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Hysterectomy Experiences: Chronic Fatigue

by WS

Published on January 23, 2020

32531 views

A few years ago, I began writing for Hormones Matter about the gross overuse and adverse effects of hysterectomy and oophorectomy. Year after year, these posts generate tens of thousands of views and hundreds of comments. The comments inevitably follow the same pattern of unwarranted removal of organ(s) without informed consent and ensuing declining health. We are publishing a series of articles highlighting women’s comments. This is the fifth of the series and addresses the common complaint of chronic fatigue. The first article is about lack of informed consent and can be found here. The second one talks about how our “exterior” settles / collapses after the uterus is removed. The third addresses organ dysfunction and the fourth is about loss of sexuality and emotional emptiness. Although the 90% elective rate of these surgeries would imply that they are “restorative” or at least harmless, medical literature and women’s experiences prove otherwise.

Chronic Fatigue and Loss of Stamina

Many women commented on my other articles about chronic fatigue and loss of stamina and vibrancy since their hysterectomies even if they still had their ovaries. Although sleep problems were a common complaint, even absent those, women just couldn’t seem to get past the chronic fatigue and lack of stamina. These experiences match those of the majority of 1,000 hysterectomized women surveyed by the non-profit HERS Foundation. Those results are as follows:

Loss of energy: 78%
Profound fatigue: 77%
Loss of stamina: 69%
Insomnia: 61%
Unable to maintain previous level of activity in home: 34%

The complete list broken out by hysterectomy only, hysterectomy with one ovary removed, and hysterectomy with both ovaries removed can be found here. Below are comments from some of my articles.

Chris (age 64) says:

“My husband and I had and unbelievable sex life, I had loads of energy and strength and was able to joke about being “37”. I now feel like and old woman. I want to sleep more then move, I have little strength….”

Jacqueline:

“I have no energy at 38. I have more problems now than I did before surgery.”

NJ:

“The Testim has helped my energy levels but I have lowered the dose as my body hair increased.”

Joshua:

“…my finance had a cervical hysterectomy [sic] back in January of this year and she seems to be having issues with mood swings sex drive depression and fatigue.”

BeBe:

“My hysterectomy was necessary due to Essure permanent birth control. One migrated to my uterus and I was sick from that poison…. I’m 11 months post op…. I’m fatigued. Have migraines and have become very anti social.”

Joan:

“I was a very active women, always running around from 6am till 9pm…. I am tired all the time.”

Teresa:

“I’m 12 years post op…. I stay fatigued and have no sexual drive and depression….”

Sue:

“Hysterectomy [sic] in 2007…. Severe fatigue, bloating, pain under rib. No answers…. My life has been horrible since.”

Jill:

“…my energy levels have dropped too.”

Jen:

“I had TAH kept my ovaries (boy, that was a battle)…. I have had so many problems since…. I truly feel awful. My energy levels are just depleted. I’m dealing with idiot doctors rift now plus I am too tired to go to all these specialists…. I also have severe rib pain right and left. I have bowel problems too and the nausea and fatigue is hell.”

Irene:

“Ever since HYSTERECTOMY my whole personality has changed, gone from an outgoing lady to a hermit rarely interested in socialising and I have little energy and gone from 60kg to 70kg.”

Annele:

“Had my surgery in 2010, compared to photos of me and my energy levels, sex live, I have aged about 10 years in a 5 year period. My mother also went for her hysterectomy during 2012, she experienced similar side effects.”

Sharon:

“I can hardly get out of bed. I have no appetite, no energy, and I feel awful.”

Elaine:

“I ache constantly, I still get intense flashes and my energy level has gone from active (pre-surgery) to minimal…..I am so sleep deprived and so sore….I feel I was not thoroughly informed and this surgery was the biggest mistake! I cry and yearn for who I was a year ago.”

Julie:

“Ever since surgery I had so much pain, discomfort, fatigue, and now depression. I used to be real busy with my family going outdoors for hunts, fishing and picnics. Now days I just barely do anything and my whole life has changed. My health has just been going down.”

Lyn:

“After 3 months post surgery, I had to retire my full time profession as a licensed therapeutic massage therapist due to fatigue, lower back, sacroiliac joint, hip, leg and foot pain!… My balance has been compromised and have had (4) falls since surgery…. I use to enjoy my walks with my dog and make attempts daily, but I become winded and fatigued almost instantly….”

Sue:

“My health just continues to decline. I was the most active person before this surgery, now I do nothing most days. I’m very concerned about my bowel issue and the relentless fatigue.”

Angela:

“I saw my mother destroyed by a hysterectomy at 38. This has been going on for decades and the denial has to stop. Women don’t even have to tell me they’ve had one. I can see it – in their faces, their hair, their figures, their lack of vitality.”

Jacqualine:

“take ambien to sleep”

Marlo:

“I can’t sleep at night.”

KA:

“taking a sleep aide”

Rebecca:

“Can’t sleep, wake up with headaches every day. Having major sweats, Loosing my hair and my mind!”

I caution any woman who is told she needs a hysterectomy and/or oophorectomy or is considering one to heed these comments. With the gross overuse of these surgeries, chances are she’s being sold a false bill of goods. It’s not always a good idea to rely solely on your doctor’s advice as Someone

Who Cares cautions:

“After 40 years of enduring this “disabled” existence, it breaks my heart that no matter how many of us try to warn other women, in various ways, the number of these destructive surgeries continues to increase, not decrease.”

A complete list of my articles can be found here. The HERS Foundation is a good resource for understanding the lifelong functions of the female organs. It also has information about gynecologic conditions and treatment options. These two sites, Gyn Reform (especially the studies/citations link) and Ovaries for Life, are excellent resources about the gross overuse and harm of ovary removal or hysterectomy induced loss of ovarian function.

Share your Story

If you have a hysterectomy story, please consider sharing it on Hormones Matter.

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This article was first published in April 2017.

Summer’s Best Bargain: Free Vitamin D

by Susan Rex Ryan

Published on July 2, 2019

3539 views

The warmest season of the year is around the corner. Many of us are looking forward to school holidays, work vacations, and relaxing. And shopping often accompanies our summer fun. So take advantage of the best bargain of the season: better health – for free! That’s right, I am talking about sunshine: the light emitting from the fiery heart of our solar system. Ultraviolet B (UVB) rays from the sun provide us with an essential nutrient called vitamin D. Yes, this is the vitamin that not only strengthens our bones and muscles but may significantly protect us from a wide range of serious diseases including autoimmune disorders, cancer, contagious illnesses, diabetes, and heart disease, according to a plethora of credible medical studies from around the world.

Many people—across generations and geographical locations—suffer from low vitamin D levels from lifestyles that do not include unprotected sunbathing. Since the late 1980’s, the medical community has emphasized the need to “shun the sun” to avoid skin cancer. Consumers have embraced this advice by spending billions of dollars so they can slather chemical-laden lotions with exponentially increasing sun protection factors all over their bodies. This behavior has resulted in a vitamin D deficiency epidemic.

Moderate sun exposure is healthy for most individuals. Our bodies possess an inherent mechanism to process only the necessary intake of sun rays, about 20,000 international units of vitamin D. After our skin is exposed to direct sunlight under optimal conditions for about 20 minutes, its safety mechanism turns off the initial production of vitamin D. For many folks, it is then time to move to the shade or don additional protection to reduce the risk of sunburn.

Optimal conditions to enjoy summer’s vitamin D depend on a number of factors that we can, and in some cases, cannot control. These factors include:

Geographic location. The closer you are to the equator and the higher your altitude the better your opportunity to acquire vitamin D-rich sunlight.

Time of day. The window of sunlight between 10:00 in the morning and 2:00 in the afternoon is optimal. If your shadow is shorter than your height, you are in the potential vitamin D-producing time frame.

Sky clarity. An azure sky is highly preferable to cloud cover. UVB light is decreased by about 50 percent when penetrating clouds. Ozone pollution absorbs UVB rays before they reach your skin.

Skin. The less clothing, makeup, and sunscreen you wear, the better the odds that your skin can produce vitamin D. It also is important to understand that melanin, the pigment in your skin, absorbs UVB rays. The lighter your skin, the better chance you can make vitamin D more efficiently.

Age. Youth trumps older ages because the concentration of the vitamin D precursor in our skin, called 7-dehydrocholesterol, decreases with age.

Weight. Less weight means typically more vitamin D production from the sun. As vitamin D is fat-soluble, the body’s fat cells more rapidly absorb vitamin D, decreasing its availability to organs, tissues, and cells.

You may be thinking, “I live near sea level, far from the equator, in mostly cloudy conditions with cool summer temperatures; work full-time during the day; and am dark-skinned and overweight. How on earth (literally) can I get any measurable vitamin D from the sun?” Take advantage of sunny weather by enjoying an outdoor lunch break. Remove that hat, roll up your sleeves, and soak in the sun. Ten minutes of sun exposure is better than none.

Each individual’s options for absorbing nature’s gift of vitamin D may differ.* Fortunately, widely available sources of vitamin D including vitamin D3 supplements may be highly effective in raising your body’s D levels to protect you from a wide array of medical conditions. The information about, and benefits of, vitamin D could fill a book. In fact, I am so impressed with vitamin D’s health benefits that I recently published a book called Defend Your Life to encourage people to improve their health by taking vitamin D.

Happy summer, and happy health!

*Persons who have developed sarcoidosis, specific granulomatous diseases, and rare cancers may experience hypersensitivity to sunlight exposure.

Image by pixel2013 from Pixabay .

Improving Male and Female Fertility with Vitamin D

by Susan Rex Ryan

Published on April 11, 2018

8954 views

Vitamin D is essential to a healthy life, at any stage, yet its effectiveness is often overlooked by practitioners treating parents who are trying to conceive. The overwhelming majority of infertility cases are treated with drugs or surgical procedures, and are successful less than 50 percent.

Supplementation presents a simple, safe, inexpensive, and potentially effective approach to preparing for fruitful conception. In this article, I address vitamin D’s role in reproduction, evidence supporting the positive effect of this nutrient on fertility, and how to become vitamin D healthy parents.

Vitamin D’s Role in Reproduction

The human reproductive system comprises billions of cells. Every cell in the female and male reproductive systems contains genetic codes as well as a receptor to receive vitamin D.
Vitamin D is actually a steroid hormone produced by our body. We manufacture vitamin D when we take a quality vitamin D3 supplement, expose our skin to optimal sun light, or consume lots of fatty fish or vitamin D3-fortified foods.

Cells in the female reproductive system (including the ovaries, fallopian tubes, uterus, placenta, and decidua) are replete with vitamin D receptors. The male reproductive system cells (including the testes, prostate, and urethra) also are abundant with vitamin D receptors.

When we have ample amounts of activated vitamin D, it binds with its receptor to regulate genes in our reproductive system. For example, activated vitamin D in the female reproductive system controls the genes involved in estrogen production. Vitamin D also regulates several genes during the process of embryo implantation.

Conversely, when the reproductive system lacks activated vitamin D, genes essential to conception are not expressed. Hence, the chances of achieving successful conception are diminished.

Both Mom and Dad Need Vitamin D for Fertility

For many couples, getting pregnant and carrying a pregnancy to term present daunting challenges. But few understand how vitamin D plays a role in fertility of both biological parents. Scientific research indicates that the significant prevalence of vitamin D deficiency correlates to the incidences of infertility cases in women and men:

Researchers in Milan, Italy conducted a study of 335 women who were candidates for in vitro fertilization (IVF). Published in the August 14, 2014 issue of The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, the study demonstrated that the women with vitamin D levels of more than 30 ng/mL (75 nmol/L) enjoyed the highest chance of pregnancy. The researchers concluded vitamin D is an emerging factor influencing female fertility and IVF outcome.
Greek researchers recently examined 30 years of scientific literature on the role of vitamin D in human reproduction. The accumulated evidence suggests that vitamin D is significantly involved in the reproductive system of both genders. Regarding fertility, the researchers noted that vitamin D status is associated with semen quality and sperm count, motility, and morphology. Moreover, they concluded that there also is a positive effect of vitamin D supplementation on testosterone concentrations and fertility outcomes. The review was published in a 2013 issue of the International Journal of Clinical Practice.
An Australian fertility specialist, Anne Clark, M.D., presented findings to the 2008 Fertility Society of Australia Conference that demonstrated the role of low vitamin D in men. More than one-third of the 794 men who underwent a vitamin D blood serum test were determined to be deficient in vitamin D (as well as folate). Among the couples where the male completed supplementation treatment for nutritional deficiencies, more than one-half conceived naturally or with minimal treatment.

How to Become Vitamin D Healthy Parents

In today’s modern indoor living, the most effective source of vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) is an oil-based soft gel or liquid supplement. Vitamin D3 supplements are available over the counter in retail and online stores. Beware of vitamin D prescriptions as most contain vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol) that is much less effective than vitamin D3.

The amount of vitamin D3 depends upon your vitamin D level, derived from a simple blood test called 25(OH)D. Assume you are vitamin D deficient (most people are) and get your blood tested by your healthcare practitioner.

Based on the results of your test, supplement daily with vitamin D3 to safely increase your blood levels. A number of vitamin D experts believe a healthy vitamin D range is at least 50 to 80 ng/mL (125 to 200 nmol/L).

Repeat the test in three to six months. Increase or maintain your daily D3 dose in response to your current level. Getting within range will take time (at least months) but rest assured that you will be gaining vitamin D wellness that should increase your chances of getting pregnant.

Vitamin D’s benefits do not end with fertility! Stay tuned for my next Hormones Matter article “Maternal Vitamin D: Pregnancy and Beyond.”

Editor’s Note: Susan Rex Ryan is an award-winning author who is dedicated to vitamin D awareness. Her extensive collection of health articles can be found on Hormones Matter as well as on her vitamin D blog at smilinsuepubs.com. Follow Sue on FB “Susan Rex Ryan” and Twitter @vitD3sue.

Hormones Matter does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.

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Sexual Function after Hysterectomy

by WS

Published on January 15, 2018

126721 views

Whether a hysterectomy will affect sexual function is a common concern amongst women considering the surgery, as well it should be. Sex is a vital part of life and the loss of sexual function can be devastating. Whether and how hysterectomy affects sexual function is not very clear, however, and depends upon a number of variables, not the least of which is sexual function pre-hysterectomy, and particularly, pre-gynecologic problems. In many cases, women have a hysterectomy to rectify conditions associated with heavy bleeding and/or excessive pain like fibroids, endometriosis, adenomyosis and cysts. Reducing pain and bleeding should positively affect sexual frequency; however, effects on function may vary. Hysterectomy can diminish sexual function either directly because of the disconnection of the nerves and blood vessels that supply sexual energy or indirectly via the loss of critical hormones when or if the ovaries are removed or cease to function. And for many women, those with endometriosis, the hysterectomy itself provides only temporary relief from the disease process.

When evaluating the possibility of having a hysterectomy relative to sexual function outcomes, there are a few things women must consider.

Understanding the “Anatomy” of Sexual Function

According to Masters and Johnson, there are four phases of sexual response – Excitement, Plateau, Orgasm, and Resolution.

Sensation to any body part requires proper nerve conduction and adequate blood flow. Many nerves, blood vessels, and ligaments are severed to remove the uterus. The uterus and its ligaments themselves are rich sources of blood supply. As a result, sensation to the vagina, clitoris, labia, and nipples can be diminished by hysterectomy. This loss of sensation can hamper sexual function.

The Excitement phase is triggered by sexual stimuli, either physical or psychological. The stimuli triggers increased blood flow (vasocongestion) to the genitalia. With a blood vessel and nerve network altered by hysterectomy, this process may be hampered.

Contractions of the uterus are listed as a part of the Orgasm phase. So without a uterus, orgasm is not complete. Hence, it would make sense that orgasm is negatively impacted by hysterectomy, ovary removal or not. I have read, however, that some women do not experience uterine orgasm. So for them, a hysterectomy may not affect their orgasms.

My Personal Experience Post Hysterectomy

I realized very quickly after my hysterectomy that my libido, arousal, and ability to orgasm were broken. A steamy sex scene in a novel or movie or a hot looking guy no longer elicited sexual feelings. And the thought of sex was repulsive. That was a very sad day for me and I still mourn the loss of my intact sexuality. Some may question whether these changes are really due to the loss of my uterus or more so from the loss of my ovaries. When my hormone replacement was inadequate, the thought of sex was repulsive. However, I did have occasional orgasms but they were difficult to achieve and very infrequent as well as disappointing compared to before hysterectomy. Before my surgery, I had a good libido and an intense uterine orgasm every time I had intercourse. I have been on a good hormone regimen for over 6 years now. Sex is no longer repulsive but I do not have a libido or feel sexual in any way. Arousal takes much longer and orgasms are still weaker than before hysterectomy, do not always happen, and rarely occur during intercourse. Testosterone did not improve libido or arousal nor improve orgasm frequency or quality. Nipple sensation has been absent since surgery. These losses to my sexuality have affected my marriage relationship as well as social and professional relationships as I lack what I would call “sexual energy” and confidence.

Hysterectomy and Sexual Function

Why is it that so many dismiss sexual problems post-hysterectomy as psychological? If a man has his prostate and/or testicles removed or penis shortened (heaven forbid!), sexual problems are attributed to the loss or surgical alteration of his SEX organ(s). So why would it be any different for women?

Although there have been some studies on sexual function after hysterectomy, I have not been able to make much sense out of them. It seems that most use a benchmark of (impaired) sexual function shortly before hysterectomy when gynecologic problems impede sexual activity and function versus prior to the gynecologic problems that are the reason for the hysterectomy. This observational study compared sexual pleasure, activity, and problems by type of hysterectomy at 6 months post-operative. It concluded that “sexual pleasure significantly improved in all patients, independent of the type of hysterectomy.” However, it also concluded that “the prevalence of one or more bothersome sexual problems six months after vaginal hysterectomy, subtotal abdominal hysterectomy, and total abdominal hysterectomy was 43% (38/89), 41% (31/76), and 39% (57/145), respectively.” With these high rates of “bothersome sexual problems” I cannot imagine how this could have been an improvement. However, if the benchmark was based on the time frame when pre-operative heavy bleeding, discomfort, or pain impaired sexual activity and function, then it would certainly be possible for sexual function to improve post-operatively. That does not mean it was an improvement over NORMAL sexual function (pre-gynecologic problems).

This Boston University School of Medicine article discusses post-hysterectomy sexual dysfunction. It says,

“Desire, arousal, orgasm and pain disorders may all be seen post-hysterectomy…..Internal orgasms are often changed significantly after hysterectomy. This is observed in part due to the inability to have rhythmic contractions of uterine muscles without the uterus present. Also, internal orgasms are changed after hysterectomy due to injury to the nerves which pass near the cervix. Surgeons should try to spare these nerves, but efforts to spare them are limited at the present. The result is that after hysterectomy, many women lose the ability to have an internal orgasm.”

Changing the Mindset: Removing a Woman’s Sex Organs Impairs Sexual Function

First and foremost, we need to stop referring to women’s sex organs as reproductive organs since they have vital, lifelong functions far beyond reproduction. In addition to the sexual functions, these include endocrine/hormonal, bladder and pelvic floor and anatomical and skeletal as detailed in my articles and the HERS Foundation’s video.

Secondly, women need to be more open about the effects hysterectomy has had on their health and quality of life, sexual and otherwise. It seems that some do not connect their problems with the surgery and many others choose not to talk about it. Before surgery, we are likely to believe that hysterectomy is fairly harmless since it is such a common surgery (second to c-section). No surgery is harmless. One that removes a woman’s sexual organs cannot help but cause problems with sexual function.

Some other factors that may be in play are that women seem to value their sex lives less than men. We tend to shortchange ourselves in other areas as well, putting others’ needs ahead of our own. Women of older generations were taught to trust and obey authority figures. So we typically trust our doctors and follow their recommendations. We are particularly vulnerable with gynecologists as we tend to have a long history with them through annual well woman checkups and pregnancies and deliveries. We are easy prey for hysterectomy marketing.

Clearly, there are far too many women being harmed by unwarranted hysterectomies and castrations. According to this 2000 study, 76% of hysterectomies do not meet ACOG criteria. Yet the rates have not declined and the use of robotics seems to be fueling even more hysterectomies with promises of quicker recoveries. Hysterectomies are big business with revenues rolling in to the tune of over $16 billion annually. With so much money at stake, we cannot count on the medical establishment to restrain themselves. It is up to us to spread the word.

Does Hysterectomy Affect Sexual Function?

Yes, it does. How can it not, given the nature of the surgical procedure? Whether the effects are generally more negative or positive is not clear. It largely depends on the reason for the hysterectomy including the severity and prolonged nature of those gynecologic problems. There is very little research and even less consideration or conversation regarding women’s pre- and post- hysterectomy sexual functioning. That is something we can change together by sharing our stories and communicating our needs.

Additional Resources

I highly recommend the non-profit HERS Foundation’s video “Female Anatomy: the Functions of the Female Organs.” It taught me most of what I know about the consequences of hysterectomy and/or ovary removal (castration). When I first discovered the video, some of it did not make sense. But as more time elapsed, the changes became clearer. My body and life have changed in ways I never could have imagined. I only wish I had found the video prior to my unwarranted hysterectomy.

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This article was published originally on April 10, 2014.

Vitamin D Plays an Integral Role in Adaptive Immunity

by Susan Rex Ryan

Published on November 28, 2017

6302 views

Severe Adverse Reactions Include Vitamin D Deficiency and Autoimmunity

Hormones Matter researchers discovered that, inter alia, severe adverse reactions to any of the surveyed drugs trigger significant but varying autoimmune responses. Moreover, the research revealed an underlying consistency involving all reviewed drugs: vitamin D deficiency.

Vitamin D Helps Regulate the Adaptive Immune System

The adaptive immune system comprises the body’s intricate network of antibodies and special types of white blood cells (called sensitized lymphocytes ) to thwart new and previous invaders including viruses, bacteria, and drugs. When the adaptive immune system is not strong enough to endure external disruptions such as severe side effects of drugs, it can go awry by signaling antibodies and sensitized lymphocytes to attack healthy cells. This response is called autoimmunity—when the adaptive immune system’s cells do not recognize previous invaders and designate healthy cells as those invaders. In other words, the body’s immune cells attack its own healthy cells.

Scientific research over the past three decades solidifies the connection between vitamin D and autoimmunity. Vitamin D plays an integral role in the regulation of the adaptive immune system. Adequate vitamin D in our bodies can protect us from autoimmunity because adaptive immune cells contain vitamin D receptors (VDRs). These receptors are attached to the surface of the adaptive immune system’s antibodies and sensitized lymphocytes. The VDRs act as “gate keepers” by signaling what external substances, e.g., components of medications, can enter a cell. The VDRs must be replete with vitamin D to effectively regulate adaptive immunity. When the VDRs receive adequate amounts of vitamin D, they enable the adaptive immune system to function properly by attacking new and previous invaders.

When the VDRs attached to the adaptive immune system’s cells do not contain sufficient vitamin D to attack invaders, autoimmunity may kick in, causing the death of healthy immune cells. Thus, low vitamin D levels can lead to autoimmune diseases including thyroid disorders such as Hashimoto’s and demyelinating diseases including multiple sclerosis (MS).

Vitamin D and Hashimoto’s Autoimmune Thyroid Disease

The Real Women, Real Data research also uncovered another consistency among severe adverse reactions to the reviewed drugs: Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, an autoimmune disease caused by abnormal cells constantly assaulting the thyroid gland
.
Vitamin D receptors are present in the thyroid as well as the pituitary, the pea-shaped gland that controls the thyroid. Not surprisingly, low levels of serum vitamin D have been linked to Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, according to recent Turkish medical research:

Published in a 2013 issue of the journal Endocrine Practice, a study conducted at a training and research hospital in Ankara demonstrated that serum vitamin D levels of female chronic Hashimoto’s patients were significantly lower than healthy subjects. Furthermore, the researchers discovered a direct correlation between serum vitamin D levels and thyroid volume as well as an inverse correlation to the antibodies involved in the thyroid.

Researchers at Medeniyet University’s Goztepe Education and Research Hospital in Istanbul learned that 92 per cent of their 161 Hashimoto’s thyroiditis cases had serum vitamin D levels lower than 30 ng/mL (12 nmol/L), a value characterized as “insufficient.” Published in a 2011 issue of the journal Thyroid, the study reports an association between vitamin D insufficiency and Hashimoto’s thyroiditis.

Vitamin D and Demyelinating Disorders

Another disturbing outcome of the Real Woman, Real Data research is the reporting of neurological and neuromuscular symptoms, many which of are consistent with demyelinating disorders such as MS, an autoimmune disease. The development of MS occurs when a poorly functioning, adaptive immune system gradually attacks the protective covering of the nerve cells (called the myelin sheath) of the brain and spinal cord. This potentially debilitating process is called demyelination.

Scientific—primarily epidemiological—research indicates an association between vitamin D levels and the risk of developing a demyelinating disorder such as MS. VDRs exist on nerve cells and the myelin sheath. When the VDRs receive adequate amounts of vitamin D, they help protect the integrity of the myelin sheath. However, when the VDRs do not contain sufficient vitamin D, autoimmunity may occur, resulting in the death of healthy nerve cells. Numerous clinical trials are underway to assess the connection between vitamin D status and the likelihood of developing demyelinating disorders.

Low Vitamin D: The Chicken or the Egg?

The connection between low vitamin D status and the development of autoimmune disease is genuine. However, medical research has not yet determined if vitamin D deficiency plays a role in the development of autoimmune disease, if low vitamin D levels are a consequence of the disease itself, or if vitamin D deficiency acts as both a cause and effect. The authors of the aforementioned 2013 Hashimoto’s study concluded,

“Finally, our results suggested that there may be a causal relation between vitamin D deficiency and development of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. On the other hand, there might be a possible relation between severity of vitamin D deficiency and progression of thyroid damage. However, further studies are needed especially about the effects of vitamin D supplementation on prevention and/or progression of autoimmune thyroid disease.”

Proactive Protection against Severe Adverse Reactions

We could wait years (or decades) to garner the results of further scientific studies and clinical trials to define the exact relationship between vitamin status and severe adverse reactions to vaccines and medications that culminate in autoimmune disorders. Or we could be proactive by taking daily vitamin supplements and enjoying moderate sunlight exposure to increase our vitamin D levels.

It is imperative to take enough vitamin D3 so this essential nutrient will be stored in your cells to help regulate your immune system. The greater your serum vitamin D level (easily obtained from a simple blood test called 25(OH) D, the more likely you will benefit from a stronger immune system that protects your body’s cells from attacking one another.

No one wants to endure severe adverse reactions to drugs such as Gardasil and Lupron, let alone an autoimmune disease. Attaining and maintaining adequate supplementation provides a safe, easy, and inexpensive approach to improved preventive health. By empowering yourself with adequate vitamin D, you may reap the benefits of avoiding disease and enjoying better quality of life.

This article was published previously on Hormone Matter in September 2013.

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DES – The Drug to Prevent Miscarriage Ruins Lives of Millions

by DES Daughter

Published on February 23, 2017

32410 views

Let’s rewind time. We’re in 1970. My mum, like millions of other women, puts all her trust and last hopes of carrying a successful pregnancy in the hands of health professionals. She accepts to take a drug recommended and prescribed in good faith by her doctor without knowing that years later it would have devastating consequences not only on her health but the health of her daughter and possibly her grand-children. She takes Diethylstilbestrol (or DES in short), the first synthetic man made female sex hormone (oestrogen) widely prescribed for public use in the mistaken belief that it would prevent miscarriage and loss.

Now let’s fast forward. We’re in 2001 three decades after my mum took DES. I’m in a hospital ward anxiously waiting for the results of a scan. I’m pregnant. “We’re so sorry, but you know 1 out of 5 pregnancies end in miscarriage. You should try again” I’m told. My head is spinning. What did my Mum said again? DES, yes DES, I remember now. She mentioned when I was just a teenage girl that research had confirmed that the drug taken throughout her pregnancy to prevent miscarriage was responsible for all sorts of dreadful health issues including a rare form of vaginal cancer, infertility and high risks pregnancies. What if this was responsible for the loss of my baby, I ask. “DES? What is DES? Never heard of it!” replies the consultant on duty that day. ”If you keep miscarrying, we’ll investigate further” he adds.

I don’t listen and seek help and advice from an organization founded by a mother who had been prescribed this drug and advocates for the many families affected by DES. A Professor, expert in fertility treatment, confirms a congenital uterine malformation typical of DES exposure and confirms that I’m a DES daughter, one amongst millions of other women whose mothers took Diethylstilbestrol during pregnancy.

If you were born or pregnant in the US between 1938 and 1971, and until the mid-’80s in some European countries, you may have been exposed to DES too and you may suffer from the consequences of this drug without even knowing it. Diethylstilbestrol has put the mothers prescribed the drug, their daughters and sons exposed in utero, and potentially their grandchildren due to the trans-generational effects of this synthetic hormone, at risk for serious health problems including but not limited to: structural damages in reproductive organs, high risk pregnancies and miscarriage, cancer, infertility and possible immune system impairment. Many other suspected effects are still awaiting further research but funding is critically missing.

Often referred to as the “Silent Thalidomide” by the media, diethylstilbestrol is considered as the world’s first drug scandal. Despite evidence of its ineffectiveness and danger, it continued to be prescribed to pregnant women beyond 1971 when the first link between DES and a rare form of vaginal cancer (clear cell adenocarcinoma) was formally established in Boston, Massachusetts.

Even though this drug was given to pregnant women decades ago, it affects and continues to affect millions of families today and possibly for many years to come. Yet, diethylstilbestrol has been and still is a well-kept secret, a taboo subject not only in families but within the medical community too.

No drug manufacturers, health authorities, nor governments have ever taken responsibility for the long term health side effects of this drug.

Don’t Pharmaceutical companies have a responsibility to their consumers to provide a product that is safe?

Four sisters recently filed a lawsuit against drug manufacturer Eli Lilly. They feel that their breast cancer was a direct result of Eli Lilly’s negligence. Eli Lilly has never accepted responsibility nor apologized for the DES tragedy, even though the company has paid millions in out-of-court settlements and verdicts to DES Daughters and Sons who suffered injuries from their exposure. The Melnick sisters reached a settlement with the drug company a few weeks ago, but Eli Lilly has not accepted any responsibility. Outraged by Eli Lilly’s failure to fess up on DES, Patricia Royall, a plaintiff in one of the 72 pending DES breast cancer lawsuits in Boston federal court and the District of Columbia, is now calling on the general public to sign a petition urging the drug manufacturer to apologize for the DES tragedy. From all corners of the globe, Australia to France, the UK to the Netherlands, Ireland to the USA, DES victims are crying out for justice.

Diethylstilbestrol is a world drug disaster yet very few people know about its tragic health consequences or have even heard about it. Public health awareness campaigns are vital to reaching out to the millions of people who have been exposed to this harmful drug. People who are not aware of their exposure to DES are not receiving proper medical treatment, or making truly informed decisions about their healthcare, as a result. It is equally important to educate the next generations of health professionals who have never heard of DES so they can provide adequate care to DES victims for years to come.

DES Daughter DES is not something of the past. People who have been exposed to this drug years ago are battling with health issues and fighting for their lives as I’m writing this blog post. Who knows what health problems the grandchildren of the mothers who were prescribed this drug will have to deal with as they grow up. I want my daughters to receive adequate medical care and monitoring if they ever have to suffer the consequences of this drug. This is why together with my husband we support the great work done by the very few International DES Action Groups who are providing valuable information and are advocating for the DES victims.

If you’re concerned that you may have been exposed to DES, please don’t let doctors dismiss your concerns. Contact your local DES Action Group for professional advice and guidance. Connect with me and other DES daughters via my blog: DES Daughter Network and my website: Journal of a DES Daughter. You have the right to know.

We need your help.

Hormones Matter needs funding now. Our research funding was cut recently and because of our commitment to independent health research and journalism unbiased by commercial interests we allow minimal advertising on the site. That means all funding must come from you, our readers. Don’t let Hormones Matter die.

Yes, I’d like to support Hormones Matter.

This article was published previously on Hormones Matter in February 2013.

Vitamin D3 and Thyroid Health

by Susan Rex Ryan

Published on January 17, 2017

11760 views

The benefits of vitamin D3 garner a plethora of glowing press these days but little information has been reported about how this essential nutrient may be associated with thyroid disorders. An alarming number of Americans—over 25 million—suffer from thyroid disease. Women are four times more likely than men to develop a thyroid disorder. The thyroid, a butterfly-shaped gland located in your neck, regulates your metabolism and affects every cell in your body. When your thyroid is not working properly, your body becomes unbalanced, potentially causing symptoms including weight gain or loss and chronic fatigue as well as autoimmune disease and cancer. Let’s look at how vitamin D3 may affect thyroid health:

Thyroid Hormonal Balance

Vitamin D receptors (VDR) are present in the cells of the pituitary, the pea-sized gland located at the base of the brain that controls your thyroid. The pituitary produces a hormone called thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) that signals your thyroid gland to make thyroid hormone (T3 and T4). Thyroid hormone constantly circulates throughout your body, regulating metabolism. Either inadequate or excessive thyroid hormone can wreak havoc to your health, culminating in hypo- or hyperthyroidism. Understanding the regulating effects of VDR in our cells, I surmise that the amount of activated vitamin D3 in the pituitary’s VDR may be connected to the balance of thyroid hormone.

Autoimmune Thyroid Diseases

Adequate levels of vitamin D3 may protect the immune system from attacking itself. Low vitamin D3 levels have been linked to autoimmune thyroid diseases including Hashimoto’s and Graves’ thyroiditis.

Discovered one hundred years ago by a Japanese physician, Hashimoto’s disease is caused by abnormal blood cells and white blood cells constantly attacking and damaging the thyroid. About 95 per cent of Hashimoto’s disease patients are women. A study published in a 2011 issue of the journal Thyroid revealed that 92 per cent of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis cases had insufficient circulating vitamin D3 levels.

Ten times more likely to develop in women than men, Graves’ disease is caused by antibodies that overstimulate thyroid hormone production, causing hyperthyroidism. Researchers, who investigated Japanese female and male patients with Graves’ disease over a one-year period, found a high prevalence of woefully low circulating vitamin D3 in the female patients compared to the male subjects.

Thyroid Cancer

Incidences of thyroid cancer have doubled over the past four decades. The likelihood of women developing thyroid cancer is three times greater than for men. Activated vitamin D3 regulates cell differentiation, cell proliferation, and cell death. If these vital functions go awry, cancer may develop. Epidemiological studies indicate a link between vitamin D3 and thyroid cancer. Vitamin D researcher W.B. Grant, Ph.D. published a paper in a 2012 issue of the journal Anticancer Research that indicated an association between solar ultraviolet B, vitamin D3, and cancers including thyroid.

A relatively rare form of thyroid cancer—medullary thyroid cancer—originates in the thyroid C cells where a hormone called calcitonin is secreted. Calcitonin’s functions include stimulation of vitamin D3 production in the kidneys. The measurement of calcitonin is a diagnostic screening tool for medullary thyroid cancer. VDR are present in the thyroid C cells. Understanding the powerful effect of activated VDR on cell regulation, I hypothesize that activated VDR in the C cells may possibly prevent the development of medullary thyroid cancer.

In conclusion, recent medical literature suggests a connection between vitamin D3 and thyroid health. However, additional research is required to determine if thyroid dysfunction may cause vitamin D3 deficiency, or low vitamin D3 status may contribute to thyroid disorders.

This post was published previously on Hormones Matter in September 2012.

The Real Risk Birth Control Study: Take Charge, Find Answers

by Kerry Gretchen

Published on October 18, 2016

2511 views

I recently read an article about how fewer women are taking birth control pills now. The article claimed:

“The reasons behind the shift are hard to pin down. Study after study has shown the pill is generally safe for most women, and is 99 per cent effective with perfect use. The pill’s safety has only improved since it was introduced in 1960. It is perceptions that are changing.”

This is completely untrue. It wasn’t safe in 1960 and it certainly isn’t any safer now. It’s also not true that study after study has shown it to be safe. At the Nelson Pill Hearings, the 1970 congressional hearings on the safety of the birth control pill, every doctor that testified agreed that more research was necessary. Yet, every modern study I have found (from research on depression, weight gain, diabetes and more) has said that even more research is necessary to make any conclusions. So in the 46 years since, we still don’t adequately understand the risks with hormonal contraceptives. Dr. Paul Meier, who testified at the hearings, spoke about the challenges of conducting said research:

“Of far greater concern to me is the failure of our governmental agencies to exercise their responsibilities in seeing to it that appropriate studies were carried out… Frankly, the required research, although important, is not especially appealing to scientists. It is not fundamental and it is not exciting. It is difficult, it is expensive, and it is fraught with the risk of attack from all sides.
Evidently, for whatever reasons, there is no sound body of scientific studies concerning these possible effects available today, a situation which I regard as scandalous.
If we proceed in the future as we have in the past, we will continue to stumble from one tentative and inadequately supported conclusion to another, always relying on data which come to hand, and which were not designed for the purpose.”

We can see that what Dr. Meier warned against is exactly what has happened. Experts testified in 1970 that the pill was linked to depression and possibly suicide. They warned that the pill should not be given to women with a history of depression. Yet, in 2004 when I was depressed after switching my brand of pill, my doctor told me that wasn’t a side effect. It wasn’t until last month that a European study on hormonal contraception said what no American study has dared. The pill is irrefutably linked to depression.

Unfortunately, depression is only ONE of the side effects of hormonal birth control. Obviously, blood clots are one of the most dangerous and why we are looking at them with this research study. Other side effects that were warned about at the Nelson Pill Hearings but for which the current research claims even more research is necessary include: diabetes, weight gain, cancer, loss of libido, urinary tract and yeast infections, lupus, infertility, hypertension. So no, studies do not actually show that “the pill is generally safe.” What studies show is that there STILL needs to be more research. Well, if they haven’t done it in the past 46 years, when are they going to do it?

As for the pill’s safety improving, just look the increased risk with newer formulations. Third and fourth generation pills have significantly higher risk for deadly blood clots.

“The problems with Yaz and its sister pills stem from drospirenone, a fourth-generation progestin.
After years of blood clot reports, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), reviewed studies on oral contraceptives and found that an estimated 10 in 10,000 women on newer pills will experience a blood clot versus 6 in 10,000 with older pills.
Another study conducted by the French National Agency for the Safety of Drugs and Health Products (ANSM) found that birth control pills were linked to more than 2,500 cases of blood clots annually between 2000 and 2011. But third- and fourth-generation pills were responsible for twice as many deaths as earlier pills.
Two studies appeared in the British Medical Journal in 2011 and indicated newer pills were two to three times more likely to cause blood clots.”

Why would the pharmaceutical industry make newer birth control pills that are less safe? Maybe because once the patent runs out on medication they don’t make as much profit. So they change the formula and market it as a new and better pill. As history has shown though, there never seems to be enough research done before these products are approved. And women are paying the price. Dr. Ball warned of this at the Nelson Pill Hearings when he said (page 6500):

“Each time we change the dose or the chemical, you have a whole new ball game statistically, and then a long period of time has to go by for evaluation. Again, is it going to be just this unscientific, hand-out-the-pills-and-see-who-gets-sick business, which I say is wrong and which has been done. Each time there is a new pill, there is a new problem.”

Alas, that’s exactly the business that’s been taking place. Throw in the fact that doctors often dismiss the complaints from women as psychosomatic and you have a recipe for a completely misrepresented medication.

I don’t know about you but I’m tired of being a rube for the pharmaceutical industry. If we want to know what’s really going on with hormonal contraception, we’re going to have to start looking at it ourselves. We can’t wait for the government or the pharmaceutical industry to provide us with perfectly funded, unbiased research. They haven’t done that in the near 50 years since the Nelson Pill Hearings and there’s little indication they are going to start now. That’s why we’re conducting this research ourselves. We need information to help women assess what their REAL RISK is for taking a medication. Not what their doctors are telling them based on studies conducted by the pharmaceutical industry. The aim of this study is not to take away contraceptive options but to provide more accurate information about which women may have more risk for serious side effects like blood clots and which forms of hormonal contraception may be more dangerous than others.

It’s time to take charge of our health and find our own answers. That’s exactly what this research hopes to do but we need your help to do it. Please participate. And please share our study with those you know who might be willing to help. Thank you.

Take Charge: Participate in the Birth Control and Blood Clots Study

Lucine Health Sciences and Hormones Matter are conducting research to investigate the relationship between hormonal birth control and blood clots. If you or a loved one have suffered from a blood clot while using hormonal birth control, please consider participating. We are also looking for participants who have been using hormonal birth control for at least one year and have NOT had a blood clot, as well as women who have NEVER used hormonal birth control. For more information or to participate, click here.

Hormones Matter

Where health, hormones, and a whole bunch of other stuff, make sense.

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