Anyone got any advice on heavy periods/fibroids/endometriosis and the like?

[Thurlow]

I posted last night (under a different name as I was embarrassed and panicking ) as I was having a ridiculously heavy period - flooding towels within half an hour for a few hours etc - and then lost an enormous lump of tissue, about two inches by four inches hence the panic

Basically it felt like a huge piece of womb lining came away. There was so much blood and it was very red and unclotted, if that makes any sense. The bleeding has pretty much stopped now, but my uterus feels as if it sore, tender and cramping, in a way I don't normally get with periods. And its continuing now I've finished my period.

I've had the background nag for a while that I might have something like fibroids, partly from my periods (heavy, deeply painful aches around my hips) and partly from occasional pain/tenderness during sex. But I never got my arse into gear to see the doctor. Clearly after this period I am going to go, but I just wondered if anyone recognised any the symptoms, but mainly if anyone could clue me up on what sort of questions etc I should be asking, just in case I get a GP who tries to brush it off as simple heavy periods? After this period, I'm fairly certain there is something a little off and I would like someone to investigate a bit.

[Wotsup]

Sounds like something familiar to me. Go to your GP and promise yourself not to leave until satisfied...be good to yourself.

[AttilaTheMeerkat]

Please see the GP and insist to this person that you are now referred to a gynaecologist. DO not take no for an answer. These types of issues are well outside a GPs general remit and is therefore not for the GP to potentially mess around with.

Did this tissue loss btw look bright red and or brown in appearance along with clots and perhaps also a stringey like appearance?. This if so can be related to endometriosis (along with it just flowing out as well, had that too).

Deep painful aches around your hips and pain during sex can be often indicative of endometriosis being present. That particular problem can also cause heavy bleeding to arise.

[Thurlow]

Thanks Attila. The tissue looked like liver - it was brown and a solid lump, not stringy. I do get quite a lot of clots anyway but this was radically different. Someone on my other thread mentioned a decidual cast and having Googled that (which was... interesting!) it did look more like that than anything else.

I do have private insurance through work so that might be really useful. So if the GP doesn't seem very helpful I should just insist on a referral?

[AttilaTheMeerkat]

Sounds awfully familiar.

I would insist on a referral to a gynae; do not let the GP mess around with this at all in potential ignorance. The cause needs to be properly determined.

[Thurlow]

Thanks - it's just reassuring to know that other people think the symptoms deserve a proper check out. You live with heavy periods for so long that sometimes you forget there might be a cause for it!

The only thing that worries me is that hormonal contraceptives really don't agree with me, and it looks like a lot of treatments for bad periods rely on using that.