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Original poster

Is this correct? (Period blood loss volumes) Mooncup users please share...

52 replies

Fourarmsv2 · 13/03/2015 23:20

The average amount of blood lost during a period is 30-40 millilitres (ml), with 9 out of 10 women losing less than 80ml. Heavy menstrual bleeding is considered to be 60-80ml or more in each cycle.

I've just worked out that I've been to the loo 12 times since 6am. On each occasion my mooncup has been full. So 15ml x 12. Plus lots of clots & blood if I bear down whilst on toilet. Plus overflow onto 5 towels during day.

It's getting a bit life limiting (7-10 day period. This is day 3).

Do some people lose so little?

I don't want any more children. What should I be hoping for from GP? I've asked a few times but they want to fit a coil. I'm not keen on them - scared of weight gain (have just lost 5 stone), constant bleeding, links to mental disturbance (I am take sertraline already for PTSD).

OP posts:
LL0015 · 13/03/2015 23:25

I used to lose around 120ml over 4 days. I got mirena and lose about 15ml now. Your loss is extreme I'd say.

YvesJutteau · 13/03/2015 23:26

Your periods do sound exceptionally long and heavy, yes.

You could ask about an ablation; everyone I know who's had one for heavy bleeding has raved about them

GiddyOnZackHunt · 13/03/2015 23:29

I was in a similar situation after dc3 and really didn't want to go back to hormonal contraception. I asked for a gynae referral to discuss an ablation and got one. It has worked perfectly for me and I haven't had a period for a couple of years. I can vividly remember the planning around the catastrophic bleeding for 3 days every 24 days and it is such a relief to not worry.

HoneySwampDragonInMourning · 13/03/2015 23:29

Have you mentioned this level of blood loss to your Gp? Sad

Due to the coil mine were as heavy as yours leading to anaemia etc. one thing I distinctly noticed was that the vitamin b6 and b12 increase I've had to make appear to have greatly improved my mental wellbeing. I was often very anxious and got easily depressed.

Original poster
Fourarmsv2 · 13/03/2015 23:32

Tell me about it, I've had similar discussions with my friends. But don't know anyone else that uses a mooncup to discuss relative losses!

Ablation sounds promising. I'm a teacher so it's a nightmare. I've had to leave lessons today when leaking which is fine with Y12/13 but would be impossible with lower years.

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Original poster
Fourarmsv2 · 13/03/2015 23:36

I've mentioned it a couple of times but never gone OTT about the problems it's causing.

I've just taken this NHS survey and printed the results. Will try to see GP again this week and hope to be taken seriously.

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OP posts:
RedandYellow24 · 13/03/2015 23:37

I tried onea few years agency, I think the leaflet said the moon up would hold equivant of a whole period. Then I filled it 9 times the first day!

I always had heavy periods from my very first , but the last two years are much better. (I'm now 39) it is worth talking to GP if you are losing that much it's likely to make you anaemic even if your eating a well

RedandYellow24 · 13/03/2015 23:38

Ago-not agency drunk keyboard

GiddyOnZackHunt · 13/03/2015 23:43

Yves, same here. Much nodding goes on around the subject of ablation.

Four - do mention work as a factor. I was struggling at work. When a clot started to move I had to get to a loo immediately whether in a meeting or on site. I had to keep clothes in my bag and plan for disaster. My clots were palm size. I was also massively anaemic and they had me in within 2 weeks despite saying it was an 8 week list.

Toomuch2young · 13/03/2015 23:49

Yes this is me!
I use the diva cup and am emptying it 9-10 times a day for first 3-4 days plus leaking onto pads then empty 4-5 for 2-3 days then couple times for a couple days. When your talking about 1.5 litres plus vs 60ml it seems huge!
I need to go to gp but am terrified of blood tests which I think they will ask for (silly I know!).
I want DC in the next 2-3 years and am not keen on implant.
Have any of you experience with transemic acid?
I take an iron supplement otc but I do still feel tired and sometimes dizzy when it's so heavy.
Your not alone op but sorry no great advice

seaoflove · 13/03/2015 23:52

The volumes you mention at the start of your post: is that supposed to be 30-40ml of blood alone (not including mucus and tissue and other delights) or 30-40ml total? I'm guessing the former?

I mean, it doesn't really matter because what you're describing is really abnormally heavy, but I've always had pretty light periods and even then I would find myself emptying a full Mooncup a couple of times on day one.

Original poster
Fourarmsv2 · 13/03/2015 23:55

I tried tranexamic acid without any effect. The pill helped - I took it for three months at a time but that's out due to severe migraines and high blood pressure (which is prob fine now I've lost weight).

I think I'll go with work angle. Nearly took day off today. Pain is manageable but the bleeding isn't. It's knowing the mooncup is full and leaking but not if it's a major flood or just a minor leak. I can't concentrate or walk around.

I hate meetings in other offices as I'm scared of leaking on chairs. :(

OP posts:
Original poster
Fourarmsv2 · 13/03/2015 23:56

Being a woman is rubbish sometimes. Sorry to hear you all suffer too.

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Original poster
Fourarmsv2 · 13/03/2015 23:57

Not sure seaoflove - copied it from NHS website.

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UsedToBeAPaxmanFan · 14/03/2015 05:48

I don't use a Mooncup so dont know what my exact blood loss used to be, but I had periods which sounded very similar to yours. I was forever leaving meetings, having to rush out of cinema s, plays etc in the middle because of flooding. I was also up most of the night because the bleeding was so severe. It was truly horrible.

I went to the GP loads of times, and she tried Mirena ( made things worse, not better), Tranexamic Acid (no difference) and Noresthisterone, which didn't help with the bleeding but did allow me ro regulate my periods so I knew when thry were coming and could plan accordingly.

I eventually insisted on gynae referral, and it turned out I had a massive fibroid. I had it removed and life is a lot better. My periods reduced to 2 or 3 days of very light blood loss, rather than the 12 days of heavy flooding I was having each month.

I've now opted to take Cerelle, so don't have any periods.

Do go to your gp and insist on a referral. I wish I'd been more insistent because I kept getting fobbed off. I found it really helped to keep a log of my period, detailing how many times I'd had to change my protecton each day, how many clots I'd passed, how many times I'd been up each night, so that the gp (finally!) understood how debilitating it was.

Original poster
Fourarmsv2 · 14/03/2015 07:12

UsedToBeAPaxmanFan - good advice thankyou. I'll try that. Norethisterone works well for me to control when my period comes but when I stop taking it I get the worst period ever. Like post-baby bleeding. I bled for 12+ weeks after both pregnancies and then got my periods back without any break although I was ex-BFing. :(

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cece · 14/03/2015 07:18

I used to be like that. I now have a coil. In fact I have had my second coil fitted this year. I now change my mooncup twice a day. I change it when I get up and when I go to bed. At the heaviest it is about quarter full.

Pannacotta · 14/03/2015 14:03

Poor you OP that sounds awful.
Your blood loss sounds awfully heavy.
Have you had your iron levels checked? Bizarrely being anaemic can make your periods heavier so it is worth taking Floradix regardless.

I had problems for years and my GP wanted to push the Mirena coil on me, I wasn't having it as I don't get on with hormonal contraception.
I asked for a gynae referral and after a few visits to my local hospital I finally got them to agree to do an ablation.
For my most recent apt I wrote down the frequency of periods, amount of blood loss (also use a Mooncup and told her so) and I mentioned I was main carer for my two sons and had a physical job.
I have to add that I did break down in tears when I saw my GP and asked for the referral and said I couldn't cope with the awful bleeding and pain every couple of weeks....
I am now on the waiting list for an ablation.
Good luck. Do go asap to get it sorted. Your case is extreme.

Pannacotta · 14/03/2015 14:05

PS have you had a scan to check for fibroids?

IrenetheQuaint · 14/03/2015 14:20

That's awful! I have totally average periods and estimate my mooncup fills up about three times a day for the first 48 hours with only a bit of residual bleeding after that.

Original poster
Fourarmsv2 · 14/03/2015 15:43

No scans since pg. No fibroids then and periods were just as heavy.

I don't work Wednesdays so will try to get a GP appt then. They'll make me try mefenamic acid and tranexamic acid first won't they?

From a bit of reading I don't think tranexamic acid will help as I already have large clots and mefenamic acid only helps as it's an NSAID and I take the max dose of ibuprofen already for the cramps.

I will ask for a referral for a scan though.

OP posts:
goodasitgets · 15/03/2015 00:43

Mooncup does actually help with GP because you can tell them volumes. I used to say mine were heavy and got fobbed off, until I said how many ml I was losing a day

AttilaTheMeerkat · 15/03/2015 07:55

You need a gynae referral and an up to date uterine scan.

Many doctors seem to be not at all up to date with such problems so remain underinformed. Tablets like described are basically putting a sticking plaster on a long standing problem. Also such measures do not address WHY this is happening, it only tries (and sometimes fails) to treat the symptoms.

Fibroids and endometriosis can both cause heavy bleeding to arise.

fitflopqueen · 15/03/2015 08:16

I was just the same wrt flooding all adult life really. Only once I started using a mooncup and recorded the loss for just one period that GP was amazed I was holding FT job down.
Quick gynae referral, had fibroids, tried ablation along with myomectomy
Ablation didnt work for me, returned very heavy within 3 months but no massive clots.

Dithered for another 2-3 yrs as reluctant to have surgery again (just coward) eventually had partial hysterectomy 12 months ago and wow why didn't i do it 10 years earlier. Haven't looked back.