Activella - Menopause Message Board

cook82 · 09-29-2008, 10:02 AM

Hello Everybody,

I will try to make a long story short. My mother went on birth control pills at the age of 36 to control abnormal uterine bleeding (soaking more than 1 pad per hour). This was roughly 1965. In 1977 she went off the hormones at the demand of her doctor after being treated for an abnormal pap.

She moved to another state in the 1980's where she did not disclose her medical history and went on Prempro till about 4 years ago. Now she is on activella.

My mother is living with me due to her house going on fire. She left her meds at home. She is hysterical that she does not have this stuff and she is 82!!!

So my question is - is this medication necessary at her age????
How do you wean off activella??? She has not taken it in 3 days and she is scared that she will start to bleed.

I have placed a call to her gyn but was hoping to get some thoughts / experiences from the ladies on this board.

Thanks
Marie

Chantal231 · 09-29-2008, 04:52 PM

Hi Marie,

It sounds like your mom has anxiety about bleeding since she had so much trouble in her younger years.

The anxiety is what is driving her determination to stay on the Activella.

That said, does she have any symptoms of menopause such as hot flashes, night sweats, insomnia etc.?

At her age I can assure you and her that unless something was terribly wrong her days of bleeding are long past. Her ovaries have ceased to function.

I am very surprised that any reputable Dr would keep an elderly woman on hormone therapy.

Can you take her to your Dr for a checkup and have him/her explain some of this to her?

Good luck.

Chantal

cook82 · 09-29-2008, 05:37 PM

Hello Chantal,

Thanks so much for your response.

We managed to get to my PCP today and he gave her RX's for her bp meds AND the activella.

My mother has a bladder problem so she had to go before leaving the doctor's office. And are you ready for this??? She told me she is bleeding after only 3 days being off the drug!!!

Anyway we filled the med tonight and she resumed the activella tonight. Over the years, when she was on prempro I forget how many times she had to go for a D&C to diagnose the cause of the bleeding but the results were always negative and attributed to missing a day here or there of the drug.

Her GYN's office called me this afternoon. They assured me that all she had to do was stop and that there would be no aftereffects. They have been trying to get her off this for a couple of years now (which my mother denies!).

I realize now that my mother probably should have gotten a hysterectomy when she was my age but somehow escaped it.

I think if she were to just go off and stay off her body would adjust but she doesn't have the patience for that.

I afraid she is stuck with this med till she dies.

Marie