Did your mother take Diethylstilbestrol (DES) while pregnant with you?

Posted by cyndiefromnc @cyndiefromnc, Sep 6 6:17am

I am a DES baby, which means my mother took the drug Diethylstilbestrol (DES) while pregnant with me.

DES was prescribed to prevent miscarriage from 1938-1971 in the US. (1977 in some other countries.) A 1953 US study proved it did not prevent miscarriage but did cause cancer in the mothers and a slew of problems for the babies in utero, including.......premature births, infertility, cancer, severe depression........the list goes on.

Because DES was developed in a public lab, any pharmaceutical company could manufacture it. They all profited greatly and thus continued promoting it regardless of the 1953 study.

It was also prescribed for morning sickness. (And possibly to dry milk? I'm not sure about that. Someone else may know.)

I would love to hear from other DES babies. I had many female problems over the years. I was able to have children, but it was a long road. I also suffered depression throughout my life and have now been diagnosed with an autoimmune disease.

I am wondering if any other women whose mothers or grandmothers took DES have suffered with severe depression and/or have developed the autoimmune disease, Polymyalgia Rheumatica?

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Women's Health Support Group.

kmfdallas | @kmfdallas | Oct 8 10:59am

In reply to @sophie46 "No, I haven't seen it. Do you recall what it was called?" + (show)

@sophie46 do a search for iTV. Quite a few in-depth stories. I was interviewed by them last year. The is a DES Facebook page where some links are posted

apteryx | @apteryx | Oct 8 11:54pm

yes and I have learned a great deal about the many terrible gynaecological and other consequences- not only for DES daughters, (I had cervical cancer and head and neck cancer) but also DES grandaughters affected by anxiety, panic attacks and depression, as my daughter has. Plus reproductive issues for DES sons. There is also quite a lot of articles now arising about the (controversial) consequences of transgender issues. As well as a teratogen and carcinogen it is an obesogen now added to cattle fodder for fattening! Could write whole articles about DES but there is masses of data online especially in "Our bodies Ourselves". Formerly books about women's health, now a huge website for women and ethnic minorities and LGBTQ. Although DES has gone under the radar here in New Zealand. Medicos are not taught about it at med school, so are ignorant and sceptical in the main.
Apteryx

alakatski | @alakatski | 5 days ago

In reply to @kmfdallas "@alakatski DES Daughter here.. also with brittle bones and multiple fractures and kidney stone maker. DES..." + (show)

@kmfdallas I think there must be a metabolic problem with calcium & I can’t help but think it was from DES. I feel for you. I just had 5 stones lasered & I still have 5 in the right kidney.