to never leave the house first 2 days of period

[thenettyprofessor]

i'm in my very early 40s and my periods are now bonkers, I was always heavy and a good 7-8 days long. However my body seems to want to shift it all in 2 days, I wear 2 fat night time towels, pants, shorts, leggings and loose jeans and still have to change at least once an hour often am too late and goes through. I am assuming it maybe perimenopause and this nightmare will end soon.

Sounds possibly like the peri menopause. Can last for a few years, basically your oestrogen levels start to drop then your body panics and overproduces to compensate. (Oestrogen is responsible for building up the womb lining). Oral progesterone is helpful as it “ neutralises” some of this excess oestrogen. Choose a Mirena coil for contraception as it has the added benefit of a much lower dose of local progesterone which will lessen the flow. Additionally you can use it as the progesterone part of HRT if other menopause symptoms kick in.

Im 42 and the flooding and back/tummy ache is so bad i cant make it to work on day 2-3 and have to go sick from work.

I will end up on sickness mgt for this

Mirena was no good for me at all.

I dont know where to go with it now.

Nomudnolotus

Have you had scans. If not go back and ask for a referral.
You could try the contraceptive injection for a few months - has a higher dose progesterone but carries a very slight risk of causing brittle bones later in life.

Get your B12 levels tested, pins and needles and heavy periods are a feature of B12 deficiency/Pernicious Anemia. And often seen alongside iron deficiency.

I'm 40 and ever since having ds four years ago mine have been horrific.

Seen four doctors, two of whom were gynes. All said it's just normal.

Fuckers.

I lie in bed crying and vomiting for two days and pass huge clots.

My mother had a hysterectomy at 44 after two years like that. She said it was the best thing that ever happened to her. This was in Ireland in the late 70s and there may have been a concern over oral contraceptives. Not sure if they know any solutions other than hysterectomy either. I know that one solution suggested was to have another baby. Mum and dad were both at that one.

We're desperately trying for a baby but no luck. It's like my uterus is having a big nasty joke.

There are a couple of comments upthread about women in their 40s assuming menopause; while 51 may be the average age of menopause, it isn't the ONLY age of menopause. 5% of women (myself included) are fully menopausal by the age of 45, and the average age of starting perimenopause is 47 so it isn't such a giant leap to assume menstrual changes in their 40s indicate perimenopause is it?

It is similar here. Tranexamic avid doesn't seem to be doing much.

I refused the coil and said I wouldn't entertain any contraceptives as a management measure. I have a scan booked for next week.

I asked about ablation; apparently it depends on the cause - I am very much hoping I will qualify.

I’m early 40’s and have noticed changes in that my first two days are far heavier than they were and I tend to spot longer at the end. I’m not flooding to the degree others have said but i do get put off going out on the heaviest days.

I also have noticed I get mild cramps running up to it now along with pmt. I had both when I was young but it stopped after I had my first child so this is another change.

In your situation I think I’d be asking them to check for fibroids.

Perimenop

Ignore that!!! 😂

It may be perimenopausal, but too many women just assume that's what it is.
And FAR too many women just accept that horrible periods is just what they have to put up with.

Nothing wrong with making provision with good sanpro/special knickers, but please do see your GP and find out what your options are, of which Trxnexamic acid is only one of many.
Don't put up with every month having to limit what you can do FGS!

Definitely see your doctor. However, coping wise, you might want to try a menstrual cup as your first line of defence, then towels? I do both due to heavy flow and some flooding. Menstrual cup has made such a difference over how long I can cope away from the house.

I'm Perimenopausal at 43. Started last year having periods that lasted about 3 weeks and just stopped functioning. Was drained and felt sick constantly.

Dr referred me and I had an uterine ablation and now don't have periods at all. I still get horrific mood swings and sore boobs etc.

Consultant told me he thinks all women should have one once they've decided not to have anymore children.

Get yourself to the GP woman! Too many women think they just have to put up with this.

I was you three or four years ago and it's horrendous. It really does limit your life.

There is LOTS which can be done from taking tranexamixc acid to cut blood loss through to going on the pill, having a Mirena coil, ablation, hysterectomy. See your GP. Ask for help. If they are unsympathetiv or if things don't improve, ask for a referral to a gynaecologist to find out what is going on.

In your early 40s you have 10 years or more of this ahead and you do not have to live like this.

(ibs with pins and needles in my hands)

And get your thyroid levels tested pronto. Those are two symptoms I had when my thyroid was packing up. Underactive thyroid can also affect your periods.

I used to have horrendous flooding. My dr prescribed tranexamic acid and mefenamic acid to be taken alongside each other as soon as my period started. This made my periods bearable. Still heavy though. Gp sent me for investigations and I had fibroids, and was very anaemic, which explained why I was so tired all the time. I eventually had a hysterectomy and it's the best thing I ever did. Definitely get to the dr for tranexamic / mefenamic acid. It isn't the dr who is having to live through the nightmare every month.

Happened to me, was fibroids.

I know some pp's have said a mooncup is no good because of the clots but I use a mooncup and a super dooper, extra long, night time pad. The mooncup will catch the blood, then a massive clot or vast quantities of blood will cause it to overflow but it means I have enough time to get to a bathroom to empty it and change the pad as I can feel it overflowing.

Days 1 and 2 I will empty the mooncup at least every hour. The pad allows me to deal with the times I need to change more frequently.

Cyklokapron and Menfenamic acid here. Has helped. Started bout 2 years ago. Flooding and was afraid to leave the house on heavy days. Please see GP

Go to the gp... They will prob scan you for fibroids/any other probs, probably test blood for iron levels, maybe can give you pill/mef acid/hrt. Not sure as not a doctor but pretty sure they'd have lots of options and want to investigate. I think they're is actually NHS advice to seek medical help if you're really flooding towels quickly as clearly you must be losing a lot of blood.

There is

Please don't feel you should have to just put up with this, no reason why women should have to put up with his sort of thing when medical help is available. I'm sure you wouldn't want a friend to put with this so please take care of yourself/try to get something done about it.

thanks everyone I have booked an appointment with the GP and will let you know