I've read enough bloggers who are using NaPro physicians to know that this could signal something VERY bad that could require 10+ days of intravenous antibiotics. But I also know that such regimens often don't work.
At this point, I'm pretty much done with TTC. In a few weeks, we leave for our orientation weekend with our adoption agency. My mind is occupied by the homestudy and adoption profile. Once we make the payment to the agency, it really is best if I do not get pregnant. (Not that I can be bothered to avoid pregnancy.) We didn't even try this month because during my fertile time, we were out of town for my sister's wedding, sleeping in my old bedroom with ten other people in the house.
Still, I'm curious about this TEBB:
-Is there any problem with doing nothing? If I do have an infection, is it fine to just let my uterus be infected?
-Why would this have suddenly popped up after my surgery?
-Is there any chance it could be anything other than an infection? What?
-Did you have any other evidence of infection besides the TEBB? (e.g. foul-smelling discharge, etc, abdominal tenderness?)
-Did antibiotics clear up your TEBB? Have you conceived in the time since?
-Are there any non-NaPro physicians (besides Dr. Toth) who buy that TEBB is the result of infection?
-Should I go to my pelvic pain specialist about this? Or would he just laugh at me?
Any and all opinions, experience, anecdotes, and data are most welcome!
Aaah , TEBB - how I hate the. And mid-cycle BB and beginning of period BB. Yep, I get it all.
ReplyDeleteI had/have:
Infection
Endometriosis
Low progesterone
All of which can cause/contribute to brown bleeding.
The infection was cleared and treated with antibiotics (oral - for both me and The Man).
The endo was removed surgically and I try to keep it at bay with a no-gluten diet...which I do notice more BB when I eat gluten.
The hormones, well, when I quit taking post-peak HCG, the BB came back with a vengence.
The point of this lovely tale (ha!) is to say there are other things that can cause BB...I would say it's worth looking into...maybe do a round of antibiotics (oral) and see if that helps - only the cultures of the cervix are not exactly fun, so there's that....
Sending prayers your way!
Thanks Rebecca. As I say below, I'm quite sure that my doc will not prescribe antibiotics for me unless I can prove to him that I have an infection. I do wonder if I have uterine scarring from my surgery. For the cervical cultures, do they take biopsies of the cervix? I've had one of those before, and it wasn't fun, but at this point, I've been through a lot worse.
DeleteWe all have, haven't we?
I was glad to see Polkadot replied!
DeleteShe didn't do biopsies, just the swab of the cervix (I'm guessing - it was during an in-office exam). I had two infections, one that is pretty common (Beta Strep B) and another. The Beta Strep was treated by just treating me, the other by treating me and The Man with antibiotics. (My doctor is a NaPro.)
Yes, we've all been through too much.
You have a lot of good questions and Rebecca said it well...right now my dh and I are doing a round of antibiotics for TEBB...oral. This is the second time we have had to do this. I have no idea what that IV stuff is all about and hope that is not in my future. I have wondered about just leaving the TEBB alone...however my napro doc doesn't think that is the healthiest choice...she thinks this infection we have is causing some of the pelvic pain I get every month. I would look into it as well.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the response, pj! I hope your TEBB goes away soon too.
DeleteI saw your post title on Rebecca's blog.
ReplyDeleteThere are six known causes of TEBB.
1. Low progesterone and estradiol
2. Low endorphins
3. Diet (food intolerances)
4. Infection
5. Surgical (endo)
6. Adrenal fatigue
That list was created by a NaPro physician in Ireland who is on the cutting edge of NaPro. I doubt many physicians outside of NaPro and Dr. Toth have a clue that infection can be related to TEBB.
For me, everything has been treated leaving infection as the assumed/known cause. (HCG for low progesterone, naltrexone for low endorphins, food intolerance test and elimination diet for intolerances, surgery to remove endo, hydrocortisone for adrenal fatigue) In my surgery earlier this year, the NaPro surgeon did cultures which found multiple strains of bacteria. (I had had negative cultures in the past, which I think were just inadequately done--I've had TEBB for years.) We've tried a few different oral antibiotics that didn't work (DH takes it too because the infection can be passed between spouses). I did the ten days of IV antibiotics last summer which eliminated the TEBB for a cycle but it came back because my DH wasn't treated. It's on my blog sidebar if you would want to read about the experience. (We didn't conceive in that cycle probably because my endo had returned by that point.) My doctor is now ordering a semen culture to help identify the bacteria further.
Thanks so much for this comprehensive reply, polkadot! I read your sidebar and some of your history, and it seems like you had other symptoms of uterine infection (endometritis and the micro polyps). I know my hysteroscopies (sigh) were normal, but that was before surgery.
DeleteI know I don't have endo (laprascopically verified), hormones were normal, no other symptoms of adrenal fatigue. Since the TEBB popped up after surgery, I assume diet isn't the issue.
If it is infection, I guess I got it after the surgery. Depressing that the surgery was supposed to solve my problems--and it did treat my pain! I have never regretted it. But now I have a new problem to solve, and I'm not sure how to go about it. I'm not sure my specialist would prescribe me antibiotics--especially not big gun antibiotics--in the absence of peer-reviewed studies or positive cultures. Maybe I can just tell him I'm having odd discharge and make him do cultures.
I pray that you get your infection issues solved. I'm sure you must be frustrated. Thanks so much for taking the time to share your experience with me.