heidi.... did u have no periods after bcp? and do the docs give u anythink treatment wise? can u have periods off any form of drugs? even the pill? i used to have a period on the pill...but it was getting ridiculously light.
they say the pill doesnt mess you up... but either way its not natural. i reckon it must play some part. it suppress you own natural oestrogen... and im thinking my ovaries are that used to being that low level... they have stayed like that. there are 0.8% of women who have to wait ages after getting off bcp.
i once waited 4 months. now im still waiting (1 year) are you not having periods at all>? xxx
sorry abt all the questions! xxx
I haven't had a period in 13 months. Nothing so far has helped. The prolactin meds have, so far, induced some pms type symptoms.
woofie... where u on bcp before? i was on femodette which is a third generation one.. and keep finding a few rare posts abt femodette and no periods. its a different type of progesterone in third generation pills, i think microgynon is second generation. i wonder if theres a link..... as my periods where normal b4 with other pills.
depending what doc says. im considering taking a second generation pill for a while.... then stoppin. ANYTHINK.
When my problems started, I was on Nueva Ring. The last round I tried was Loestrin. I had a baby 13 months ago and from what I read, it's fairly common to have this problem after birth.
Lala and Woofie~ I do have a period when I am on BCP, but mine is always very light and maybe three days at the most. Even when I did my injectables (FSH/LH) and they failed my withdraw bleeding was light and only for a day or two. I also have a very short luteal phase like 8 days. All of this is a result of my naturally low hormones.
Most ppl who have Hypothalmic Amenorrhea are either athletes or some can be anorexic. Me however, I am neither. I am 5'1" and 170 pounds so far from anorexic. You may want to bring the diagnosis up to your doctor and see what they think.
I forgot to mention when I started my menstrual cycle at age 11, it was somewhat normal for a year. Then I didn't have a period for almost three years until I went to a doctor and was put on BCP. I have always taken Apri (Desogen).
Pit. tumors are not the same as brain tumors. Location is similar, but saying it like that is only gonna scare people.
They didn't think mine was PCOS, either, they did all the tests to see if it was the pit. gland acting up. It wasn't, it's just plain ol' PCOS.
/my stepdad died of an ACTUAL brain tumor two years ago
//i don't take that term lightly
__________________ Kt (27!) dx: PCOS - July 2007, IR/Pre-diabetic - September 2007, IBS/Hiatal Hernia - June 2008, GERD/Barrett's Esophagus - July 2008 Currently on: Yaz, Met 2x1000mg/day, Activia yogurt+Prilosec OTC 1x/day Not TTC, no DH, just me! To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
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the proactin level can also be from a pituatary tumor. I have this. My Endocrinologist said I most likely was born with it. it is benign ( not cancerous as most pituatary tumors are not) bloodwork will show an elavated prolctin level, they will put you in for an MRI scan of the brain focusing on the pituatary gland. this will pick up the tumor and size. Most likely you will be put on medication like bromocriptine. the medication keeps it under control. Don't worry it will be ok....
Just remember Cushings disease or syndrome is very very rare.
So the odds are that you dont have it but should be tested.
I was too and it was negative. It was just the 24 hour cortisol urine test.
I have not had the CAT or ultrasound or anything as urine test of was normal.
Don't worry about having a pituitary tumor (prolactinoma) too much; I was diagnosed in July 2007 and am now tumor-free. It was a little annoying to know that I had a growth near my brain, but it was a breeze to treat (compared to PCOS for me at least!!!)
Some people (and reputable websites) still call it a brain tumor, but it isn't like "brain cancer" just like previous posts have stated. Pituitary tumors are NOT rare. (15-20% of the population examined has one and doesn't know about it). Cushings syndrome is a bit more rare I believe.
Please feel free to contact me if you are afraid or have specific questions about the procedures, testing, or diagnosis. Obviously I am no doctor, but it might make you feel better to talk to someone who has been through it!
If it makes you feel better, everything I have read has said that it is quite uncommon to have PCOS AND a prolactinoma. Lucky for those of us who do... (or at least have been told that we do).
I am nurse who used to work in neurology/neurosurgery. We dealt with a lot of patients who had pituitary tumors caused by elevated prolactin. The good news is that when treated with the proper medication, these tumors aren't a problem. They are benign in nature and cause headaches and hormonal disturbance.
I have been monitored since my diagnosis of PCOS b/c it is not uncommon for women with PCOS to have these types of tumors.
I do agree Cushings should be ruled out. The best way to rule this out is by doing a 24 urine test for cortisol. It is the best way to measure cortisol and determine if this is Cushings or not.
I've just been diagnosed with the high prolactin levels. My doctor wants me to have another blood test before requesting any MRI or CT.
I did research into the possible tumor, and I am confident that even if I have it it isn't cancerous or deadly, but I seriously hope I don't have one.
Can anyone tell me what my next action should be? Medication to reduce prolactin levels? I'm already on metformin 1500gr and I want to check this month whether i'm ovulating or not...
TIA
__________________ ___________________
Me (30)
DH (35)
DX: January 2008
TTC: since March 2007
I'm new here but just stumbled upon this thread. I have an MRI which is suspicious for a pituitary tumour so it is something I have read up alot about. My prolactin levels are normal. My endocrinologist thinks my pituitary abnormality is insignificant but I am not so sure! I really would not worry about this, if you have a prolactinoma it is one of the easiest pituitary tumours to treat and they are almost always benign.
I actually hoped that my pit tumour was the cause of all my fertility and other issues because at least then it would be treatable and possibly curable as opposed to PCOS.
Pituitary cushings disease is another possibility and can also cause elevated prolactin. This is when a benign tumour of the pituitary produces too much ACTH which stimulates the adrenals to produce steroid hormones causing a clinical picture very similar to PCOS. More than one test is needed to rule out cushings disease as the hormone levels can fluctuate and some cases of cushings disease are 'cyclical'. I think that three 24 hour urine tests and an overnight dexamethasone test are the first line tests.
Try not to worry, my endo says that they are just going to keep an eye on my pit tumour and scan me every 6-12 months.
I have had a Pit Tumor for many years.... I do have to go for annual MRI's to monitor the growth. My new problem which is connected is a ? adrenal tumor. I just had bloodwork drawn in the begining of this month. My DHEA level was extremely high (over 1400, almost 3x the normal value). I was doing some reasearch and it's an indicator of an adrenal tumor which is connected with having a Pituatary tumor. I'm waiting for the Dr to call me so I will keep you informed if interested.
I would definitely be interested in hearing more about this. The weird thing is, before my pit tumour was found, I had an MRI adrenal which came back ? adenoma. I then had a CT which showed no adrenal adenoma, but I've always wondered about this because I get a horrible pain in my right flank area quite alot and it isn't kidney stones.....do you experience any pain with it?
I have read that sometimes pit tumours can lead to adrenal ones, but have mostly read about this being connected with cushings disease. Did they check your cortisol too?
I have a pit tumor AND PCOS! Lucky me! 
