My periods have been horrific the last couple of years*. I get that your cycle shortens during perimenopause - but heaviness, flooding, clots, 14 days bleeding 5 days off repeat....just awful. Bleeding more than 50% of the time is not much fun.
Lots of options explored. Pill. Implant (horrific impact on periods), mirena. Now on HRT. Medication. Tried (and failed) to get an ablation but am the wrong shape uterus wise so not possible. Now been referred for a hysterectomy.
In the meantime I have finally pushed for some iron tablets. Whenever I have had a full blood count my ferritin has always been right on the lowest part of the range but being within that "normal" range has meant every GP has ignored it.
3 months of iron tablets (about 2 x 210mg ferrous fumarate a day) have had more of an impact on my periods that anything else. Ever. Now periods are lighter for me (probably still middling compared to normal people, but no flooding/clots/very heavy days) and only lasting 5 days rather than 13 or 14.
My teenage daughter has also just gone on a similar dose ferrous fumarate. And just told me her period was lighter and shorter than any she has had ever.
Has anyone else experienced this? I know heavy periods can cause low iron - but is actually a decent iron level something that will make your periods lighter/more normal?
*I know the mirena has been a miracle for a lot of people...but tried/failed 7 times - not an option for me.