Hysterectomy for heavy periods

[ImFree2doasiwant]

TMI alert. Has anyone had experience of this? I have incredibly heavy periods since my 2nd child. He's 3.5 now. I first saw the GP when he was about 13 months as I was due to return to work and honestly didn't know how I'd cope working in a busy office, when my periods were so bad.

I had blood tests and was very anaemic, and also diagnosed as having hypothyroidism. Apparently this can cause heavy periods. I've been taking 75mg levothyroxine , the heaviness has eased somewhat, but actually, it's still horrendous. I tried the depo injection for 12 months, as had no periods on that before. No change. I'm currently taking the mini pill and thought I'd seen a slight improvement, and now this.

I think I've kidded myself that because it's so much better than 2 yrs ago, that it's ok. It's really not ok. As an example, I'm ending my 3rd week of bleeding. I had a 12 day period, 1 light day, 9 heavy days, 2 light. 3 days no bleeding. 4 days light. Now 2 days heavy again.

Since 8.45pm i have been to the loo 6 times as I've had flooding/passed large clots.

I'm really at the end of my ability to cope with this. I've had to leave work after flooding so badly it went through a very large washable pad, pants and tights. By the time I'd shuffled to the loo it was by my knees. I missed weekly swimming for 4 months as was bleeding every Wednesday for that time. I've ruined clothes and bedsheets. My mattress is stained, and I've bled onto the carpet.

If a hysterectomy was an option, I'd jump at the chance. I wont be having any more children.

I'm interested to hear from others who have been through this

I had a full hysterectomy last year due to heavy periods (following an ablation that didn't work the previous year).

Best thing I ever did! The recovery wasn't great, but worth every second for the freedom and lack of severe anaemia I now have.

@ElsieBeard the thoughts of it happening at work. You poor thing that must have been awful. I was lucky, the day it happened to me I was home from work, just in the door.

Yes, I’m in my early 30’s but had a Full hysterectomy due to very bad periods (10 years of bleeding for 3weeks and just having a week to recover before they started again-they were so heavy, some days I couldn’t get off the toilet for hours without flooding) and it’s honestly the best thing I could have had done!

I’m no longer housebound for days at time, don’t have migraines, I’m no longer anemic (that was due to the amount of blood loss each month) and my hair has stopped falling out. I feel amazing.

It took me 10 years of complaining to doctors about my periods before one listened to me and sent me to hospital to get checked out, normally I was told to just deal with it.

I hope you get sorted soon op, bad periods are awful and make you feel so ill. You kind of get used to dealing with it but once they’re sorted it’s amazing.

I'm going through this currently.

I have a thread in chat about peoples experiences of northisterone.

Mine have been getting heavier for years and now my period just doesn't ever seem to stop. I can go 12-16 hours of no bleeding and think it's over and then whoosh - sat on loo for half an hour with blood and clots pouring out of me.

It's horrendous and for me I always worry it's something more than period. That drs are missing something because they assume it's fairly normal at my age (very nearly 40!).

I'm currently on northisterone again after just 4 days off of it. It's not worked as well this time. Still flooded all day Friday on it, wry heavy all day yesterday, almost stopped over night and this morning I've had 5 sudden bleeds and have bloating etc again.

I'm having the coil fitted Wednesday which they seem to think will be the miracle cure. I'm hoping they are right!

But I've also looked at alternative options and found something called endometrial ablation that looks like its an option inbetween hormones and hysterectomy.

I'm just surprised that dont seem to do any tests as a first point of call for fibroids or cysts and just go with medical options whilst you spend years suffering with a trial or error approach.

But yes - I'd have a hysterectomy if it solved the issues!

@lovebeingmum

Hi, I have tranexamic acid prescribed which works brilliantly to manage my heavy periods. I use it for three days and the bleeding drastically reduces

I used this. But what happened for me is it would lighten them for 4 days I took it. Then 24-48 hours after stopping I'd have that fish and flood full of clots.

And I've also noticed when I wash my hair (twice a week) it's coming out in strands.

I am going through this. Have been since I was sterilised 7 years ago. I've had 2 Merina coils which both came out due to the huge clots and amount of blood I lose.

I need to go for a hysteroscopy which I'm scared about. Does anyone have any experience of this?

I have also asked for a hysterectomy but have been told ablation would be better to try first. I am scared as I have had 3 c-sections. One consultant I saw said an ablation could be risky due to internal scaring etc. The next consultant said it would be fine. So this has me worried also. Have other people had successful ablations after having several c-sections?

Oh, meant to add. I am several anaemic and have been for a few years. My last blood test showed my folate level was 3! I've been taking tablets but I struggle with them (constipation), also tried liquid iron etc and it's pointless anyway because of how much blood I lose every month!

My hysterectomy at 42 was one of my best decisions.

Just to clarify a few points. I'm almost 43, family complete. I've been taking the back to back progesterone only pill for 7 months. This month is as bad as month 1.

're the recovery, I realise this will be tricky as a single parent with small children. That said, dealing with these horrendous periods is also really hard, and with no end in sight.

On Monday, I will phone and speak to the GP and request an ablation to start with. I don't be fobbed off!

@ImFree2doasiwant

Just to clarify a few points. I'm almost 43, family complete. I've been taking the back to back progesterone only pill for 7 months. This month is as bad as month 1.

're the recovery, I realise this will be tricky as a single parent with small children. That said, dealing with these horrendous periods is also really hard, and with no end in sight.

On Monday, I will phone and speak to the GP and request an ablation to start with. I don't be fobbed off!

I'm also going to ask about ablation when she fits coil on Wednesday. I'm going to say if this doesn't work how long should I be putting up with this.

Mine isnt even monthly. Ive been bleeding since 1st of July apart from a few days on first lot of northisterone. I also know when I'm going to flood because I get the cramps. I'm constantly anxious about it.

Especially as so many toilet facilities are closed now. Even going to supermarket puts me on edge.

@itsgettingweird I had adenomyosis which I’m now cured from because of having the hysterectomy. Google it and if you think you might have something similar, ask your doctor to refer you to hospital to get checked out.

I wish. Very delayed menopause, spectacularly heavy bleeding for weeks on end, clots etc. in my early sixties, begged for hysterectomy but ended up with Mirena which makes normal cramping much worse. Reason? “There’s nothing wrong with you that warrants a hysterectomy.” I do understand their reasoning but wonder where it is that women far younger than me, of child-bearing age, are being offered hysterectomies, and by whom.

Ah @ImFree2doasiwant I really do feel and understand how awful it is.

I’ve been like this since my second child. Saw a gyne after about 18 months after the birth and was told I needed to have the pill (doesn’t suit me) have a coil (which I did and it didn’t really help) or just put up with it. I’ve been on all the available tablets to make it stop! It doesn’t stop! I’ve ruined clothes, bed sheets, towels.

I just suffered for years.

It was another 4 years of me complaining to my GP I finally got another referral to a different gyne and I printed off and read the guidelines so knew I had the option of an ablation or hysterectomy. This gyne was amazing and spent a good 50 mins going through both options. I’d had an ultrasound about 2 weeks before seeing him (to confirm that my 3rd coil had fallen out with a clot) and they also found a fibroid, which hasn’t helped.

We have decided for me to try the ablation first and if it doesn’t work have then have the hysterectomy. Mainly due to my age as a full hysterectomy can cause issues later on so he felt it would be worth me trying the ablation first, the decision was given to me and I was/am happy to accept the advice. If I wanted the hysterectomy I would have been able to have it. I also wanted the less invasive surgery first.

I’m slightly regretting my decision on the ablation as if it doesn’t work I will continue to have issues until I can get a hysterectomy which will not for at least another year! My ablation was cancelled due to covid and I literally had a letter 2 weeks ago saying they are starting the procedures again. So fingers crossed I will have my date soon.

Hi OP, I was you a few years ago. I have an underactive thyroid too and take 125mcg a day. I didn't even realise my thyroid was dodgy until I saw my lovely GP about my ridiculously heavy periods and she ordered tests. I know only too well about just how wiped out it can make you and how it rules your life in terms of where you can go and what you can do. I also know that some GPs are very dismissive and write it off as one of those things which affect women.

Press for a referral for an ultrasound. They will look to see what's going on, in my case it was a huge fibroid which was the same size as a 5 month pregnancy. There are several medical options, but it will depend on what's going on, and if it's a fibroid(s) where they are, how they're attached. How old are you?

Anyway, long story short I had a hysterectomy about 4 years ago and have never looked back. Being free of periods is AMAZING, I have done things like bought white underwear and white trousers for holidays. My iron levels are better and I have my life back. I was lucky in that I have private health cover through work and the gynaecologist I saw pretty much let me make the decision about what happened. As my fibroid was so big it was a total open procedure - not keyhole - which took a bit longer to recover from and I have a massive scar. But so worth it. I was about 44 when I had my hysterectomy and couldn't have managed into my mid 50s still having periods.

Given the current situation in the NHS though you should start getting the ball rolling right away by requesting your GP refer you to a gynaecologist as waits are going to get longer and longer.

Oh and the transexamic acid worked well for me, for a while. But it didn't stop the fibroid growing which was the root of the problem. I also had a Mirena coil which was great for about a year, until the bastard fibroid grew a bit more and pushed it out of position.

[quote Glitters100]@itsgettingweird I had adenomyosis which I’m now cured from because of having the hysterectomy. Google it and if you think you might have something similar, ask your doctor to refer you to hospital to get checked out.[/quote]
Oh wow this could be something worth asking about. The pain is always in a certain spot on the right hand side. After my EMCS with ds they drained here due to air behind the wound. Over the years I've suffered sudden pain in this place when I've coughed or something. Not every time but I've always assumed I had some scar tissue.

The fact the cramps are here and I have the symptoms it's very possible that this is the cause.

Thank you

OP I was about your age when I had had enough of the pain an heavy periods, with no medication making a difference and got the GP to send me for an ultrasound. Took less than a minutes to diagnose fibroids, after that the GP was very concerned about referring me to a specialist (private) and wanted me to understand that it would mean a hysterectomy.

Lovely Dr had me booked in within weeks and I only delayed so that I could take the summer holidays with my D.C. as I knew recovery would be tough.

Now 10 years later I won’t say it was a simple op or the recovery easy and I have a huge scar but I am able to live my life as I want to. Free of drugs and worries.

Oh and OP, I wouldn't recommend going in saying "I want an ablation". Go in saying that you can't go on as you are and that you want a referral to a consultant gynaecologist to discuss your options. Ablation may or may not be appropriate depending on what's going on.

Also ask them to re-run your thyroid levels. 50 is the starting point, I increased through 75, 100 and finally 125 before I settled down. You may need to increase your dose, especially if you are still having symptoms.

The Mirena coil has made a huge, huge difference for me. I'd had years of flooding periods, no fibroids, and steadily increasing anaemia. I'm 48 so peri menopause most likely playing a part.

The Mirena halted all that in its tracks. After the first six weeks (which was an ongoing but v light bleed), I've barely noticed any periods at all. Occasionally a slight discharge but that's it, no sanpro required. It's been a complete revelation.

I'm now wondering what to do with the lorry load of enormous tampons and pads that I no longer need.

I had an ablation which worked, I had endo and very heavy periods, but when the lining started to grow back I ended up with adenomyosis.
I had a total hysterectomy 7 years ago at 45 and it's been great.

My mum did this after she had her third baby. She says best thing she ever did and has been really happy. She's 56 now and hasn't really gone through any of the traditional menopause symptoms

I've taken norethisterone for 14 years now as mine were so heavy I couldn't walk let alone go to work.

They tried to withdraw it 2 years ago because i was overweight and wanted me to have the coil. I refused as they said it could take 6 months for the coil to work and it would mean I couldn't work for that time. What they did seriously affected my mental health and almost cost me being able to work but eventually they sent to the hospital for an internal scan to see what was going on.

Scan found nothing and the specialist sent my doctor a scathing letter advising them there was no reason why I shouldn't stay on the medication.

I expect this to happen again at some point but at least I'll know what to expect. Plus I've had a gastric sleeve so have lost a huge amount of weight.

I'm 40, no kids and no plans to have any and not having periods is the best blooming thing in the world.

@little0miss0mac

The Mirena coil has made a huge, huge difference for me. I'd had years of flooding periods, no fibroids, and steadily increasing anaemia. I'm 48 so peri menopause most likely playing a part.

The Mirena halted all that in its tracks. After the first six weeks (which was an ongoing but v light bleed), I've barely noticed any periods at all. Occasionally a slight discharge but that's it, no sanpro required. It's been a complete revelation.

I'm now wondering what to do with the lorry load of enormous tampons and pads that I no longer need.

Send them my way!

I'm having the coil on Wednesday. Your post gives me hope.

@ImFree2doasiwant

Just to clarify a few points. I'm almost 43, family complete. I've been taking the back to back progesterone only pill for 7 months. This month is as bad as month 1.

're the recovery, I realise this will be tricky as a single parent with small children. That said, dealing with these horrendous periods is also really hard, and with no end in sight.

On Monday, I will phone and speak to the GP and request an ablation to start with. I don't be fobbed off!

Oh no, sorry I suggested the back to back pill like it was a magic solution. I definitely won't throw out the tranexamic acid!

I feel for you being a single parent. I"m a single parent as well and being weak and having to rest is a tough one.