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Dysfunctional Uterine Bleeding
Questions to Discuss with Your Doctor:
- Do you have regular menstrual cycles?
- Is your bleeding always heavy or prolonged?
- How old were you when you started menstruating?
- How long ago did you develop abnormal bleeding?
- Have you gone through menopause yet?
- Are you sexually active?
- When was your last period?
- How many times have you been pregnant?
- What was the outcome of each pregnancy (live births, miscarriages,
cesarean sections)?
- Have you ever had difficulty getting pregnant?
- What medications are you taking (including over-the-counter
drugs and herbal remedies such as ginseng)?
- Are you taking hormone replacement therapy or birth control pills?
- Have you ever had medications injected (Depo-Provera or Norplant)
for birth control?
- Have you ever taken estrogen or tamoxifen?
- Are you taking warfarin or other blood thinners?
- Have you ever had cancer of any type?
- Have you ever had an abnormal Pap smear?
- Do you bruise easily?
- Do your gums bleed?
- Do you get nosebleeds?
- Do you have a blood-clotting abnormality or does one run in your
family?
- Do you have kidney or liver disease?
Your Doctor Might Examine the Following Body Structures or Functions:
- Blood pressure, heart rate, weight
- Abdominal examination
- Pelvic exam
Your Doctor Might Order the Following Lab Tests or Studies:
- Pregnancy test
- Blood tests such as complete blood count, coagulation (clotting)
studies, and certain hormone tests (such as thyroid stimulating
hormone, cortisol, prolactin, follicle stimulating hormone, testosterone)
- Pelvic ultrasound
- Pap smear (see p.
1066)
- Endometrial biopsy (see
p. 1041)
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