menstrual cycles?

Question

Has anybody ever had a D&C because you haven't had your period in a long time, when you should have it? What else did the doctors do? Did it work? And any other info would really be apreciated!

Answer 1

Although I haven't personally had the procedure, I know a little bit about it from my work in a women's center.

For the most part, we don’t worry at the clinic about a missed period or two over the course of a year. More variation than that may indicate to us the beginning of perimenopause or a disruption of the natural chain of hormonal events that controls menstruation. It's important to know what's causing the missed periods in order to know how to treat it. A wide variety of factors can be responsible for irregular periods, among them:

Significant weight gain or loss
Over-exercise
Poor nutrition (or a diet too high in carbohydrates)
Smoking
Drug use
Caffeine
Excessive alcohol use (interfering with how the liver metabolizes estrogen and progesterone)
Eating disorders
Increased stress
Polycystic ovarian syndrome/estrogen dominance
Uterine abnormalities (fibroids/cysts/polyps/endometriosis)
Hormonal imbalance related to perimenopause
Medications
Chemotherapy
Recent childbirth, miscarriage, or D&C
Breastfeeding

Before a surgical option (which is what a D& C is) we usually try the following:
For most patients, we see big improvements with the following steps:
Make healthy dietary modifications, especially decreased intake of refined carbohydrates.
Bridge nutritional gaps with a medical–grade multivitamin, including calcium, magnesium, and a fish oil supplement.
Get regular but moderate exercise (this may require increasing or decreasing your current level of exercise).
Relieve stress through exercise and other relaxation techniques.

If the issue stems from an anovulatory or perimenopausal condition, a doctor may prescribe birth control pills to normalize the cycle. This is often successful. Keep in mind, however, that birth control pills are powerful hormones and often cause side effects. We recommend you start first with these more natural steps, including bioidentical progesterone cream, and only resort to birth control pills if your symptoms persist. If you do decide to take BCP’s for your irregular periods, you will still benefit by supporting your body in all the above-listed ways.

The D&C is usually performed in a hospital with the woman receiving either general or local anesthesia. An instrument called a speculum is inserted into the vaginal canal. Once the speculum is opened, the physician has a clear view of the cervix. Then the cervical canal is dilated by inserting a small metal rod. Next, a curette, a surgical instrument that has a handle with a metal loop on the end of it, is inserted into the uterine cavity through the opening in the cervical canal. Using the curette, the physician scrapes the endometrial lining on the inside of the uterus and a sample is usually collected to biopsy.

But, as a diagnostic procedure, the D&C does not give accurate reasons as to the cause of the missed periods. And, since it is a surgical procedure it carries some risks as well.

My best advice is to get a second opinion if a doctor is recommending a D&C as a first step.

Hope this helps!

Answer 2

A D&C shouldn't be used to cause you period to come. It's essentially scraping out your uterus...for what!! It's invasive. If you want to see what's going in your uterus, request an ultrasound instead.

Answer 3

i had a cousin that had a d&c. you should talk to your dr about when to get it done. all it does is clean out your uterine lining and get all of the bad stuff out. ask your dr when u should start getting a scheduled clean out. its also a good way to get urself cleaned out and ready if u plan on having a child.