I have bled for 54 out of the last 60 days and it's really getting me down :( and Dr Google has scared me witless (long, sorry!)

[LackaDAISYcal]

Not sure if this should be here, or in general health and it's a long one, so please bear with me!

I'm almost 44, periods have been getting more erratic over the last 12 - 18 months and for the last 9 months or so, I've had mid-cycle/ovulation bleeding (starting around day 10 of my cycle). Sometimes brownish spotting sometimes bright red blood. Had an ultrasound in July which showed a possible polyp or fibroid on the wall of my uterus, but Gynae said at my follow up appointment at the beginning of August that it's only mms across and shouldn't cause any problems.

Since then things have gotten worse, and two cycles ago I had my "usual" mid cycle/ovulation bleed. Since then I have only had six days where there has been no bleeding or spotting at all (both times for the three days immediately after my period effectively stopped days 7 to 10). It varies from gushing and bright red to dark and clotty to pinkish when I wipe to dark red opaque mucous to brown and thick and smelly. This is all accompanied by varying degrees of pelvic pain, mostly low on the right hand side. I have also had an increase in hideous night sweats ansd wake up every day plastered to the sheets. My GP has written to gynae again asking for further tests and told me to get back to her if I've not heard anything within two weeks

I have a complicated medical history and have a connective tissue disorder (mixed connective tissue disorder with mostly lupus symptoms) which is a possible explanation for the night sweats.

Google says it could be anything from my MCTD (though I tested negative for hughes syndrome when first diagnosed last September) to peri-menopause to endometrial cancer or liver cirrhosis.

I also have bladder and bowel prolapse issues going on at the minute and just feel very very sorry for myself :( I am a 43 year old wreck and I just want some semblance of a life back.

Moan, moan, whinge, whinge, weep

anyone?

I've tried 3 times to post here and for some reason they are not showing up so sorry if ti comes up 4 times now!

This is common and it's usually low progesterone- treated with ttablets. it's a peri meno symptom and your GP should know this!

oh you poor love - sounds awful

push for the GYN follow-up - if it were a man going through this type of suffering (and it IS suffering, not just moaning), things would move a lot quicker

also, are they doing anything about the prolapse?

I'm in perimeno at the mo too (44) so {{{hugs}}}

You sound just like me. I am 41 and as soon as I hit 40 my periods went completely haywire. They had been getting heavier year on year anyway but I was suddenly getting periods every 2 weeks that lasted 10 days, massive blood clots, flooding the lot. I had bloodwork done, scans, swabs and smear. All came back ok. I paid to see a private gyn and all he said was that I was not ovulating and was a likely to go through an early menopause but could be bleeding like that for the next 5 or more years. He offered mirena coil or endometrial ablation. I didnt want either so went on the mini pill instead. Waste of time, was still bleeding once a fortnight but lighter. I have now just come off the mini pill following a period from hell where I had constant bleeding for 4 weeks. Have been told to wait it out now and see what my body does naturally. If it goes back to the way it was before I will most likely opt for endometrial ablation.

Thanks for the replies....been offline all day or would have replied sooner!

I asked the GP about peri-menopause and she (and other GPs in the practice all say "Hmmmm, 43 is a bit too young" Which perplexes me somewhat as if 51 is the average age of menopause, then there must be a lot of women going through it younger! She has written to the gynaes saying they need to have a proper look at what's going on inside.

I don't like the idea of hormonal contraceptives. MY DH has had the snip precisely because they have never agreed with me, and the steroids etc that I take mean my weight is hard enough to control without throwing hormopnes into the mix as well

Is the pain a peri symptom?

The prolapse issues (and bowel issues thanks to a brutal forceps delivery) are proving to be a long drawn out affair too! Having had physio with limited succesas when DS2 (4) was little, they have re-referred me for more physio even though things are a LOT worse than they were four years ago. I am going to wait for the follow up appointment to discuss anal manometry and ultrasound testing that I had a few weeks ago and then push for a private referral and perhaps also testing to see if it all just peri-menopause. It's too too miserable to put up with for much longer :(

Poor you :)

Look- if you have around £150 to spare, ask for a private appt with a good gynae and get everything sorted.

I am pretty sure that what you have is peri meno- but it is on the early side- though meno is form 45- 55 in most women with 51 being average. The wind-down can take 10 years.

Lack of estrogen will make all prolapse issues worse. If physio hasn't worked then you should consider surgery- I had it after DD was born and was in my late 30s.

If you DO opt for surgery, shop around- you need someone good who is not going to botch it and there's a prolapse forum on the general health forum here.

Thanks Missbopeep. I am unfortunately all too familiar with the prolapse thread, and the raggedy bits one too!

Poor you. I have had a very similar problem for the last three years. In fact I had a period that lasted for 12 months! with heavy clotting/flooding :(
I ended up very anaemic.
I had various scans and biopsies to check it was 'nothing nasty' (hah!) and ended up having a D & C with hysteroscopy which showed I had a polyp (which was removed).
I was offered the mirena - no 'offered' is not a strong enough word...it was very much pushed on me. I too don't like the thought of synthetic hormones in my body and I refused. I was made to feel like a recalcitrant child by the NHS.
I have no confidence in either my GP or my Gynaecologist.
My bleeding was eventually stopped by a course of Utovlan (norethisterone) which made me feel like I wanted to commit murder (not because the bleeding stopped haha)
At least I know I don't have endometrial cancer but I am still bleeding constantly and heavily.
My GP has more or less said that there is nothing more that can be offered to me and I just have to wait for the menopause.
My Gynaecologist (a woman) has said she will see me again in 6 months (?)
I am totally pissed off. I am made to feel like I am wasting everyones time and am just some over-reacting hysterical (pardon the pun) middle aged woman.
I can't work. My recent holidays have been ruined. I hardly dare leave the house sometimes. I always have to wear dark clothes. My sex life is non-existent. Life sucks.

I am going through the same thing , it's ruining my life too