To take a photo of my menstrual loss?

[Perplexed0522]

I have the most awful periods.

I pass the most awful of clots throughout the day, I can flood through 3 layers of clothing easily, I have to lie and sit on towels, I have to carry spare pairs of clothes around with me at all times, I usually can’t leave the house for the first few days and I’m dreadfully anaemic.

I’ve been on iron supplements for over 2 years now and my levels are still low and it has been attributed to my heavy periods.

I had an USS scan about 6 months ago, which was done about a week after my period had finished, and I was told everything was normal.

It’s been suggested by various Doctors that I have a Mirena Coil but I’ve had two in the past, which didn’t suit for me various reasons, and so because I said no they’ve washed their hands of me.

I have also been suggested to try Transaexemic Acid (sorry, I don’t know how to spell it) but I have a chronic condition which TA isn’t compatible with.

Im currently on my period now and I’m just so bloody fed up with it. It has a huge impact on my life and the Doctors just don’t care and aren’t interested.

In total frustration I’ve just taken a photo of the sanitary towel that I’ve just changed because of how totally flooded it is and because there are huge clots on it too. I want to show it to the GP so they can see how heavy it is and explain the flooding and the clots happen constantly (I have to change my towel every few hours), just so I can prove how bad it is.

I think they think I’m exaggerating about how bad it is, but I’m not.

My DH said it’s really inappropriate to take a photo to show them, but surely the GP will have seen worse?

I just can’t take it anymore and just want my life back. I feel beholden to it every month and I’m so fed up.

Op - GP here. Take the photos - I have seen far worse😂
make an appointment to just talk about your periods
Write down what you have written here.
consider hysterectomy or a procedure called endometrial ablation where they take away the lining of uterus.
GPs are very restricted in what they can refer - multiple referrals get declined. You need someone on your side prepared to back you and write repeated letters .

You need referral to a gynae. A close friend recently had an endometrial ablation (where the endometrium is lasered away during a procedure) for the same heavy bleeding and flooding through layers every period which has been very successful for her. Minimum bleeding now however ablation can only be carried out when you are sure you no longer want any more children so that is something to consider

My Mum had flooding (peri) and ended up having a full hysterectomy.

Honestly if you go to a private consultant you can get this sorted out in 24 hours. I know many people cannot afford it but I think it is essential now to have a reserve for private consultants. Lives are blighted by the completely inadequate care on the NHS

And I think GP/Gynae don't care so much about actual amounts (ml etc) but just if it is unmanageable. So if you were using panty liners and changing every hour...meh.... But heavy flow pads, flooding (you know you flood - if you are not sure, you haven't) big clots, anemia, changing your life around your periods....they all are enough to be classified as heavy periods (or very heavy periods) and require investigation and treatment. The ultra sound just showed your GP there wasn't a massive fibroid and/or thickening (so no cancer risk). Unless you push further though they will just leave it there.

I’m a HCP, it’s totally fine to do. We’re always asking people if they took a photo when something weird and wonderful has been expelled from their body or that of their child. Parents often bring dirty nappy’s in a nappy bag to demonstrate strange jelly poo/blood/unusual coloured urine, etc. Have also been handed sandwich boxes containing sadly miscarried products of conception, kidney stones, vomit, sputum, etc.

A photo really does make people take notice, better than a description which can be passed off as an exaggeration, etc.

I would show them OP. I was similar but luckily was diagnosed with an enormous fibroid and have had 3 surgeries since January. Also try taking Ferrograd C. My iron was rock bottom even though I was taking Spatone or Active Iron every day, he said they were useless. Two weeks on it after last surgery and I feel better already. The flooding and clots were unreal. Sometimes I was changing a big pad every 20 minutes. One night I even thought I'd have to go to A&E as I couldn't leave the bathroom. So frightening.

I'm exactly the same as you to the letter OP. Was told to try the coil, didn't work, was told to try TA tablets, didn't work. Got referred to gynaecology and have finally been diagnosed with endometriosis, they are going to try an ablation first which should help but have other plans of action. You need a gynae referral, they will take you seriously.

This doesn't sound right, it actually sounds like a medical emergency. Can you see a gynecologist instead of a GP?

I was referred to gynaecology for my USS but because it was normal they discharged me back to the GP who isn’t interested in helping me further because I’ve said I don’t want a Mirena.

It was a GP who phoned me and suggested trying TA and then sent a prescription to the Pharmacy. She rang me back about 30 minutes later to say that I couldn’t have the TA due to my epilepsy. I imagine it was the Pharmacist who realised that and so wouldn’t do the prescription.

It's only blood. The GP will hopefully understand better when they can see the actual blood loss and clots.

I've always had heavy period and also platelets right at the bottom of the normal range (and very low after being quite ill once). I have recently started taking vitamin k (available to purchase from the usual vitamin shops), and my periods are noticeably easier to handle.

Not sure that there is a huge evidence based for using vitamin k, however I'm not sure there's a huge evidence base for a lot of women's medicine as that would require quality research, which would require fair funding!

The trouble is yours is about amount and that’s very hard to see in a photo.

The Sanitary towel is absolutely sodden with blood - the entire thing is red and drenched. I would hope they’d see how much I’m losing, especially if I say I have pads like that every couple of hours?

Could it be polyps? I had a similar issue a few years ago and when they investigated, they found polyps and removed them.

Mini pill worked for me too. Its great now my periods have stopped. I have had problems with the pill before but the mini pill has been fine this time

They're doctors, they're hardly going to be squeamish about a photo of a blood clot. Take pics and put an easy identifiable object next to it for scale.

Have you tried a menstural disc? It should buy you some more time than pads and you should be able to measure amounts easier (and they usually good more in one go than most menstural cups)

Yes do..a photo shows more than words ..pre warn before photo and explain.. hope you get answers

Thanks to having fibroids I’ve suffered with periods similar to yours, blood clots the size of my palm etc

I’ve taken photos and shown them to my GP and gynaecologist, there’s nothing wrong with doing that.

OMG, this sounds horrendous OP.

I'm not saying this to be smug, more that you need to get this sorted. I'm 45 and have never experienced anything like this. You poor thing 😯

I really, really would like you to share your rationale behind this comment.

I would also really like to know if your advice would be the same if she was bleeding from her head or her arm? And if not, why menstrual blood is so offensive to you.

Have you been checked for a blood clotting disorder? That’s where my gynaecologist referred me when she didn’t want to deal with it anymore.
Mine was borderline for blood clotting disorder though and eventually swapping GPs and getting referred to another hospital gynaecologist I’m now taking Triphasic contraceptive which is working for me.
hope you get the help you need, keep pushing and swapping and hopefully you get somewhere 🙏🏻

I've taken photos of blood loss and GP was keen to see. I took a massive blood clot to the A and E a week after a hysterectomy and they just threw it in the bin 😂 think it was just normal.

I don’t think I’d be particularly squeamish about seeing that and I’m not a GP!

You would be a perfect candidate for an endometrial ablation according to NICE. Heavy periods. Score yourself on here: www.nhs.uk/conditions/heavy-periods/

I scored 14 out of 18.

I know exactly what you are going through.
I have had heavy periods since the age of 12 (49 now) nothing helped and the older I got the heavier they have become.
My life was dictated around my periods.
The last 10 years have been a nightmare. Periods so heavy that I would flood, ruin clothes and bed sheets, I’ve passed clots the size of my palm.
My ferritin fell under 4 and I felt bloody awful and needed an iron infusion.
In April I had a uterine ablation, under a local, all completed in 45 minutes.
I was truly hoping to be one of the lucky ladies who never bled again. I have had two periods since the op BUT no clots, no flooding, I can sleep though the night without wearing two pads, two pairs of knickers and getting up to change through the night. It’s great.
If you are done having kids and a gynaecologist says an ablation is ok with your other health issues I would seriously consider it.