****GRAPHIC PICS***** TMI*****very heavy period and large clots day 14

[NeverAloneNeverAgain]

I have a gp appointment but earliest I could get was next Thursday. Its not an accident or emergency so hoping one of you lovely people will have some suggestions to reduce the flow!

Periods have always been quite regular and normal for me is 6 days with 2 heavier days but nothing that regular changing doesn't cope with. I'm now 8m postpartum and for the last 5m my periods have been horrific and virtually non stop. Lasting around 3wks, some spotting for a wk then starting again, but they're really heavy. I'm currently going through an always ultra night pad roughly every 1.5hrs with large clots around 6cm. Its going through clothes etc and looks like ive murdered someone. No abdominal pain but lower back/hip pain.

I'm 8m postpartum so have left it a while but would have thought things would settle by now. Definitely not pregnant - we haven't had sex since before baby was born (husband really ill) and I had the depo since leaving hospital after birth.

any suggestions to stop it or at least get me through to Thursday without having to sit on towels!

I've attached an embarrassing and icky pic! This was an hr after putting pad on 🫣

You need an emergency GP appointment.

Wow you've completely filled a pad .
It definitely doesn't look normal to me , could you phone 111?
The clot looks big , but not hugely so , but personally , I wouldn't want to leave it until next Thursday where your probably not going to be on a period anyway.
I'd also take photos of every pad ( at least another 3 ) to show them how much you are bleeding. Poor you .

Soaking through a pad with large clots would warrant an emergency appointment. I'm surprised your not anemic and feeling terrible. I would ring the GP and see if you can be seen sooner if not 111.

Thank you for your replies. I'll try 111. I think I just get stuck with the fact that ultimately its 'just' a period and think I'm being overly dramatic. I'll try the online consult.

Thank you. I take iron tablets currently. I feel pretty rotten but to be fair my husband has been diagnosed with cancer so around all his treatment, the baby, house and work I've been able to rationalise it. Maybe it's a stress response 🤔

That’s definitely not normal. You must feel terrible with all that blood loss and with a baby to look after. I’d call 111 for advice and see if you could be seen sooner. Make sure you tell them if you have symptoms like dizziness or tachycardia.

if your GP can’t see you sooner and you get no joy with 111 you can buy transexamic acid over the counter which may help.

I was just going to suggest this.

You poor thing OP. You're dealing with so much, you could really be doing without bleeding like that. Echoing what PP said, take photos and time stamps of your pads hourly so you can show the doctor how much blood you lose over the course of a few hours. They may offer you an iron infusion if you're really anaemic as sometimes tablets aren't quite enough, and that's without heavy bleeding.

Try 111 or send photos via econsult but I think you should have an emergency appointment in the next couple of days at least.

You can buy over the counter medication to help.with heavy periods. However this need further investigation as to why this is happening could be retained products from birth so really a gynecology appointment to investigate. I'm so sorry your having a rough time OP all that going on with this added stress making you feel rubbish. Hope your seen soon and get sorted.

You definitely need to see your GP, but I'd probably try 111 meanwhile as well.

It helped to be able to give an idea (which you'll be able to do with your photi) of things like:

• Size of clots (apparently over 50p piece counts as large)
• How often you have to change and what protection you're using, e.g. if you double up on tampon and pad, and what size pad/tampon. If you use a menstrual cup, some brands have the capacity in ml. There are also calendars and charts online to help you track it.
• Any pain, including where (lower back, thighs, where ever)
• other symptoms, such as headache, nausea, vomiting, dizziness.

My GP was great, said, "no woman should have her life dictated by periods in this day and age!" and explained there's a range of treatments starting with tranexamic acid and up to hysterectomy, and we'd start at the bottom and work through till something worked. Fortunately for me, the acid was enough. But - not all GPs are so enlightened, which is why being armed with a full description helps.

Also, while I thought I was having heavy periods, and they had certainly become heavier than I was used to, I didn't know if they were objectively heavy compared with other women. (They were, but not the worst.)

I wouldn’t call 111, but instead ask for an emergency GP appt. They can put you on different medication such as TXA and iron supplements and referral to gynea which is ultimately what you need

Thank you so much for this. I've managed to get a telephone appointment at 2pm after sending various photos online - I'm so embarrassed. Surely at 39 I should be able to manage this.

That info is really useful I'll make some notes so I'm prepared.

Managing periods is one thing. Managing abnormal bleeding is another. What you are having is NOT normal.
Have you gone back to maternity pads? They are massive and helpful, doesn't stop the bleeding but makes it a bit easier. Your gp will likely refer you for investigations and hopefully give you something to reduce symptoms whilst that's ongoing.

This is not normal at all.

You need a gynae referral as this could also be due to retained products from birth.

Tranexamic acid is prescription only these days so cannot be purchased over the counter.

Just an update!

Gp gave a script for transamic acid (sp) and I've got a referral for an ultrasound. Thank you everyone

Hope it works for you and the ultrasound goes okay!

(Tranexamic, I think.)

Yes thought they’d prescribe TXA. Glad you’ve got a referral. I’d suspect fibroids x

Hi OP,
how’s your bleeding now? Hope your ultrasound was clear

If this continued i wanted to let you know that i have Adenomyosis and bleed on and off like this for 3 weeks every month op, ask about being assessed for this because it can take a long time before they offer something that works to manage the symptoms.

Good luck.