What do all my medically informed friends and blog-mates think about this:
My first cycle post D&C began on January 6th -- 2 months and 3 days after the surgery. Yes, this is a long time, but not unusual for me. My body tends to take a awhile to get back to normal after hormonal changes.
After receiving my new diagnosis of MTHFR heterzygous, I began my new regimen of 800mg Folic Acid, 81mg aspirin and 2 Vitex per day on January 14th - CD 9. On January 17th (CD12) I began spotting so heavily it almost looked like AF. It was dark brown/dark red in color and enough so that I wore tampons for 4 days, January 17-21st. It tapered off enough for a pantyliner, but 9 days later it STILL here. Very Annoying.
At first I thought it might be a good thing. Perhaps the Vitex was cleansing me? It can't be good to have all that old blood up there, so I figured it was good that it was coming out. But 9 days of it?
I vaguely remembered a similar thing happening after my first D&C, so I checked my charts from 2006. Sure enough, I had mid-cycle spotting for about 6 months post-surgery. It never lasted this long, but it was typically 3-5 days worth.
Just another tidbit -- Chinese medicine says that abnormal spotting is the result of blood stasis - old blood that is trapped - and can be caused by surgery or trauma to an area of the body.
So, it is:
1) Vitex related? And if so, should I stop taking it?
2) Surgery related? And if so, should I do anything about it?
5 comments:
I've never been able to figure out mid-cycle spotting. Perhaps the Vitex has suppressed your hormones to the point that your af was triggered. Or perhaps your uterine lining has some healing yet to do. Like lochia after birth. Healing of the wound. The best answer would come from an ultrasound, perhaps. Could your doctor check you?
I'd never even heard of Vitex (but I Googled it). I would have a dr. check on ultrasound- it is so easy and quick.
I only took vitex once and I didn't have any spotting. The long periods of spotting are not atypical for you after a miscarriage, I guess the questions just remains: what causes them and are the beneficial? If you are wanting to avoid OB/GYNs at this point, maybe just change one factor at a time. Stop the vitex and keep the BA and see if the spotting stops? Why do things always have to be so confusing?!! Good luck, keep us posted.
Hmmm, I'd be tempted to think that it's the m/c but maybe your Dr wouldn't mind taking a look?
My acupuncturist said spotting can also be related to spleen qi deficiency, which is apparently related primarily to nutritional stuff.
Vitex definitely changed my periods. So I'd probably chalk the bleeding up to that this month. It did end up evening things out a bit. So I think I'd give it a few more cycles. But I usually avoid going into the doctor for this ambiguous stuff because their answers are always ambiguous, and I hate paying for ambiguity, kwim?
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