Question:
Is there a medication to cease your menses prior to surgery?

   — Lori K. (posted on July 12, 2003)

July 12, 2003
Many of us have had our periods the same week or day as surgery. It is not a major issue. As for meds to cease menses, the 2 nurses in my family say that only a Dr could prescribe you something for this, and for they type of surgery, it is not usually called for. Check with your Dr.
   — M B.

July 12, 2003
If this is a real problem for you (personal) ask your ob/gyn about starting birth control pills. i was able to take them continuosly while on vacation in hawaii, it successfully supressed my menses. just don't take the little green pills at the end of the pack. when you finish the 'active' pills of one pack, just throw out the green pills and start with the next pack of pills. he said it isn't a problem to do it once in a while. but this is only my personal experience. i strongly encourage you to ask your doc. don't do it on your own. the side effects of doing this is feeling bloated and haveing a very rough period the next month. build up i guess.
   — Keri P.

July 12, 2003
Definitely check with your surgeon before considering doing the birth control idea. Many surgeons require you to NOT take birth control pills prior to your surgery d/t blood clot risks. And many won't want you to take them afterwards. Beside birth control pills for birth control after WLS is worthless. You won't absorb them properly for an affective birth control method. Surgery sort of puts your body into shock and even people who haven't had periods in years sometimes get theirs immediately post-op from surgery. I was one of those with a surgery I had last spring and was so shocked when I discovered I'd actually started a period that I couldn't believe that it came from ME. So its VERY common and the hospital staff will be pros at handling it. Don't worry.
   — Shelly S.

July 13, 2003
I'm on the ortho-evra patch. I tt my surgon about wearing it in the or. He said it was ok. My husband and I can't use alternate birthcontrol (I"m alergic to just about everything including condoms which turned my first time into a trip to the hospital LOL!) and abstenence is not an option. They say that it doens't work on people over 200 lbs, but I've never had a problem with it. In fact, when I have my periods with it, they last for 3 days with day one being heavy, and the next 2 says getting progressivly lighter. When I told my gyno I was having it (he was all for it. thought it was a wonderful idea) he was the one that suggested it. I just made sure to time my period the week before surgery, and ate high iron foods like liver to boost my iron count, and put the patch on my shoulderblade. The anestheologist didn't have a problem with it either. I was getting heprin every 8 hours and an injection in my iv pre op. I also was up and walking and they used those air boots on me too. Ask your doctor about it.
   — mellyhudel

July 14, 2003
I took Provera to make me start 2 1/2 weeks befor surgery that way I was done a week and a half before surgery. 4 days post-op I started. Something about abdominal surgery makes some women have periods.
   — Kelly P.