Help with bleeding

[Judystilldreamsofhorses]

Hello, can anyone please help?

I am 50. Last summer I had a Mirena coil put in, and was prescribed Oestrogel two pumps. Prior to this I was on the mini pill and had no periods. Before the mini pill I had very heavy and painful periods.

i have not been one of the lucky people whose periods stopped with the coil, but they are very light - I don’t need a tampon and a panty liner is enough. My last period started a fortnight ago today, and since has been coming and going. Some days nothing, some days a stringy brown discharge, some days a flash of bright blood. It’s never enough for a tampon, really only on wiping, but I am totally fed up!

I know I should see a doctor, but my surgery is impossible in terms of a six week wait for a telephone appointment between 8-6 so not ideal. I had a smear test in July this year and all fine, and a full external and vaginal scan in March because they couldn’t see the coil when it was inserted in July 2022 (huge waiting list). Fibroids were present at the scan in March but apparently nothing to be concerned about.

Thank you for reading if you got this far, and sorry for TMI. I do have some packs of the mini pill I could restart, but maybe this is my body’s final hurrah? I wonder if it could be ovarian cancer?

I've been trying to balance my HRT for the best part of 2 years. Similar story to you, previously mini pill and no periods but low FSH from a blood test so prescribed HRT (I was only 41 so recommended for overall health) and persuaded to have Mirena. Pretty much continuous low level bleeding after that. I've tried the patches at various doses and was having the bleeding and really bad cramps. Then prescribed additional progesterone tablets which reduced the bleeding and cramps massively but they wouldn't continue to prescribe longer term. So, I've now switched to Oestrogel and I've found that with just one pump the bleeding stops completely at least some of the time. If I go up by even half a pump I then start to bleed again, usually fairly heavily, a bit like it induces a period. So for the time being I'm going to stick with just the 1 pump.
If you do consider trying to adjust your gel amount be aware it takes 2 to 3 days for the change to make a difference to the bleeding for me.

Thanks for replying - it is so annoying! Mirena is certainly an effective contraceptive since I couldn’t feel less like sex if I tried. I might try playing around with the gel dose. Initially my GP prescribed one pump and it was the gynae doctor (at the sexual health place, they don’t do Mirena at my surgery) who fitted the coil who said to do two. She’s the regional menopause specialist so I figured she knew what she was at, and my GP said to do what she told me. The GP didn’t seem especially clued up and it was all on the phone anyway.

Same, everything done over the phone and they can't wait to get rid of you. I've never had a proper review and the advice has been split between the practice nurse practitioner and the private clinic that deals with NHS referrals for coil fitting in my area (they're terrible, got my history and the reason I was there muddled up when I went in for the fitting). I think the 2 pumps thing is just the most common recommendation. I'd like to have my oestrogen levels tested properly to figure out if I even need the gel at all. Good luck trying to get it sorted, it really is a pain to have constant spotting, in many ways worse than a period as at least then tampons are an option.

I’ve never had a review either! I was initially on patches which wouldn’t stay on (probably because I love a long hot bath) then getting the coil was a whole saga despite it being the GP’s first suggestion that I was reluctant to go with. When the gynae doctor put the coil in she couldn’t see it with the abdominal scan, and referred me for an internal scan - that took about six months. It all feels so disjointed. I am reassured to know others are having issues though, I have been spiralling wildly!

Just coming back to this thread to say I am still bloody bleeding. How is that possible? I seem to get a period-like pain about 6.30 each evening, then a bit of blood follows.

I rang the GP on Monday and have an appointment booked, but the first available was 15 December. I can access private healthcare via DP’s work medical insurance so have an appointment with a GP (video-call) on Monday coming.

If there’s anyone here who is knowledgeable about hormones/menopause who can talk to me like I’m six, I’m all ears. I know I can’t be ovulating every day, so why is this happening to me?!

@Judystilldreamsofhorses Hi, I’m not quite in the same boat as you as I haven’t had any form of contraception in decades so my menstrual cycle isnt affected in that way but I have very heavy periods, they started in my 30s, I found out the cause was fibroids in my womb. Fibroids are common, they are non cancerous tumours, they cause the womb to heavily bleed on periods.

I’ve had occasions where I’ve had many accidents, bled through clothes, on the bed, I accidentally bled on the office chair, I stand and feel gush of blood. The only thing that helps is a pill you are prescribed tranexamic acid that clots the blood, slow the bleeding.

At 50 I would guess it’s peri menopause or the menopause as heavy bleeding is very common, but of course it could other things, like fibroids.

Just to add I bled so much over the years, I had to have a blood transfusion, because the loss blood led to anemia

@Hyppyb i do have fibroids actually, but apparently very small and nothing to worry about. I had the GP call on Monday and she said to increase the gel and see if that stopped it - touch wood it seems to have done the trick!

Hi, I know this was a while ago but I’m in the same boat now. I’m 48 and had the mirena fitted last October for heavy flooding periods .. it hasn’t t stopped my periods sadly but has reduced the amount of bleeding quite a bit. I have started 1 pump of oestrogel and now fresh bright bloody.. did increasing your dose of oestrogel stop your bleeding? TIA

Hi, I know this was a while ago but I’m in the same boat now. I’m 48 and had the mirena fitted last October for heavy flooding periods .. it hasn’t t stopped my periods sadly but has reduced the amount of bleeding quite a bit. I have started 1 pump of oestrogel and now fresh bright bloody.. did increasing your dose of oestrogel stop your bleeding? TIA

I found the main reason it's so hard to balance HRT is that right through peri, you're still making small amounts of oestrogen in fits and starts, so it's all just up and down.

I bled when my levels were up as my lining thickened so the mirena sorted this out for me. When I had it removed, the problem came back and I had heavy bleeds.

In the end I had a hysterectomy after almost haemorrhaging aged 55 which solved it all.

Yes I agree.. every time I try oestrogen I bleed, it’s so tiresome and it does make me feel better and if I don’t have it the progesterone from the coil can make me feel jittery and very anxious before a period.. I’m so fed up I’d love a hysterectomy.. my mum had one at 43 and it changed her life.. I wonder if I beg the doctors they put me forward for one.. I’ve had 17 years of this bleeding issue and I’ve really had enough.. haemorrhaged twice, once when giving birth and another when I lost a baby.. and heavy periods throughout.. it’s a wonder I have any blood left. Glad you got a good end result though