To think Im too damn old to be suffering with periods this bad?

[LumpenproletariatAndProud]

In my teens my periods were horrendous, painful, heavy and every 2 weeks.

In my early 20's they calmed to light 3-4 day long periods. I went on the mini pill and it stopped them altogether, bliss.

I had a child, I stayed off the pill and they were still light, short and painless.

I have another child and they returned 8 months post birth. They were horrendous, went to doctors, had a polyp and got it removed.

That was 4 years ago, today they are still horrendous, a second scan last month showed no return of any polyps, smear and STD test is clear and periods are every 30 days like clock work.

Yet they are so heavy. In an hour I got through 4 super plus size tampons. 10 minutes after changing one I was flooding right through it, the clots are the size of half the palm of my hand, and Ive had to just sit on the toilet before to let it run out because there was simply no point using a tampon as minutes later I would flood.

I have a prolapse uterus and bladder, thats the only thing thats 'different' I can no longer use a moon cup et al because of this.

I went back on the mini pill thinking it would stop my periods again, but has it bollocks. The combined pill makes me insane and menefenamic acid does precisely fuck all.

Im sick of bleeding, Im sick of spending a fortune on Spatone because I get really ill otherwise. Im sick of periods.

Yes, tranexamic acid is large white pills, but just because they didn't work for you when you were in your teens doesn't mean they won't work for you now.

I have awful heavy periods too and was seriously considering an ablation. Then I started taking tranexamic acid and they have really worked for me. I take 8 a day for the first 3 or 4 days of the period and make sure that I take the first tablets as soon as my period starts.

They don't work well every month, but most months my period is now heavy but manageable, with no flooding or having to get up during the night. Before I started taking them I even leaked though onto my chair at work once, but now I can go the whole morning at work only changing my tampon once or twice.

I'm fairly sure having a prolapse won't mean you can't have a Mirena, but I would definitely see your gp.

Good luck, hope you get this sorted soon

Does anyone know if you can have a Mirena if you had to stop the combined pill because of visual migraines and risk of stroke ?

The Mirena is fine if you have migraines etc.

Hello OP

I was like this for about a year of the menopause.
I told myself during this time if it lasted longer I would have a hystericalectomy, however it stopped very suddenly. I went to the docs who confirmed I had gone through the menopause, just like that.

thanks, I may investigate the Mirena

sorry for hijack...OP, I feel your pain

Oh Im definitely going to the GP with that in mind to start with, well worth trying them again.

And I know for absolutely certain that I wasnt taking 8 a day though. So perhaps that could work for me.

It's a bastard isn't it AnyFucker? Hijack away.

Too right, it's a bastard. To think, I had years of infertility investigations and treatment and now (at pushing 50) I am suffering like you are. I hope you can get sorted.

After a very embarassing incident on holiday this summer (thankfully hopefully only witnessed by DH and I), I cannot go on like this. And neither should any of us have to.

Slightly off-centre maybe, but have you had your thyroid tested. My periods were similar sounding. The pill helped a bit - but still heavy (but more dealable with - no major flooding after flooding on day 2). Thyroid levels were being checked regularly anyway due to family history. When they finally dropped low enough to start levothyroxine the heavy periods just disappeared...poufff.....still have periods. But normal periods.

Fucked up menstral cycle can be a side effect of fucked up thyroid. Cannot help but get checked.

I had my thyroid checked in the last 12 months. The heaviness has been in the last 4 years. Thyroid was fine.

And yes the embarrassing incidences, again thankfully haven't been witnessed by strangers but only a matter of time.

I drench my bed at least once a month, despite getting up several times a night to change both lillets and massive boat-like pad.

Corrected (and stable) underactive thyroid here.

There's absolutely no reason you'd have to go on living with this and as mentioned in many posts there's plenty of options.

1. Mirena coil. This is progesterone only, so similar to mini pill but at a much smaller dose because it doesn't have to survive being metabolised in your gut and works locally. Most people that are fine on the mini pill are fine with it. The big study that was done showed 97% of people had lighter, shorter periods and 40% stopped altogether. It's usually absolutely fine with a uterine prolapse but there's a small risk of it falling out in the first few days.

1. A combination of mefenamic and tranexamic acid. They should reduce your flow rate but people that have flooding often find they initially have a lot more clots. It's the only non-hormonal and non-surgical option for you.

1. Endometrial ablation. I would avoid this if you're not 100% sure your family is complete because although it is still possible to get pregnant after you would be very likely to either miscarry or have an ectopic so most gynae insist on people having long term contraception with this (either mirena, sterilisation or vasectomy)

1. Hysterectomy. Most wont agree to this until you've tried all other options but in your case if your prolapse is bad they probably would as they could do a vaginal hysterectomy and repair all prolapses at the same time but obviously this is major surgery and has a lot of risks that go with it.

I know someone mentioned insisting seeing a gynae consultant but a competent reg would be able to sort you out ! Lots of people do prefer seeing a consultant though so if you would then ask when you book your appointment. If you decide on a mirena your GP or family planning clinic are more than qualified to sort that!

P.S. Make that physio appointment! You'll be glad you did in a few years!!!

Yes I need to get that physio appt.

I want to do number 4, but when Im 40.

In that case it's probably worth your while trying a mirena until then. If you decide you want to TTC your fertility returns quicker having that removed than it does after stopping the mini pill and if it works for you it can stay in for 5 years.

My periods were very similar to yours, OP. I tried everything -Tranexamic Acid made no difference, the Mirena didn't make my periods lighter but did make them a lot longer and the noresthisterone just regulated when I bled.

I eventually insisted on a referral to a gynae consultant who diagnosed a massive fibroid in my uterus. I had it removed, and my periods since then have been much lighter and shorter.

Talk to your GP and do insist on a gynae referral.

Thanks Used but as I said in my OP Ive already had polyp removed and they checked again last month and nothing was there.

I wish there was, that would be a lovely easy fix. Easier than this monthly torture.

Lumpen when you say checked, were they looking specifically for fibroids? Mine are actually in the wall of the uterus so dont actually protrude in as such more prevent the uterus from clamping down. That was how my gynae explained it anyway!

Gnome I presumed fibroids and polyps were the same thing, potato, potatah, perhaps I should check??

But the sonographer was looking for polyps because thats what I had before. She said she helped make the the sonograph system/package thingy so said "I don't mean to blow my own trumpet but I really push this machine to its limits because I known its design. Meaning I might look more in depth than the other sonographer." Which I found very reassuring.

Id have thought if she was in there (literally) then she'd know to look for fibroids too?

My mum had exactly same symptoms. Heavy periods with horrendous pain as a teenager (I inherited that and right now I have a hot water bottle on my stomach as came on yesterday and I'm changing every few hours). She used to go to work with 5 pads on and by the end of the half hour commute she'd have soaked through all 5. Eventually she haemorrhaged and this was when she got menopause. Push your dr as she for nowhere.

Lumpen the majority of the time you would see fibroids on a transvaginal ultrasound scan.

i had a submucosal fibroid. they booked me in for a transfusion for the blood loss. massively anaemic and flooded everything for 7 years. do get it checked out if you havent already. i was fobbed off for years with gps discussing coils, mirena and the like and the fibroid was never picked up until i self referred to a consultant. the pain was unimaginable. an op and all fixed. it honestly transformed my life.

I have the internal and externals scan. I'm confident that they ruled out fibroids to be honest.

I will try and make an appointment today.

I think the thing is to ask specific questions. Is it X y/n? Is it Y y/n? Would ABC work? etc etc. IME some doctors are good at this but others arent. My problems waited until a crisis (DVT) to get sorted.

To be clear the DVT was likely triggered by a combination of extreme aneamia and an underlying blood condition.