Help me to decide whether to go to A&E in the morning

[Cailleach]

Briefly...have now had period for 20 days straight. Seems to be getting heavier as the days go by...bright red, no clots, not like normal period blood, used 9 pads in a 10 hour shift on Monday.

Am 43. Quick history of recent menstrual issues as follows:

• Age 36 - periods become thin, pale pink, last three or four days.
• Age 38-42 - periods disappear entirely.
• Sept 2019 - periods return, light and pale pink again, last three or four days.
• Last four months - considerable discomfort and bloating around ovulation in left ovary with masses of egg white mucus being produced over a two week period. Over the last six weeks ovulation appears to fail, no egg white mucus produced, appears to try again, huge bloating, constant need to urinate, once again fails to produce ewm, period comes.

20 days later, it's still going. Over the last five days, tenderness again in left ovary area...uncomfortable to press on lower abdomen. Strong need to urinate every half hour. Dehydrated. Fast heart rate. Nausea. Dizzy on standing. Sleeping 12 hours a day when not working.

Triaged by emergency clinic over the phone as no gp appointments left. Recommends A&E. Would have to get bus, 12 mile journey, really can't be arsed. Fell asleep sitting up at the dining table whilst considering this - that was 11am, woke up at 2pm. Went back to bed for a few hours (day off today and tomorrow.)

What are the chances of this period stopping soon? We are a tier 3 area and whilst I'm not bothered about the virus itself per se, I really don't want to rock up at A&E whimpering that "me periods mekking me reyt gippy sicky like" in the middle of a sodding pandemic.

Can any lurking medics or people with similar experiences advise?

My thanks in advance.

PS: family history of early menopause (40's)

OP on the off chance you haven’t gone to sleep would you consider a taxi or an ambulance? It sounds like you’ve lost a lot of blood and bleeding through a pad an hour is significant.

I’ll never forget that thread from a few years ago about a woman who was bleeding heavily and called an ambulance as a result of advice on here. She was told she wouldn’t have made it through the night.

You have

• unusual bleeding
• significant fatigue
• abdominal tenderness
• dizziness
• racing heart
• nausea and dehydration

And this has been going on for nearly 3 weeks You really need to be seen swiftly. And as you’ve been told A&E I think you should go. There are several really quite serious possibilities which need to be ruled out ASAP

@DougRossIsTheBoss

I think you should go to A&E tonight I don't think an ambulance would be overkill actually.

You've been bleeding really heavily for a long time, you feel weird and light headed and your pulse is upper limit of normal just lying in bed (pulse rate goes up before BP falls in young people)
That suggests the blood loss is very significant.

You seem like an uncomplaining person but I think you are getting very ill and shouldn't be on your own tonight.

This isn't a normal/ heavy period at all.
I wouldn't term it like that to A&E.
It's gynae haemorrhage
They can check your obs, do bloods and maybe an ultrasound.
I think you should go

I'm a Dr

Excellent excellent advice.

Is no one reading the bit about being triaged over the phone, no gp appointments being left and being told to go to A and E then?

This.

Get to A&E OP, you have several red flags. Don't describe it as a period.

Are you alone?

I never understand why people post these threads with the intention of “going in the morning”. If you actually need to go to A&E, go now - why are you actually procrastinating? You have been advised to go to A&E by a medical professional to seek urgent assistance now, not in the morning. Your health should trump the feelings of not being arsed.

Yes, it’s late and public transport may not be an option. This is worthy of getting a taxi though, regardless of cost? If you can’t afford a taxi and can’t get public transportation, tell the medical profession who advised A&E or call 111 and see what they advise.

I really think it could be an emergency
20 days of abnormal bleeding
Soaking through a pad an hour
Getting worse not better
Feels unwell, sleepy, lightheaded not usual for her and clearly a stoical person who doesn't go to Gp a lot
Pulse 80 whilst lying in bed

I make no comment on the underlying cause although that could also be serious but I think OP sounds properly unwell.

Nonetheless I can't see her, shouldn't really be giving out advice (although it's only get seen) and she can make her own choices

OP
Please pay attention to what the medical professionals are telling you.
You have been advised to go to A&E
You need to go.
Tonight.

I would agree with the advice above to go to A+E tonight. This is just what A+E is for.

And for those who have said it is neither an accident or an emergency above, well OP I would take the clinic's advice on that rather than advice here on what constitutes an appropriate emergency. Go to A+E.

An 'emergency' (as in 'A&E') cannot, by definition, wait until the moring. And post menopausal bleeding does need urgent investigation.

I’m an A&E nurse. Please go to A&E! You’ve had significant PV bleeding and need to be reviewed. If you feel dizzy when you stand up call 111 as you are at risk of fainting. I hope you’re ok OP.

I'd go a and e or call 111 and I wouldn't wait till morning. I had a misscarriage ( I know that isn't the case with you) but I was the opposite in that I phoned and phoned and said how worried i was about blood loss eCt and that if I even walked a few steps my heart was racing! Got fobbed of at every turn until finally someone listens to me and I needed two bags of blood! So if there telling you to go A&E go. And you should go now money isn't worth strong about more than your health! And going A& e now would be better sooner than later x

Please go.

OP, I wrote a similar post a few weeks ago and ended up going to A&E, i ended up waiting around A&E half the day and got nowhere as my iron levels were ok so was told “it’s not an emergency”. Today I finally had a scan and been told I have fibroids but at the moment I’m unable to get a gynaecologist appointment (told there are no available appointments). I have had these symptoms for 18+ months, heavy bleeding, sometimes bleeding for 6 weeks straight.

I have spoken to several friends who are going through the same. It makes me angry that women’s issues are not taken very seriously.

I had all the same symptoms as you each time I was on my period for three period cycles over the summer, apart from the heavy bleeding. I had to give up my job it was that debilitating, and nobody could ever tell me what was wrong. Last two periods have been ok. In the end I put it down to perimenopause weirdness (I'm 49). As part of my weird illness my temperature kept dropping stupidly low (sometimes as low as 32). I've still no idea what happened to me and I do feel worried about it happening again.

At the same time as that happening I also had a problem with my neck and couldn't sit down without a weird headache and then pain down my arm and in my back, but I think that's a separate issue.

I had lots of blood tests and an MRI and all was fine, but my iron was at the low end. I've since taken iron supplements and I haven't had those debilitating symptoms at my periods.

I did a lot of googling of 'period flu' and found lots of other women suffering those symptoms at periods. However, this was excluding the heavy bleeding that you're having. I've seen lots of women complain about all your symptoms and also endless heavy periods on menopause forums though, but they usually need gynea assistance to resolve the bleeding so you do need to get that checked out.

The waiting lists might be long for a specialist though, so in that respect you might benefit from investigations at A&E.

Post menopausal bleeding is indeed not an emergency requiring investigation immediately

BUT

Any Bleeding that is causing haemodynamic compromise is an emergency

OP has described being lightheaded, pulse racing and abnormally sleepy although she is usually fit and well.

To my mind that's what makes it an emergency

None of us can really tell of course but she is alone tonight and she has been advised by real life Drs to go to A&E. So she should go

she's a grown up and can make her own decision albeit perhaps unwise.

But I think it's dangerous for people on here to minimise and for anyone to go against what Drs told her to do at the triage centre.

@Cantdoitallperfectly

I’m an A&E nurse. Please go to A&E! You’ve had significant PV bleeding and need to be reviewed. If you feel dizzy when you stand up call 111 as you are at risk of fainting. I hope you’re ok OP.

She has already telephoned what she called emergency triage service (which is presumable 111) and she has already been advised to go to A&E

She really should go

@titchy

Heavy bleeding, ovarian pain, nerve pain (compression?), tachy, exhaustion. Honestly get to A and E tonight

Absolutely this.

I’m sure there was a poster on here some months back with similar symptoms and a similar quandary... turned out to be serious

Yup... here you go

www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/woman-says-mumsnet-saved-life-9226089

If you genuinely had no periods for 4 years and are now
Bleeding this needs urgent investigation for possible womb cancer (not ovarian cancer as mentioned by a PP). Please follow the medical advice you have been given and GO to A&E now!

I think the nausea, dizziness and tiredness are related to the heavy blood loss and you probably have anaemia, I had this in my pregnancy and experienced those symptoms, some times I thought I was going to collapse, due to the dizziness. See your GP and ask for a blood test to rule anaemia in/out, the prolonged bleeding could be a symptom of many things (cyst,infection etc) I’m surprised the doctor didn’t refer you to the gynae department, I would request this and the blood test.

Phone a taxi and go to A&E.

This isn't worth taking a chance on.

Please go to A&E, this needs urgent investigation. Other people’s experiences may have turned out to be nothing sinister or life threatening but yours could.
I’m a health care professional; take the medical advice you have been given from 111 and get to A&E!

My gp just gave me the pill to stop mine after 3months of bleeding everyday