Would a hysterectomy help debilitating periods?

[Wingingitnancy]

This may sound an extreme measure. But since the birth of my last child my periods are debilitating.

Every month I am projectile vomiting, really heavy bleeding with such bad abdominal pain from cramps to my stomach they have their own gurgling sound effect. I cant even drink water during the vomiting attacks. I get a week long migraine. Complete emotional turbulence. I cant envisage having time off sick and being bed ridden every single month.

I never used to get any symptoms with a period and for the past year they are getting increasingly awful. I dont want to sound a wet blanket, but I cant cope with it, I'm now underweight as I can't eat regularly and obviously the whole time during my period I cant eat full stop.

I have no idea what this is :(

Obviously you need a referral to gynaecology!! It could be a fibroid or polyp-I had both of these. after birth they got much worse and my periods were ridiculous. I had the polyp removed and mirena coil put in under general anaesthetic and it settled periods right down.

I agree with pp. You need a referral to gynae and a scan. There is loads that can be done before hysterectomy should be considered. If there is no clear cause (like fibroids, for example) then a Mirena or the pill might help symptoms. I have adenomyosis and was offered a hysterectomy, but I have chosen to try to control the bleeding and pain using the mini-pill (with hrt).

It depends what is causing the pain - you need a diagnosis before you can consider treatment options.

Thank you, I presumed it was just a bad period. I had been to the GP over the course of the year and the only response has been to take paracetamol. So I guess now I'm desperate which is why i just thought hysterectomy. From the responses I've had from GP, other issues didn't occur to me other then a period problem as they seemed so dismissive. I cant take any hormonal based contraception but not sure if the copper coil would help?

I had been to the GP over the course of the year and the only response has been to take paracetamol.

Classic case of being fobbed off. It makes me really angry. If I hadn't been fobbed off for 20 years, I mightn't have needed the hysterectomy I eventually had.

You need to persist and explain paracetamol is nowhere near enough - you need a referral to a gynaecologist.

If going private is an option, do it - that's the only way I eventually got taken seriously.

What you are describing is far far more than a bad period and your GP should be taking it seriously. Go back and don't downplay it, lay it out as you have here and insist on a referral. If your GP tries to fob you off with paracetamol then complain to the practice manager. Women's health is not taken seriously enough.

I went for a private scan and gynaecologist appointment that found a polyp. Took the results back to nhs who treated. I wanted a hysterectomy but they were reluctant to throw me into emergency menopause so we agreed on removing the polyp under local and when I tolerated that well an endometrial ablation and mirena coil. Result has been no periods for 5 years so far!

What you are experiencing is not normal. You deserve better from your gp.

Any female GPs there?

Yes..that's who I saw 😅 two of them.

I hate the way women's reproductive health issues are fobbed off time and time again.

I suffered with awful periods for 20 years. I only found out 18 months ago, at the age of 50, that I actually have endometriosis and adenomyosis (I have been under the gynae department of my local hospital for the last 13 years, it was never even suggested) and now on a long wait for a laparoscopy.

You can not carry on like this, my periods were so heavy my ferritin levels fell under 3, I could not walk up the stairs without seeing stars and yet my GP still let me carry on like that for 2 years, eventually I needed urgent iron infusions.

You need to go back to the GP and say you want a referral to the gynae department. Don't let them fob you off like they did me.

You need an urgent referral to a consultant
i think a full hysterectomy ( removing ovaries as well) would stop the hormones making you so ill but you need some detailed help and advice

Blimey, two female GPs and that response 😵‍💫 You would hope they know what a normal period was but clearly not. Keep pushing and insist on a referral as it is not acceptable for you to be left in agony and incapacitated every month like that. Its amazing how periods seem to be so commonly dismissed.

for goodness sake, not another woman being fobbed off by medical "professionals". Please look up the NHS guidance and definition of heavy periods and the NICE guidance for investigation and dealing with them. Being so ill that you can't eat is extreme and definitely not just a bad period. You need an ultra-sound investigation for fibroids in the first instance and probably investigations for edometriosis. Absolutely do not get a copper coil, the most common side effect is making bleeding heavier!
A hysterectomy would solve your problems because you wouldn't have a womb to bleed but they would need to investigations and treatments into other possible causes before offering you one as it's such drastic surgery. If you're young and of child-bearing age it's very hard to get one, even privately! I was 45, long term single and no intentions of having children and my Gynae was reluctant to offer it as an option (other treatments worked so we never got to needing to have that discussion fully).