Unbearable periods-can anything REALLY help?

[Ohdobakeoffdear]

I’m desperate. My periods have become absolutely unbearable since I had my son 6 years ago. I’m in agony for at least 2 days and bleeding so heavily that I can’t lead a normal life. My commute to work takes an hour and sometimes that’s too long.
I’ve been to the doctors countless times, had all the blood tests done, had a scan on different days of my cycle, nothing out of order showing at all.
I have been given tranexamic acid too, didn’t make much difference.
I can’t cope with it any more. Does anyone have similar experiences, any recommendations or ideas? I’m 35, so I don’t think it’s peri menopause yet.

[Ohdobakeoffdear]

Yes the response was from the GP, sorry, I didn’t make ot very clear.
I think I’ll just go back, remind them I have private healthcare and ask for a referral. They don’t seem to mind referring to a specialist when it’s to be done privately.
I don’t really know why I haven’t done that earlier, I never use the insurance and tend to forget I have it.

[AttilaTheMeerkat]

ohdobakeoffdear

re your comment:-

"I’ve been keeping a diary for a few months to prove to my GP that there is an obvious pattern of when the pain and bleeding get the worst. The response I got was that at least I can get painkillers in advance because I know when to expect the worst symptoms.
Back to the doctors then. I’ll try and be more pushy".

Good on you for keeping a diary; would also show that material to the gynae.

I presume that response in your second sentence here was from the GP surgery. If that is the case I would certainly make a complaint to the practice manager.

Be more persistent with them, at the very least you now need to see a completely different GP and ultimately in another GP practice. Some GPs seemingly have little to no knowledge when it comes to such problems.

[Mishappening]

Only thing that helped me was a hysterectomy. Best day's sleep I ever had!

[armsandtheman]

I have endometriosis. They need to do a lap and dye to diagnose. You def need to push for a gynaecologist referral. Honestly the mirena has changed my life. My periods are light and although sore, I rarely need ibuprofen or paracetamol. I'm feeling so much better in myself and am loads healthier. It took a few months to settle in but even that was just light bleeding and a bit of an ache. Nothing compared to the suffering I'd before.

[Ohdobakeoffdear]

No pain during sex. I’ve been keeping a diary for a few months to prove to my GP that there is an obvious pattern of when the pain and bleeding get the worst. The response I got was that at least I can get painkillers in advance because I know when to expect the worst symptoms.
Back to the doctors then. I’ll try and be more pushy.

[AttilaTheMeerkat]

You need a diagnosis first and foremost.

Endometriosis as well can cause heavy bleeding so sadly I am not surprised you are experiencing this as well.

[AttilaTheMeerkat]

ohdobakeoffdear


Do not be fobbed off, you will need to be persistent in order to get answers. You've been failed to date I think. Mirena as well can have very mixed results if endometriosis is present and is I believe not a licenced treatment for endometriosis.

You really do need a referral to a gynaecologist as well as determining the cause. Treating the symptoms is all well and good but you need to find the cause. This is not something that you should be at all putting up with.

Blood tests and ultrasound scans (and I note you have had several of these done already) DO NOT detect endometriosis if it is present because the endometriosis deposits are so small). I had many internal ultrasound scans done at various times prior to my endometriosis diagnosis and NONE of them showed the extensive endometriosis that was present throughout my uterine cavity.

If you do not already do so I would start keeping a daily pain and symptom diary noting down anything of note including blood flow and colour of blood. Note pain on a scale from 1-10.

Do you also get deep pain during sex?. If so that should be mentioned to the GP as this can also be an indicator of endometriosis.

[Ohdobakeoffdear]

More good advice, thank you again!
This is not very MN (I know, I know) but I can’t bring myself to try the cup. I keep thinking I’ll put it in wrong and will end up either flooding the whole world or having to go to a&e to get it “unsucked” from some random bit of my birth canal.
I’m starting to think mirena could be the way forward...

[dollydelightful]

Acupuncture and moxibustion (from acupuncturist) helped me immensely. Not everybody's cup of tea, but after years of taking the pill, I wasn't keen on taking more hormones....

[Icequeen01]

I suffered with horrendous periods and would flood everywhere literally within seconds. It happened to me when I was driving home in the car once and when I walked in my DH literally thought I had been in a car accident. My hair started to fall out too as I had become so anaemic. I was a few years older than you and went down the route of an ablation. It was fantastic. My periods did return a year or so later but I had 3 days of wearing the thinnest pads you can buy instead of 8 days of a total blood bath!

[Chesterfieldsofa]

Another mirena fan here. Sounds dramatic, but it's a life changer.

[JemIsMyNameNooneElseIsTheSame]

Another vote for Mirena. Life changing!

[GimmeBread]

I'd recommend the Depo injection. I was on it for 7 years - 7 years of no periods! I then came off it as my DH had the snip. Periods got so bad that they put me back on the Depo. It's been great ever since!

[pennydrew]

Yes agree with Jent13c! I switched to a cup and I swear to god I have slightly lighter periods! I have a heavy first 2 days but after that I don’t need to empty till the end of the day. Way easier than anything else.

[Jent13c]

On a practical level til you get the medication sorted have you tried a menstrual cup? You can get larger capacity ones and I do have to empty it every hour or so first two days but a large capacity cup and night pad could keep you going for a wee while? Or I have heard of some girls using incontinence pads + a cup or tampons.
After my first two days I can sometimes get away with having the cup in all day without emptying which is bliss!

[HappyHedgehog247]

I went in contraceptive pill for mine. Was amazing.

[SmartyPants0]

I read your post and I could have written it. I came on here to suggest the Mirena coil as well... I no longer have periods
Good luck

[pennydrew]

Do you get pain at ovulation as well? I do. Bloody horrible.

[pennydrew]

Oh I hate when they do this to women. It’s not completely healthy to have horrible pain and heavy periods. Women put up with it because nobody helps us, but it is absolutely not normal to experience what you are. What exactly have they done to rule out endometriosis? A laparoscopy?

[Fatted]

I am the same after having kids. Very heavy but thankfully not too painful periods. So heavy I became very seriously anemic. I had ultrasounds which showed nothing. I eventually went back onto the contraceptive injection to stop my periods completely.

I was reluctant to have to use hormonal contraception. But the side effects from it are better than the side effects of being anemic!

I'm 38 and it could be the menopause for me as I started my periods early at 10.

[Ohdobakeoffdear]

Supposedly no fibroids or endometriosis. Supposedly I’m completely healthy

[sansouci]

It could be uterine fibroids.

[pennydrew]

Do you have endometriosis? Taking bladderwhrack helps a lot with pain, if you google it you should find the studies on it, I saw a video thing on it and found it helps my pain a lot.

[madvixen]

Depo Provera has worked wonders for me. My pain was so bad that I was frequently hospitalised so they could administer morphine. Depo has been a lifesaver!

[Adarajames]

I was crippled by head to toe period pains for days every month, and lesser but ongoing pain for another 3 weeks or so each month. The Mirena has practically saved my life!