To seek medical help today (very heavy periods)

[Egm5478]

Hi all,

I have already got an appt lined up with my GP for next because this is an ongoing issue but hear me out.

since having my daughter 5 years ago my periods have been very heavy for the first 3 days - think soaking through pads and tampons, then they last another 3 or 4 days but at a manageable level.

I’ve had an ultrasound and all was clear, I do have anaemia (bloods result was 101 last month).

I came on my period on Thursday and have been heavy since, I bought a menstrual cup a couple of months ago so I can now see how much blood I’m losing - I’ve filled it (15ml) 3 times already today and emptied it 7 times yesterday - it was full everytime.

ive had a headache for 2 days but this has gone today however today everytime I stand up I feel dizzy for a few seconds and generally feel quite weak. Otherwise I feel well.

would it be a waste of time going to the walk in centre today? Would they even be able to do anything for me? Or just best waiting for my GP appt on Thursday?

posted in AIBU for traffic - sorry! 😊

Just buy yourself some tranexamic acid tablets. Superdrug usually have them behind the counter, there's a brand called Evana.

You would be absolutely unreasonable to turn up at a walk in centre at the weekend over this, sorry.

It's unpleasant, but not an emergency. Even if you were having a miscarriage, there's not much they can do, but with periods even less.

You might have endometriosis or something, but it's still only periods.
Maternity pads and periods underwear until your appointments.

I'd be very annoyed to be stuck behind someone like you when I am there for an actual emergency. It's not A&E, but it's still for urgent problems.

Definitely ring 101.

Heavy, unexpected bleeding is worthy of medical attention.

Edit: don't ring 101. Ring 111.

unexpected bleeding on your PERIODS? give me strength.

The OP had heavy periods for 5 years!

I'm sorry you're going through this. It's shit.

I think you'd be best off waiting for your doctors appointment, though.

Tranexamic acid was prescribed to me for periods like yours. It's been a game changer. I didn't know you could get it over the counter. Definitely, get yourself to a pharmacy and explain your situation and ask for some.

It won't help now, but the mirena coil is supposed to be good.

Good luck!

What’s been done about your anaemia. Are you taking any iron supplements?

A few years ago there was a very similar post on here. We advised her to go to A&E. She later came back to say they told her if she’d stayed home any longer then she’d have died. She had very similar symptoms.

I have been prescribed Tranexamic acid in the past for a particularly heavy period I wasn’t aware I could get this OTC - I’ll head down to a pharmacy this afternoon.

of course I don’t fancy sitting waiting to see a Dr for no reason, this level of bleeding sadly isn’t super unusual for me, it’s more the lightheaded/dizziness that had me worried.

I’ll wait to see what the Dr can do - I’ll ask about the coil x

I’ve had iron tablets prescribed again recently, my levels tend to improve with the tablets but drop again as soon as I stop taking them.

you advised someone to go to A&E for heavy periods, when she had been experiencing them for 5 years? Really?

OP - seek medical help. Continuing heavy blood loss with lightheadedness is absolutely a possible medical emergency. Hopefully it’s fine but there was a poster on here a few years back with a similar ongoing issue that ramped up. She had similar symptoms to yours and nearly died. I’m sure that’s not the case for you but we don’t know and people telling you it’s just a heavy period do not know either.

I’m trying to remember the posters details in that case, I believe she may have had some expelled tissue trapped in her cervix that was causing the increased bleeding and perhaps infection too.

There’s a lot of ignorance on this thread. So 45 ml at least blood loss today, over 100 yesterday plus whatever you lost on Thursday and whatever’s not in the cup. Normal blood loss for a total period is supposed to be 40 ml. 80 ml max. You are way beyond that. And you are already anaemic and now you are symptomatic. I think it would be good to know what your current blood count is. Ring 101 and have a chat.

Yes. Really. It is ongoing and potentially increasing - and importantly she’s feeling light-headed.

My DD (then age 12) ended up with an emergency transfusion with her first period. Took 28 days though of bleeding to get to that, she could barely stand in the shower. Her iron was super low (and had been normal 7 days earlier).

@RichHolidayPoorHolidayyou are dangerously ignorant. Nothing A&E can do about that I’m afraid but major blood loss is right up their street.

Can’t find original post but article about it:

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/woman-says-mumsnet-saved-life-9226089?int_source=amp_continue_reading&int_medium=amp&int_campaign=continue_reading_button#amp-readmore-target

And another separate one:

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/3304327-aibu-to-claim-mumsnet-saved-my-life-this-week

i completely understand your predicament but I’d wouldn’t go to A&E

80 ml max for a period lol !! My blood loss was around 330ml a can of coke. Lots of women do bleed far in excess of 80ml without any medical intervention.

obviously it’s getting too much for you OP so I would have the facts presented to your GP. There’s plenty they can do to help. You shouldn’t have to suffer

I’d advise A n E too. I would have died if I hadn’t gone but ended up discharging myself from a hospital where the consultant said she couldn’t do anything for me to a hospital where I had scans, IV fluids, 3 units of blood and a TAH. My HB had dropped from 16 to 8. I had been on the pill but had a DVT then when my normal period returned it wasn’t stopping and was very heavy. I was on Warfarin so that didn’t help matters either. I was 46 and had completed my family so that wasn’t an issue.

This thread is another example of why I think medical advice shouldn’t be allowed to be sought or given on MN!

As someone whose heavy periods are WORST than a miscarriage, I am not ignorant. But thank you for your advice 😂

OP, yes do call an ambulance, just to be on the safe side. That's what they are for after all.

I have heavy periods too but I don’t go around telling people with prolonged heavy bleeding that are now experiencing lightheadedness not to seek urgent medical advice.

It’s also pretty insensitive to refer to it as worse than a miscarriage.

I actually disagree, because of the reason above. It’s saved peoples lives when they had no intention of actually seeking medical advice. There’s no perfect scenario here.

It’s not as simple as that, sometimes cumulative blood loss can cause severe anaemia, and with the OP also having lightheadedness it’s certainly worth seeking some more immediate medical advice.

It’s also possible in cases where people have been having heavy periods for a long time that’s something is different this time, they may have trapped tissue in their cervix, for example.

No wonder women are gaslit and have their pain ignored by medical professionals, when even fellow women are like ‘Suck it up love, it’s just a PERIOD you silly little girl’. I’m sure OP knows what is within the limits of heavy but normal for her and if this feels alarming then she is perfectly reasonable to seek medical advice via 111, especially as she is symptomatic and anaemic.