Hi all,
Is anyone familiar with the drug, DES? It was used by woman to prevent miscarriages around the 1950's. It is a synthetic hormone and later they found that it caused female problems for the daughters born of the woman who took it.
I am a DES baby and in those days woman didn't know they were pregnant as quickly as now so I have no idea how long my mom took it after I was conceived.
They are still researching the medical issues that it created. I am the youngest of five and the only one that my mom took the drug with. I am also the only one in the family that has had vast medical problems.

I often wonder if any of the many problems I have pertain to that drug.
Does anyone know anything about it? I would be curious if there is any correlation and if anyone has suffered from strange maladies and was subjected to DES.

This would be the site to get some statistics started.

It is on the list of things that I will be telling the Docs at Mayo. Who knows, it may mean something to them and perhaps they have seen similar problems with woman who where exposed to it.

It would be interesting to see if anyone knows of this drug and has some input. Maybe we could help with the research and have a cure named after Neurotalk. How cool would that be??? :icon_wink:

Thanks,
Judy

Hi Judy,

Just wanted you to know I'm thinking of you and that IMHO, I do believe some of your problems stem from your spine. I, have a bad spine and some of the symptoms you describe, I have experienced.
I hope you find answers soon.
Good luck,
Linda

DES women. Both had reproductive damage and could not have children.
DES typically leads to early cancer, and non functioning or malformed
genitalia.

In males the damage was visible as a rule. In females it can be hidden, and
only found after puberty and/or with examinations.

from http://ic.ucsc.edu/~flegal/etox80e/S...s/hormone.html

I think DES has only been studied on the reproductive system of those
borne to mothers who were given DES.

Mrs. D,

I agree, the studies have been limited to the female male organs mainly. I had a ovarian cyst rupture when I was 32 and the remainder of the tube and ovary had to be removed, then had a total at 39. Fibroids, endometriosis, and cysts.

For quite a while now I have wondered if the DES has not perhaps contributed to my endocrine melt-down and some of my other problems. Hopefully with all of the info I have prepared for the docs at Mayo it may help with a more rapid diagnosis. They compare DES to the other drug that they gave to women when all those children were born with gross deformities. How sad that they used woman and unborn babies to experiment on.

It is so good to be able to bounce things of people who have all different kinds of ailments and do their research. Unfortunate that anyone on the site has to have any ailments, but what a better way to put all of the knowledge to good use.

Such big hugs to you,

Judy

I

Thanks Linda,
I appreciate the kind words and the input. I have lost the muscle mass in fat part of the outer palm just noticed yesterday. It sort of just hangs there. I think you are on the something.
Hugs to you,
Judy

Hi my helpful friends,

I picked up my x-ray results from med. records today:

mild apparent chronic compression deformities of L3 and L5

Mild degenerative disc disease primarily at the L4/L5 level

small anterolateral osteophytes scattered throughout the lumbar spine

Actually, I find this to be some of the better news that I have received lately. I see the doc next week and we will go over what I can do. The only thing that bothers me that in my on-line research. They mainly refer to the elderly (80) and I am ONLY 50.
There are so many wonderful things that are happening also and I pick something positive out of each medical adventure..................I truly believe that I am becoming a better sibling, friend and stranger; looking at the world with eyes wide open.

Plus the fact that as I back-down on my prednisone my mental clarity is returning and for that I am truly grateful. I am able to think clearer than I have in more than 3 months.

Finally..................WE CAN HAVE EVERY MATERIAL THING IN THE WORLD, BUT WITHOUT OUR HEALTH, DOES IT MATTER?

I have always been functionally ill, but the last few months have humbled me beyond belief. With each thing I endure, it increases my compassion for others and for that I am grateful.

Love to you all, and what we share and how it strengthens us.

Judy