To think the male GP just mansplained?

[FuckingFabulous]

I have called today to speak to a GP because for the last eight months I've been having an issue with my periods. Rather than a light to medium flow for five days , I've been having a light flow for five, a crazy heavy flow for one abs then back to light for three days. And I mean crazy heavy. I know many women have it worse but on that day I'm changing super plus tampons every 40 minutes and waking up absolutely flooded three times a night. I feel light headed and trembly on this day and the two days after too, and I get a lot of sparkly/flashing lights in my vision for about a week after.

So. GP. I called the GP when the second period was like it and was told to monitor it for six months. By a male GP, just in the interest of full disclosure. I called again today. And the GP told me I should consider myself lucky that the full eight days aren't like it and what I need to realise about the menstrual cycle is that all women have a varied cycle and sometimes it's extremely heavy and sometimes it's extremely light. It's all normal. I said I didn't find it normal to be bleeding through super plus protection in under an hour, despite it only being a 24-36 hrs event in my monthly cycle. I use more protection in that one day than I do in the seven others! And the feeling of being so light headed for days and the visual aura make me feel unsafe to drive. I explained that I literally go wobbly and start to get that darkening at the edge of my vision so need to put my head between my legs, multiple times a day. He sighed and said "oh, I'm afraid it's part of the trials of being female. You'll get used to it. There's nothing I can suggest except take yourself to bed with a hot water bottle or go out for a jog."

What. The .Fuck?! Firstly, I'm a mother of three and can't just fuck off to bed. Go out for a jog when I'm bleeding like I just gave birth?? And I've been having periods for 25 years- I know what they are! Get used to it, indeed.

I'm so annoyed. Years ago I had Mefanemic acid or something similarly named for heavy bleeding, but apparently now there's "nothing" and I'm to just appreciate that it's not for the full eight days.

AIBU to be pissed with his attitude?

Hi @FuckingFabulous

Sorry to derail your thread- but I’m in the midst of being tested for coeliac and my periods have been like you describe both times while doing the gluten challenge.

If you unearth a link between coeliac and massively short, incredibly heavy periods, I’d be interested to know!

@CovidCorvid

There’s a real issue with getting mefanemic acid and tranxemic acid prescribed these days. I did read there’s a supply issue. I’m on a fb group for people with EDS and one of the symptoms of EDs is very heavy periods and women there complaining about not being able to get it prescribed.

But this gp in particular sounds a twat, is there another dr you can see...ideally a female one?

I've not had an issue getting them?

My issue is trans acid can only be taken for 4 days and I bleed heavily for 9-10 and then lighter for 2-4.

Oh and your GP is a class one c**t.
Hope you get a better one who takes proper care of you x

@Foggyday124 please don't offer to send a random stranger prescription only meds through the post. You have absolutely no idea of their medical history or what else they may be taking which could interact. Tranexamic acid can cause blood clots which could potentially be lethal, its absolute madness to suggest something like that

So shocking OP. Pleae complain to the practice manager, he sounds like a complete idiot.
I was in a similar sitution to you and got brilliant, professional help from both a male and a female GP at my practice. It's not for everyone but in the end a Mirena coil sorted things for me.

"There's nothing I can suggest except take yourself to bed with a hot water bottle or go out for a jog."

Where did he get his trainig from, a Bodyform commercial? What will he suggest next? Rollerblading and hang-gliding?

You need to tell your GP to jog on

My first bad experience was age 16 being told by my GP getting pregnant would make my periods lighter after giving birth

I suffered for years and it’s only, TMI, taking a photo of one of the many clots and showing it to my GP that I got the referrals I needed

Can you put an online consultation in saying what you have on here than may help get another opinion.
Maybe put what you would like to have done eg - blood count for anaemia / ferritin to check iron level / thyroid blood tests as under active can give heavy periods - scan to consider if fibroids which can give heavy period - then maybe what you would like eg medications eg mefanemic / tranexmic or a pill / a Gynae referral/ Mirena coil etc - hope you get on ok - today sounds like terrible experience x

Count yourself lucky you’re bleeding that heavily for 1 day rather than 8? Get used to it? He can fuck right off. I swear if men had periods they’d have found a way to make them completely pain free by now. Fuck it, they’d have cured them by now

I’d try a different doctor. Hope you get a solution soon.

That is atrocious. On every level. Can you ask to see a female GP?

What's the jog supposed to do?

Altered vision for a week afterwards & you're supposed to put up with it?

Good grief!

A period is supposed to surely be a mild inconvenience, not debilitating!

One day is one day too many!

You should be referred for a scan at least, OP, and they should also have a blood test and pregnancy test at the surgery. Heavy and painful periods may be common, but it doesn't mean that the attitude should be that you just have to put up with it. It could well be fibroids or endometriosis and you might even have an ovarian cyst which needs keyhole surgery. Sudden menstrual changes can also be something a lot more serious. It should always be checked out and not dismissed.

A few years ago I had some minor gynae surgery. Hanging around in waiting rooms, I picked up leaflets that explained how all the symptoms I'd had for years, like yours OP, could have been effectively and simply treated .

Please pursue this even if it's annoying and embarrassing. You could be cured!

I'm sorry your GP is a dick. Sometimes I think the main part of their training must be 'How to fob people off/How to shut people up/How to make people feel small/How to dismiss women without helping them at all'.

@l2b2

When the surgery rang about your last blood test, which showed you had iron deficient anaemia, what dose iron did they tell you to supplement with? It should be 100mg to 200mg daily. I think you can buy that OTC but most GPS would prescribe. Most vitamins/ mineral combos only contain about 14mg iron, so you're never going to address the iron deficiency with that. Ditto Spatone.

200 and I take a liquid one

I agree with all the others who've said you should complain, but I would say not to your practice manager who is presumably employed by the doctors, but officially to your local health board. I did that a few years ago and the complaint was treated seriously - I even got a written apology from the doctor concerned. You need to change doctors, either within the practice or a different practice altogether if there's another available to you. The doctor you saw is a disgrace to his profession.

had similar chat with young female gp - not necessarily mansplaining

@2bazookas

Years ago, in a clinic where I'd been referred for excessive menstrual flooding, the male gynae registrar mansplained that an entire period only sheds an eggcupful of blood.

other posters have scoffed at this - but I was at school at a time when there was no guidance on this, certainly not something my mother would have discussed, and periods weren't something I'd have discussed with friends. My periods got extremely heavy in my 40's - when I read up on the subject and realised something was definitely wrong, but in retrospect, my periods were always way heavier than that - I had no idea what was "normal"

What a condescending prick!!
I would ring back and ask (demand) to speak to someone else.
I don't even know you and I'm raging for you!

Forget about complaining and seeing other GPs. They will all play the game of watchful waiting or whatever it's called as do many people's symptoms go away with no intervention.
Word it differently, "ive been Having these symptoms for the last six months I'm extremely concerned that it's not normal for me. I want to be referred to the local gynae OPD for further investigation" they will never say no as if there ever was a terrible problem that was discovered that could have been cured earlier they would be in serious do do.

Definitely YANBU. This is the most united I’ve ever seen mumsnet on one of these posts. Definitely a wanker.

I had really heavy periods like yours, the mefanamic acid didn’t really work and after a routine blood test I was called by the doctor and was told I was severely anaemic and was signed off work for a week. Further scans showed fibroids which were causing the problem, I opted for a hysterectomy (as we didn’t plan any more kids). It was wonderful not to have periods any more, it had got to the point that for two days of my period I was getting through a box of Super plus tampons, wearing super absorbent pads and still dreading going anywhere in case I leaked everywhere. You don’t need to put up with this from your GP, get another opinion

My periods became heavier in 2015, just coming up to my 40th birthday, over a a few months and I had terrible pain on day 3, to the extent that I was incapacitated. Previously I'd had very little problem with periods.

I was taken very seriously by a male GP, pregnancy test (in case of ectopic) straight away and blood test. CA125 levels were also high (marker for ovarian cancer) and they got me in for a cat scan at hospital straight away which revealed a large cyst on my left ovary. Six weeks (NHS) later I had day surgery to remove the cyst, and they managed to leave both ovaries intact. The surgeon also removed some endometriosis tissue (which was revealed to be extensive) though couldn't get all of it as some was close to my bowel and bladder.

After that I was put on desogestrel (mini pill) and offered a hysterectomy if I wanted it. The desogrestrel really seems to have sorted it out though. I stopped having periods at all after a year or so and have had next to zero symptoms of endometriosis since surgery. It's a chronic condition but can be managed very well in some cases. That's how seriously this sort of thing should be taken. My treatment couldn't have been better if I'd gone private.

Also as you have one autoimmune disease you’re more likely to develop another. Some stuff like thyroid issues can be autoimmune related and have heavy periods as a symptom so they should be ruling that out.

YANBU AT ALL. At alllllll. The one suggestion I have re the heavy flow would be a large mooncup coupled with an extra large bamboo pad-- this is the only thing that gets me through lol

There's nothing I can suggest except take yourself to bed with a hot water bottle or go out for a jog

Jesus Christ. I'd report this. Shocking.