Question:
Has anyone else been recommended for a uterine biopsy because of irregular period?

My GYN says that my weight may not be the only reason why I have such an irregular period. He told me that overweight women produce more estrogen which could cause irregular periods and in some cases uterine cancer. I have to go for a pelvic ultrasound and then a biopsy which I'm told hurts. Has anyone else had this problem?????    — Lenore S. (posted on October 5, 2004)

October 5, 2004
I had this. I hated both test. In in ultrasound they put an instrument in the vagina and poke around in there. It was very uncomfortable. But not very painful. For the biopsy, my Dr. did it in her office and it was very painful. Luckly it was over quick, lasted less then 45 seconds. I hope the best for you. Now that I have lost 107 lbs I am pretty regular. I just didn't have periods before the weight loss.
   — Peggy Boyd

October 5, 2004
An endometrial biopsy was no big deal in my case. The doc numbed the cervix a little and then went in with a tiny tube etc. and took some tissue samples. I had this done in 1994. It is important to get everything checked out but don't panic. If you have had regular paps and this is a long term problem then the chance of uterine cancer is very minimal. If this is s sudden change then it could be cancer or other things. After tons of testing all they could come up with was a slightly high testosterone level but the free testosterone was normal, so the bottom line is there was no good explanation for my 15 years of no periods or the sporadicness of my periods from the start, other than my weight. Since I met all the symptoms of PCOS, that is what I was tagged with. <p>For me the answer ended up being Depo Provera shots. We figured my body was making tons of estrogen due to all the fat and it needed a lot more progesterone to balance it out. Bottom line is it worked. The docs had messed with BCP's and I ended up with 9 months of solid heavy bleeding. I was ready to scream! The Depo was a livesaver for me. I have always gotten the shots more often than the 12 weeks as my body needed the higher level of hormones to balance everything out. After WLS and after losing 150 lbs we tried to slowly stretch out the distance between shots but got to 10 weeks and I got breakthrough bleeding. I decided I wasn't going to mess with it and went back to the 8-week shots. <p>My body is going through some weird hormonal shifts right now. Strange things are happeneing including having a light period, for the full 7 days like I always did. This was at 19 months PO and my weight has been stable for about 6 months. So it was really strange. I notice changes in my breasts etc also. If it wasn't for the fact that my tubes are tied and I'm on Depo I'd swear I was pregnant. It would be interesting to see if my body would become normal if I went off the Depo. But I'm not stupid enough to even consider trying it, since it took a long time to get my body to settle down the first time. <p>I would think the vaginal ultrasound would be more uncomfortable than painful but I've never had one. You call it a pelvic ultrasound, which actually may be on the surface of your skin and just getting pics of the ovaries etc.
   — zoedogcbr

October 5, 2004
I used to have them b-4 I lost all my weight but the US did nothurt bad at the time made me cramp bad cause they incerted a probe thing in me to look around and the biospy just stung a lil but also cramped with it also good luck to you Take Care Huggs Beth
   — wildbrat

October 5, 2004
hi , i have only had like 10periods my whole life and im going to be 43yrs old , when i was younger i had alot of tests done and they couldnt find anything wrong ,it was a system god gave me i quess. i did have a beautiful daughter on top of not having periods (she was a miracle) i was told i would never have kids . i wish i knew why i dont get periods either but im all tested out , not sure why this happens to some of us . some drs say we enter menopause before our time too . who knows .wish you all the best with your test . rebecca
   — LUVROSE4U

October 5, 2004
a pelvic ultrasound means an ultrasound of the pelvic organs, they generally will look from the outside of yor abdomen then vaginally. I found it more embarrassing than physically uncomfortable. I actually tried the depo provera for irregular / excessive bleeding, it did not work for me, I bled smaller amounts, but continuously for months on it. MY next option was an endometrial ablation, they basically put you under anesthesia, do a D&C, then cauterize the inside of your uterus. You cannot become pregnant after this and most people who have it do not menstruate again, and that has been my experience. It does not cause any hormonal changes as in menopause. I still get the hormonal swings. If that had not worked I would have had to have a hysterectomy. The bleeding was so bad it was making me anemic. Within 6 weeks after the ablation, my blood count was better than it had been in years, even before WLS. I think it is excellent that your dr is not just blaming your weight and is making sure there is nothing else going on. Too many of them just assume obesity causes everything until it is too late.
   — **willow**

October 6, 2004
I have irregular periods as well matter of fact I only have one every 2 yrs. I have had a Biopsy and it stung a little but it wasn't that bad. I had to also get a Ultrasound done on the outside and then they got a probe and put it inside my vagina and looked inside. My doctor even makes me go in to get pap smear every 3 months because of abonormal paps due to my POLYCYSTIC OVARIAN SYNDROME. This is also a side effect of obesity......;
   — mea

October 6, 2004
I was diagonosed with PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrom) last November after a biopsy and ultrasound. The ultrasound was just a little uncomfortable, and they did both a surface probe and a vaginal probe. The biopsy was a little painful, but was quick and only like bad cramps when it was over. I ended up having a D&C in December and it wasn't that bad either. If you would like more information on PCOS check out www.pcosupport.org or e-mail me. Good luck!
   — mrstank