I was recently diagnosed with a thicker than normal uterine lining (11.5 mm) by my Ob/Gyn through a vaginal ultrasound. He would like to biopsy and possibly a D&C (dilation and curettage). Sounds fine, but I believe in also preventing the problem from occurring again. Through personal research my understanding is that during perimenopause the lining can become thicker due to a lack of progesterone. Obesity and endometriosis are two other factors, but they do not apply to me. The most likely explanation is low progesterone. Also, please note that I have been taking Estrotone® (made mostly from Black Cohosh) to eliminate the hot flashes and moodiness on my own for the past year. It helped, but I’m afraid it may have now made me estrogen dominant. I would like to have my blood work run so a complete hormone panel can be run and evaluated. In which case, if I need progesterone afterwards, we know for sure rather than just guessing. In your opinion which medical doctor is most qualified to run and interpret this type of panel?
Any form of irregular bleeding whether you are perimenopausal or postmenopausal should be investigated with an endometrial biopsy, which is a simple office-based procedure. Often times this can give a woman an idea of their hormonal status and guide their medical therapy.
Checking estrogen and progesterone varies widely depending on where a woman is in their cycle and is not accurate to determine a woman’s hormonal status or estrogen dominance.
Low dose birth control pills can be effective for a woman’s cycle control if the woman has no contraindications such as smoking, hypertension or migraines with aura.
All My Best,
Speaking of Women's Health Nurse
June 6, 2012 at 11:06am