Provera Oral

[HevsLM]

I have been taking 30mg oral Provera a day alongside Cerazette for the past 4 months, the consultant told me to stop the Provera now and carry on with Cerazette until my first laparoscopy (hopefully in about 2 months time). I am worried that the whole point of the provera is to shrink the endometriosis - surely this will make it look not as bad as it was when i have my lap? Also, has anybody else taken this and knows what will happen when i stop, in terms of bleeding and symptoms?

Thanks!

[Impatient]

If you want the surgeon to have the best chance of seeing the endo in a lap op then stop the Cerazette and Provera so you do have a period on or just before the op date it possible and you can bear to suffer that. It isn't absolutely essential to have active endo at the time of the op - but preferable if it can be timed right. A good endo specialist surgeon would be able to spot the endo anyway - it's of more use when the surgeon is a regular gynaecologist and not so familiar or experienced with spotting endo lesions.

Often it cannot be helped but have the endo dormant at the time of surgery - a lot of patients have been on the GnRH hormone treatments and had their endo dormant for months before an op.

It's not something to worry about unduly - yes do stop the Provera if that is what your Doc has recommended and perhaps use the Cerazette monthly instead of back to back if that is what you have been doing so far - but only if you can tolerate having a period or two before the op.

Another option to consider is longer term period controlling - and if you want to have a Mirena coil inserted during the op when you know nothing about it - then jump at the opportunity to get that installed under general anesthetic in your op - the opportunities to get that put in pain free are few and far between and well worth considering for stopping periods up to 5 years without having to take tablets every day.

Mirena takes around 4-6months to stop periods - but begins the process right away by gradually thinning the menstrual lining over the weeks till the point where there is very little growth to shed as a period. You just need to inform your surgeon that you want to add that to the list of things to be done. Skyla the smaller version of Mirena has a 3 year life span.

Best of Luck with the op.

[HevsLM in reply to Impatient]

Thank you so so much for your wonderful informative reply! I will stop the Provera from today but need to continue using Cerazette as I have a busy couple of weeks coming up and couldn't handle it right now I haven't really been told much about the coil but it was recommended to me briefly by the doctor, is it something you would recommend? This will be my first laparoscopy and I have no idea what to expect. Thanks again!

[Impatient in reply to HevsLM]

I LURVE the coil - very best thing I ever tried . it does take a few months of niggles and small cramps and continuing periods before the job is done inside and the menstrual lining is so thin it stops periods and also it makes the cervix create more cervical mucus which acts as a goopy plug in the cervix and uterus building up layers on the coil and holding it in place - thisalso takes time to build up but when it does the mirena is pretty secure in there and less likely to shift or fall out which can be a risk in early days.

I don't feel mine at all - it completely stopped periods at 5 months then a year later I had a blip with 2 periods a month apart - thought the mirena had failed but it was just a blip and since then nothing - no period and not even any spotting, except last week I was lifting a heavy table and later had a mild bit of spotting - must have over done it there a bit - but it soon stopped and didn't result in a period. My own fault and that aside it has been fab and a huge money saver.

No painkillers, tampons, towels, no carrying spare clothes and whatnot everywhere I go "just in case", and best of all got so much time back which is period free.

My periods had been erratic and heavy for years - lasting up to 3 weeks in every month - some months tranexamic acid did curtail the bleeds but it was hit and miss whether that would work. I certainly couldn't rely on anything.

So by my estimation I am looking at about 8-9 months extra of period free days in each year - all from a little gadget inside that I cannot feel at all.

It seems to be that its a similar story for most of us on mirena though there certainly are some ladies that find for whatever reason it doesn't suit them in which case it can be removed a lot less painfully than it goes in. Mine was installed under a general anaesthetic - by far the best way to get it if you do get the chance.

Not a quick fix solution to periods but if you can cope with the settling in stage it does it end up worth it in so many ways. The niggly pains and cramps were nothing as bad as endo pains or period pains are, and didn't last more than a few weeks in my case - it does vary though.

I wouldn't hesitate to have another when this runs out which it will in just under 2 years now. Time goes so fast. I will probably only need one maybe two more to see me past natural menopause, but my god i wish these things had been around in my teens and 20s. How different life could have been !! Well worth it.

[HevsLM in reply to Impatient]

Sounds like it has worked great - I'm so glad, it's nice to hear when somebody finds a solution that works for them :). I will ask more about it when i next see the consultant and maybe when I have my pre-op. I thought they would be reluctant to do both the lap and insert the coil at the same time as I thought this would mean that it was not possible to judge the affects of either solution? Thanks for all your info, I'm 19 and new to all of this so I have a million questions!

[Impatient in reply to HevsLM]

On the contrary - the more can be added to the list of things to be done in one sitting the better, as it saves them a great deal of money !!

You can also get a smear test done too if you are due one and find them really painful to be done. It helps the surgeon better justify the need for the theatre time for you.