It’s been a long 2 months...and I have to say...medically induced menopause sucks. Lets just hope these 2 months were part of the key to our next frozen embryo transfer working and us bringing home a baby.
I thought I would share what it was like for me to be put into menopause and what helped me get through it. Before starting on our infertility journey, I had never heard of women being put into menopause as a course of treatment. The first time I heard about it is when I met up with another San Diego infertility warrior for the first time (after meeting through a social media group) and she was in the middle of her medically induced menopause. I was blown away this was actually something that happened! Fast forward almost a year and now I am one of the many warriors who has gone through this.
For those that may have forgotten how we got here, check out my last blog post on the results from my surgery and why we chose to put my body into menopause. The plan was to put my body into menopause for the primary reason of stopping the production of estrogen (which can flare up endometriosis). My OB’s nurse would administer the Lupron Depot injection once a month (yay for a break not having to do an injection myself). During the 2 months I would also take Norethindrone (a form of progesterone used as an add-back hormonal therapy) to help combat any side effects I may have. Spoiler alert: either it helped my side effects not be 100% debilitating or it did nothing and my side effects were 90% debilitating anyways.
SIDE EFFECTS
I think it’s safe to say my body HATED being put in medically induced menopause. From others I had spoken to who also did months of Lupron Depot, my side effects should have started to even out after the first couple of weeks but I was miserable the entire 2 months. After the first month I reached out to my OBGYN and my RE and asked for help in dealing with the side effects. Both of them could only offer having me take some form of estrogen, but I declined that since the whole reason I was having these side effects was so my body wouldn't produce estrogen. I felt it wasn't worth the risk to take estrogen right now and I would just have to get through another month on my own.
Here’s a rundown of the main side effects I had during my 2 months of medically induced menopause.
Hot Flashes
When you think of menopause side effects, hot flashes tend to be the one most people assume you will have. Out of the approximate 60 days I was in menopause, I would say I had 5 real bad hot flashes. As someone who tends to be a cold person, I could tell I was running warmer than usual but I didn't have to consistently deal with hot flashes.
Cold Flashes
But on the flip side, I had the most debilitating cold flashes almost every day. I would get so cold that I would shake and almost be in pain from being so cold. I've never felt anything like this and would be out of commission for about 30 minutes each time one hit. I found they happened more at night, but really I had them all times of day.
Insomnia
I didn't have one good night’s sleep the entire 2 months. I never had a problem falling asleep but I would either wake up and be up for hours or I would take 30 minute naps every hour. The problem with this insomnia (versus the versions of it I have had before) is I was SO TIRED that I couldn't move or even keep my eyes open. It wasn't like I could go into the next room and watch TV until I fell back asleep. I would just lay in bed with my eyes closed but not sleep. Not sleeping well every night for 2 months made functioning during the day a real struggle sometimes.
Irritability
I didn't really notice this side effect until the 2nd month (but maybe if you ask my husband he would think differently). After I received the second shot of Lupron Depot, I noticed myself getting annoyed so much easier and I was frustrated over the littlest of things.
Migraines
About once a week, I would find myself with a debilitating migraine. It would usually start in the afternoon and last through the evening.
Just Not Myself
Within a day of my first injection, I could feel myself changing hormonally. I wasn't me and didn't feel like myself the entire time. I am sure a lot of that also had to do with the lack of sleep, but the change inside of me was something I wasn't expecting to feel so intense.
HOW TO GET THROUGH THE MENOPAUSE
There were a few things that I did or found that helped to get me through the 2 months. The one thing I had to force myself to do was “enjoy” the break. For the first time in a long time, except the 2 days I had to get my Lupron Depot injections, I was doing absolutely nothing related to infertility. No extra meds or injections. No weekly appointments for blood draws or ultrasounds. No pressure to eat and drink the right thing every day. While it was a struggle to fully enjoy the break because of all my side effects, we tried really hard to find joy in this time. My husband did a lot of research on how to help me combat the side effects. We bought some moisture-wicking tank tops I could wear to bed at nights. But by far, the number one thing he got me that was an absolute lifesaver was my heated blanket. During the cold flashes the only thing that really gave me quick relief, even if I had the cold flash for awhile, was wrapping myself up in the heated blanket. I don't know how I lived this long without a heated blanket! Oh and the other thing that helped me get through the 2 months was my new found love for spicy margaritas but we don't have to go into detail on that one.
So just like that I am days away from starting the process of taking my body out of menopause and immediately beginning the preparation for our 4th embryo transfer. It was a really difficult 2 months and honestly I don't know if I could have done another day...but that's part of being an infertility warrior. We put ourselves through so much more than we thought we could ever handle, both physically and emotionally, and yet somehow we make it through.
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