Is very heavy bleeding at 45 normal in perimenopause or worth checking?

[Artyfab]

I’ve recently had very heavy periods - one or two days where I’m having to change tampons/pads almost hourly at times then the rest of it much lighter. Is this something you would get checked out or is just normal as part of peri etc? I’m almost 45. I’ve felt a bit light headed but nothing major - still energetic.

Worth checking.

Very normal - but also worth checking

It's normal in that it's common, but it's caused by something so needs checking as well. Mine is cysts and fibriods. On on tablets to reduce bleeding. No need to put up with it and struggle on

Out of interest what would a doctor do/ask? Blood tests?

@SurreySenMum26 ah ok - so possibly a scan needed?

Deffo peri I would say but not normal it could be that U maybe have a fibroid !
Worth going to g.p and they probs refer u for a pelvic scan just to make sure all is ok ! It's worthy of having it checked because super heavy periods and clots ARE NOT Normal x

They are normal sadly, thanks to hormone fluctuations - although they can also be a sign of other things, so worth checking.

Yes I had a ultrasound. The letter said it was normal no further action but my gp said its fibriods. The US told me on the day I had lots of cysts to. I would be anemic if I had done nothing

Peri flooding and heavy bleeding is extremely common. But there are other causes, and even if it is 'just' perimenopause you don't need to simply put up with it. And get your iron levels checked - the extra blood loss can really do a number on your ferritin stores.

Yes I’ve had low iron in the past. Will attempt to get a GP appointment this week! Thanks everyone.

I had that in perimenopause and I think I thought it was normal, along with periods being irregular. It's because your hormones are fluctuating. The womb lining builds up because you don't release eggs every month.

But if you are worried get it checked. They would do an internal scan

Your GP may offer you a Mirena coil or tranexamic acid to take during your period to reduce the flow. Or the Pill or even the mini pill.

The NHS has online info on heavy periods and it covers all the options.

They wouldn't usually do a scan for heavier periods in peri because it's so normal and the risks of anything more serious are very low.

You won't be rushed for a scan, because they tend to offer those more urgently for post menopausal bleeding.

One thing you could do is to keep a record of your periods and how far apart or close they are, as info for your GP.

@JinglingSpringbells I track my periods so that’s fine. I’ve always had short cycles - 25 days but sometimes as short as 21 days in the last year.

I got my scan easily within the month, I wonder if it's area dependent? I was filling my mooncup in under a hour so it very close to going to A&E. My Dr took that seriously on its own merit. It wasn't anything along a urgent pathway,

I was like this. I wanted an ultrasound but they were reluctant, until I got really upset as I'd just recovered from breast cancer so was very worried. The ultrasound showed polyps, which I had removed under GA, biopsy was clear.
Happipy this solved the flooding problem for a few years, then I was menopausal I.e. periods stopped.
(Over a year later I started bleeding again, which triggered an immediate ultrasound due to the timing, again more polyps, removed under a local, but the biopsy showed pre cancerous cells so I had a hysterectomy. Just mentioning this to show polyps can appear at any time).

This is interesting - I wasn’t offered a scan but tablets to reduce the bleeding (I have to say they are fantastic). Ferritin is 6 and I’m waiting for an iron infusion. Clinging on for that but 12 weeks since referral (6 years since initial bloods showed low ferritin and go kept saying take iron and I kept saying “I already am!”).

As other have said, definitely worth checking. I endured this for over a year, ended up very anaemic. Turns out I have fibroids…

This.
Perimenopause itself can cause it, but also other issues that are common in middle age.
For me, I had heavier periods for a short time after the Covid vaccine, but later on caused by fibroids.

Got my period today on day 15. Thanks Peri!

Mine have always had a tendency to be like this, they were truly, debilitatingly horrendous in my teens, just regular horrendous after that and have definitely gone back to the worst type of flooding again in perimenopause.

I do think it’s common, but also always worth checking.

I’ve just had a coil fitted in the vague hope it will help reduce the flow or even stop it entirely, that’s the dream!

My Dr prescribed transexamic acid and did a blood test to check iron and ferratin. That came back as officially normal but the ferratin was really low and after a year and half of transexamic acid loads of weird symptoms I was having have vanished and my ferratin has gone back up.

I gor a Mirena coil for this. It worked like magic. No more periods.