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)

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Can you not log on to your gp and book an appointment tomorrow, we can after 10pm, alternatively call at 8 or whenever they open

this thread is scaring me. OP, please get seen tonight

DH is a surgeon, I read him your symptoms and he said you should go straight go to A&E. Listen to Doug, listen to the emergency clinic.

You should go to A&E. You're clearly very unwell.

Please go as others have said

It seems that the OP isn't reading any more, no doubt gone to sleep. How worrying.

Evening, OP. We hope you're getting some much needed sleep but we did just want to echo what others have said and advise you to go to A&E as you've been recommended.

As others have said, rarely, this can be a sign of something really serious. Fingers crossed it's not, but it's definitely worth getting checked over and ruling that out. Please do pop back and let us know how it all goes.

Your stoicism is admirable but foolhardy, please get to your nearest hospital tonight, tomorrow will see you weaker and more unwell than you already are. Praying you will heed the advice you have received, it might well save your life x

I would ask to speak to a different doctor, the one you have sounds useless. Peri menopause symptoms can start in your mid 30 and last for years and there is no age evidence for menopause to start anyway as each woman is different. (I’ve had a go on dr google as my periods are longer than normal at the moment too) hope you get sorted soon, take care.

I had similar a few years ago OP im younger than you but unfortunately have a fairly extensive gynae history. Heavy bleeding, nausea, pain in ovary area and just generally unwell with weakness and tiredness. Went to A&E on the advice of my GP and I'm glad I did because I went downhill very very rapidly within a couple of hours and have never been so Ill in my life my blood pressure dropped so low, I required oxygen, I had severe chest pain come on as well and I ended up in emergency surgery for an ovarian torsion...I had an ultrasound that didn't actually diagnose the torsion at that point just that there was also an internal bleed and they needed to get in there to stop the bleed and see what was going on...I was gowned up and consented while still in the ultrasound room and taken immediately to theatre. I dread to think what would have happened had I just went to sleep that night
I really do think you should get yourself off to A&E tonight !

Something I teach every single medical student and doctor in training that comes through our department is never to ignore a fast heart rate. It's often one of the signs that the body is decompensating and about to fall off the cliff. I would very strongly recommend A&E tonight.

It's something I recall having drummed in at med school too.
In younger, fitter patients by the time their BP drops they are in very serious trouble, the initial sign of serious hypovolaemia is fast pulse and only when they can't compensate does Bp drop.

Will also never forget a young guy walking into A&E a few days after a keyhole gallbladder op initially appearing pretty well. Walking, talking but complaining of abdo pain. BP Ok but a bit tachycardic put down to pain. Then suddenly crash call to where he had collapsed in the waiting room peri arrest. He had a perforated bowel, sepsis and internal bleeding. He did survive but required a long stay in ITU. Not sure he would have made it if he left it any longer to come in and yet on arrival he really didn't look too bad.

@Cailleach aside from the bleeding the rest of your symptoms could easily be down to Addison’s disease , particularly the weight loss , salt craving , dizziness , nausea they are the classic symptoms .

The thirst can be a sign of serious blood loss.

You need to go to a&e. If you can’t get there you need to call 999 for transportation. No point calling 111.

A and E.

We hope you're getting some much needed sleep

Everyone else really hopes she went to A&E

She rang for advice, was told to go, and I really home that silence from OP means she went in. And I hope you're OK today

OP it sounds like you need a new gp once you find out what is going on. Did they do any investigation as to why your periods had stopped for 4 years or any investigation as to why they’d restarted? Ok, you were outside normal range for menopause but that’s more reason than anything to investigate what was going on, if only to confirm you needed hrt for your health. A period restarting after 4 years is very unusual (unless you were on long-term hormonal contraception) and needed investigating a year ago when it happened. So after you go to a and e and work out what is currently going on I really urge you to find a new gp with an interest in women’s health, as your current gp practice has really let you down.

I has similar a few years back but mine was an incomplete miscarriage that hadn't she'd properly and with the pain and blood loss I went to a&e and was admitted for investigation.

You need to go to hospital op. Your clearly unwell, bleeding heavily and have been for sometime. You need a scan and examination. You GP might book you in for a scan etc but this is not to be delayed any further after 10 days.

Pack a bag of what you need if your admitted (covid has stopped visiting in many hospitals) and go to a&e. It's the amount of blood loss, raised hp, tenderness and 10 days means you can't leave this any longer. If it's an infection your risking sepsis by delaying. If it's abcess you need to get to it before it bursts and if it's anything else you need to know sooner especially in the current climate.

A and E . They can at least check for anaemia , get a gynaecologist opinion / review .

I'm adding to the chorus of if you haven't gone to A and E already, please go now.

Yes please get seen. As a mw if a woman was soaking through a pad an hour that would be assessed immediately. It’s haemorrhaging. Don’t describe it as ‘period’ you need to be taken seriously when you get there. Good luck hope all will be ok

Hope you are ok OP

Too many women with serious bleeding are dismissed because it's "just a bad period".

Really hope you're okay and have taken the advice on here and went to A and E - or going to this morning.