Started period a week early. Do I need to contact GP?

[Hormonesffs]

Hi,

Just that really.

I'm in my late 30's and have INSANELY heavy periods! Cycle is normally 25 ish days. Used to be 30 plus, but over the past few years has got shorter.

I'm on iron for iron deficiency, as a result of my ridiculous flow, but felt like I sort of had it under control.

I'm day 18 and a few days a go got my usual ovulation pain followed by a bit of brown spotting, which is fairly standard for me. Then today I start spotting bright red blood, which I thought could still be to do with my ovulation, but this afternoon it seems to have turned into a proper period. I have the cramps and everything.

I also feel pretty rubbish. Headachy and emotional. This is how I often feel around ovulation and my actual period.

Do I contact my GP now or just track things for a bit? I have massive anxiety, so am trying not to let my mind go anywhere else.

Thanks.

Hello, I joined specifically to answer you in case any of my experience is helpful.

I had a laproscopy which identified endo, i didn't find the procedure bad at all but I'm generally quite good with medical stuff. The recovery was quite uncomfortable particularly in the shoulder because of the gas they use to pump you up so your organs lift a bit.

During the laproscopy they removed lots of scar tissue that had built up around my fallopian tubes and womb. They also did a procedure that i forget the name of, it basically spring cleans the lining of your womb but I may have only had that at the same time as we were having fertility treatment.

Since then, 3 years ago, my heavy periods returned eventually but the cycle pattern had changed. I contacted my gp as my emotions would hit the floor without fail every month 1 week prior to my bleed. I had very dark thoughts routinely at this time and had nothing to attribute them to. My doctor prescribed me the combined pill, there are a few that she said are useful in treating endo if you get the estrogen level right, I could have opted for the coil. I take it continuously back to back but find i need to break at month 3 for a light bleed for 5 days. This is not accompanied by the same crippling pain i had before taking it.

I hope that might help and I hope that you get some answers and relief. Endometriosis uk have a website with useful stuff including things you can say to a gp if you need to advocate for yourself.

@Ontheedge2 not really, no.

@Iwouldloveanicecream, so the op you had did help, just temporarily? How do you get on with the combined pill?

@Hormonesffs have they checked your thyroid???heavy periods ,hair loss and fatigue are also a sign of hypothyroidism. i had the mirena after my cycle chagned to 21days (from 30 plus) and became super heavy, its worked really well but if you are younger its really important to get a proper diagnosis.

oh i see you are late 30's...developing thyroid issues is more common,i believe, as you reach your 40's plus you could be starting perimenopause (both happened to me early 40's so wasnt exactly sure which was the main cause of my period issues)

@2022again I've had the blood test, which I assume would show if there was a problem?..

I'd track for a couple of months so you have useful data for them. It'd be hard to diagnose anything on one cycle, I'd have thought, but if a few are different then there's a pattern to look at.
With your age it might be perimenopause. Do you know when your mum's menopause was as there tends to be a genetic link? My mum's was early so it made sense that I hit peri in my late 30s, even though I had to tell a couple of doctors that no, I really wasn't too young for that.

it might but equally you can be in the "normal" range on the NHS and it may still be sub-clinical hypothyroidism....if your TSH is starting to creep up towards the high side of "normal" its worth keeping an eye on. NHS often only tests for TSH and don't always include T4 & never T3...both of these are a better indicator of thyroid disease. Mood issues and weight gain also can be linked to hypothyroidism & to perimenopause....hence why its good to work out if its endo v. other causes.

@PinkArt , my mum had a hysterectomy in her early 40's because her periods were so bad, but I'm not sure when she officially started her peri or full blown menopause. Think her cycle got a little shorter just before she had the op.

@2022again , thank you for this.

So my early period stopped, then started, then stopped and now I'm just spotting a bit of brown/old blood. It never really kicked in to a proper period though, so I'm honestly not sure what's going on. It was definitely more than spotting in the beginning though and I was needing to use liners.

A couple of days before this started I felt really quite ill, but put it down to post ovulation, as I often feel a bit rubbish during that time, but this was definitely a little worse than normal, so think my hormones are all over the place!

Is there any possibility you could be pregnant? It could have been an implantation bleed.

@JustCakeInDrag , definitely not, unfortunately 😔

It does work- it helps stop bleeding.
Your period is heavy not because you have blood ‘stored up’ in the womb. It’s heavy because the blood isn’t clotting quickly enough inside the womb lining so is just bleeding far too much.
you need to take the tablets at the very first sign of your period. Twice a day at least. They do work and can be taken longer term.

@PurpleWisteria1 , but if I (sorry if tmi) already have a lot of large clots, will that issue not just become worse? I remember a GP once said clots were fine, as long as they're not bigger than a 50p 😳 I think I laughed out of embarrassment and explained mine were more like the size of a satsuma!

Understood. I agree with a pp that Mirena might be worth exploring. If it agrees with you (and it doesn’t for everyone) it is life-changing. I don’t have periods at all.

@JustCakeInDrag I did consider it a long time a go, but I really struggle with smear tests, to the point they can't actually do it and/or I'm in tears, so not sure I'd actually be able to have this fitted.

One period a week early wouldn't trigger a GP appt for me personally, but all the other symptoms (consistently heavier periods) would ❤️

@Hormonesffs that sounds very tough. If you can find a sympathetic specialist, maybe at a sexual health clinic or Brook Advisory type place, they might be willing to give you light sedation or prescribe a small amount of Valium. They could perform the smear test during the same procedure.

Sounds like you have a genetic predisposition to menstrual problems. Would you want a hysterectomy? If you do I'd get on a waiting list asap. Tell your GP about your family history. But GPs aren't experts and if you can afford it I'd go to a private gynaecologist and get fully investigated.

I had extremely heavy periods in my thirties. I would wear a tampon along with two night-time towels one at front and one behind (in the day and at night) but it got to the stage that I still flooded through to my clothes after an hour and the clots were massive. The GP prescribed Tranexamic Acid, to be taken at the first sign of a period, and it transformed my life. For me it was miraculous. I actually ended up having an early menopause and had my last period at 38, so I think it was to do with that.

Have you recently had covid booster? My cycle was much shorter after each time I had covid jab

@JustCakeInDrag oooo double the fun! 😂 I am actually a few months past my call up time, so need to sort this ASAP anyway. Maybe sedation is the way forward.

@caroleanboneparte I think you're right. I would be more up for the idea if I didn't have to have a GA. Think you can have them under a local, but not 100% sure.

@FlowersareEverything it's awful isn't it! Will definitely re consider the TA.

@ChickpeaPie Nope. I've heard it can play havoc with that though.

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