2 years ago - so obviously not surgery related. I found out I had fibroids, which have become less of a problem as I entered early menopause - oh the joys!! Tracey xxx

Thanks Tracey, my Mum suggested both fibroids and early menopause. I hope not because I am not done having babies yet
I would like at least one more. I know at 41 I am pushing it but I still had hope, but if it is early menopause I don't know what I will do...
Thank you for sharing your experience though I really appreciate it

 

[Bella'sBand]

Thank you Bex, I am hoping and praying with all that I have that this is all it is. Thank you for your kind words, it is much appreciated

 

[Bella'sBand]

Thank you Mazza,
I will have blood tests tomorrow and am just waiting for a call to have scans of my womb and ovaries. The GP does not think I will have to wait that long as she is putting the referrel in herself.
Its strange because I heard a lot about people nicknaming banding surgery and the pregnancy surgery as lots of people concieve after losing some weight. One of the main reasons I went for surgery as I was thinking it was my weight stopping me concieving, now I am thinking please dont be menopause
Oh well time will tell. Thank you for sharing your experience I am very grateful

 

[bexh]

I've also read somewhere that those who had started the menopause before surgery, stopped it! They went back to normal periods!

 

[Bella'sBand]

Wow that is amazing... Thanks Bex, never heard that before

 

[tracyt84]

sorry just came back on here..mine havent really stopped yet,tend to get lighter for a few days then very heavy again..ive got the implant so not used to this woman problems anymore as havent had a period for 2 years now lol its all a shock to me now lol

 

[Tracey1404]

Thanks Tracey, my Mum suggested both fibroids and early menopause. I hope not because I am not done having babies yet
I would like at least one more. I know at 41 I am pushing it but I still had hope, but if it is early menopause I don't know what I will do...
Thank you for sharing your experience though I really appreciate it

Hi Bella - 41 is fine! My sister is expecting her first baby at the age of 42 (she is 17 weeks and delighted). She'd been told last year she might be in early menopause too. (my other sister went through menopause at 39 so family history of early onset).

 

[Bella'sBand]

Thanks Tracy and Tracey

Tracey if you do not mind me asking did you have Clexane injections after surgery? I was looking at a website about heaving prolonged excess bleeding and the causes and one said ''Certain drugs may cause bleeding, especially if a woman takes anticoagulant drugs (drugs that prevent the blood from clotting).'' and it made me think wow I just had anticoagulating drugs perhaps that was it. So I searched that and found a few women on various sites had the same issues as me, the large amount of clotting and the blood being much stronger than mentsruation blood. I kept saying to my mum and husband its like blood if you cut your arm with a knife not the normal consistancy of periods. Very heavy, dark and strong.
Day 25 of bleeding now and that is NOT including the almost 2 weeks of spotting prior. I feel a bit angry if this is the cause as nurse who gave them to me before leaving Dolan park did not say this could be a side effect or that spinal clotting and other things besides were possible.
I have had blood tests done now but will not have the results till Tuesday and my ultrasound scan is not for another week and a half but now I feel this is the cause. You know when you just know something in your gut is right?
I was told take these for the next 6 days they are to prevent clotting and I just did as I was told, no questions asked? Why would you even think to ask ''does this cause excess bleeding?'' why would you think to ask anything as you are trusting the professionals know what they are doing. And even more so I am irked as not everyone is given them at Dolan Park it depends on what surgeon you have. So I feel like I am going through all this and it was not necessary at all.
Sorry about the rant ladies just thinking out loud really...
I am more upset as I am trying to concieve and wear a duofertility monitor and this is just putting everything out of wack and every month is precious!
I dont know whether to be angry or upset? Arrgggghhhh
First scars would not heal, then port could not be located now I have all this excess bleeding I am highly suspecting down to Clexane!!!
I am so tired of running into one problem after another. OK head babble over!

 

[OOnion]

Ladies - I sense your frustration's re your IMB - and Bex is right - this is most often down to a combination of the oestrogen being released from your fat stores and the anaesthetic drugs - which can cause a change to your next 2-3 cycles.

I am surprised at those of you trying to conceive so close to your op's - as again the anaesthetic drugs can effect this - we usually suggest contraception for 8 weeks post op (any op). But with a new band surely you would also not want morning sickness? - I remember when I had mine (ok years ago now and I'm sure it's changed) but Mr Patel told me that is the only thing I must not do in the first 6 months - vomit, I remember laughing and thinking well how the hell do you stop that!

I hope you all get sorted out soon and can enjoy your post op weight loss and look forward to what's ahead. But please stop worrying about the clexane - it's vitally important post op and would only be thinning your uterine blood not increasing it. Some people have to have clexane throughout their pregnancy - so that must reassure you it would not effect your uterus!?
x

 

[Bella'sBand]

Ladies - I sense your frustration's re your IMB - and Bex is right - this is most often down to a combination of the oestrogen being released from your fat stores and the anaesthetic drugs - which can cause a change to your next 2-3 cycles.

I am surprised at those of you trying to conceive so close to your op's - as again the anaesthetic drugs can effect this - we usually suggest contraception for 8 weeks post op (any op). But with a new band surely you would also not want morning sickness? - I remember when I had mine (ok years ago now and I'm sure it's changed) but Mr Patel told me that is the only thing I must not do in the first 6 months - vomit, I remember laughing and thinking well how the hell do you stop that!

I hope you all get sorted out soon and can enjoy your post op weight loss and look forward to what's ahead. But please stop worrying about the clexane - it's vitally important post op and would only be thinning your uterine blood not increasing it. Some people have to have clexane throughout their pregnancy - so that must reassure you it would not effect your uterus!?
x

Thank you for sharing Dani but the women that I found who experienced the bleeding were pregnant at the time of taking Clexane and it caused bleeding actually IN their pregnancy.
It is a genuine side effect of Clexane I did not pull it from the air and take a wild guess this is the cause.
Also I have been trying to concieve for two and a half years and I already have two children and have never vomited once when pregnant and have been pregnant 4 times. At my age every month is precious and I have not tried to concieve right after surgery but that does not mean all of this bleeding is not causing my readings to be all over the place. The fertility monitor tracks your cycle and I will be 8 weeks post op this weekend and have not had this first period after surgery finish yet to have a reading of ovulation to even try and concieve.
Clexane is to stop clotting that does not mean it does not have side effects of prolonged and excess bleeding. Everyone is effected differently with different drugs, my now bleeding every day for 6 weeks happens to be a major pain and inconvience and is my experience. If its not other womens experience well I say thank goodness for that and lucky them because I would not want another woman to go through what I have been going through does not mean my experience is any less valid.

 

[Bella'sBand]

I know we are not allowed to link in this forum but we are allowed as far as I am aware to copy and paste so here is just some of the side effect Clexane can have...

''Medicines and their possible side effects can affect individual people in different ways. The following are some of the side effects that are known to be associated with this medicine. Just because a side effect is stated here does not mean that all people using this medicine will experience that or any side effect.

• Bleeding.
• Pain and irritation at the injection site.
• Blood clots which form a solid swelling at the injection site (haematoma).
• Decrease in the number of platelets in the blood (thrombocytopenia).
• Major bleeding (haemorrhage), for example in the abdomen or inside the skull.
• Alteration in results of liver function tests.
• High blood potassium level (hyperkalaemia).
• Death of skin cells (necrosis) at the site of injection.
• Blood clots in the spinal cord (intraspinal haematoma) in people also having spinal or epidural anaesthesia.
• Osteoporosis (a reduction in bone density leading to bones which may fracture easily) has occurred after long-term treatment with a similar medicine called heparin. It is possible that this could happen with Clexane.

The side effects listed above may not include all of the side effects reported by the drug's manufacturer.''

And seen as not every WLS surgeon prescribes them post op how vital are they? Why me and why not say Mimi? Simply because she had a different surgeon that day to the one I had? Thats the only difference I know of...
''it's vitally important post op and would only be thinning your uterine blood not increasing it.''
So sorry Dani I would have to disagree it vital and I have to also disagree that it ''would only be thinning your uterine blood not increasing it'' because you can clearly see in some of the side effects they list that is does cause bleeding and it does cause clotting.
I am putting this information here because I want other pre op users of this site to be aware that it is not vital and you have a right not to take it and it does have side effects, which you should be told of at the time they are giving them to you upon check out.
Its a matter of information and a matter of being informed and making a decision from a place of being informed unlike I me who simply did as she was told because she trusted ''professionals''...

 

[OOnion]

Bella sorry if you feel I was suggesting your experience is any less valid - that was no way my intention. I hope you are successful in the very near future. At the end of the day you are right - everyone is an individual and some drugs will have wanted and unwanted side effects for each person, it has to come down to risk and benefit and personal choice. x

 

[Bella'sBand]

Thank you Dani, I appreciate that and that was my point. I am not saying do not take Clexane I am just stating to pre oppers, be informed and know the risks and then make a decision for yourself based on what you feel is right for you.
But sincerely thank you for coming back and leaving a comment.

Bella