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 you've mentioned pads but not tampons. Do you not use tampons? The tampax super plus ones are fab. I have similar periods to you if I don't use tampons too I flood everywhere during the first 3 days.

Not in the least bit ‘vile’, why do some women buy into this crap that menstruation is something to be embarrassed about.

Definitely take a photo to show your GP OP, hope you get some help with your periods ASAP.

I am another who had an endometrial ablation. I had it in 2014 when I was 49. I had been having increasingly horrendous periods as my forties progressed but that year it became one continuous extremely heavy period to the point that my body actually expelled the Mirena coil l was given. I have not had a single period since l had the ablation. Wonderful.

An endometrial ablation is day surgery and recovery is very quick.

Same, my peri started like this, novasure when I was 42 and haven't had a drop since, best thing ever

I agree with the posts mentioning ablation. I had this done, best thing ever. A hysterectomy is very invasive, more risk, etc so they’d be reluctant to do that. Insist on a gynae referral.

Years ago I had a contraceptive coil fitted and it made my periods so heavy that I was bleeding for four weeks solid out of every six weeks and it made me very tired & anaemic. I also had the most horrendous PMS so in the end I opted for a hysterctomy at age 44, and this certainly cured the problem!

I do sympathise - at one point I was wearing a tampon plus a night-time grade of sanitary towel 24/7 to prevent staining of my clothes.

Have you seen your GP and if necessary had a referral to a gynae specialist at your local hospital to see if there's any medical reason for such heavy periods?

My ablation was a day procedure. I’d a GA but others have had one done with local/sedative.

I had a pink light discharge and then very light periods. That was about 5 years ago.

Id gone on holidays the year before and it was absolute hell with 3 young kids in Portugal, I couldn’t go in the pool for a 3/4 days and my poor Husband had to manage three on his own in the pool. I couldn’t face doing it again so managed to get a referral once I explained the volume of blood loss.

I couldn’t swim for 4/6 weeks after the procedure (he’d managed to slot me in 6 weeks before my holidays) so I could get in the pool.

i had thickened uterine walls which explained the blood loss, but I don’t know if this is always visible in your cycle (he measured before the ablation) as he had to do a full check up)

I wouldn't want to weigh my picked off arm scabs on my kitchen scales either if I'm honest. I'm really not someone who's more squeamish about periods than anything else I just (like most households) only haven't one set of kitchen scales and don't much enjoy the idea of weighing blood and blood clots on them. Flooding is a very messy business and trying to take the bloody mess to a scale to weigh it is frankly vile.

And yes, I've suffered with the same problem myself and had to do the same thing.

I think reasonable to have a photo to show the GP, and ask for a referral.

@Perplexed0522 14/18 your periods are classified by the NHS as Very heavy" and are probably affecting your general health. You should consider seeking advice soon from a GP.

Can I ask why you said no to a mirena. Is this because you tried it and it didn't work? This happened with me a)V difficult to insert because of the shape of my uterus and b)If they ever got one in me it would then move/expel/shift c) When it was in once for about 6 months it didn't make much difference to the bleeding.

So for me Mirena not an option. It really can be a brilliant cure for many women. But if you have a valid reason for not having one, cannot do hormonal solutions then yes, the next step is surgical.

Ablation is day surgery - about a week recovery and watery discharge for a week or two. Hysterectomy 6 weeks recovery,

I have an ablation booked for a couple of weeks time - I can come back and let you know how it goes.

On another note, have you ever had your thryoid checked?

I now know my periods have always been on the heavy side but with nothing to compare to, thought they were normal. But after the birth of my second they really, really ramped up -the flooding/clots etc. It turns out this was due to an untreated under active thyroid. My GP and I knew it was coming (all the markers) but I was not bad enough to be on levothyroxine (you have to be almost comotose with cold and tiredness before your blood results hit the magic numbers).

Eventually after 3/4 years of suffering I hit the magic number, when on Levothroxine and almost overnight my periods went back to (my) normal. No more flooding/clots/day 2-3 awfulness. In fact my periods used to be one of my "do I need to up my Levo dose" checkers - if they stared ramping up again it would make me wonder if I needed more.

It is only now (peri) they have kicked off again - hence the ablation.

Just wonder if worth a bloodtest if you have any of the other symptoms (cold/tired/constipated/dry skin). I think Drs do now link the two better than they used to.

But you really, really don't have to suffer like this.

……cold/tired/constipated/dry skin

This sums me up well but apart from the dry skin, they are all side effects of being aneamic.

I’ve had lots of blood tests over the years to check everything is functioning as it should be due to my epilepsy medication and I’ve never been told there’s a problem with anything.

I’ve had a Mirena twice before. The first time was before I had any children and it was great, it stopped my periods altogether. However, before I had children my periods were completely ‘normal’ anyway and only had the Mirena for contraception purposes.

When I had a second Mirena, about a year after having my first baby, I bled nearly every day so after 8 months I told them I wanted it out.

I woke up this morning to more flooding and gushing but since then I’ve hardly bled at all. This is what happens….I can go through hell for 2 days and then it just sort of stops and I have very light bleeding for about another 5 days.

I think that’s why I’ve been tolerating it for so long because I can rationalise that the horror only lasts for two days so I can put up with it.

But every month, when I go through the initial hell I tell myself that I can’t take it anymore and I’m going to go back to my GP, but then when it eases off I tell myself to just get on with it.

Ask your GP to refer you to gynaecology.

First line of investigation is usually pelvic ultrasound and transvaginal ultrasound, followed by hysteroscopy, during which the clinician can visualise the uterine cavity and take biopsies.

Some types of fibroid disrupt the endometrial lining and can cause heavy bleeding and clots. There are a number of interventions for fibroids which don't involve surgery. Uterine polyps can also irritate the endometrium and cause or exacerbate bleeding.

Ask your GP to refer you to gynaecology. First line of investigation is usually pelvic ultrasound and transvaginal ultrasound, followed by hysteroscopy, during which the clinician can visualise the uterine cavity and take biopsies.

I have been referred to and seen by gynaecology.

I’ve had a pelvic ultrasound and a transvaginal ultrasound. The Consultant said the scans were normal so she discharged me from Gynae care.

I wouldn't want to weigh my picked off arm scabs on my kitchen scales either if I'm honest.

You don't do it directly on the scales, but in a Tupperware box or whatever, so it's all contained, and just extract the weight of the box and a dry pad.

I’m so sorry you are going through this. I hope you find a sympathetic doctor. I was the exact same and Mirena made it worse, I bled every day till it was taken out. I had a hysterectomy at 44 and it was the greatest thing. Keyhole surgery, out a day later, less hassle than a section. My life is 2000% better. They also left my ovaries so I didn’t go into menopause. I had adenomyosis which they only saw after the hysterectomy. I went through YEARS of being batted away by doctors until I found two women who listened. Take care. (I had two kids .., obviously waited till my family was complete)

Google adenomyosis, my surgeon says they often can’t confirm it till they examine the womb afterwards

I’m sorry OP but that’s not normal and you should not have to put up with that.

If you were a man you’d be lying in A and E until it was sorted. Please go back and insist on some support and intervention to resolve this issue - you cannot continue living like this.

You shouldn’t be having to google anything or get Mumsnet advice you should be able to get a proper diagnosis and plan to resolve this asap.

Can I ask an ablation question?
Sorry to hijack your thread OP but I am in exactly the same situation as you but currently TTC so can’t have help; I too was discharged back to GP care from Gynaecology after scans showed no issues and that was for improved by the pill but still horrendous bleeds. My GP
seemed baffled by my discharge from them.
You have my absolute sympathies.
As soon as:if we have another child I will be begging for an ablation. My current GP when he’s available, seems supportive.

my question - I know you are unable to sustain a pregnancy post ablation; can you still take contraception post ablation to ensure pregnancy can’t happen?
I absolutely don’t want a coil etc; but would happily continue taking oral contraceptives
Thanks.

Yes, you should take contraception afaik because the last thing you want is to get pregnant after an ablation. I was already sterilised which he said was good, he said if I hadn’t been he would have done a sterilisation at the same time. Might be better than the pill?

@Perplexed0522 I would also recommend Period Pants. Cheeky wipes do an amazing shorts pair that has so much coverage for absorbancy. These with a pad on, obviously won't stop how much you are losing but it could help with leaking through and protect your bedding a bit better. I do hope they take you seriously soon. Absolutely take pictures, if you can plan an appointment to be around a bad day I would even say take in the pads themselves. To prove it to them without doubt. Good Luck