Tubal Reversal Blog ‘headaches’

Katherine is planning to be a future reversal patient of Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center in the fall of 2008. She discovered us while searching the Internet.

Here Katharine tells her story in her own words…

My ligation was two years ago. A month later, while getting ready for a wedding, I destroyed my bathroom upstairs in my home!

My boyfriend was in total shock! He flew up the stairs to see what in the world was going on up there. I had a “fit of rage”. It was awful. It is still very embarrassing to talk about. I do not have a history of mental illness or mood disorders. This ‘fit’ was extremely terrifying for me and for my boyfriend. After calming myself enough to grab the phone, I called my gynecologist. It was a Saturday and the Doctor on call suggested I seek psychiatric help.

Still shaking, and holding the phone in my lap…I thought for a moment…”Maybe I am crazy.”
Needless to say I never made it to the wedding, as I was afraid that I might have another “episode”. A few months later…my boyfriend moved out because he never knew what kind of woman he would come home to. The sad part is I’d wake up and wonder what kind of woman I would be that day. My instinct told me the tubal ligation was the cause of my emotional instability. I just knew it. It was intuition.

I made an appointment with the Doctor who performed the ligation (Filshie clips). When my name was called, I was ushered into the Nurse’s office instead of my Doctor’s office. The nurse explained the Doctor heard I was there to talk about a reversal and wanted to relay to me he “does not do reversals and is not aware of any post ligation symptoms and that I should seek professional psychiatric help.” I left crying.

I then called a psychiatrist who put me on Depakote, Lamectil and Klonopin. I informed her I have Post Tubal Ligation Syndrome (PTLS) symptoms PTLS, but I think she feels I’m bi-polar. The medication does help with the violent mood swings and depression.

The main symptoms are:

daily headaches
2-week PMS
7-8 day HEAVY periods (pass clots the size of walnuts)
anxiety, panic attacks, depression
pitting edema in ankles
fits of rage
uncontrollable crying spells
during ovulation..I have to sit on a pillow while driving and can’t sit flat on my chair at work. Pain with walking
sharp pains in my right side
pain during and after sex (especially after…I curl up in ball and suffer)

I have a small 10-acre farm with horses, dogs, and cats and soon…pigs! I don’t have time to be a pain ridden Tasmanian devil. I love my job, my family, my farm and it is so hard to enjoy it all when PTLS rules my life. I feel all of this is about to change now that I have found Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center!

Most importantly…My boyfriend and I have started dating again after a year apart. I showed him all of the emails, websites, etc that explain why I am the way I am…

A complete discussion of Post Tubal Ligation Syndrome and the stories of other PTLS patients who have undergone tubal reversal can be seen in our blog series on PTLS. The first of fourteen articles is Pain After Tubal Ligation: A Symptom of Post Tubal Ligation Syndrome? .

Readers can also view other patient submitted stories about their menstrual symptoms, reasons for reversing tubal ligation, and outcomes after reversal reversal surgery. Each patient’s story is listed below:

Meet Momzilla
Meet Andrea
Meet Rebecca
Meet Praybelieving

We invite readers to join our Tubal Reversal Message board and discuss and share personal experiences with tubal ligation. We also have a dedicated PTLS forum for readers to share experiences of worsening symptoms after tubal ligation procedures.

I am a Registered Nurse and have worked most of my career in Cardiac Surgery Intensive Care Unit. I took a three year break and worked in Labor and Delivery and really loved that, as you can imagine…EVERY day was THE best day of each of my patient’s lives. I loved being a part of it and was emotional during just about all of my deliveries! My husband is a wealth builder…he owns his own financial firm and does investment/financial advising.

We have a happy family with 5 children and would feel blessed with another child biologically or through adoption; unfortunately both of us were sterilized during our previous marriages. No one ever plans for their spouse to leave, their marriage to be torn apart, and be left infertile. As my new husband and I had very similar stories, morals and beliefs and united in marriage and family, we thought long and hard about adding to our family to essentially “tie” our children together with a half sibling– so that when they are older and we are gone, they will still be close and not drift apart. This is what led me to do my research about tubal reversal surgery and what led me to Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center.

Before this point, I had NO IDEA that Post Tubal Ligation Syndrome (PTLS) existed and I did not know all of my many symptoms were probably linked together due to the decision I made to have my tubes tied in 2003 after the birth of my daughter. I researched PTLS even further and found a very long list of symptoms and just cried as I showed the list to my husband one night. I was literally astounded.

I remember my mom telling me before I had my tubal ligation she had always heard a “Tubal ligation makes you have much more severe cramps and heavier periods”.

I asked my OB/GYN this question as I was making my decision (I worked with this doctor in L&D at the time) and she said this was not true at all. It is evident that many physicians do not recognize PTLS as a true syndrome and it’s saddening. I am very blessed that my husband empathized with me and all the symptoms I had and supported me in having the tubal reversal for symptom relief, without a second thought. I had my tubal reversal 7/31/08 and if it is God’s plan to add to our family, He can provide that miracle…but if not or until then…I am extremely happy to have had the opportunity to be “reconnected” by Dr. Monteith.

Below is a list of symptoms that I found on a PTLS website and I listed the symptoms I have (there were many, many more).

1. Bouts of rapid heart rate: In 2005, I was having palpations so frequently that I saw a cardiologist that I worked with at the time. He did a stress echo, which was fine, but placed me on a beta blocker medication due to the symptoms interfering with my everyday life. I have since weaned off of the medication myself and it only happens on occasion now.

2. Irritability/mood swings/PMS: I was never this bad before…I’m a very pleasant, laid back person and the past 4 years or so, my PMS symptoms have increased in length more and more until it was about 2 weeks long, and it would go away two or three days after my cycle was over.

3. Trouble sleeping thru the night: Absolutely! I have had severe insomnia since 2003 or 2004. Of course, my doctor gave me another pill to help this symptom…but I hate having such trouble sleeping and try not to take the medicine. I have tried hypnosis, herbs, melatonin, Benadryl, and acupuncture…many things other than using the prescription medicine.

4. Irregular periods: Not so much irregular, meaning I have 25-28 day cycles, but HEAVY and EXTREMELY painful…To the point of being doubled over in pain for the first two days of my cycle and curled up in a ball. It’s worse than any labor I had before I had to have my C-section. A couple of years ago, I would bleed up to 11-14 days every month and I was advised to have a hysterectomy due to the pain and bleeding. Being age 32 at the time, I refused to go that route.

5. Anxiety: I was never a very anxious person before. I have had increased anxiety, to the point I talked to my doctor about it (I was also going through a difficult time)…and was given yet another medication to try. It did help, but it was an antidepressant used for anxiety and was very hard for me to get off of once I decided I did not want to be on medication anymore.

6. Decreased energy: My energy level has dropped so much, but I just figured it was from getting older. I’ve never been a morning person, but this is much worse…it’s like constantly being tired and sluggish.

7. Feelings of doom/apprehension/despair: Some months, not all (especially a couple years back), my PMS symptoms are so severe, that it makes me think very sad thoughts…and it’s always about 2 days at the end of my cycle (which is the same point my migraines come as well…so it could be related).

8. Depression: I’ve had some bouts of what I call depression (non diagnosed) over the last few years…my “depression” is more in the form of anxiety/overwhelming feelings and wanting to sleep and not face anyone.

9. Headaches: Migraines…I used to have them in college when I was on birth control pills. Finally, when they figured out it was probably the hormones and I came off the birth control pills; I did not have any more migraines, until AFTER my tubal ligation. I’ve been on a migraine medication for over a year and use a different one if it gets out of hand. They can be debilitating.

10. Weight gain: I have had a very difficult time trying to lose my ‘baby weight’ from my last pregnancy from 2003 and tubal ligation. Although I had always been proportioned before, the worst of my weight now is around the middle.

11. GI problems: I have had reflux or heartburn since my tubal ligation as well.

I have only had one cycle since my tubal reversal, so I will be watching for much symptom relief!

A complete discussion of Post Tubal Ligation Syndrome and the stories of other PTLS patients who have undergone tubal reversal can be seen in our blog series on PTLS. The first of fourteen articles is Pain After Tubal Ligation: A Symptom of Post Tubal Ligation Syndrome? .

Readers can also view other patient submitted stories about their menstrual symptoms, reasons for reversing tubal ligation, and outcomes after reversal reversal surgery. Each patient’s story is listed below:

Meet Momzilla
Meet Andrea
Meet Rebecca
Meet Katherine

We invite readers to join our Tubal Reversal Message board and discuss and share personal experiences with tubal ligation. We also have a dedicated PTLS forum for readers to share experiences of worsening symptoms after tubal ligation procedures.

Rebecca’s experience with Post Tubal Ligation Syndrome in her own words…

My name is Rebecca and I am 45 years old. My husband’s name is Dana and he is 47.

I have a BA in Elementary Education. After teaching, I chose to stay at home the past twelve years with my daughter. I have home schooled her for the past 7 years. At the present time, I design and sew costumes for ballets and other performances.

My husband has a BS in Industrial Engineering. He works for a non-profit organization. He works as a liaison between the government and manufacturers that hire individuals with disabilities, in particular those who are blind.

We have been married for 26 years. We have four children. Two sons, ages 25 and 22 and two daughters ages 23 and 12. We have a grandson (4) and granddaughter (2) by our daughter, who is married to a wonderful man.

I had the tubal ligation in 1995 after the birth of my daughter. Just prior to this pregnancy I had a miscarriage. This put a scare into my husband. It was a pretty nasty miscarriage and although the next pregnancy was fine, he was concerned for my health and future pregnancy’s in addition to the age factor. I had my daughter at the age of 32. I did regret the tubal ligation. I felt I had interfered with God’s plan for my life. However, this I had come to terms with.

I found Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center in 1999. However, I did not read the message boards because I thought it was selfish of me to even think of spending that kind of money (for reversal surgery). The thought of a tubal ligation reversal went to bottom of the priority list. Life went on for the next 12 years. I finally began reading the boards and realized how many other women had suffered what I had and that there was hope by having a reversal.

I was approximately 33 when the symptoms of Post Tubal Ligation Syndrome (PTLS) began to show up. It is only after researching PTLS and reading my journals I realized my symptoms were very similar and often times identical to many other women out there. When the symptoms did show up I did not realize what the “condition was”. I thought what I was going through was part of the aging process.

The first thing to go was the desire for intimacy. This included a diversion to intercourse. I was unable to produce any signs of arousal, including cervical mucus. Intercourse became painful and had never been so before.

Doctors told me I had endometriosis, when in fact I did not.They also told me it was because of my tipped uterus. Not so. A tipped uterus has nothing to do with arousal. I told myself it was age, and the fact that I had born four children.

My moods became very erratic. I would blow up at the least little thing. Then moments later I would be fine. I would get depressed and have no desire to be around people.

This was not me; I love interaction and being around people. The saddest part about the erratic mood swings was the very real possibility that my husband may get fed up with me and all we had would be lost. It felt as if I had no control over my emotional state of mind, as if my world was crumbling and the only way to fix it was to take anti-depressants. This was not an option for me.

I began to get migraine headaches prior to my menstrual flow.

Severe headaches. They would last up to four to five days. I had never had headaches. My hair began to fall out. That began happening almost immediately. Again I thought that was normal.

Although I was very active, I began to put on weight around the age of 35. I began to get night sweats. One moment I would be cold then sweating profusely. My joints began to ache. I got unexplained joint pain. I was even diagnosed with tendinitis at the age of 35 (I do not play tennis). My doctor could not figure this out.

My menstrual cycle stayed at 28-day cycles, lasting about 7 days. Typically 3 days heavy 4 days light. However, they also began to be much heavier for longer than 3 days, and I began to experience spot bleeding. I would believe my cycle was over and then I would begin to bleed again about 3 days past my cycle. I didn’t say anything to the doctor; I was too concerned he would say I needed a “hysterectomy“. Or they would tell me that I was preparing to go into menopause. My friends even had me convinced that I was in the early stages of menopause.

I had been told for so long that everything that was happening to me was because of early menopause; I have a tendency to question if PTLS is real. That is why when I read the stories on CHTRC’s message boards about PTLS; I came to realize it is real…

Rebecca’s after surgery story can be viewed on the following blog article entitled Rebecca After Tubal Ligation Reversal.

CHTRC Series of Worsening Menstrual Problems After Tubal Ligation

This is the eleventh article in our fourteen part series on PTLS and associated medical conditions. Our first article, Pain After Tubes Tied: Symptom of Post Tubal Ligation Syndrome?, reviews symptoms associated with PTLS.

Our next several articles will continue to present patients who have suffered from worsening menstrual, physical, and emotional symptoms after surgical sterilization procedures ( women who had their tubes tied).

We invite readers to join our Tubal Reversal Message Board and discuss and share personal experiences with tubal ligation. We also have a dedicated PTLS forum for readers to share experiences of worsening symptoms after tubal ligation procedures.

Momzilla came to us at Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center seeking relief of problems that occurred after her tubal ligation. Momzilla is her sign-on name for the tubal reversal message board. She is 43 years old, happily married, and has three children. She is employed as a human resource manager and her husband is an attorney.

Momzilla had her tubal ligation three years ago and she describes the gradual onset of Post Tubal Ligation Symptoms (PTLS) after her tubal ligation. We asked her if we could use her as the subject of a blog featuring several of our patients. She agreed and provided us a comprehensive list of her physical problems.

Her symptoms in her own words…

“Longer clotty periods with a day or so of flooding blood followed by nothing and then bleeding again. (My menstrual periods from the dawn of time prior to that had been regular and predictable to almost the day), horrible insomnia, light-headedness/dizziness (almost passing out on a few occasions), exaggerated PMS and mood swings, absence of libido and an aversion to sex, fatigue, a sense of dread or doom (not depression), withdrawal from my family (almost needing isolation from people), inability to concentrate, fogginess and an awful memory, tingling in extremities, very dry skin no matter how much I drink or how much lotion I used, more frequent headaches, bloating and GI issues, inability to lose my baby weight (I lost my waist), breaking hair that is more oily, breaking nails, changes in perspiration and body odor (sweating and smelling more easily), bad taste in my mouth, more sinusitis and allergies…I think that about covers it..”

She also had told us she had tingling in her legs, which required her to see a neurologist and have a brain MRI. She also had increased sugar cravings and gained 15 lbs.

Momzilla told us her story of having a tubal ligation and then noticing the onset of these symptoms. She has seen several doctors and had a variety of inconclusive tests. She found information about PTLS on the Internet and discovered Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center as well. She was very clear she was not getting a ligation reversal so she could have more kids. She was trying to get her body to be like it was prior to the ligation. She desired a return to her normal state.

I am happy to report Momzilla had a successful tubal ligation reversal on June 2, 2008. Her surgery went well and was performed by Drs. Berger and Monteith. She had good tubal lengths and did well in the recovery room. She was released to the local Sheraton hotel for an overnight stay and was discharged home the next morning. She has recovered without any complications.

Readers can read about Momzilla’s after surgery report: Momzilla Reveals Her True Identity.

We will also publish reports on patients who have suffered from worsening menstrual, physical, and emotional symptoms after surgical sterilization procedures (women who had their tubes tied).

We invite readers to join our Tubal reversal message board and discuss and share personal experiences with tubal ligation. We also have a dedicated PTLS forum for readers to share experiences of worsening symptoms after tubal ligation procedures.