menstrual cycle and urethrocele

Submitted by doubtful on February 9, 2011 - 2:21pm
Body: 

Are there any hormone experts out there who could enlighten me on this one?

I've been following WW principals for about five months.

I'm almost resigned to the idea that at forty seven I am not going to see much reversal of my urethrocele. ( the more I think about it, the more I'm convinced that it's been around since the middle of my second pregnancy ten years ago - and then I had ignorant advice- and then I thought I was better and did stupid lifestyle things etc etc but I refuse to live with regret - time to move on.)

Anyway- my goal now is stabilization and managing it. I try to view it like a challenging child. It has its moods and as i get to know it better ( and get hugely educated by this site) I can often manage it. For example - days spent doing paper work at a low coffee table sitting on the floor and its very high spirited - tucks itself away and doesn't bother me. Brisk walks usually have the same effect.

What I can't work out is - why it's always heavy and peeking the week after my period, but much better as the month goes on. During my period it's not much bother at all and I'd have thought the uterus would have been its heaviest then, and its lightest just afterwards. I've also noticed that my cervix, which has never misbehaved, is sometimes a bit lower and much softer at this time, but that even when it's not, the urethocele makes itself felt.

Are oestrogen levels at their lowest just after menstruation? If so, might I be helped by some natural sort of oestrogen? On the other hand, isn't unapposed oestrogen a bad idea health wise in women my age? Is this a depresssing sign of things to come that at the menopause it might always be like this due to lowered oestrogen? My useless GP recommneded oestrogen cream when I was first diagnosed but I've read enough to be wary of that.

I'm not doing the self pity bit or the panic bit- just a bit of a realilty check. I'm convinced things can't get dramatically worse now I know how to look after myself. I don't have to deal with any of the urinary/bowel problems that many of the women on this site are so wonderfully stoical about. I'm just wondering if my 'not so good' weeks are inevitable and likely to become permanent when I go through the menopause.

Doubtful

Christine

February 10, 2011 - 2:37pm

Hi Doubtful,

I’m not an expert on hormones, but have become somewhat enlightened about luteinizing hormone, which just might be the factor in your case. It is interesting that you describe your cervix as “soft” because this is exactly what LH causes every month as it readies the body for ovulation. LH is inflammatory in nature and causes not only the follicle to disintegrate so the ovum can escape, but also softens the cervix, making it more receptive to sperm. It does this by beginning a cascade, creating prostaglandins and proteolytic enzymes that literally break down tissue. LH receptors are broadly distributed in the vulva and pelvic cavity. Levels are higher than estrogen until the tenth day after menstruation. Estrogen then gains dominance for a very few days until LH surges at day 14-15 (ovulation). LH remains dominant (progesterone is most dominant at this time) over estrogen until day 17.

I talk about LH in my new yoga dvd, describing it as the hormone responsible for the creation/destruction cycle of life. There is a ton of good science about the role LH plays in chronic disease, which increases dramatically in post-menopausal women. LH levels soar during this time, having lost the feedback loop with estradiol. Lowering LH levels in symptomatic post-menopausal women is the name of the game, not supplementing estrogen.

I have an amazing story to tell about how I discovered to do that, which I’m still putting together for WWYoga.

Melatonin, the hormone secreted by the pineal as we sleep, is the other natural antagonist to LH. Be sure you are sleeping well in a dark room. Keep stress levels down, as cortisol feeds into the inflammation cascade to worsen all sorts of symptoms. In the reproductive-aged woman, these cycles and symptoms are natural and tolerable. Post-menopausally, things can get very out of control and become more of a life and death struggle.

Christine

jadeandpearl

February 12, 2011 - 12:51pm

Doubtful, why not try our Sea Pearls sea sponge tampons for menstruation and prolapse. Sea Pearls are not only very comfortable and absorbent but they also give much needed support for all types of prolapse. We also have a full line of proprietary blend herbal tinctures including Pelvic Power for every woman's menstrual health needs. Visit our website at www.jadeandpearl.com. gloria

doubtful

February 12, 2011 - 2:51pm

No thanks Jade and Pearl.

I did try them. I don't really need the support and only made some improvement when I stopped using them. Also, I didn't find them helpful for menstruation. However, I appreciate that they are helpful for some women.

Having said that, I was under the impression that this was a forum for women sharing their expertise and experience with each other, not for unsolicited advertising.

Doubtful

doubtful

February 12, 2011 - 3:00pm

Thanks Christine.

That does seem to make sense. It seems that the more I discover on female health on this site the more there is to learn. One thing that puzzles me: if the natural hormonal state for post menopausal women is high LH, how can this in itself be a health hazzard? I try not to buy into the cognitive model that women's bodies are inherently flawed.

I'm not too concerned at the moment - my mother and sisters all had a late menopause so I've probably still got quite a few years. I'm hoping that if I continue to stabilize, slightly reverse my urethocele in the meantime I'll be able to live with a slight worsening at menopause, if that's inevitable

I hate to strike a negative note, but I was disconcerted to receive a 'reply' on this thread that was actually unsolicited advertising from Jade and Pearl. Suddenly the forum felt less like a place for women to share expertise/ experiences and more like a place to be subjected to intrusive marketing.

Doubtful

Doubtful

Christine

February 12, 2011 - 3:59pm

It's all very complex and there's a lot I don't know. LH levels increase in older men as well, but at a much more gradual rate. High LH levels coax post-menopausal ovaries to secrete androgens, which is a positive thing. I think strong adrenals make the difference between women who sail through menopause and those who don't. You can get really far-out thinking about these hormones and how they are signaled (as Louise and I have done on more than one occasion). It appears that light coming into our eyes and on to the pineal tells melatonin to begin the whole cascade, signaling the beginning of both puberty and menopause. If you take it far enough, perhaps our life and death really are governed by the stars. :)

Christine

February 12, 2011 - 4:02pm

If these postings are bothersome to readers, I will let J&P know. It is the only one I let onto the forums, since many women love the sea sponge.

fab

February 12, 2011 - 4:45pm

It's entirely up to you Christine, but this is the second add from Jade and Pearl today. I think free access to the equivalent of a pop-up add is going to stymie your forum in the long run. Obviously, an advertiser wants to be seen where there is the most traffic . Why not then let them have a nicely placed add on your homepage and a link to their site? But having them enter the forum addressing a user by name, and somewhat out of context in my case I would be offended.

always best wishes

Christine

February 12, 2011 - 5:25pm

I will take care of it. :)

granolamom

February 12, 2011 - 7:01pm

facinating stuff.
I was just going to respond to the original question with my personal experience, that yes, my cervix, too, feels lower and softer around mid-cycle.
but then I read christine's post and got thinking......I very often have mid-cycle spotting, especially now that I've got a copper IUD. could this be related to the LH levels? they, whomever 'they' are, say that the IUD increases release of prostaglandins. so maybe combined with the natural surge of LH at that point in my cycle could be contributing to the spotting?

Christine

February 13, 2011 - 6:31pm

I think it would be surprising if the copper IUD did not cause bleeding mid-cycle - just for the reasons you surmise.

alemama

February 13, 2011 - 11:51pm

But still, I'm thinking you are going to go through the crazy of peri menopause. Seems like it takes a while to get through, to *just menopausal* Sometimes a decade or so.
And I'm thinking that menopause will quiet down the whole pelvic variability, cervical changes, etc that you are dealing with now.
I doubt very seriously that it will get a great deal worse during menopause.
and while this question of yours is very interesting, I'm wondering why you are thinking about menopause :)
Who knows what the heck will be going on 10 years from now.
Maybe it will all be worked out by then and you will feel better than ever!

louiseds

February 15, 2011 - 8:55pm

Hi Doubtfu

My menopause was about 3 years ago. I am now almost 58 years old. I would concur with Christine that the worst of POP was for me during perimenopause, though I guess anything could still happen. My retroverted uterus turned over during that time, to anteverted, and my periods became lighter around the same time.

The ups and downs, with my body trying to ovulate, and trying to menstruate, certainly made POP changes happen, but since menopause my cycle has calmed down, my POPs are now much more stable and less upsettable. I no longer feel permanently premenstrual, which I did for 12 months or so before my periods stopped completely. It is quite nice, actually.

I would say that I was 'detectably' perimenopausal for about ten years, then 'genuinely' perimenopausal for the next 5 years, with more glimpses of stability as I got closer to ceasing menstruation. I now have a new normality since menstruation stopped, though I think there are still hormones at work. My menopause symptoms come and go. I think stress is what makes them come back. Stressful times pass, and I get back to going to bed a bit earlier, and the symptoms tail off again. Menopause is not all bad news at all.