I can’t cope with my periods anymore.

[MyTruthIsOut]

I’m 39, have two children and I have awful, awful periods. I

For the first two days my bleeding is horrendous……I just constantly leak blood and huge clots. I have to sit and sleep on towels, I can’t really leave the house because I can flood at any given time and I’m just bloody miserable.

I’m sat here on the toilet, looking at my jeans and thighs covered in blood, I have massive clots in my period pants and I’m just listening to the blood drip out of me and into the toilet bowl.

I’ve got work tomorrow and I’m dreading it as I have to take spare underwear and spare uniforms with me because I know I will flood at some point, or two points.

I use period pants as sanitary towels and tampons are just a no-no, but I’m still having to change my period pants every few hours due to flooding. People have suggested a moon cup but my clots are huge and would instantly just take up all the space in them.

For health reasons I can’t take the Pill or take Tranaexemic Acid (or however it’s spelt) and I won’t have the coil due to two previous awful experiences.

I went to the GP about 18 months ago because my periods were so intolerable and I was sent for an USS to look at womb lining and they said it was normal. This was about two days after my period had ended though so I didn’t expect there to be anything for them to look at.

My GP basically implied that a coil was my only option and as I’m not willing to have one then it’s tough shit.

So I’ve been carrying on living with them (and the pain) but I just can’t cope. It affects my day to day living and I just can’t take it anymore.

Im horrendously anaemic which my GP says is because of my periods, but again, because I won’t have a Coil I’ve just been brushed aside.

I was so tempted to post a photo of my clots to see if anyone else has them like this so I wouldn’t at least feel so some, but I thought that would be quite grim.

I just don’t know what to do.

I’m just venting really 😢

Haven't they suggested hysterectomy? I had mine at your age for fibroids, had finished having kids and having no periods is the best thing ever.

If finances permit I would see a gynae as a private patient for an initial consultation. I suggest this too as waiting lists for gynaecology in many areas are miles long.

I’ve had ablation surgery and it was successful in that the constant bleeding ceased completely. It was done under general anaesthesia.

A quick google suggests it can be done without GA. Might be worth asking at the GP or getting an opinion for.

I'm so sorry. You need to go back to the GP and refuse to leave until you have a gynae referral.

Doctors are absolute shits sometimes.

Thank you for all of that. My husband had a vasectomy about two years ago so conception isn’t an option anyway (hopefully) 😂

I was told that any introduction of hormonal contraceptives had a risk of affecting the efficacy of my epilepsy medication and it’s definitely not a risk I was willing to take.

Recovery from ablation took about a week but that's mostly because I react badly to general, I've heard other people are fine after 2 or 3 days.

That’s awful… you need to go back to GP.. tell them what you said here.
have your full blood count and ferritin done.
I am a GP in another country and ( this pisses me off enormously) there is no access here to hysterectomy for heavy bleeding…. May be better where you are.
You may need another scan ( again access depends on your local health policies 😡).
Progesterone tablets are an option , would you not consider a mirena? .. can be referred here for it to be done under sedation if needed. Mirena is bloody brilliant in most situations.
Best wishes… it bloody annoys me there is so poor access to women’s health care… if men bled heavily out of their penises for weeks I bet there would be better care… and of course when blokes have their heart attack they get wheeled into cardiac theatre and stents put in straight away ! ( here at least!)

I was exactly the same as you @MyTruthIsOut .

I had horrendous periods so was sent to gynaecology for an endometrial ablation. They refused and said I needed a Mirena coil first. I lasted 6 months, I bled every day for 17 weeks and had other horrendous side effects. My GP took it out and warned me I might bleed a bit.

I had it out on the Friday. On the Saturday I had a stomach ache and felt “off” so I went to bed. I woke up feeling like I’d wet myself but it was blood. I was passing clots the size of the palm of my hand. This went on for weeks. I had to have a blood transfusion and nothing they gave me would stop it. In the end I had to have the endometrial ablation that I was sent for in the first place.

I had mine done under GA. I was sent home after a couple of hours. I had terrible back ache, but I have a bad back anyway. I had a discharge for a few weeks after. It didn’t stop my periods but they were so light I only ever had to use a panty liner. I really wish I’d stood my ground in the first place and refused the coil because it caused me more harm than good.

No one should have to put up with what you’re describing. Tell your GP you want a referral to gynaecology. Good luck.

If you've finished having DC, ask your GP about endometrial ablation
Mine was literally life changing

Your post is like I wrote it myself!

My periods were so heavy I used to have to wear 2 tena lady pads on top of eachother at all times and my periods were 11-13 days long. Couldnt wear anything without them showing (that was fun at college) night time i had to have a period towel to sleep on that with 3 pads, id still leak, I would sweat and faint for the first 2 days every month aswell. Before i even stood up from going to the toilet or gettinf out the bath, id be covered in blood.

I tried every contraceptive possible and the only thing that works is the depo injection. I now havent had a period for 4 years. Some people stop bleeding on the implant but i bled for 8 months continuously 😂. Depo stopped my periods almost immediately and i have no side effects at all.

Hope you manage to find a relief, i feel your pain 100% x

Applogies, just saw a reply saying hormonal meds can affect your epilepsy. Please go for a gyane referral. I cant even imagine not being able to have relief from depo x

The most irritating thing is that I will have two days of it being absolute hell and then on Days 3-6 it’s barely there and completely manageable.

I go from needing to change my period pants every two hours, to being able to wear them for 6 hours.

Overall, Its like I have a normal period but instead of the blood coming out over the usual time period and at a regular steady pace from day-to-day, it all come out in two days instead and at full force.

I am in a similar boat OP, but I can take tranexamic acid (sp) it helped a bit last month. I use a cup so was able to confidently tell them that I filled the 50ml cup 3 times overnight and they started listening to me.

They have tested my hormone levels for early menopause- all fine
Thyroid- all fine
internal exam and smear- all fine
internal scan- all fine, but like you it was the day after my period so don’t know what they were expecting to find lining wise.

So now it appears to be no further action as I am not keen on the pill and wary of trying a coil and them refusing to remove it if I turn into a fat psycho (like I do on all other forms of hormonal contraception) or it makes the issue worse.

@MyTruthIsOut you have to insist with your gynecologist!
I had an ablation 6 years ago and it was marvelous, as PP said. I was in pain for about 8 hours after the op, but then the pain was just over. Periods were very light (panty liner).

I was warned that as I was young, my periods could return, which they did, 8 months ago. Clots and all.

So last week I had a hysterectomy, and I have to admit, I feel wonderful! I just got out of hospital today and the pain is similar to period pain, but not more. I know it's early days but I am just full of relief!

Please go talk to your gynecologist and don't be fobbed off. This is no way to live!

I too had periods so bad I was anemic constantly
I got referred to gynaecologist and had a uterine ablation called nova sure , It was the best decision I've ever made for myself as periods are virtually non existent and hardly noticeable

They should absolutely take this seriously and help you. I had the same and was given some medication for the bleeding. I was finally diagnosed with polyps (not seen on the previous 2 scans) and it all improved once I had them removed.

Thanks everyone. I’m just worried they won’t take me seriously as the Hell only lasts for two days and then completely tapers off.

But it’s so awful. I was at the park with my children and some of my friends and their children, and I was sat on a bench and I could feel blood just soaking through my jeans. I so badly wanted to go home but I knew I couldn’t stand up as everyone would see all the blood on my clothes. I had to sit there and feel it getting worse and just wait for everyone else to leave until I could stand up to leave myself. It was only a short walk home but my jeans were soaked and I just wanted to cry.

The clots are so big and thick too, and they just fall out of me. It can’t be normal.

Go back to your GP and explain its so bad you can't leave the house for at least days per month. Give graphic detail of soaking through your jeans, and ask for a referral as suggested above.
It sounds to me like you could be in peri menopause, that flooding is typical.

Definitely insist on a referral. In the meantime get some Aldi incontinence pants,they are like Tena Ladies full pants but a third of the price . A friend used them at work when was was having horrendous flooding issues.

You really need a gynaecologist rather than a GP. After 13 years of suffering, I only got help and the correct treatment, by refusing to leave my GPs offce without a referral.

We shouldn't have to fight so hard but we do. I had ablation and it made a massive difference. Life changing. I didn't find it difficult, sore shoulder & tender abdomen for about a week but otherwise ok.

I have already seen a Gynaecologist who sent me for an USS to look at the womb lining. My scan was about 3 days after my period had ended so there was obviously nothing to see. I was told my womb lining was fine and so I was discharged from their care and told to get my GP to do any follow-up care.

Another one who would recommend an ablation. I was exactly the same as you Op - I once flooded in the car coming home and when I walked in my DH actually thought I had had a car accident! My ferritin levels got so low my hair started falling out and I started having dizzy spells. I was mid 40's and finally went to my GP who was great. He suggested an ablation or the mirena coil. I had the ablation and was back at work 3 days later. My periods stopped for about 6 months but then returned but were so light I could wear panty liners instead of towels.

If you done with having children I would highly recommend the novasure ablation.

I had mine 6 months ago, have had 2 periods that last 1 1/2 days since and are very very light.

For the first time in over 20 years I am not anemic , I don't have pain or cramping, I can move about freely and do t have to check calendar to book things it's been life changing.

For the first time in over 20 years I am not anemic , I don't have pain or cramping, I can move about freely and do t have to check calendar to book things it's been life changing.

I can’t even imagine living a life where I don’t have to check my calendar before I can agree to going to places. I have lost track of how many days out I’ve had to miss out on because I know my period is due….and it’s really crap having to make up shitty excuses too as to why I can’t go. Even if I told people the truth they’d just think I was exaggerating.

In July I’ve got to host a two day training event and it falls on Day 1 and Day 2 of my period and I could cry just thinking about it. I know I’m going to flood and everyone will see and I just don’t know how I’m going to manage it. I hate it.

I am so jealous of women who don’t have to put up with this shit every month.

I’m definitely done with children, my husband had a vasectomy about 4 years ago so yes, definitely no plans for more children.

I'd ask for another gynea referral. If the issue is not your womb lining it is something else. Has you GP surgery got more than one doctor working there? It might be worth discussing with a different one. I would try to get to see a gynecologist who is well versed in endometriosis and adenomyosis. Both of those could cause you those issues. Endo doesn't tend to show up on uss and for adeno, some sonograpers are trained to spot it, others not (it may also depend on equipment used - not sure about that). Sadly you need to keep pushing. It apparently takes an average of 7.5 years to get diagnosed with endo. 💐❤️