I first want to say, I apologize if this has been covered somewhere else. I have searched it and have come up with nothing. Therefore in my own mind I am kind of being a guinea pig for myself, and others. This will be a long post to include a ton of back story, and possibly TMI.
As a preteen it all started with my mother being worried that I hadnt started menstruating, and told me that if I didnt by my 15th birthday she was taking me to the doctors for testing. Well. It started on my 15th birthday. It was never ever normal. (I have a theory why it started then, this is when I started smoking marijuana). Also shortly after starting my periods I noticed discharge from my breasts, I wasnt going to tell my mom, no way. When I was 16 and 5 months I found out I was pregnant with my first child. My daughter was born 3 months early from pregnancy complications, and passed 2 days later. (That isnt the focus here, please read on). I continued to lactate for YEARS after this, and didnt have periods unless I was doing some serious weight training, and I’d only bleed during the latter half of these sessions. Doctors told me, I was causing the lactation, I must be expressing it, or letting boys play with my breasts too much. It was normal. I wasnt having periods because I was still lactating. So when I was 19, and me and my daughters father broke up, I went a year, with no one stimulating my breasts in any way. The doctors told me to wrap them tightly and try that for a month. Still. Same Problem. Met the man I married, we talked about having kids. I went to the doctor, had to break down in their office before I got any sort of answer… I was 27 at this point. After lots of tests, found out I have a prolactin secreting adenoma on my pituitary gland. Also known as a prolactinoma. They put me on bromocriptine, my periods returned, lactation mostly went away (it flares up when I am stressed) and in March of 2013 I discovered that I was pregnant. The day I discovered I was pregnant, I weighed 200 pounds. which was 100 pounds more than with my pregnancy at age 16. While I was pregnant I went on a strict “clean eating” style. Nothing processed, real whole food. (Little did I know it was Low Carb, not keto low carb, but no bread or pasta or added sugars, low carb). The day i gave birth, I also weighed 200 pounds. I yoyod between 150 and 220 pounds since giving birth. The doctors changed my medication to cabergoline, and we did many tests till it came out somewhat right for me.
I still lactate when I am stressed, but if I increase my medication, it activates the addiction place in my brain. I will eat without abandon, I will gamble like crazy, amongst other addictions (never drugs besides marijuana). I am now divorced, and ready to be the best mother that I can be. I started the Ketogenic way of eating February 1st and am down 18 pounds. However. Between my birth control and the cabergoline I have been on my period, since February first. I have read that birth control can cause the issue, but the doctors have me on it for estrogen, as my body doesnt produce it on its own, and my bones were suffering from it. So I fear going off my birth control. I have found no studies in regards to the effect of the ketogenic diet and cabergoline, though the first few weeks i was producing massive amounts of milk, i nearly gave up on ketogenics because of it.
My endocrinologist and my primary care physician both want me to stop ketogenics, but its the only thing that I have found, that I can stick to in losing weight.
I feel I’ve rambled on here… if anyone has any input. please!! also if anyone has questions, I’m happy to answer to my best ability.
YOU