I feel like I'm slowly bleeding to death while pretending it's not happening, should I "advocate" for myself with the doctors? How?

[questionzzz]

TMI and long. Please help. Nothing like this has happened to me before.

background: 45 yrs F, 2 DC, generally healthy. No former complications with childbirth, reproductive system, periods etc.

So, over the past few years I have generally had regular, fairly light periods, lasting 3 days at most. A bit of cramping and heavier flow on the 2nd day, nothing an ibuprofen couldn't take care of.
Right on the dot 5 days after my 45th bday, I start a mild spotting (last Sunday, to be precise) just less than 2 weeks after my last period. I have a bit of a panic, wonder what going on, make an appt to see family dr but that's not until 20th Sept, continuing to bleed, so on Tuesday I go to walk-in clinic and see dr who examines me, takes swabs and writes up bloodwork, also gives me a pep talk about how it's probably just "life changes".
Call back from dr following day (last Wed) saying the bloodwork returned all normal, even for peri menopause my hormones don't indicate that, so just a fluke. They'll call me if anything irregular
in the swabs, but not otherwise.
No phone call so far, thankfully.
meanwhile the blood flow is getting heavier and showing no sign of stopping.
It's been ten days now I'm bleeding, with some clots, feeling a bit weak and woozy sometimes, but otherwise no pain, no cramps or anything.
Sex last night ended up looking like a murder scene. (dr said I could have sex)
What should I do? Just wait it out? Seeing my family dr on 20 Sept. Should I just wait till then? I feel at this point I'm slowly bleeding to death but not sure what to do?

[scottishdaisy]

I'm another thinking perimenopause - lots of my friends have this kind of 'flooding'. My periods became heavier and erratic but then I had a mirena coil inserted and have had nothing since then. Blood tests, as far as I am aware, are really inconclusive as far as perimenopause goes....

[Purpleartichoke]

Fibroids don’t necessarily cause pain or any symptoms at all.

In the meantime, I would take an otc iron supplement and/or try to fill your diet with iron rich foods.

[MilkTrayLimeBarrel]

I too had a terrible time in peri menopause - clots and heavy bleeding. Doctor gave me tranexamic acid and it helped so much. See if yours could prescribe that for you.

[jennymanara]

Sounds like peri menopause. At this stage tests of your hormones will be normal. I bled for 21 days, most of it heavy.

[PookieDo]

@steff13

Yes I have had that already
I now have intramuscular fibroids so I can’t have ablation again, maybe just a hysterectomy
They also think I have something else wrong with me possibly my pituitary gland. I actually see an endocrinologist tomorrow. Gynae will not act until I have seen the endo.

[Jesaminecollins]

It sounds like you have fibroids or you have a hormone imbalance cause by the perimenopause. When I had heavy bleeding that went on for months I took Tranexamic acid. These worked well for me until I finally reached the end of the menopause - this can last for years I'm afraid and some women have a hysterectomy because they cannot cope. I managed to get mine under control by using those tablets.

[CurlyWurlyTwirly]

I had this aged 45 with fibroids. I had let it go on for 2 years, in the end, I was on tranexemic acid, and norethisterone, iron tablets, injections to put me into temporary menopause to shrink the fibroids.
Then one day I bled so much in 48 hours I needed a blood transfusion.
Then I had a hysterectomy. Best thing ever. I should have done it 2 years Earlier.

I would definitely get some iron tablets, and your GP should be sending you for a blood test and a scan to check for fibroids.

[MyNameIsArthur]

What is your platelet count OP?

[jennymanara]

The majority of women on reaching menopause have one or more fibroids. Most do not need treatment.
But you can have heavy bleeding with peri menopause and no fibroids. The fact you have never had any issues before points to peri menopause or very small fibroids.

[Italiangreyhound]

I wouldn't wait until 20th. I'm sorry you are going through this. I'd call 111 or go to A and E or call GP tomorrow.

[Abraid2]

My doctor wanted me to have a Mirena cook inserted for very heavy periods and I wish I had agreed. I used to feel so washed out and leaving the house was sometimes almost impossible. On two occasions when I was doing some public speaking I was nearly caught out by gushes of blood. I had to give one talk with no pants on because it started early and overwhelmingly.

[fairislecable]

I had always had very regular periods lasting 7 days on a 28 day cycle, at 45 I suddenly had massively heavy periods.

One day as I was leaving the house there was a sudden gush and I went back in to clean up, drove to work and as I stepped from the car another tsunami but this time it went right down into my shoes. I had to drive home again and clean me and the car up.

I was referred to a horrible gynae asked about period pain and told him I had never had any he said I was wrong and that was not possible.

He insisted on an internal exam although I told him I was bleeding heavily he removed the tampax and it was like removing a cork from a bottle ( all over his shoes). Tranexamic helped.

Yes it was the peri menopause.

[PookieDo]

I have a tilted womb now so the gushing is so much worse. I collect it in my womb tilt for a while and then it will suddenly release all in one go

[LilyRed]

Yet another voice to add to the same happened to me at that age - do we need more sensitive tests for the peri-menopause perhaps for some of us?

My monthly bleeds started to get longer and heavier until they lasted for over two weeks at a time and it was so bad that I was changing pads at least hourly. At night I would be using tampons, double towels and sleeping on towels - I shudder to remember it. My tubes had been sealed years before so I certainly wasn't pregnant.

I contacted my GP about this three times and it was only finally when I became severely anaemic that I was referred to the gynae clinic.

First, I was sent for an ultrasound which included an internal scan and they checked for fibroids, polyps and other problems. Although I had a couple of polyps, they were considered 'normal'.

I was then booked in a couple of weeks later for a colposcopy. (I found this fascinating as you may be able to watch if you are not squeamish) I was one of the lucky few who do not find the procedure uncomfortable, but talk to your GP or clinic about this beforehand as it can be painful. The worse I suffered was afterwards when my shoulders ached like the blazes as the gas they use during the procedure collects there and takes a few days to dissipate.

Again nothing found, so the next step, during the procedure was to offer me a Mirena coil to help control the bleeds. Initially I had refused at the GP surgery, but by the time I got to the colpo clinic I had had enough both mentally and physically.

For me, the Mirena worked like a charm; except for initial spotting for the first few months, no more periods ever. They were never missed!

Nearly eight years on, I'm well into the menopause, and now take HRT.

Back in the 70s my mother-in-law had the same problem and was given a hysterectomy as that was standard treatment back then.

I do hope you have some relief soon Op, I believe this is a far more common problem than previously thought, and hope that medical research will catch up soon and offer us more and better of the treatments we need for so called 'women's problems'. 'Men's problems' would of course have billions spent to find a cure...

[confusedjuly2019]

Just to clarify - for me fibroids were pain free. Treatment, as others have mentioned, was ablation (plus mirena at same time) = no periods, no pain etc = .

[shushymcshush]

Just reading this thread, I feel like there is a need for a "we need to talk about periods", especially for women in mid-30s-50ish.

Bloody things

[PookieDo]

My fibroids have pushed out 2 mirenas 😕

[Hazhaze]

Can we make it socially acceptable to ask others to check the back of clothes for leaks? I swear I spend most of my period trying not to look as if I'm staring at my butt while checking

pookie that must have been awful for you but I'm weirdly impressed!

[TatianaLarina]

Did you have your iron levels checked when you went to the GP?

I know you say you’re generally anaemic.

[PookieDo]

@Hazhaze

This is why I have just gone all out and bought the tena pants. Too many years spent walking with my back against a wall to the toilet at work 😂

[redskyatnightsea]

I'm going through peri and remember a particularly awful period when I completely flooded when I was out and about. Was AWFUL, had to ring DH to come and pick me up from the middle of a park as I was totally flooded through my clothes ☹️ as to sit on a bench and wait for him!

[PookieDo]

When they fell out there was a lot of blood, more than normal then I could feel something weird inside of me, i was kind of itchy and uncomfortable.
Ended up having to have a proper feel vis it was annoying and mirena came out in my hand both times. Didn’t hurt coming out