I'm being fobbed off, excessive bleeding, what do I do?!

[endlessbleeding]

What would you want done in this situation? I want to argue to be seen but not sure what checks I need. I came on my period 5 weeks ago and it was the heaviest I’ve ever had, soaking through a tampax super and leaking through into my clothes almost hourly, really painful cramps and just a horrible period. It lasted 5 days then stopped but then 3 days later came back just as heavy and it’s now been weeks of heavy bleeding, it’ll taper down and I’ll think it’s done then it’ll come back really heavy, huge blood clots and soak through all my clothes. I contacted the GP and requested a woman but was phoned back by a male doctor who was useless and and suggested ibuprofen and if the bleeding doesn’t stop soon to give me depo provera to stop it. I said no I want it to be looked into, like why it’s happening and was told this can just happen sometimes and it's not something they'd be concerned about. Well I am. I’m concerned it could be cervical cancer, my smears have never been abnormal but have been HPV positive for years. I’m going to phone back on Monday because yet again I thought it had come to a stop and it’s come back so heavily I’ve soaked through the period pants I had on just incase, through my clothes and on to the seat of my car. I’m so worried!

I am 28, I've got two young kids so I can't speak on how regular but I stopped breastfeeding in January this year and have had 3 normal periods then this all started.

Have you tried a mooncup? Both for less leaking, and measuring the blood loss.
When I finally saw a gynaecologist, it meant I was able to tell them my blood loss was about 130ml and average was 50. This got me an ablation and offer of a hysterectomy if it didn't help. (Thankfully it did and I now have quite light periods)

I have also lost a lot of weight recently, going from size 10 to size 6/8. I thought perhaps it was my body changing after birth (baby is now 18 months old) but it has been quite sudden and I've not been on a diet or exercising etc.

I haven't, I will look into. I've never gotten through so many boxes of tampons, I can't believe how heavy I'm bleeding and how long for. I don't know how I have any blood left!

See the GP and ask for a gynie referral

The doctor's attitude is unacceptable. Make a complaint to the GP's surgery and if that's not enough, go further.
I had heavy bleeding that was much less than yours and I had fibroids. I got an ultrasound just at a routine gynaecologist visit (you go straight to gynaecologist where I live). You're a bit young for fibroids so maybe it's not that, but going through a super plus every hour is quite extreme and you definitely need to be investigated.

See the GP and TELL them you want a Gynae referral.. and chase them about it!

It needs looking into but can you ask for transexamic acid or whatever it’s called? Somebody more knowledgeable than me will know but there is basically something a GP can give you with that level of blood loss. If they’re being useless, I would call 111 as losing that amount of blood really isn’t a good thing and somebody needs to help you. I understood if you were bleeding through a pad in under an hour, it was a problem.

They don't really need to know the exact ml of blood loss. The fact she has to change tampons so often is proof of extremely heavy periods that need to be investigated. The advice to just take ibuprofen was really crap.

111 and explain. You can get emergency gynae appointments too so best to get it all checked out.

Request tranexamic acid to reduce/stop the flow and a gynae referral to investigate. Stand your ground, hope you're feeling better soon.

Could you afford to go private? X

See Gp and ask for referral asap. That is NOT normal.
I suffer with menhorroghia but have since I started my menses at 11. I now use a menstrual Cup and on my bad days 3/4 days I will fill up the cup 60mls within 1.5hrs - 2 hours. And over night I have to wake up to change it at least once for a couple nights.
I have Endo and 1 medium Fibroid. Never been told exactly what causes it but as it has been the norm since childhood no one is concerned.

Oh you poor thing. I have this and it's just horrible. It can take over your life and affect work and stop you socialising so you have my full sympathies.

Mine is due to adenomyosis, endometriosis and PCOS. I also have polyps that are likely the cause of the pain and bleeding.

Please insist on a face to face appointment with the doctor. You could ask for Norethisterone or Tranexamic Acid to reduce or stop the bleeding.

Also ask for a referral to gynaecology where they can do a hysteroscopy (internal scan) to see what's causing this. They'll also run bloods. Bloods can pick up PCOS and other conditions. It might be that your hormones are causing this though which can be treatable x

Quite honestly if I was bleeding like that I would go to a hospital - or at the very least emergency/OOH GP.

I’ve experienced this and it turned out to be a fibroid. I got a blood test due to fatigue where it turned out my iron levels were very low due to excessive bleeding. I was put on tranexamic tablets which didn’t help at all and was finally referred to the gynaecologist for scans and finally had the fibroid removed. Please request a different GP if you have that option, my sympathies are without you, it’s a utterly horrible feeling

OP if you're bleeding so heavily please go to A&E. I've been anaemic plenty of times below and have had to have blood transfusions. Get it sorted early so it doesn't get too bad xx

Most likely a fibroid -mine was. Insist on gynae referral.

Like a previous poster, I was not taken seriously until I switched to using a moon cup where I could give exact measurements of how much blood I was loosing.
I had an ablation, and it pretty much saved my sanity and gave me my life back.

OP, you need to go back to the GP and politely but firmly request a gynae referral.

Tell them about the weightloss as well.

They shouldn't need exact ml lost if you don't have a mooncup. If you can give some indication of clot size, it can also help, e.g. size of 50p, palm of your hand, whatever. Tell them you're flooding and it is impacting day to day life - and as others have said, tell them you want a gynae referral and meanwhile, a tranexamic acid prescription

I agree that they don’t need to know the exact ml of blood loss. And soaking through tampons so quickly is sufficient proof.

However, I was fobbed off repeatedly with similar and only got taken seriously when I said that I lost 300ml in one day when 80ml is considered heavy for an entire period. (I can’t actually remember the exact amount but when I say heavy, I mean significantly and alarmingly so).

Medical misogyny is alive and well. Period blood loss is subjective and it is very easy for doctors to wave you off as slightly hysterical or overreacting.

But if you give them a number, they will put that in their notes and then have to justify their decision to refer or not. It will be easier for them to refer.

Also, presenting as a patient who has facts and figures at their finger tips is also more likely to get you a referral. There have even been threads on this in the last week or so.

Use a moon cup and the words ‘I would like a gynae referral, please’.