Post Tubal Ligation Syndrome

Worsening Symptoms

2008-06-13T23:31:00.000-07:00

WARNING - Graphic Post below!

I've suffered with PTLS for nearly seven years now. For the most part, I can handle what life throws at me. However, for the last few months, when my period arrives, it's been pretty bad.

The cramps start up a couple of days before my period arrives. At that point, they're nagging, but not overly bad. The headaches also start, but that's usual for a period anyway. The first two days of my period though, I'm barely able to get out of bed. I suffer terrible cramps, huge blood loss, and to boot, I lose a lot of clots, and we're not talking the tiny ones. We're talking BIG! I can bleed for any length of time from 5 days, to 8 or 9 days. This is actually an improvement from the 12 to 14 days I bled for the first few months after having my tubal.

As for other symptoms that have started showing themselves to me at any time of the month, these are as follows:

Loss of libido. Sex just doesn't interest me like it used to anymore. I feel bad about this, because I feel like I can't do anything for my partner, and that upsets me.
My insomnia has kicked back in, big time. Normal bedtime for me these days is 3 - 4am. I might sleep till 11am, and then have to go for a nap in the afternoon.
I have areas of skin on my legs that itch like crazy at times. There is no dry skin, nor a rash of any kind, but I scratch till my legs bleed. It drives me just crazy!
I also had quite a weight gain too. In the last 2 years I gained 2 stone, or 14lbs. Finally, I've started losing it again, with a loss of 9lbs so far. Hopefully, this will continue.

These are in addition to the symptoms that I normally have to contend with, such as irritability, depression, and many others on the list. All of these showing themselves at various times during the month, have made me more determined than ever that I will have my Tubal reversed. I just want my 'normal' life back. I want to feel like I used to feel, and not have to worry about whether my period is going to put me on my back for two days.

Post Tubal Ligation Syndrome is a horrible horrible condition. Doctors need to start acknowledging this as a condition, and start informing women that they may suffer from this if they decide to have a Tubal Ligation as a means of Birth Control.

Ciao.

What Is Post Tubal Ligation Syndrome?

2008-05-30T22:56:00.000-07:00

If you've just found this blog, then chances are you're wondering exactly what Post Tubal Ligation Syndrome is. Post Tubal Ligation Syndrome, or PTLS for short, is an iatrogenesis condition , meaning “Doctor caused” or “Doctor produced.” Many women suffer after having a Tubal Ligation. This condition comes with a whole long list of Symptoms, which I shall share with you now.

1. Ectopic pregnancy or pregnancy (well known risk of tubals)
1a. Hot flashes, flushes, night sweats and/or cold flashes, clammy feeling, chills
2. Bouts of rapid heart beat
3. Irritability
4. Mood swings, sudden tears
5. Trouble sleeping through the night (with or without night sweats)
6. Irregular periods; shorter, lighter periods; heavier periods, flooding; phantom periods, shorter cycles, longer cycles
7. Loss of libido
8. Dry vagina
8a. Itchy vagina-at times raw like, can radiate from whole area, with absence of yeast infections.
8b. Color change in vaginal area. (color gets darker - purple/black)
9. Crashing fatigue
10. Anxiety, feeling ill at ease
11. Feelings of dread, apprehension, doom
12. Difficulty concentrating, disorientation, mental confusion
13. Disturbing memory lapses
14. Incontinence, especially upon sneezing, laughing; urge incontinence
14a.Prolapse of uterus due to rapid decreases in estrogen levels.
15. Itchy, crawly skin
16 Aching, sore joints, muscles and tendons
17. Increased tension in muscles
18. Breast tenderness
18a. Decrease in breast mass
19. Headache change: increase or decrease
20. Gastrointestinal distress, indigestion, flatulence, gas pain, nausea
21. Sudden bouts of bloat
22. Depression
23. Exacerbation of existing conditions
24. Increase in allergies
25. Weight gain
26. Hair loss or thinning, head, pubic, or whole body; increase in facial hair
27. Dizziness, light-headedness, episodes of loss of balance
28. Changes in body odor
29. Electric “shock” or “stabbing” sensation under the skin.
30. Tingling in the extremities
31. Gum problems, increased bleeding
32. Burning tongue, burning roof of mouth, bad taste in mouth, change in breath odor
33. Osteoporosis (after several years)
34. Changes in fingernails: softer, crack or break easier.

I personally suffer from more than half of these symptoms. Some of them happen only when my monthly cycle is either due, or arrives, and some of them can happen at random without warning. There are some days, typically the first couple of days when my period arrives, where I can barely make it out of bed because the pain and cramps are so severe. Yet my regular Doctor told me these were normal after a Tubal, and that I had nothing to worry about. When I went back to him a year later because the symptoms hadn't lessened, he told me it was "All in my head."

If you know of anyone who appears to be suffering from some of these symptoms, and they've had a Tubal Ligation, point them in this direction, or better yet, print this post out and show it to them. For those ladies who are considering a Tubal Ligation - don't do it! You will regret it for the rest of your life!

Mental And Emotional Impact.

2008-05-27T23:47:00.000-07:00

Women suffering from PTLS don't just have the physical symptoms to cope with on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. This condition has a very real emotional and mental impact on a woman too.

If, like me, their doctors told them that their symptoms "were all in their heads", then they're going to feel anger, confusion and upset too. At worst, they may think they're starting to "go crazy." Being told that our pain is nothing and that it's not real is intolerable for those of us who feel it every single day. That's not real? I think it is.

I've received so many comments from women who have told me heartbreaking stories of what they've suffered since their tubals. Stories of being dismissed by their doctors, stories of feeling like the entire world is against them, stories of the symptoms interfering in their relationships with their spouses, stories of hormonal fluctuations causing extreme PMS, stories of being put on ant depressants in an effort to "shut women up" and many many other different situations. I am grateful to every single woman who has left me a comment on my post about my own personal experience, and I want every single one of them to know that they are not alone!

I would like to reiterate that if any woman feels like this, do not hesitate to leave a comment here. As a fellow sufferer I feel your pain, and I understand where you're at. I will not tell you that this is imaginary, or that it's all in your head. However, I will tell you to stand strong in your beliefs and don't give up. PTLS is slowly being recognized by more medical professionals, and my hope is that soon, it won't be dismissed as imaginary any more.

We deserve to know the truth about PTLS before we make the decision to have a Tubal Ligation procedure done, and we deserve the right to treatment for PTLS without having to endure the comments from doctors that it's not real. We also deserve the right to have treatment for PTLS without having to pay thousands of dollars out of our own pockets. This is a real condition, and we deserve the right to have it recognized as such! The emotional and mental suffering can be as bad, if not worse, than the physical symptoms, and it has to stop.

Welcome.

2008-05-26T20:56:00.001-07:00

Welcome to this, my new blog.

My name is Dawn, and I'm a PTLS (Post Tubal Ligation Syndrome) sufferer.

About 2 years ago, I did a post about Post Tubal Ligation Syndrome over on my personal blog. As a sufferer I wanted to get the word out about this condition and what it means for women who suffer from this condition.

Never in my wildest dreams did I expect the response I got to that post. Even today, two years on, I get regular comments from women who say thank you for sharing, and convincing them that these symptoms aren't all in their heads like the doctors told them. I get around 4 or 5 comments a week to that post, and as of now, it's ranked number 3 on Google when you do a search for Post Tubal Ligation Syndrome, a tribute to the hundreds of women looking to put a name to their symptoms.

This post is to say welcome. If you are a sufferer, or know of anyone else suffering from PTLS, come say hi. We can only spread the word about this condition if we step forward and say "Yes, this is what I have!"

I look forward to saying hi to you all.