Change in periods - flooding/clots

[Comeonsummmer]

Hi, I am 40 years old and my periods are starting to change. I’ve always had normal flow and been regular as clockwork.
Early last year, I flooded with large clots 2 consecutive months and then went back to normal. Jan & Feb this year same has happened again.
Day 1 and 2 are as normal but day 3 I flood lots with clots then just bits of brown discharge for remaining days. It’s like it all comes out in one go on day 3.
Ive had a smear but still waiting on results and dr has put me on 2 week pathway and I have a scan planned in for tomorrow.
I’ve had blood tests and come back as anaemic so I’m now on iron tablets.
has anyone else had similar situation? What was the outcome?
I’m worried to death for scan tomorrow. 😳

Fibroids? I’ve just had a scan as had the same symptoms and they said nothing sinister but will be having a follow up with gyne. Try not to worry too much it can be so many things once you get to this age.

Could be perimenopause. That's how mine is now. A period one month can be horrendous and flooding and clots and then the next time hardly anything or just normal.

Am I not too young for perimenopause?
Have they given you anything to help with the flooding?

40 isn't too young. Mine started at around the same age. I am on HRT but it's not really helping the flooding. I had scans etc..... but it was just peri.

Thanks, I’m trying to keep positive but worried it could be cancer. 🥲

Could be peri, honestly. I am 42 and started this way. I now have a mirena coil which has all but stopped them! Try not to worry about the scan too much, they’re just playing safe.

I've had the same since i was 43. I had a scan first which showed a thickened lining and adenomyosis, then a biopsy which ruled out cancer. So looks like it's just peri and adenomyosis

Adenomyosis is apparently quite common especially if you've had a c section (which I have)

I had something like this happen to me around Christmas time. I am in my early forties and up to date with smears. I managed to get an appointment, after being put on the two week pathway by my GP, to see a gynaecologist who did the preliminary examination and said it is likely to be fibroids, endometriosis or adenomyosis. He said he couldn’t rule out cancer there and then, but said it doesn’t tend to present like this and from what he could see and feel, everything seemed to be fine. He scheduled me in for an ultrasound to check for those conditions and subsequently sent me a letter in writing to confirm his suspicions and repeat he feels it is unlikely to be serious. I am not worrying, because of his reassurance- despite the fact that he couldn’t say one hundred percent not serious. Try not to worry. The above conditions are more likely, according to my gynaecologist.

He said I could go on the pill or have a coil, which could help with the heavy bleeding, but I don’t want to for a number of reasons. I may reevaluate this at a later point if the heavy bleeding continues unpredictably, though.

Thanks everyone.

Can anyone else reassure me with their experiences?

it was fibroids in my case. I started flooding at 35. After 11 years of trying to manage it and various minor treatments, it became so severe it was making it difficult for me to leave the house at times and I had severe amaemia as a result of the extent of the blood loss. I ended up with a hysterectomy and iron transfusion at 46. My mother had the same. It was a relief to get it sorted, and I also had concerns it was something worse (fibroids mess with CA markers making diagnosis difficult), but it was just fibroids.

I had the same in my early 40s. Had a scan which ruled out fibroids. I lived with it for years. It was horrendous. I was so anxious to stand up at work.

I now think it was perimenopause. No idea why doctors wouldn't make this connection. Had a mirena coil fitted when I was 48. Changed everything for the better. Got HRT at 52. Wish I'd got this earlier. Listen to Dr Louise Newson's podcasts. They explain a lot.

I can deal with anything apart from cancer.
Most people saying perimenopause or fibroids so fingers crossed.
Just really strange that it happened for 2 consecutive months last year and then nothing for 6 months now again for 2 consecutive months.

Thats what peri is like though as your hormones are so up and down and fluctuate so much that it can be like this. I can go months with normal periods, then 3 or 4 months with no period and then a horrific period that keeps flooding.

I’ve not had any months we’re I haven’t had a period, they’re like clockwork and just day 3 that I am having this issue with heavy bleeding and huge clots.

What's your evidence that suggests it is cancer?

Some one i know had what they called premature ovarian failure so early menopause at 38. She had had her family but was in menopause at 38. She's now 43 and on hrt and doing fine so it could be be the start of peri menopausal symptoms maybe.

I’m 47 and have fibroids, this is a thread I started earlier this month:

www.mumsnet.com/talk/womens_health/4736554-how-much-blood-is-it-actually-possible-to-lose

Im waiting for a hysterectomy but the NHS has been appalling, so fuck knows when it might happen.

My periods have been like this since I was around 40 (now 46).

Regular, but short and heavy and clotty. I literally flood for three days and am SO heavy, then it goes and I have a bit of brown discharge when I wipe at most for a day or two.

Smear tests, ultrasounds etc all come back fine. No cysts or fibroids or anything nasty.

In my case, I think it is just hormonal changes as I approach menopause.

I have periods like this, all very much part of the fun of perimenopause in my case. I am 51, though, so I can understand how you feel you're too young still. On average, symptoms start in your mid-forties, but that means some will be later, some will be earlier.

Hopefully the scan will give you some reassurance, fingers crossed for you.

Happened to me too & my scan showed polyps and adenoyosis. Resolved by a mirena coil, once settled it’s been fantastic.

OMG @GCAcademic thats horrific! Does that happen often?
I thought mine were bad! I tend to get it for 4/5 hours then just bits of brown bits for the remainder of the week.
shocking to see how many women are going through this.

I’m younger than you (mid-20s) but I’ve experienced horrific periods since I started. Super heavy flow and huge clots. Flooding a pad every 30 mins to an hour. Immense agony and I pass out. The only time I haven’t was when I was on the pill and my periods stopped (I don’t want to go back to hormonal contraception) and obviously now that I’m pregnant. Ultrasound came back fine, as did my smear and other pelvic exams.

I still don’t know what’s wrong with me. For you, it might be peri, but I don’t really know anyone who’s gone through it apart from my grandmothers. I hope you get some answers soon.

I have similar to you op. Saw a gynaecologist and had an internal scan and bloods etc done. All fine other than predictable low iron. The options she gave me were to have a coil fitted (risky for me due to unrelated issues) or try tranxemic acid. I opted for the latter and just take it for the worse two days of my period (can't take it any longer due to risk of blood clots) and it immediately eases the flow. She also suggested I stop taking my fish oil supplement.

It happens every three or four months. I’m on the mini pill which stops a (very heavy) monthly period and I seem to get this torrential one instead. I can literally feel the huge clots gushing out. Fortunately I’ve always been at home when this has happened (and have called in sick to work) but a friend has similar and passed out in a pool of blood when out shopping.

Mine were exactly like yours, started about age 44. Then just stopped about age 50.