How do I get out of loo without being covered in blood?

[entropygirl]

So I am having really REALLY heavy intense menstrual bleeding since giving birth a year ago and I find a) I have to change tampons every hour b) I don't seem to be able to do this without getting blood all over my hands....

No obvs I wipe up my hands as best I can but I am really really embarrassed about having bloody hands till I can get to the sink and wash them properly.

What can I do?

Make an appointment with a sympathetic GP. Don't rush for an on the day emergency one, ask for a double appointment so you don't feel rushed. If the receptionist asks why, just say womens problems, she won't care, she's heard it a thousand times before.

Write it down, in bullet points if necessary, use it as a crib sheet. Leave the sheet with the GP to be scanned into your notes for future reference. Ask for medication and a referral to gynae for some help.

Gynaecologists deal with this all the time. There are very many women in the world suffering the same problem. There are medications and procedures to help. It will help.

not as much as my DD . Yes I think it is likely the big H or fissures....the real problem I suspect is up stream where I think things are still to stretchy thanks to impaction post labour and the fact I am still BFing...

Fecking hormones....my pelvis still goes funny if I lie down on a hard floor for more than 30 secs also...bloody relaxin - you can seriously feck off now...your job was done nearly a year ago now and it's not like you did it properly anyway!

Okay I will do this the way I got counselling. I will tell DH to book me in and then surprise me on the day.

Thanks all for the kick in the right direction....

Obv need to go see doctor. Now they can be pretty dismissive about 'where' you are bleeding from so make it clear to them that you have checked very carefuly and you are sure that you are bleeding from both areas.
Second thing you need to define is what sort of blood. Menstrual blood would look different from the blood you would get from 'straining'. Menstrual blood is darker and stickier whereas the other would be bright red like you get from a cut.
If it is menstrual blood it is possible that you ruptured your bowel or that you tore (as I did) all the way up and therefore blood is making its way into your back passage.

Either way it needs looking at as poo going the other way would be bad, very bad for your health indeed.
If it makes you feel any better I bled badly for a couple of years after I had my son and all is back to normal now.

So off to the docs you go young lady!

entropygirl obviously I have no idea what's causing your heavy periods, but my periods got much, much heavier after DS. I was changing tampons every hour for the 1st 48hrs too - I'm just lucky that our toilets are more private at work. I went to the doc and she prescribed mefenamic acid - she didn't do any examinations or anything.

I never actually tried it because I got pg that month, but ime doctors generally avoid actual examinations unless they really really have to do one.

Would you feel less worried if you requested a female doc do you think?

If you with one of those multi- doctor practices get him to ask the receptionist who you should see. Some are more sympathetic about delicate stuff than others. Good luck - make sure you get it sorted.

all the doctors I have seen have been lovely without fail....which means I am double crazy for being afraid...

sorry for confusion the other blood is definitely fresh and not menstrual so I very much doubt anything awful is going on.

Very glad to see you are going to the Doc, I'm sure she'll be lovely and be very helpful. One thing which could help, once she's ruled out any illnesses or infections, might be a Mirena Coil? Most women who have one inserted experience a significant reduction in mentrual blood flow. Losing that much blood on a regular basis is hugely dehabilitating and not at all good for physical or mental health.

hmmm the problem there is the word inserted....I just don't think I could go through that....

Have you got anyone you could take with you for support, or would that be too embarrassing?

Good luck, hope your DP surprises you with the visit soon.

It's really not that bad! It's a doddle compared to giving birth, which you've done. Not much worse than a cervical smear, which I presume you've done. Well, maybe the doc will have a better suggestion, but don't just grin & bear it!

Do go to the GP. I was fobbed off for ages with my fresh, bright red blood from my anus and it turned out I had a massive tumour in my rectum. It was this that was bleeding. It isn't picked up in young women on any of the current testing/questioning so you would be best to make sure you have a rectal examination.

You say you couldn't go through "inserted" etc but you really need to consider the consequences of ostrich behaviour!

Get thee to a doctor asap.

And use the disabled loo when you are out - they have basins inside.

disabled loo?? we only just got around to womens loos where I work....

yeah I would be a lot more concerned about the bleeding if it hadnt started directly after childbirth...

Get back to your GP please, they can help, that level of bleeding is not normal - trust me I know as have been there - they can help you

There are drugs they can prescribe to ease the menstrual bleeding & the rest is just as likely haemorrhoids as anything else, they often flare up with periods - again easily solved

You really don't have to live like this, see your GP

There's a big NHS campaign at the moment saying go to your GP if you're bleeding from your arse for more than three weeks. So probably your doctor is seeing A Lot of Arses at the moment and will happily add yours to the list.
Seriously entropy, you must be feeling awful with that much blood loss. Get it sorted and you'll probably be feeling more chipper too.

Entropy get to a doctor. not wanting to scare you but you could have rectal / bowel cancer.

Just get an appointment tomorrow and GO

Would it help to write it down and either give it to your GP at the start of the appointment or email it in advance ?
You could explain about your anxiety and previous PND.
Very best of luck and please go soon

It is probably piles, with the bleeding from the bum, but it is something they're pushing to get checked out at the moment. Mainly because bowel cancer is one of the ones which is easily treatable if caught early. I'm sure it won't be that anyway, though.

And the period thing really doesn't sound right, so hopefully you can get it sorted :)

Go to the Drs if you can 'survive; childbirth anything else is a doddle - you will be so glad youve done it and feel much more at ease.

entropy - have you been to the doctor yet?

I've had very heavy and painful periods lasting about 8 days, all my life until I had a baby. And they are now slightly shorter and not as heavy.
I always assumed it was normal to just be dripping out of me (with hardly no breaks) and had wear the thickest of pads and longest ones, the night pads during the day, sometimes changing 30 mins to an hour or maximum of 2-3 hours.

I get bleeding from my back passage.
What I do sometimes to figure out where it's coming from, I give my self a good wash, could be in the bath, as soon as I get out, I hold a big bit of tissue over my vagina 'hole'. I then get some more tissue and wipe my bottom, to see if any comes from there.
Thing is, have to wash very well straight before, because with my heavy periods the blood gets everywhere and could easily be confused with it coming from the bottom.

Definitely get the bum bleeding sorted, very important. As for the heavy periods, they sound the same as mine. Is that really not normal? I figured some people just got really heavy periods. Mine calm down after about the 3rd day. I used to be on mefenamic acid as a teen, but haven't been for years. Periods eventually got better, but have been worse since having my son 2 years ago.

Has DH made you an appointment Entropy?