My period has lasted two weeks.

[hellymelly]

About it really. Two weeks and still bleeding, lightly. I just turned 49. Periods have been getting longer but never as long as this. Does this happen with peri-menopause? I mentioned it to the GP he didn't say much other than that periods can get longer or shorter. I've had a very very stressful few months though, maybe that has a bearing on it?

Does this happen with peri-menopause?

Yes, in a word. For some women not all.

It's caused by low progesterone levels.

If it carries on see your dr again and all can be stopped with either progesterone tablets, mini pill, or HRT.

Can I hijack slightly and ask you both do they get irregular too? I came on 8 days early this month and its very unusual for me.
It's also slightly heavier and really bright red.
I'm 45 but expecting it early due to having lots if chemo some years ago.

I was having really heavy, long, more frequent periods, which were interfering with my life. My lovely GP has prescribed some iron pills and tranexamic acid, which have been wonderful. I'm 47, I started with the pills about six months ago, and I no longer pass out with sheer exhaustion late afternoons, or have to change towels every hour for 10 days out of every 26.

Caused by low progesterone? Thats's interesting. I use a small amount of natural progesterone, I saw a private Doc about my thryoid issues and she suggested it. Maybe I need a larger dose now, as I wasn't really having peri-meno symptoms when I started it. I've recently stopped breast feeding (!) and my hormones are probably shifting about a bit. My periods were normal while I was bf, but since I've been tailing off I've had one longer one, and now I've stopped this insane 15-day-so-far period. I wonder if progesterone levels are higher while bf?

AAArgh its still ongoing, although very lightly. THREE bloody weeks now pun intended. Am very fed up, is this how it will be now every bloomin' month? Do I really need HRT?

You need to see your dr again and be more assertive about treatment- and see what they suggest :)

Back to the GP then. I will try and see the female GP this time maybe. I certainly don't want periods this long all the time. Not sure how I'd feel about HRT, it has an increased risk of stroke/ breast cancer doesn't it? Or is that out of date now? I know one of my friends is on some high-tech low dose tailored HRT and feels great. She saw someone privately and then got the prescription through her gP I think, I'll ask her about it.

THe doctors can give you something short term which will stop this current bleed without you going down the HRT route - maybe that would give you some time to see if things settle down and to plan what to do next?

There is no increased risk of stroke- worth talking about anyway- for healthy women. Cancer risk is lower than first thought and practically nil for the first 5 years.

You might not need HRT- did I mention progesterone tablets? This is what 2 friends of mine had.

Giving out a pack of tablets for HRT is usual practice but there are better ways - by making it tailor made using patches, gels, and lots of other ways.

This is a good website- have a browse of it and see what is there

www.menopausematters.co.uk/balance.php

I am on HRT and still have awful PMT.
Am nearing the end of a pack now and have cramps, bloating.

It doesn't get any easier does it.

Dd 16 is struggling with frequent heavy periods.
I have enough sanitary protection in the bathroom to keep the whole of MN going for a while. The cost!!!!!!

I just had a little look online and am even more confused. Various things saying its the progesterone which causes cancer rather than oestrogen, so that has freaked me out as I have this natural progesterone cream. Then one posting mentioned that too high levels of progesterone can thin the uterine lining causing bleeding, so maybe the fact that my progesterone dose was upped from very tiny to low has made me bleed more? It is all so confusing, I have no idea where one would start to work out the best route as there is so much conflicting advice. I also have a cystitis type feeling, although as I had a hideous kidney infection recently I have dip-sticks and so have checked, and I don't have an infection.