Period day #33

[Butternutissquashed]

Title says it all really. I’m on day 33 of a never ending period. Every now and then it tails off a bit and then comes back with a vengeance. I have been prescribed transexamic acid previously but not sure about taking it daily for this length of time.
Is this what I have to look forward to as I head towards menopause?
I can’t get an appointment with the dr as I’m teaching at the magic time to ring for appointments and by the time I get a break, all of the appointments are gone.
Is this a normal part of getting older? (I’m 48)

I’ve heard this can happen. I’m 47 and have just had spotting/very light bleeding for 3 whole weeks then Friday my actual period arrived as it’s now the normal to heavy flow I get.
Thus is the first time this has happened to me so far, usually just irregular cycles. Feel like I’ve got through so many packs of panty liners the last 3 weeks it’s mad, and frustrating.
i have started taking Maca which is meant to be really good at helping regulate hormones to the right level, plus other good benefits like helping hormonal headaches which I get, easing stress, energy boost etc.

Still bleeding! Saw GP yesterday who has given progesterone for 2 weeks to try and stop the bleeding. Hopefully for long enough to examine me and check for any possible causes. Don’t know when I’ll stop bleeding and two weeks for a routine app. Not sure how we will work this one!!! Looking forward to not being in incontinence pads though. Crossing my fingers and hoping it gives my system a boost and reboots my normal cycle…

You could be me @Butternutissquashed I’m already on HRT, and the POP, so shouldn’t be bleeding. But my periods have always been problematic. I also spoke to a GP at my surgery who was baffled, and have a scan booked in for a few weeks.
Fingers x for resolutions for us.

Absolutely fingers crossed for you too. I’m exhausted by it all. Not on any medication, apart from the recent progesterone but I think it might be time to get something sorted!

Fibroids can cause very heavy and prolonged bleeds. They are extremely common in women over 40.

A Mirena coil is a first line treatment and was very helpful for me, but they're obviously not suitable for the kinds of fibroid which protrude into the womb, and it is this kind which can cause the most problematic bleeding.

You need to push for a scan as a starting point, to find out what is going on up there. They may also offer a hysteroscopy (camera in womb). Don't be fobbed off with drugs.

Have they checked your blood count and iron levels? You can bleed more if your iron is low.
I had bleeding for 6 months nonstop when I was 49 - I was too scared to go to the docs for a long time. I got TA, iron and progesterone to stem the flow and it did eventually stop. Was also sent for an ultrasound and hysteroscopy / womb biopsy but it was all just put down as abnormal bleeding. I had a few more years of extended bleeding and sometimes wished I had taken the option of a mirena. I’m still not through peri yet but haven’t had much of a bleed in years now - I’m 56. Hope your GP can give you some options.

The progesterone should help. If it doesn’t definitely return to GP as you’ll likely need an ultrasound scan to check endometrium thickness, for polyps, fibroids etc. Depending on all that you may need a hysteroscopy (camera in womb) as mentioned above.

I tried the Mirena as part of my HRT, but they couldn’t get the damn thing in. So that wouldn’t be an option for me.

If the progesterone does not work (and in my case such bleeding was caused by constant rises and falls of both estrogen and progesterone) you need to see a gynaecologist. Such bleeding too can pull a person down markedly, it can make you anaemic. I also found tranexamic acid tablets to be ineffective.

The GP at my surgery refused my request to refer me to a gynae after I had been bleeding for 4 months straight (cost probably) so after receiving a "normal" blood test result I self referred to the local private hospital. I ended up having endometrial ablation surgery which cured the problem.

It’s not normal. I had a period for a year, yes, a year! NHS were hopeless, got a private consult with a gynaecologist, she was brilliant. Referred me back in for an ablation, which she did as a day case, totally life changing.

A year?? Still bleeding but quite lightly now, 3 days into the progesterone. GP said that they won’t refer me until they’ve examined me but can’t examine me while I’m bleeding so have to somehow get an appointment while I’m not. Fortunate to be able to go privately, should I need to but still need to stop bleeding for long enough for that examination. I did have a period like this about 2 years ago, post Covid jab. I think it’s probably hormones. I’m booked in for bloods in a couple of weeks so will know about iron then.
Loving middle age right now!

I’ve had my bloods back and I’m low on B12 so need to go in for B12 injections.