I was sterilised in November 2002. I have 5 children. My youngest is now 2. He was 9 months at the time of my sterilisation. My periods had returned to normal, with approx 30mls of blood loss over 3 days every 28 days exactly, before the operation. 2 months prior to the sterilisation I started on the “Mini Pill” because I did not want to risk getting pregnant before I got the sterilisation, which I thought would set me free. On the mini pill my periods were much lighter.

  After the sterilisation, which was the most incredibly painful experience of my life (I had no pain relief for any of my labours, so I am familiar with pain), my periods began to get progressively heavier up to about 70mls blood loss, with flooding and also became irregular getting closer together sometimes as close as 21 days. I started getting both chronic low grade and acute severe abdominal pains. Then hot and cold flushes, tingling and numbness in hands and feet, constant swollen glands in my neck, brain fog, blurred vision, mood swings, crying for no reason, urge incontinence, IBS type symptoms, breast cyst all of which I did not have prior to the sterilisation.

  I checked it out on the internet and found “POST TUBAL LIGATION SYNDROME” All my problems answered in a nutshell. I went to my GP and hit a brick wall. “No it doesn’t exist. You have DUB. I can give you Tranexamic acid, Mefenamic acid or birth control pills for the bleeding.”

Another GP told me I was depressed because I couldn’t have any more children. Wake up and smell the coffee! I don’t want any more. I already have 5.

I put in a complaint to the NHS because I was within their time limits to do so. (you have to put in a complaint within a year of the operation so that would exclude a lot of us because symptoms often don’t manifest until later) Their line was that they follow RCOG guidelines and there was nothing they could do, but why don’t I try and change them, which is now my mission. I also tried legal action but the consultant my lawyer went to simply towed the same line as the others and said I was depressed. I have had an interest in psychology for 20 years and have studied it fairly extensively and I did not believe I was depressed. I also find it worrying that so many GPs and gynaecologists are willing to dole out SSRI’s without bothering to refer the patients for psychological evaluation. Or even check if they are contraindicated which they were in my case as I am still breast feeding. I was not very keen on conventional medicine before all this and I have no faith in them at all now.

  I am extremely lucky in having a very good herbalist who prescribes me a combination of herbs that restored my menstrual cycle to almost normal within 3 weeks and have been gradually resolving many of my other health issues. I also use natural progesterone cream, which is amazing, and use a considerable amount of nutritional supplements, which I also find beneficial.

I am currently trying to get a reversal on the NHS although I am extremely reluctant to have anything to do with conventional medicine again.

  Mandy