It's a disgustingly graphic TMI one I'm afraid, period and perimenopause related - need advice

[sprigatito]

I need advice on whether I need to do something (ie try in vain to get a GP appointment!) or whether this is within the range of normal and just tough it out.

I've been peri for years, night sweats, mood swings, constant itching, perioral dermatitis etc. I had heavy, flooding periods alternating with very light or none at all for about four years, gradually transitioning towards only fairly light ones and only happening every few months.

Until yesterday, when I started flooding yesterday evening and it's been insane since - I'm wearing three nighttime pads at once and having to change them every half hour, a few times I've had to clean up the floor because I've stood up and it's just gone everywhere. I've had to change my trousers three times today, am dizzy and look like a vampire (not the youthful alluring kind!) and there have been some enormous clots as well. If it weren't physically impossible I would think it was a miscarriage, as that's the only time I can ever remember it being this bad.

Is it normal-ish?

Hope you manage to see a doctor today @sprigatito In a similar situation I was given tranexamic acid, ferrous fumarate and a prescription for norethisterone to take if it didn't stop naturally in a couple of days.

Just remember that if you don't look after yourself you won't be able to look after your lovely dad

OP I had one period like that. I also went to my GP a day later I was referred for an ultrasound to be checked out and I had no fibroids, radiographer speculated that it could have been a miscarriage. Possible I suppose but unlikely. After that my periods shifted and became less heavy and further apart until they stopped. I think it was just a hormonal thing in late peri, so hopefully you won’t have another this awful.

Also have fibroids! Periods are also very heavy. Or very light and last for 10 days.

Luckily they are sporadic now usually 4/5 months apart , and I'm definitely about to hit menopause any day.

Taking ibuprofen regularly really does help stop the flow especially at night.

www.nhs.uk/conditions/fibroids/treatment

Hope I’m not derailing but this thread has prompted me to make a GP appointment. I asked for telephone but they want to see me face to face due to my symptoms so that’s promising!
appointment is this afternoon so I’ll report back. Thanks for starting the discussion and good luck

I've just had my telephone appointment with the gp, she prescribed some progesterone tablets to stop the bleeding and told me to take ibuprofen as well. They are going to send me a face to face appointment next week to examine me for the prolapse/rectocele. Still feeling pretty rough and low-energy so I'm going to find something to binge-watch today! DH has volunteered to take Dad to his appointment and will pick up my prescription on the way home. He's so lovely, I sent him out for more industrial strength pads yesterday and he came back with baby wipes, ice lollies and three kinds of chocolate

I'm so glad your GP has been so good, and please do take it easy.

Also, your husband sounds brilliant. That's the bar people!

@ButternutSoup I think it was the ablation similar to what you mentioned (and also had what we used to call a DNC) I was under GA. Had it twice over a 3 year timeframe

Very easy procedure with quick recovery was only down for 1 to 2 days due to GA

Saw immediate improvement after it like a miracle!

Thanks. So glad it helped you! I've also had a D&C before, hysteroscopy, they went in to the uterus, found about 10 polyps, took them out, sent them to be tested, all came back fine :) Still have heavy periods though. Might look into hormonal treatment before opting for ablation as the idea scares me a bit.

@ButternutSoup I had a while on tranexamic acid and progesterone which helped a bit, but not a lot. Getting a mirena was life-changing though.

I'm glad the Mirena worked for you -- it has worked well for many other women I know, too. But I am sensitive to the progestin in it, I had it in for three months and became so depressed had to have it out. Same with the minipill. Any kind of synthetic progesterone does that to me.

I tried tranexamic with little success. I'm going to speak to my doctor about maybe trying transdermal estrogen patches plus micronised progesterone.

TBH I find it pretty shocking that GPs now deal with excessive blood loss via a telephone appointment. I suppose the exception might be if you are able to take your blood pressure and check your pulse while on the call, but otherwise how do they know it isn't a job for A&E?

I hope the bleeding has stopped now OP and you are feeling better.

In my case, the conversation made it clear I wasn't weak from blood loss and didn't need A&E, and all he wanted was a few questions answered for my referral to gynae. But I had given a lot of info in the online form requesting an appointment. I think it would have been possible to have that conversation and determine if more urgent referral was needed.