to ask you to help me decide by sharing your experiences?

[Howaboutthisone]

So, my periods have been getting gradually worse for the last year. I've been put on Tranexamic acid, Mefanemic acid, and told to combine the two. Over Easter weekend I was going into week 4 of my period (despite being on combined pill) and the flow got so bad I was (tmi) flooding and destroying two pairs of trousers in two hours. Needed iron tablets as reserves had gotten low. Was given magical norethisterone which stopped the flow and I've had a week's break. I've had a scan. I have fibroids and a possible polyp.
Seen private consultant today who can't speed things up unless I pay for private treatment but gave me the following options. Really interested to hear about people's experiences/opinions.
She's said that really what I need is a hysteroscopy which I can get on NHS by waiting for my appt which could take up to 9 months even with my urgent referral. Or I could pay private and have it for £2500, raising to £4000 if they remove anything as part of it.
Other options:
1)Try Mirena coil
2)endometrial ablation- can wait for my NHS gynae appt to come though and hope they offer it, or pay £4400 to have it done privately. We could scrape the money together, but it would be from savings we've managed to squirrel away rather than from surplus cash, and I'd feel like I'm stealing a holiday/experience from my kids even though DH has pointed out that nothing is really more important to them than their and our health. He's a good'un.
3) Hysterectomy-I think the consultant would do this privately but obviously wouldn't be first course she'd recommend.
4) Wait up to 9 months for my NHS appt with consultant and take the letter explaining today's findings in the hope I'd have some control!
5) Doing nothing and just riding it out -This isn't really an option as my periods (if you can call them just that when they're lasting all month) are controlling and limiting my life.
I could really do with hearing from others with similar situations or even just hearing another take on things.
Thanks!

That's great news!

Good luck!

Oh that's good news. Hope it goes well.

Thank you!😊

Mirena coil made me stabby and totally killed my libido, ended up on anti depressants because it changed the normal happy me so much.

Had Ablation about 2 years ago and my god it's wonderful. Every woman should be offered one as soon as they've had their kids. No changes to hormones, no periods. Think you have to still use condoms or get DH to have snip though as can still get pregnant apparently.

@Bloomburger that's interesting. Did they only agree to the ablation after you'd tried the mirena first?

No, I had the mirena years ago, put on weight immediately, turning into a proper angry woman, anything would set me off on a rant and I'd be really short with DH and the DCs. Also completely lost what had been a very healthy sex drive. Read on here that the Mirena did give you these sort of side effects so just pulled it out one day. Turned into a bit of a sex crazed housewife for a few months afterwards. We then decided to have another DC and after that was using condoms and then DH had vasectomy but I was having the most horrendous periods which were leaving me wiped out for weeks so my doctor referred me to a private gynae (we have insurance) who said he would do the ablation and that was it. I was in a spin class 9am the following day and haven't looked back.

Ablation definitely sounds like a good option if it's possible in my case. I assume they'd need to do a hysteroscopy to check this.

Glad you got a sooner appt!
No they don’t do always do a hysteroscopy they use the scan results
If you have fibroids that can be removed via ablation they will do it (the ones
If you have fibroids growing in a different place than the womb lining they will have to consider something else
What kind do you have? I had 4 x submucosal largest 5cm

Mirena coil didn't work for me. I had bad bleeding for nearly 6 months with it. At least 3 of every 4 weeks it was like a continuous period. Then it all stopped... because I was pregnant. The coil had dislodged and travelled elsewhere inside me. I would not get it again, there is a big law suit in america for it.

I’ve had an ablation in 2015, I now have late onset ablation failure and I am in agony and awaiting a hysterectomy. Read the statistics which show 45% of women who undergo this op have a hysterectomy within 5 years. I had no periods for years and now I have periods but the blood can’t escape so I have pains as bad as labour for 3 days a month. I am also being investigated for a endometrial haematoma. I would personally chose another option.

I think mine are in the womb but can't remember what they said. I'm really nervous about this morning. So grateful to have the appointment though and the timing couldn't be better really as Ive already flooded and had to shower twice this morning.

DSis had fibroids and had a partial hysterectomy 10 years ago ( just uterus) and hasn’t looked back since. No issues with hormones etc either yet at nearly 50 as ovaries still there. 6 weeek recoverynand she was upset at first but it really changed things for her.

Work health insurance covered private treatment but the surgeon as with many of them did NHS 3 days a week so if she’d waited the 6 months would have had the same guy anyway.

moveyourarse can I ask what method was used for your ablation? I had an ablation about 4 years ago (I think). Had no periods since but I think I have been through the menopause (difficult to tell if periods have stopped anyway!).

I had novasure and it failed immediately
I’m waiting my next option now too

Mirena coil worked for me. Went from mo they tidal wave to nothing in two months. Same for my sister. Defo worth a try.

Well the appointment was helpful I think. By the time I got there I was in s bit of a tizz as the bleeding was so heavy that if I hadn't had the appt I wouldn't have left the house. Saw a registrar and she was really good. She apologised for the fact that I hadn't been taken seriously previously and that I've been suffering for longer than necessary due to it. She's referring me for an urgent outpatient hysteroscopy. Outpatient as they're quicker to schedule here apparently. Though urgent still means around 6-8 weeks!!! They'll have a good look and remove fibroids. They'll also insert a mirena then, if I want them to. She's also given me norethiserone to take continuously instead of my pill while I'm waiting to give some respite from the bleeding. She's given me the details of the consultants secretary and said to contact direct if anything isn't right while I'm waiting, or if I don't hear anything in the timescale she's suggested.
She's seeing this as a first course of action and is hoping it will do the job but will revisit if not.
I'm currently just glad to have the referral and the tablets. Though I do worry about taking them longer term. She did mention those injections mentioned upthread that mimic menopause as another option but I felt I'd be better with the ones I'd already tried before. Just a little apprehensive of taking them for a while instead of previous 10 days.
At least I'm now I the system and things are starting to move.

That sounds positive - I'm glad you were taken seriously. Are you on iron as you must be getting anaemic with all this bleeding? Poss worth visit to GP to ask about that. I used to mainline those Spatone packets!

Thank you. Yes- I feel like things are at least now moving in the right direction. I've had my bloods done and am on ferrous fumarate as I was borderline anaemic. I had been taking Spatone when I had the really bad days as that stuff is nice and gentle but am sticking with those tablets for now to boost the level before switching back probably.

I have jsut posted in more detail on another thread "I’ve been sterilised, but I want MIRENA coil" - but I had fibroids and a thickened womb wall which caused really heavy bleeding.
I had a couple of explortory hysteroscopys, and consultants were keen on hysterectomy; me less so.
I had a Mirena Coil fitted (under gen anaesthetic at same time as the hysteroscopy 7 years ago) resulted in no periods, no side effects, I would reccomend.
If you do get side effects, or it doesn;t work for you, the other options are still open to you. If you want to be really well informed at meetings with GPs and Consultants, familiarise yourself with the NICE guidelines www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng88

Hope you get it resolved and get your life back soon.

I had a uterine ablation-was hemorrhaging from blood thinner on my periods. Was under general anesthesia but recovery was easy and zero bleeding since (am on estrogen blocker for cancer) was having long very heavy bleeding

I would try the Mirena and if that didn’t work, pay privately to have a hysterectomy.

WOW - I was reading this thread because I'd been advised to have the 7 year old mirena removed, & there'd been a wait because of a comms mix up at the GP.
Went online for an appointment at a sexual health clinic; made a complaint to the first one because the menu options were discriminatory, found another one close by and have an appointment for tomorrow morning.

@Fr0g that is really interesting to read and also encouraging. I'm also glad that you managed to get an appointment sorted! I think that would be the worry- wanting it out and having to battle for it. I'm fairly resolved to trying it now. Though the thought of the hysteroscopy as an outpatient does scare me a bit.

I've just asked for this to be moved to women's health as it might be helpful to people there and easier to find.

I'm still waiting on my hysteroscopy appointment but the norethisterone has the bleeding under control for now. I'm going to make some chase up calls and emails today in the hope of moving things along.