To want a better explanation from my GP?

Anemia and periods is a viscous cycle (I know I have experience of it) the anemia makes you bleed more, anemia gets worse and the you bleed more etc.
Iron tablets (although this takes time) or an iron infusion - levels back to normal within a week should help.
But yes push for a gynie referral.
You shouldn’t have to be on contraception if you don’t want to be.
Ginger extract can also help reduce bleeding.

If you have ever been through this process, the gynaes will send you packing with this exact same process:

go away and take hormonal pills or have an IUD first.
if these don’t work, next steps

i shit you not. They might concede to a hysteroscopy perhaps, but they will want the first and second line treatments to have failed

as a woman you have to show that everything else has failed to help you with periods. they do care if you can’t TTC but they are very reluctant to physically touch you in any way as to not harm your fertility.

Hi OP, I was in your position and did see a gynaecologist about heavy bleeding but wanting to try for a family so reluctant to start contraception.

she basically told me that I should do everything I could to get pregnant (refer to infertility early Due to my age) as the only option to help with heavy bleeding was the oral pill/ mirena coil or a hysterectomy!)

I took the norethisterone to stop an especially long and heavy bleed (required 2 iron transfusions as my Hb dropped and I was severely symptomatically anaemic) but that seems to have almost reset my periods now. They are still heavy (running to loos at work and changing every hour minimum, being scared of flooding despite super plus tampons + always ultra + period knickers) but they are over within 7 days and I am at least ovulating regularly now.

like previous posters have said, you need to stop bleeding to even investigate so I would take the norethisterone (it’s a progesterone only pill and not contraception at the dose it’s given and only for a short time to stop the bleeding). Then ask to be referred to gynaecology (be prepared for long nhs wait- where I am it is 10 months) and start lifestyle modification to help with fertility journey (eg supplements/weight loss/ limit alcohol/caffeine/salt etc/ supplement with folic acid/vitamin D).

If your gp hasn’t tested your hormones yet (testosterone, LH, FSH) it’s worth doing to rule out pcos.

good luck and I really hope you feel better soon. It’s really crap how menstrual problems are managed currently.

After I had to get up 7 times during the night to change my maxi pad and maxi tampon! I decided enough was enough and I had a Mirena coil fitted. A few months of irregular periods then bliss, no more periods.
Why are you so against the pill (I tried the pill but it did nothing) or a coil op?

From my experience, a Mirena coil was a genuine life changer.

Try acupuncture to balance your hormones if you do not want pill.

I had very heavy bleeding after my periods started again post second baby. I ended up in hospital gynae ward and was given tranexamic acid too and then had a Mirena coil fitted - was certainly the best thing I've ever done! It may be hormonal (probably!) but you could push for investigation in case there's fibroids or something else

Have you tried mefenamic acid and/or tranexamic acid? These medications help stop
bleeding by “clamping” the blood vessels. (They are like uterine-specific NSAIDs.) If you have and it hasn’t worked for you, the GP is quite correct to suggest either contraceptive pill or Mirena. Both affect the lining of the uterus. It is not uncommon to experience batshit periods during perimenopause - but as that can last 10-15 yrs, it’s not worth tolerating.
(just saying that I took my DD2 (14 at the time) to the gynaecologist due to similar issues. She had tried mefenamic acid and tranexamic acid, and it didn’t work. Oral contraceptives gave her migraines. She had a general anaesthetic to insert a Mirena, and it was an uncomfortable couple of months (predicted by gynae…) and once it had settled, she will exclaim
that it changed her life.

Tranexamic acid is a clotting agent. It doesn’t clamp vessels it thickens your blood. Tranexamic acid periods are like expelling jelly like blood blobs which are much better than tidal waves

Do you know what exactly your ultrasound showed? What it could be depends really on what was seen.