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

Ah so I have had a C section for my first child so an ablation may not be an option.

@SockYarn yes that's exactly how I was diagnosed with underactive thyroid.

I'm on 75mg which has only recently been upped after being on 50 for ages and my levels remaining borderline. Symptoms have increased though it's hard to know what's causing exhaustion, hair loss etc when many anaemia and underactive thyroid symptoms are the same.

I don't want the coil. I know plenty of people who get on really well with it but I have a real aversion to it. I think because i have the slight prolapse, and some discomfort at times, the idea of having the coil inside is awful to me.

I had high hopes for the depo jab, I was on it for 10 yrs or so pre children, no periods at all. I was so upset and disappointed that it didn't work.

you need to go back to the GP and get a referral to a gynaecologist and some medication to try and lessen the flow in the meantime.

it could be perimenopause if you're in your 40's, but there are things they can do to help. no woman should have to put up with this in the 21st century. you may also need iron supplementation.

I was 48 years old and having very heavy periods. I was absolutely fed up with it. I went to see my GP. I had a scan which showed a single fibroid. I had my copper coil removed but no better. I was prescribed medication but didn't want to take it. After bleeding every day for 6 weeks, sometimes very heavy sometimes light and being in a job that was so busy I often couldnt get the time to go to the toilet, I asked my GP to refer me to a Gynaecologist. I was offered a hysterectomy. To be fair my uterus was by now the size of an 18 week pregnancy and I could feel it my self. I had ankle oedema due to the pressure from the size of my uterus in my pelvis. I had an abdominal hysterectomy because it was a single fibroid and I had never had a pregnancy so it wasnt possible to have it done transvaginally. 24 hours post op the ankle oedema had resolved. Within 7 days I can honestly say I felt fastastic compared to how I had been feeling. I was vacuuming, unloading the dishwasher and driving I just felt like I was walking on air, if that makes sense. My ovaries were not removed so I had a natural menopause a couple of years later. For me it was absolutely the right decision. It is about quality of life.

Tell them you indentify as male and they'll whip your bits out before you can blink.

I had a full abdominal hysterectomy almost 8 years ago, when I was 47x best thing ever.

I had a huge fibroid and was so anaemic from heavy periods that the surgeon said he shouldn’t really have operated, and I was already hooked up to a blood transfusion when I came round. I then had an iron infusion before I was discharged.

He left one ovary, but I had menopausal symptoms a year or so later, but haven’t taken hrt and they’ve finished now

The GP did try to push a mirena coil on me but I was adamant I did not want that. The thoughts of it makes me wince. She backed down quickly enough but it was her first suggestion.

It is, I gather, always the first suggestion!

Mirena isn't for everyone. But the point is that there are options. It's not a case of put up and shut up.

Similar experience to *@tobee. * Heavy bleeding since teens Diagnosed fibroids - went through ablation and tablets - each one heavy periods returned after 6 months.. flooded at work one day and I was severely anaemic. Had hysterectomy in mid 40, leaving cervix and ovaries. best decision I ever made - such a better quality of life. I hated my periods from the very first one in my teens. Only 10 years later because I haven't had periods - I'm not sure if I am premenopausal or not!

They took my cervix but left ovaries - no more smears!!

OP I had a hysterectomy 9 years ago (age 46) due to very heavy periods .. absolutely no regrets. Changed my life. Would do it again in a heartbeat.

I had the same, a bit younger than you. I had to jump through their hoops and try all the options first. I was lucky that I'd already had a coil and I can't take hormonal contraception. Did transexamic acid etc. Went for hysteroscopy with a view to an ablation but my (like cysts in the uterus) were too big so went straight for a hysterectomy. Had it as a day case. Needed the full 6 weeks recovery but haven't looked back since.

I was lucky that my G.P. and gynaecologist both showed a high level of trust in what I was telling them so I didnt have to push too hard. Explained about having to leave work/send colleagues for emergency scrub trousers etc and they agreed it wasn't any way to live so pushed on with treatment.

I can post a picture of my fibroid, fallopian tubes and my cervix lying on a surgical tray if you'd like.

But it's fairly gross.

@SockYarn go on then. If I keep It in mind in less likely to be fobbed off by the Dr!

@ImFree2doasiwant yes just as bad sadly. Although from reading this thread I definitely seem to be in the minority .

I had a uterine ablation to solve heavy periods in peri menopause and it's amazingly affective and there's next to no recovery time. I did a spin class 18 hours after.

Maybe see if this could be suitable before plumping first such huge surgery.

Hysterectomy is still carried out for heavy periods and in most cases the ovaries are conserved so no need for HRT. Quite rightly the safer treatments will be tried first ie medication, mirena if suitable and ablation.
See your Dr to get the ball rolling ie examination and ultrasound in the first place. If your hair is still falling out your thyroxine or iron levels may not be optimised; check this.

I've had 2 natural births and a c section and have a tape after a prolapse and my gynaecologist was still happy to do an ablation and said if the cells grow back I can have another one, sorry saw you say you couldn't have one due to c section but could t find post where someone said why that was.

I had a full hysterectomy because of heavy periods, they were just like you're describing, but would go on for 3+ months. Longest went on for 6 months. I took norethisterone and tranexamic acid, and although it would stop them for a few days, my period would come back with a vengeance. I retained my ovaries as I was 36 and the gynaecologist didn't want me to go into early menopause.

Ask your GP to refer to to a gynaecologist, that's definitely your first step. Don't be fobbed off with the coil when you do see them.

Look away now if you're of a sensitive disposition.

Freddie the Fibroid.

Wow sock - that looks huge

Too big to come out vaginally that's for sure! About the size of a 5 month pregnancy. Also (tmi alert) it would roll around and press on my bladder and wee would escape.

Doc said that it would probably shrink when I hit the menopause and my periods stopped but it grew a lot between two ultrasounds, a year apart.

Surgeon thought asking for a photo was a bit weird, and made me give her a letter to say that I had requested the photo - taking photos in surgery with an unconscious patient is usually a big no-no. But I wanted to see the bastard which had been giving me so much hassle.

And how many people can say they've seen their own Fallopian tubes?