Aaargh, just want periods to be finished and done with!

[Horsemad]

I am so sick of having periods I am 48 and have HAD ENOUGH.

Today, I have had to change a super plus tampon every hour, my insides feel like they're falling out and I'm passing clots the size of 50p pieces.
Not a good combination when you need to be out and about uniform shopping!

I stupidly thought 'hey, I'm liking this' after missing a period in June, started the next one in July, bled for 4 weeks (not as heavy as today, but still fairly heavy) a week after I stopped bleeding from that one, I've come on again. Grrrr!

I'm due a routine blood test next week for anaemia; what's the betting I'm back on iron tablets by the w/e?

Thanks Bellaciao, I need to bite the bullet and speak to the GP don't I?

When I have a 'good' (manageable) month, I think 'oh, it's not THAT bad, I can cope'. Then when I have a bad month, I'm ranting like a mad thing and saying I'll go to the doctor!!

Re the meno and all the lovely symptoms awaiting - we're caught between the Devil and the deep blue sea really aren't we?!

I found it Mary!!!!

I found our old thread!

Flooding and heavy periods are not inevitable part of meno.

I was lucky and had neither- mine just gradually got lighter. I missed one, then had a run of normal ones for a year, and eventually missed about 4 consecutively before my final one.

MissBoPeep that sounds a very agreeable way to into menopause - I could handle that!

The trouble is that at 48 you could still have years of periods. I'm 54 and still they keep coming, though thankfully the bleeding is very light.
I used to have periods like those, huge clots, floods, they were horrendous. I now have a Mirena. My 3rd one. It saved me from a hysterectomy and I have nothing but good to say about it.

I thought the menopause had started 2.5 years ago when I missed a couple of months and started hot flushes, but no, here I am still having them. I've had gaps of up to 5 months and usually know a period is coming back because the hot flushes stop and Bloody PMS comes back.

I've had this Mirena for 7 years now and discussed it with my GP. I was worried that having it removed would herald the return of those heavy periods (that's what happened to a friend). I don't need it for contraception but she said that it would still be the treatment of choice.

Actually final observation: If I had children in my 20's and dealt with teenagers in my late 30s I might have coped without HRT. Coping with a difficult menopause and teenagers was too much in one go and I put the teenager (one at that time) first.

when you say heavy. how heavy? I get 28 day cycle with heavy as in tranexamic acid but super plus tampon and towel flooded within about 40 mins. that can last for 24 hours like that and i feel so washed out i generally have to go to bed for that day. The following 6 odd days i can manage with the tranex and generally cope with every day life.

Then every 4 or 5 months i get one on 14 day after last period. comes from nowhere, complete bloodbath. I hate it so much, i cannot plan anything, go anywhere. it literally soaks my clothes. Am anaemic and desperate for it to end.

Been offered the coil, although i have some fibroids which they are leaving at the moment. I think a hysterec may be in order. am 47. what do you think?

Lavender - sounds hideous How do you feel about having the coil - is it the Mirena they have offered you?

yes the mirena. Well friends of mine have had it and most of them have had it removed quite quickly.
Main complaints of irritability, bloating and more bleeding!
I haven't met one real life person who recommends it.

We are nurses.

Hmm, I keep reading about Mirena and it's side effects but only know one person with it in real life and she seems happy with it, but I've not had an in depth conversation with her about it, so will pick her brain when I see her next. I just don't want the hassle of having it fitted only to have it removed soon after!! All those symptoms you mentioned I get already WITHOUT a Mirena, so don't want to make things worse!

exactly, that is what is putting me off.

And I so agree with you that during the heavy period you think you must see the gp, but as soon as it is out of the way you just want to get on and forget about it. Been doing this for years.
I really dont think the mirena is for me.
Would rather the hysterectomy, but it is the downtime which is putting me off. But those friends of mine who have had hysterctomies due to this condition have said they wish they had it done years beofre and its a life changer.

If i had a crystal ball and knew it was for one more year, i could cope. The thought that it may rumble on for a few years is simply awful!

Snap Lavender everyone I know who has had hysterectomy says the same!! They can't all be wrong, can they??!

I tried the mirena for heavy periods, awful PMT and dire monthly headaches, but I'm sorry to say it was a total disaster - the first one fell out after two weeks, had another fitted and had to have that removed after a few more weeks because it too was falling out. It was agony, I bled the whole time and utterly horrid.

I then saw a different Dr who prescribed me cerazette - mini pill which has been marvellous, no more periods, no other symptoms and apparently I can happily take it for another 10 years or more - I'm only 41 so could have years more of this yet. I know it doesn't suit everyone but has worked for me.

Off to google 'Cerazette'

Nope, don't really fancy that either! Am becoming more and more averse to the idea of hormones in my body.

I've read some quite negative things on here about it Horsemad so I guess its like the mirena, good for some not for others.
The other thing which helped was that it was prescribed by a gynae consultant through the family planning clinic. I'd seen various GPs over the last few years who were not able to improve the situation and then finally I saw this lovely, sympathetic Doctor and told her I felt like I needed to switch my hormones off for a while. Her reply was 'we can do that, no-one should have to live with those sort of symptoms'. I've recommended all my friends to go there now!

I use the FP clinic for contraception (use a diaphragm), so might see if I can speak to a doctor there; the nurses are lovely but periodically (ha ha pun INTENDED!!) ask me if I've considered the Mirena, which I am certain I do not want!

Transexamic acid can now be bought, I saw it in boots. I posting this from my hospital bed, I had a hysterectomy yesterday so no more periods for me

Off to break down the door to local Boots store!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well Done cocole glad your periods are done now! Lucky girl

My DD is 14 and gets TA and it seems to help her, she takes 3 a day for the first 3 dats if her period. It maybe adds a day onto her cycle but it definitely helped her,her flow has lessened a lot.

It was by the painkillers for periods in Boots, I think it is readily available in chemists.

Good luck!

Lavender - I haven't had a Mirena or heavy periods, but have friends who have. The only ones I know with a Mirena are v happy with it!

If you are suffering so much, would you not think about trying it- you can have it taken out after 3 months if no good.

As you will know a hysterectomy is a big op- and it can leave you with other problems. it's pretty old hat now for heavy bleeding- espeically as you might be free of periods in a few years.

The other option is endometrial ablation- has that been suggested?

If i were you I'd try the Mirena- what's to lose, except an hour or so of discomfort maybe on fitting, and removal if it's not for you? can't be worse than what you put up with now.

I had the ablation 4 years ago for heavy bleeding, worked well at the time.