Flooding

[Kez100]

I had started to get heavier periods when in August last year they stopped. Four periods were missed and, being 47, realised the menopause was on its way. I did know I was likely to get another period at some point but what happens in the past six days has any my life into chaos. I only managed it because of Christmas and holiday season.

I have for four of the six days had flooding. I have been through 4 while packs of infinity sanitary pads, had to throw out 6 pairs of knickers and when everyone else was going to bed at 4 this morning, I moved in bed, realised what was happening and ended up in a tearful, awful mess, in the bathroom.

What can I do? If this happens next month, I have a short break with swimming booked and a premier inn visit too. I work for myself visiting clients. I am so worried. I had heard of this but never ever imagined it could be as bad as this.

Tonight, its still going, but I finally am not getting the cramps so I feel it may be getting under control at last. I do hope so as I am back to work tomorrow with a full diary of visits.

Any advice? Help!

I sympathise.

I have two to three periods a year, and they are Niagara Falls.

I think it is a case of changing tampons and pads at every opportunity.

I had this. I was referred to the hospital and had an ultrasound and biopsy (sounds horrible but only takes seconds). They didn't find anything so I was prescribed progesterone and told to take for the next year by which time I will hopefully be in menopause.

Go to your GP tomorrow and get a referral and see if they can prescribe something in the short term to reduce the bleeding. I suffered for a few years and then had such a massive flood I had to go to A & E.

Sounds so familiar. I had to sleep on piles of old towels for the first few nights of my peri menopausal heavy periods. As someone else said, it might be shortlived, mine lasted about 2 years on and off and I always had to be very prepared when going out and about. Plus I'm a teacher and couldnt leave the classroom !
It will be such a relief for you when it is all over. But do check with doctor to see if you can take anything to help

You need to go to your GP and if necessary ask to be referred to a gynae.

There'a a lot of help out there- from simple things like Ibuprofen ( which slows down the bleeding) to prescribed drugs, to the Mirena coil.

Don't suffer in silence!

Have you tried the ibuprofen method - you need to take the full dose first thing, then every 4 hours.

(you also need your breakfast as you are not supposed to take it on an empty stomach.)

Some people have used incontinence knickers with their s.towel in bed.

I use a tampon and a towel together, as I do not flood but can go from light in the morning to heavy in the middle of the afternoon, without warning.

www.menopausematters.co.uk/heavyperiods.php

Thanks everyone. I will follow your advice and I have also made an appointment to see my GP in three weeks time (earliest I could get).

Storynanny I did think when I was feeling sorry for myself, how on earth would I cope if I were a teacher! There's nowhere to run.

I seem back to normal today. Well, it's not normal in that it is day seven and I was always about 4-5 days, but it is normal in terms of flow and the way I am feeling. Plus last night was OK and I managed to wake just the once, so I have got some decent sleep too.

Thanks again.

Hope you get some help - there is a list of things that can be done in the link above.

I have had 3 periods in 28 days. It is getting a bit boring.

I had thermal ablation for awful heavy periods. It certainly stopped them altogether, so I was delighted (Only consider if you aren't planning any more pregnancies though as it destroys the lining of the uterus.)

You have my sympathies. I am mid fifties & going through this. In December I had two periods with about three days break between. The second was so heavy I was going through a super super plus tampon & towel in less than 15 minutes. This happened when I was out & about in a city. At least I got new jeans and knickers out of it ( plus spare pants in case I needed them again before I got home).

My birth mother told me she was 60 when she went through the menopause. 60!!!!!

Just after Christmas I had norovirus with uncontrollable diarrhoea.

Right now I am eying my body with suspicion, it seems to have turned in me .

Banana, I have been offered thermal ablation. I am currently taking progesterone and stopped bleeding altogether but told I should only take it for a year and then have thermal ablation if bleeding resumes.

The thought of it just makes me shudder. What was your experience and do you have to have a general anaesthetic?

You can buy tranexamic acid over the counter from pharmacy now. I took it for similar flooding and it is very effective and controlling the flow. The mirena coil also works v well and I use the nuvaring and periods now manageable. Hope some of those suggestions help. Maybe take some iron too if you have been bleeding a lot, good luck

Well my experience of it was absolutely ok. Yes you do have a GA (it was the first and only time I'd ever had one, so I was nervous). I went in as a day patient first thing in the morning. The GA was fine, a bit like a funny dream . I dont think I was actually out for long. It didn't hurt. I came round, was a tiny bit sore/uncomfortable, where they'd prodded me around I guess, but nothing awful. Went home later that day and bounced back very quickly. I did have periods for a while afterwards on and off, but they were nowhere near as bad as before. Then after some months they stopped altogether and I haven't had a single one again and feel great. Had it done nearly 7 yrs ago now (when I was 42). Now creaking towards 49 () and my horrible periods are a thing of the past. It really is something worth considering. I can well rememebr the misery of it domiinating everything from holidays to what I wore and having to go everywhere armed with supplies. Not to mention how tired I felt. (Sorry I've not put any paragraphs in this - I have a dodgy return key on my keboard!)

I have flooding during my periods, op and you just have to be very prepared. I also have a job out and about doing visits, you need to know which garages on A roads have loos! I sometimes need to change tampon and pad every 15 mins. As well as tampons and pads, I also wear incontinence knickers. Lillets recently brought out ultra tampons (orange box) which are a help.

I find the nights the worst as I usually need to get up every hour to change all my protection, and I get so tired after the first couple of nights. I sleep on towels and do a lot of washing of bedclothes!

My heavy periods are caused by fibroids and so ablation isnt an option for me, I have the choice of fibroid removal or hysterectomy.

Hope you find a solution soon.

Thanks all. It's good to have all this advice and also to not feel alone. I have been so tired too from waking so much and then, last night, with the other floods (tidal water type) . Don't think I have slept properly now for 6 nights.

It's still going - day 8! Although far more under control now.

Hiya

I remember the terrible flooding I was getting a couple of years ago. After having all the tests which came back normal I was prescribed Tranexamic Acid which was a lifesaver for me. It really slows the bleeding down and you can now get it over the counter at Boots.

Shazzie

Mirena coil fixed this problem for me. I was suffering from very heavy, unpredictable periods.

4 months after Mirena coil, no periods at all!! Brilliant!!

Well, one month later, so no missed period this time but the flooding is just as bad.

I'm better prepared thanks to all of your help.

Wearing a pad, pants, incontinence pants and pants again (and carrying spares!). I have managed a day at work and meeting clients with plenty of toilet visits but I didn't feel it was out of control once. I also used the same last night, with a towel on the bed, and slept well and comfortably.

Now, will it be over for my spa break holiday (with pool!) this weekend? Never expected this when I booked it a year ago!

Hope you a good have a good break.

Like banana I had the nova sure ablation 2 years ago and haven't had a single period since. If you are coping fine, then great, but if not, then do go back to the GP.