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Pregnancy choices

This topic is for sharing experiences of pregnancy choices; to debate the ethics of termination, visit our Politics or Chat forums.

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Original poster

Heavy bleeding 5 days after surgical abortion

35 replies

Bexicle22 · 15/04/2015 09:09

I had a surgical abortion on Friday and had a regular period type bleed. The next two days I had very light spotting then the bleeding stopped. But on Monday night I started getting sharp abdomen pains and have had them on and off since. They're really painful and different to cramps. Then last night I woke up and I was bleeding heavily. Sorry for the TMI but I could feel the blood pouring out of me, it was thick dark red. I put a pad on and went back to bed after cleaning myself up. When I got up this morning I could still feel the blood coming out, still really thick and dark red. I'm used to having very heavy periods but I've never experienced this much blood. I don't want to have to go to the doctors if I can help it, how normal is it for bleeding to stop but then suddenly become very heavy, 5 days after the procedure?

OP posts:

findingherfeet · 15/04/2015 09:13

I don't know but I would trust your instinct, it doesn't sound right and if nothing else you could get quite weak from the blood loss. I wouldn't have thought you should be in that amount of pain you poor thing.

Call 111 for health advise first perhaps?

KiaOraOAotearoa · 15/04/2015 09:23

A&e now!

PrimroseVilliers · 15/04/2015 09:34

Gosh you don't need A and E unless you're full in haemorrhaging ! Call your doctor and ask for tranxemic acid tablets which will help. Your doctor is your first point of call here , not the emergency services

And yes, it's normal. I had several months of it and it was rather distressing but it does eventually pass.

niminypiminy · 15/04/2015 09:36

Is there a bad smell? If you are in pain and there is a smell there's a possibility that you have an infection. You certainly should phone 111 immediately and get proper advice.

Psipsina · 15/04/2015 09:37

Not sure what previous poster is on about, but it sounds like you probably have an infection. It is quite common post abortion but it can be serious if untreated. You should see a doctor today, if no one is available then yes, go to A&E or a walk in centre.

There could be some retained products which may need to be removed.

Good luck and please don't hang about.

Psipsina · 15/04/2015 09:38

And yes, it's normal. I had several months of it and it was rather distressing but it does eventually pass.

Slightly irresponsible advice there.

niminypiminy · 15/04/2015 09:45

I agree Psipsina -- I had an infection after a surgical abortion, had exactly the same symptoms (sharp pains, heavy bleeding a couple of days after the procedure) and was in hospital for five days on IV antibiotics. Really, really, seek medical advice urgently.

PrimroseVilliers · 15/04/2015 09:46

Of course it isn't - unless you just take ONE sentence and post it out of context eh? The very first thing I say - and then reiterate - is to call the doctor. Are you just hard of reading or something?

It IS normal but medical attention is needed. Hence that advice I gave about seeking it. A and E is a no no unless the op is haemorrhaging. I believe I also stated that

Some people ...

Psipsina · 15/04/2015 09:50

No, you told her to call her doctor and ask for 'tranxemic' acid tablets which implies that she doesn't need to be examined, which she does.

Cyklokapron is not designed to help if there are retained products causing an infection.

FFS

Sorry OP. I hope you can get seen today.

niminypiminy · 15/04/2015 09:56

I think the phrase 'blood pouring out of me' is what I'd describe as haemorrhage.

Psipsina · 15/04/2015 09:57

Well yes you can't really diagnose a lack of haemorrhage given the detail in the OP. Bonkers.

Original poster

Bexicle22 · 15/04/2015 10:22

Thanks for all your replies, I will definitely give my doctor a call and see what he suggests. If it's an infection, will I need an internal examination or can I just be prescribed antibiotics? The abdominal pain comes and goes in waves, the pains last from 5 seconds to 30 and I'd describe them as if someone had stabbed me on one side and dragged across to the other side. I'm used to heavy bleeding and cramps with periods but never had bleeding this extreme and the pains are different to cramps. There's no bad smell but when I stand up I can feel the blood coming out, like I'm wetting myself

OP posts:

Psipsina · 15/04/2015 10:26

You need to be seen in order for someone to assess your general condition, temp, heart rate, normal obs and probably a feel of your abdomen lying down - I don't know if they will want to do an internal, that would depend, but my guess is not.

They won't prescribe something to stop the bleeding without knowing the cause. If they suspect an infection they may send you for further tests in the hospital and you may need a further procedure.

The pain sounds quite severe and it is also a small possibility that you have sustained some injury from the termination, though this is uncommon.

Please go and get seen ASAP. If you did happen to have got an injury, you could go into septic shock and I don't want to go into the results of that x

Psipsina · 15/04/2015 10:29

By the way, where did you have the abortion? If it was a private clinic then they will have an aftercare helpline and you could ring that and they may ask you to come in.

It is up to you who you see, but you MUST get seen.

Original poster

Bexicle22 · 15/04/2015 10:32

I had my termination at a BPAS clinic. It's a little out of the way, about an hours drive and I have my daughter with me today and nobody to watch her and they don't allow children in.

Who am I best calling, my GP or 111? If I need to be examined properly, is my doctor able to do that at the local surgery or does it need to be done by someone at a hospital?

Sorry for all the questions!

OP posts:

Psipsina · 15/04/2015 10:38

Ohh tricky. Don't bother with 111 they will only take ages to direct you to one or the other, and it's a 50% chance it'll be the wrong one ime.

The doctor may prescribe ABs, but I think it more likely they will send you up to the hosp as they can do things like unltrasound to check what's going on, etc. Also you MAY need further internal stuff.

So it is likely you will end up there at some point, nurses are usually very accommodating of children and will try to help with dd.

The thing is your doctor can refer you to A&E/whatever department he thinks most suitable, which means you get seen a lot quicker once you get there iyswim?

Start with GP, but call soon or they won't have appointments left. If they have none, explain and see if they can fit you in as an emergency. If still no, then A&E I'm afraid is your best option. Do not wait till tomorrow. Promise me?

Grantaire · 15/04/2015 10:45

They really should have given you prophylactic antibiotics. This is standard for a termination. It is possible that they gave you some rectally at the time of the procedure and they were not effective. It is also possible that it's retained products causing the heavy bleeding.

Whatever it is, I agree with every word Psipsina says. You need to do as she suggests. It is very important that if you have a post-termination infection it is treated as soon as possible and that you are thoroughly examined to determined the cause of the bleeding. This level of bleeding a few days post termination is NOT normal. It might be common with infection and retained products but it is NOT a normal recovery.

Original poster

Bexicle22 · 15/04/2015 13:37

The bleeding had ease do off a little so I nipped to Asda as I had no food in for dd for lunch. While I was there I felt this heavy gushing and it kept coming and I had to waddle to the toilet and found my whole pad covered in a thick jelly like lump, it was so dark red it was almost black. There was more coming out when I say on the toilet. I cleaned myself up and came home but had to rush straight to the toilet again because the same thing happened again with thick red/black clumps coming out. My Drs surgery is pretty useless, would going straight to out of hours/a&e be better?

OP posts:

DuckChowMein · 15/04/2015 14:21

This sounds horrible for you. Just what you need after going through an abortion. Not.

I don't know what to suggest but as others have said you definitely need to be seen. If you have no faith in your Dr it might be worth bypassing them and going straight to a&e. At least it might not be too busy at this time.

My understanding of surgical abortion is that they remove all of the tissue so bleeding to the extent you are sounds very very wrong.

Can you easily get to hospital? I imagine your Dr would send you up there anyway.

niminypiminy · 15/04/2015 14:22

For goodness sake, get yourself to A&E! They'll help with dad and you need medical attention! Just take her and go!

DayLillie · 15/04/2015 14:26

Were you not given aftercare instructions and a telephone number by the clinic?

A&E now with dd

KiaOraOAotearoa · 15/04/2015 14:28

I am saying it again: go to A&E now!!!!!
you need a surgeon.

differentnameforthis · 15/04/2015 14:50

I hope OP is heeding the advice here, which suggest A&E.

What you are describing is not normal, op. Neither is several months of bleeding (v bad advice from that poster)

Original poster

Bexicle22 · 15/04/2015 15:03

I can't get to hospital easily as I don't drive but I will call them and get a taxi up there. The clotting/bleeding isn't as severe now but I don't want to risk it in case it gets bad again.

OP posts:

DuckChowMein · 15/04/2015 17:13

I hope you're getting sorted now

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