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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 8 of 8. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Noa on November 22, 2004, at 20:33:27
Have any of you felt that your depression (or other MI) has caused your menstrual cycles to be off, or affected your fertility? Or that improvement in depression has led to normalized cycles?
I've been aware of hormonal problems causing both depression and irregular cycles, etc., or thinking of the causality going from cycle to mood, but haven't thought about the other way around.
The past 6 months or so, maybe a bit more, I seem to be regular for the first time in my life and seem to be ovulating. Is it possibly related to having more emotional stability in the past year or so?
Posted by gardenergirl on November 23, 2004, at 21:54:08
In reply to Question for the women, posted by Noa on November 22, 2004, at 20:33:27
I've had a similar experience, although I tend to attribute it to going on Synthroid. Been much more regular since then. But hormones and neurotransmitters are interesting little buggers. Could be a connection.
gg
Posted by Racer on November 26, 2004, at 16:25:46
In reply to Re: Question for the women, posted by gardenergirl on November 23, 2004, at 21:54:08
I'd bet there is a connection. Remember back in the day, when we were afraid we might be "in trouble" and our periods would be late? And we didn't believe it was just stress? And remember being a bit older, and being in a lousy mood, but not believing anyone who said it might be PMS? (Hey, that's me, maybe not you...)
I do think that hormones are tricky buggers, and that they can do a lot -- think about it: insulin is a hormone, and ask anyone who has ever known a diabetic about what happens when that goes out of whack. Then multiply it. I know that the girlfriend I had who was put on steroids to get her period back got pretty psycho at times, until they got her dose right. And went back to being herself as soon as she got off them.
By George, Noa, I think you're on to something...
Posted by Noa on November 28, 2004, at 13:40:58
In reply to Re: Question for the women, posted by Racer on November 26, 2004, at 16:25:46
Thanks, GG and Racer. I'm hoping it's what it is--that I'm more stable so my cycle has finally stabilized. I hope to get checked out for whether I'm fertile or not, so I'll let you know.
Posted by Racer on November 30, 2004, at 15:36:50
In reply to Re: Question for the women» gardenergirl » Racer, posted by Noa on November 28, 2004, at 13:40:58
I'm being tested for that right now, so I can offer an idea of how to start out...
Next time you're at a pharmacy, before your next period, buy a metabolic thermometer. Read the instructions, but basically, every morning before you get out of bed, take your temperature. That record, starting around the time of your period, will show a flucuation -- mine has varied by more than a full degree -- that will show when/if you ovulate.
The doctor I saw said there are three tests that they can do. From least to most invasive, they are: Basal temperature, injecting dye into your tubes and imaging it, and laparascopic exploration of the tubes. First one to try, of course, is the least invasive. It will show if you're still ovulating, and the other tests can be done once that's figured out.
Hope that helps. If we both manage it, wanna enroll in the same preschool?
Posted by Noa on December 1, 2004, at 20:11:22
In reply to 'Nother option... » Noa, posted by Racer on November 30, 2004, at 15:36:50
Thanks, Racer. I dunno bout the preschool thing though---awfully long commute for one or both of us. We could find a good one somewhere in the middle, I suppose....:)
Posted by Noa on December 1, 2004, at 20:18:45
In reply to 'Nother option... » Noa, posted by Racer on November 30, 2004, at 15:36:50
Hey, I saw this thing in CVS on the shelf with the stocking stuffer kinds of things--it looked a bit iffy to me, but let me ask here--it was a little microscope kit for looking at saliva samples to see if you're ovulating. Supposedly, you see more salt crystals when you're ovulating than not. So, is that a valid way to tell if you're ovulating--the salt crystals thing. And would a little gizmo like that, where you use your finger to collect saliva and put it into the microscope (what ever happened to the idea of a "clean" specimen??) be a valid way to see these increased crystals??? Seems a bit iffy, and I examined the package insert and could find absolutely no attempt to even make any claims of any kind of research support for it. What are your thoughts on this?
Posted by Racer on December 2, 2004, at 14:56:17
In reply to Re: ...saliva test valid for ovulation? » Racer, posted by Noa on December 1, 2004, at 20:18:45
Never heard of it, but it doesn't sound too promising to me. I know that cervical mucus is supposed to be the most accurate measure, but that's a little different...
It doesn't sound any easier than taking your temperature with a basal thermometer, either... (They're about the same cost as a regular thermometer, you know.)
Still, I like anything that involves microscopy, so I might try it if it were cheap...
This is the end of the thread.
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