What was the cause of super heavy (menstrual) bleeding (sorry if TMI)

[BoBaraMoMara]

I am supposed to be fully in menopause. Have been happily on non- sequential HRT for 6 months.
Haven't had a period in 6 years or any bleeding.

Last night I started bleeding and cramping quite heavy. I was really shocked as it has been so long.

Today the bleeding has just increased to being very very heavy. Soaking a pad in an hour and lots of clots.

I can't remember the illness that can cause this- I remember the MNer here who had very heavy bleeding and went to A&E and it was very serious.

Please can anyone remind me what the illness was so I can see if I have any other symptoms.

Also, anyone ever experienced this type of bleeding 6 months into HRT?

Ok, will try the Always night pads. Thank you. Will buy those on the way home. I did think I might try adult nappie but surely they won't let this heavy bleeding carry on much longer.

So sad here, someone has just died on the unit. I am in a day room off the inpatient ward. So sad.

The scan for blood clots in my leg was clear as my leg had swelled - the doctor noticed it last night. Next they doing blood tests.

Thank you all.

And the doing observations. BP, etc.

sounds horrible op hope you're okay

I'm so glad you're there. Stop Googling! I know it's hard but it doesn't help. It could be something a simple as a fibroid. Don't panic! Is there someone that can pop out and buy you pads? The hospital will supply whilst your there. My DD had heavy bleeding after birth and found the Tena lady pants really helpful and secure, if necessary with a night time pad inside. Hand holding here.

I'm sorry you're having to go through this
Maternity pads may be the answer?
I hope they can get to the bottom of it soon

I'm so fed up. Still at hospital. Waiting on the last set of test results to see if they can discharge me back to the 2 week gynaecologist appointment.

I'm in so much pain and I've run out of pain meds. I'm tired and scared and just want to go home. I haven't had anything to eat or drink all day as I am so stressed. The blood has leaked past the stupid pad onto my only jeans. Sorry just feeling sorry for myself. Going to see if I can go buy some pain meds.

Good grief, aren't they providing you with pain meds? Please be careful walking around etc as you may suffer dizziness etc. (I expect you've already thought of that) It's so miserable being stuck in hospital at the best of times.

Surely they should be giving you painkillers and something too stop the bleeding?

Diary doll pants are very good for heavy bleeding. I'm surprised they haven't given you something for it though. Or heavy duty pads from the maternity unit.

Diary doll pants are very good for heavy bleeding. I'm surprised they haven't given you something for it though. Or heavy duty pads from the maternity unit.

Sorry I don't know what I was thinking - the nurse told me off for not asking sooner for pain meds. Have had some now. The doctor prescribed them. They've given me maternity pants and pads.

When I used to have heavy bleeding I used maternity pads with a Lillets "Ultra" tampon (orange box, only sold in really large Boots or supernarket). That would usually last an hour if I was lucky. Maternity pads were definitely better than ordinary towels. Also, at night as well as using maternity pads I slept on bath towels - much easier to sling in the wash than changing sheets in the night. I set my alarm so I got up and changed the pads every 2 hours when it was bad.

Hope everything gets sorted. I remember how miserable and tired I used to get when the bleeding was bad.

A couple of things come to mind. First is that you could be having a normal period which has built up over months. At 45 and on HRT for 6 months but menopausal at 39, you could have ovulated again - any reason found for your early menopause at 39?

Conti HRT is renowned for odd bleeding within the first 6 months but tends to be spotting.

At your age, despite not having had a normal period for 6 years I think many gynaes would have put you on sequential HRT to avoid the possibility of break thru bleeding IF your ovaries swung into action again.

I know quite a bit about meno (been on HRt 8 years) and reckon this is all hormonal. Your own oestrogen perhaps being fuelled by HRT and not enough progestogen to keep the lining thin.

Let us know what's said and if it's all clear, see a specialist and discuss sequi HRT up to age 50.

Thank you all so much for your support and hand holds.

Thank you Polly. That's very reassuring and exactly what my DH and I thought. And one reason I was reluctant to come to hospital.

I am very tired and getting slightly delirious now so won't say much more now.

My haemoglobin was ok.

The urgent tests all came back ok so the doctor has given me codeine, tranexamic acid, Mefenamic Acid, and omeprazole (apparently the medicines will upset my stomach).

I am to start these tonight to stop the bleeding and then will go into see they gynae in the next few days for a biopsy and other tests. He said that I couldn't be bleeding for the gynae tests.

Have Always night and some nappies

Am covering the bed in old bath towels anyway. This is insane - I really really feel for those of you who have to routinely deal with heavy periods. I seem to leave a minor murder scene behind me no matter how hard I try. How awful to have to manage this regularly.

I feel a bit better as I have had some food and am back home. The pain is still bad and bleeding heavy but hopefully it will be under control soon.

This last doctor said it is probably my HRT causing this but I have to have the cancer screening anyway. Was such a relief that one of them finally said this!

Thanks to all of you. I didn't feel so alone today. I did cry some nasty tears there after the pain got out of control.

Thanks for your kindness.

Fingers crossed I can keep things "contained" tonight. I'm off to try to get some sleep.

Aw so sorry what an awful time you are having. Hope the painkillers help now. Heavy bleeding is just so blooming annoying and embarrassing.

Just joining this thread. Sounds awful, OP. You're doing well just getting through this but, hopefully the worse will be behind you. I know of a lady who was in her 50s who had bleeding for a month, I wonder if it's more common than you'd think but something people just don't talk about.

hope everything is sorted soon and you can start recovering.

Thinking of you OP, glad you have been looked after and you'll have some answers soon

Hoping that you are getting good (enough?) rest in your own bed tonight.

To put your mind at rest, endometrial cancer is not likely as you have been on conti HRT so the progestogens would be working . Also, older women who have endo cancer tend to experience spotting first off and on, often with a watery discharge, rather than flooding out of the blue.
It doesn't tend to happen overnight- most cases ASAIK happen over years and many women ignore the spotting.

I'm more worried that you have been menopausal (supposedly) for 6 years since 39 but only used HRT for 6 months. That's a long time to be without oestrogen at a young age. Why didn't your GP put you on it at 39?

Was there any reason given for your premature menopause? Did you see a specialist for tests (ovarian reserve, FSH etc?)? Was it in fact menopause or some other reason why your periods stopped?
You need to push for a full investigation of your hormone profile as well as checking things with a scan etc.

Good luck!

Thank you for the kind messages yesterday - I slept for a very very long time. Thankfully the medications worked straight away as the doctor said they would and the bleeding reduced significantly but I am still in a lot of pain.

Thanks, polly - I never though this was serious until 3 doctors in a row all said cancer, blah blah and I kept asking could it be the wrong HRT and they kept saying no, this shouldn't be happening. The doctor yesterday did say that I shouldn't be having this much pain if it was "just hormonal" so that is somewhat concerning but I did have endometriosis so that could exacerbate the pain I would imagine but that's just a guess.

Yes, I have had lots of workups as to why I went into early meno - I have been under the care of a private Gyane (one of the best in the UK) for a long time but quit seeing him after the last round of bills made me a bit cross so I switched back to the GP. The Gynae is the one who put me on this type of HRT and we had good reason to do it this way but I'd rather not talk about it. I didn't take HRT previously because I didn't want to - I did have reasons for it.

They never worked out why I went into early meno except that it could have been possible stress as the onset was during a very stressful time - I spent years in hospital with an unwell child and had found it incredibly stressful as I guess anyone would. But as the doctor said, some women go into early meno and there isn't a good reason for it, it just happens.

Anyway, now I am feeling better, I am embarrassed about posting this thread. I'm not sure why I started the thread - I guess not bleeding for 6 years and DH and I deciding that I shouldn't go to hospital but then I wasn't sure that was the right call. Thanks for all the kindness.

Don't be embarrassed OP. The more women that talk about these issues (even if just online) the better.

Fingers crossed it's nothing serious and you're feeling better soon.