DD's period has lasted over 5 weeks now

[waterst]

DD is 12, she started her periods a few months ago. Her first few cycles were quite normal, periods lasting 5 days or so.

But she has now been bleeding for over 5 weeks. It's light - she only has to change her pad once or twice a day, but she has literally bled each day. She's not in pain at all.

We've been to the GP and she's booked in for a blood test, but I was wondering if anybody had any experience with this...what was causing it, did it settle down? I can only find stuff online about heavy periods but not prolonged like this.

Is she in any hormonal treatments (for whatever reason). The only time I've experienced that was on the implant.

No, not at all

On the other hand, when I first started periods it was a bit of a roller coaster until things settled down, so maybe it's something as basic as a transitioning body.

I hope so. I'm quite worried as the length now seems pretty extreme

I hear that. The saving grace being it is light so as long as she's getting iron she shouldn't end up anemic.
But it's good you're trying to check for problems of course.
Maybe someone with more insight will be along soon.

It’s prob nothing serious but I can’t see that blood tests would tell rather just that she may be anaemic. Did the GP say what they were trying to identify?

if not I’d be tempted to take her for a private consultation it’s about £145 in my area. believe me the last thing she needs is a lifetime of awful periods better to try and sort any issues as early as possible.

I had a problem with having very long periods when I first started my periods. I think the longest was 8 weeks. GP at the time said it was due to hormones being all over the place during puberty.

They did check my thyroid I believe as that might have been contributing, but it wasn’t in my case.

They said I might grow out of it but I was miserable and they offered that going on the pill could help balance things out. I did try a couple of different types, but the side effects didn’t agree with me at all so didn’t stick at it for more than a couple of months. After I stopped taking the pill, I didn’t have any issues with long periods again but that might have been because I was a bit older / more through puberty or because the pill I had taken had helped balance things out.

Hopefully the GP will be able to help rule things out / offer options. My periods were pretty heavy and also long so I needed iron supplements as I got super anaemic. That might not be needed if the periods are light, but I’d make sure that they’re checking for that in the blood tests.

From my periods beginning I had extended time without one, then long ones, short and light, long and heavy, you name it I’ve had it. I was diagnosed with PCOS a couple years ago. Definitely stick with the GP and maybe ask for a referral to gynaecology if it persists for an ultrasound?

Thanks. GP said blood test would look at thyroid and prolactin levels.

She's also had 3 migraines this year - never had one before starting her periods - so I'm guessing that's hormonal.

Very likely. I had a few migraines at the start of puberty. Audio hallucinations, visual disturbance, deafness, aversion to bright light... the works.... Never had one since the hormones calmed down and settled into a pattern.
So this could all be something and nothing. I hope your worries are assuaged soon.

Teen DD takes Dianette for PCOS. Was told to take continuously without a break by GP who diagnosed on the basis of keeping hormones stable. All fine (although subsequent GP disagreed) until 2 years on when she started bleeding and it didn't stop. This went on for something like 12 or 14 weeks whilst she continued to take Dianette. She decided to have a 7 day break to see what happened and the day after she restarted taking Dianette after the break, the bleeding stopped. There's no way that was pure coincidence. I wonder if the sudden surge in hormones for your DD is the issue almost like whatever the effects of taking Dianette continually was for my DD. Hopefully you'll get some answers/it will all calm down soon and there's nothing else going on.

This happened to my best friend at school, several times, once she needed to be taken into hospital for a blood transfusion. But in the end it just settled down. She has had no issues for the last 40 years..