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?

[jennymanara]

Generally you have the same peri menopause symptoms as your mum. Talk to her. Doing this reassured me that everything was normal. I did have blood tests and a scan and everything was normal. Although I have been having pretty horrendous symptoms. I did not know until I started getting my symptoms, what symptoms you can get. I had only heard of hot flushes. Menopause matters is a great website.
Peri menopause affects everything. Some women have an easy time, some a hard time.

[TatianaLarina]

I had completely different perimenopausal symptoms from my mum and from my sisters. Everyone’s different.

[jennymanara]

Oh okay sorry. Mine were pretty much like my mum's

[sonjadog]

My mother refuses to talk to me about it. It is "not nice" and she "can't remember". Drives me up the wall. I wish my grandmother was still alive, she would have told me all about hers.

[scottishdaisy]

My mother sailed through hers. It's the hardest thing that I've ever gone through!

[MsNikki]

Its fibroids.....get on vitamin D asap! I took 20,000 ius and mine stopped at 4days when it had been going 2wks

[Bloodybridget]

ZOMBIE THREAD!

[NewNameForMeNewNameForMe]

I'd be interested to know what happened to the OP.

[kristallen]

Zombie thread but a very interesting read! I think I'm in perimenopause now and from reading this thread think I need a dr's appointment too!

Also wondering how OP got on!

[Bunnyfuller]

Blood tests aren’t very reliable for menopause - they’re a 1 moment snapshot of a very fluid, fluctuating process. Hormones are all over the place with menopause so blood tests are very hit and miss.

Excessive bleeding can be one of the symptoms but definitely worth another visit to GP (one that actually knows about menopause).

[PollyPelargonium52]

I know it is money and also not everybody believes in it but homoeopathy can help if you can go and see one it may well turn things around.

[PollyPelargonium52]

I have to say most doctors really do not help with menopause issues. A year ago I booked a double appointment as I wanted a good long discussion plus I had some general health to discuss.

It was worth making the effort. I made sure I went to see a female GP.

[CanIHaveADrink]

ZOMBIE THREAD ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE

[Emmapeeler1]

Jeez, it’s not that much of a zombie thread... I remember clicking on the post in sept and thought there might be an update. Who cares if it’s three months old?

[EKGEMS]

I had a uterine ablation one year ago and was best medical decision I made-was hemorrhaging monthly

[SaddleryStudent]

I have the same problem, 2 fibroids only but giving me hell, I bleed for 3 weeks out of every 5, often can't leave the house for a few days because it is so extreme. I am currently having IVF treatment and when they checked my Hb after egg collection surgery it was 70 and they were considering a transfusion, luckily got out with just an iron infusion. I am so weak all the time, massively effecting my quality of life. Wouldn't have thought it with only two fibroids just under 5cm each. May I ask if you have any fertility issues due to your fibroids?

[Akrotiri1]

I bled continuously for 6mnths last year - 47 yrs old. Had some days when it was pouring down my legs, but Dr's kept put it down to 'time of life'.

Eventually they found I had cervical cysts after a routine smear - initially though it was only 1, but found to be 3 when I went in to have it removed. Also had an ultrasound and fibroids found, but nothing has ever been done about them.

About 3 weeks after the cysts were removed my bleeding stopped thank god....and been fine ever since.

A horrible period of my life (excuse the pun), mainly due to lack of interest from Gp, and having all the symptons that could have pointed to several types of cancer.

Make sure you take an iron supplement until things get sorted and good luck xx

[NotEnoughTime]

I know this is a zombie thread but I have gleaned lots of advice/information from it which has been helpful.
I sometimes feel that my life revolves around my periods (and has done for the last 35 years) the week before my period, the week of my period and the week after my period
My blood flow has always been very heavy and is accompanied by dreadful cramps. I have bled through my clothes many times. Absolutely awful and humiliating if it happens at work as I am in a customer serving role.
I am nearly 50 so hopefully I haven't got much longer to go before they cease for good (I am currently in peri-menopause). I can't wait to see the back of them.

[SaddleryStudent]

@Akrotiri1 @NotEnoughTime

I totally understand, I cant go out for at least 2-3 days every period which lasts 3 weeks! I struggle to go on long journeys out of fear of bleeding. Im 33 and mid-way through IVF. My GPS fobbed me off for so long saying it was normal. I have being diagnosed with fibroids. Until I went for my IVF procedure to collect eggs and came out having a complicated recovery from the sedation (they checked my hemoglobin and over a 3 month period since they last checked I had lost half my blood volume!! ). And like your experience, just two weeks prior my GP said I was fine....... I am constantly worried I will pass out on the way home from college and have to walk at a snails pace to conserve energy and because my vision is often blurry as a result of blood loss. The doctors said I was at the level that they should be doing a transfusion but because I seemed relatively ok they let me go with an iron infusion. This problem has dominated the last 3 years of my life, I struggle to do day to day things and am permanently exhausted, I often have to turn back within 5-10 minutes trying to go out for something simple like the shop because I am literally pouring out with blood. I'm actually kind of looking forward to menopause when maybe my fibroids will go away!! haha.

[NotEnoughTime]

I really feel for you SaddleryStudent sounds dreadful. It seems that there are lots of us in this horrible boat

I wish you the best of luck with your IVF journey

[Witchofthedales]

I know this is an old thread but can i add my voice? I've just finished bleeding after 18 days. I'm 48 almost 49. I barely dared get up to go to the loo in the night as the blood would just gush out of me. I was literally having to clean the toilet and floor as there was so much.
Heavy periods aren't new to me as they've been like this since I started aged 12 but this was something else.
I couldn't sneeze / cough/ fart or anything for that matter without a tsunami of blood gushing out of me.
I've upped the iron in my diet and started taking menopace which seemed to coincide with the bleeding stopping. Could be coincidence though.
Currently terrified the bleeding is going to start up again but all seems quiet for now, ( touch wood)!
💐🍫🍰 for everyone else going through this. Why aren't we warned about this? 😭

[Witchofthedales]

Also can i just add that mumsnet has been very reassuring to read as my mum has passed and I live in a houseful of males, also hard to get a Dr appt up here right now due to covid.

[serin]

Old thread but if it helps anyone, the Mirena coil worked wonders for me. I know it's not for everyone, but for me it gave me my life back.