Perimenopausal, shocked by latest periods

[Portugal1000]

I foolishly thought I had sailed through the menopause as no periods for months. Then two months ago had what was probably the heaviest bleeding ever, no pain thankfully (not had that for years) but still manageable. Then three weeks ago I had an about 7 hours of unbelievable bleeding with huge clots. I didn’t even know that was something that could happen until it did. It left me completely shell shocked if I am honest and so relieved I happen to have rare wfh day. I am lucky to have Bupa with work so called the Menopause nurses who were great and approved a consultant appointment which I have on Friday. I was surprised I had to wait 3 weeks for private appointment and shocked to hear that waitlist on NHS is around a year which is awful and so many women having to pay, can’t imagine having to wait that long. I also saw my GP who did blood tests which were normal, although she said they would need to keep eye on iron levels if this continues. Then on Monday the whole thing started again, I was at work and the second I felt it start I packed up and went home. It was only 2 weeks and two days since the last time and this time it’s still going on and now on day 3 of very heavy bleeding and clots. I’m now really worried as I assumed I would at least get another month before it started again. I’m 55 and yesterday and today are the first days in my entire work career that I had to take days off due to a period. I wondered if anyone had anything similar happen to them and how you cope. I literally can’t leave the house, feel like a prisoner. Sorry if this all sounds very dramatic, I think I’m I’m still in shock about the whole thing.
Thank you.

Sorry to hear this. It IS shocking. How heavy is the bleeding? How many pads or tampons are you filling an hour? I’m sure someone more knowledgeable will be along soon but there is a point where the bleeding is actually dangerous and becomes a haemorrhage. I think it might be a pad an hour for a number of hours. Maybe you could goggle. Sometimes this kind of bleeding becomes an A & E matter. I hope it’s not that bad for you but worth bearing in mind.

I think the size of clots is another symptom the docs are interested in, the bigger the worse it is IYSWIM.

Yep. Super plus tampons and the largest pads and changing every 40 minutes as I was flooding. Up 4 X a night and having to sleep on a towel. I was so anaemic I was on permanent prescription iron tablets, it was hell.

Contrary to pp info, my dr wasn’t interested in the clots the size of my palm that I was losing 🤷🏼‍♀️ Tranexamic acid worked for a couple of years but then, as I had known fibroids, I begged for a hysterectomy. I was so happy on the day of my op I practically skipped down to the theatre.

I hope you get some decent treatment/advice by going private op

No advice , just to say I am experiencing similar and it’s awful. It’s making work really difficult as each month I am flooding and the clots are so bad you literally feel them come out, it’s gross.
hand hold OP, you are not alone.

Hopefully they'll send you for a scan to rule out fibroids.

My last ever period was like you describe,I'm still shocked by it 5 years on!!

Thank you so much. As much as I don’t want anyone else to go through this, it’s comforting to know I’m not alone.
The clots were bigger on the first day and smaller now but can feel them coming out. Lots at once. Sorry too much information.
Doctor did say to me I might need to go to A & E but I just can’t imagine having to sit in A & E whilst this is happening.

Sounds like you’ll need an ablation, I’m not sure a mirena will do, sounds like it would come out with the clots.
Did the GP not offer any tablets to reduce the bleeding ?

I was in London & told my GP and from appointment at hospital to op was only 3 weeks & that was because I didn’t want to disrupt child’s A levels. From seeing GP to scan was 10 days or so and once the scan results came in 2 weeks as my GP sent me under the 2 week wait cancer pathway. I’d had 61 days of heavy bleeding (max 1hr without changing doubled up protection) and then another week of changing every 20 mins. The gynaecologist was horrified when I told her. My previous GP had brushed me off saying my periods were normal - I changed practice.

Good luck, it’s grim.

I called 111, after 5 minutes of talking he called an ambulance who turned up quickly. Waiting on results of blood tests now and they will give me meds to stop/slow the bleeding.
glad I called them now.

You poor thing OP! I’m so glad you are being looked after now. Take good care 💐

Oh I'm so sorry.

Mine have always been crap, but since I started the peri menopause they're even worse. I've had to cancel meetings and going into work, I'm basically housebound when they're at their worst.

I now take tranexamic acid as a matter of course with every period. This turns them into just regularly heavy periods as opposed to floods with huge clots.

Annoyingly I've had investigations with no conclusive results, so there's no resolution in sight.

I hope you're able to get treatment.

My god, that sounds awful op. I’m peri and had no idea that what you describe is a thing? Hope you get it sorted quickly, take care xx

I’m home now. Was on a drip for a couple of hours, internal exam and sent home with prescription of Tranexamic acid and Norethisterone. Only problem have to go back to hospital tomorrow to pick up as pharmacy shut at 8.
I already have Consultant appointment at private hospital on Friday so will hopefully find out if underlying cause.
Thank you for the support.

Portugal1000

Have also had such bleeding due to peri menopause; the underlying cause was constant rises and falls in both progesterone and oestrogen hormones.

In my case the tranexamic acid tablets were of no benefit at all but the norethisterone did help. However, upon cessation of those the bleeding started up again and a further course of norethisterone did not stop it. The only thing that helped ultimately was ablation surgery.

Hi, how are you feeling? You are not alone. I had horrendous clots and heavy bleeding on and off. Gp, doctors told me it might be fibroids and perimenopause. At the moment I am having light bleeding nearly every day. Fed up with my cycle, unpredictable periods.

Update. Sorry not posted an update until now. After my hospital visit I happen to already have private consultant appointment booked for the Friday. She did a scan and could not believe the hospital missed the issue. A 4 cm fibroid which had moved into cervix. Operation booked there and then for 8th March and I also had a mri on the Tuesday. I had general anaesthetic and the procedure was a hysteroscopy with a removal of submucosal fibroid and polypectomy. She found the polyp during the procedure and able to take it out. I felt remarkably well on the Sunday but last night terrible period pain which they said might happen. Bleeding seems to have got worse which again they said might happen but can’t help but worry that something might not be right. They did say could bleed for 10 days. Polyp and fibroid sent off for biopsies so praying nothing sinister comes back. It’s been such a rollercoaster. I know I’m lucky to have excellent private health and it really scared me that the nhs just did a 15 second internal exam and couldn’t see what was staring them in the face and then just sent me home.
I would love to hear anyone’s experience of they have had similar procedure and what happened afterwards.

I had almost the same albeit my GP referred me quickly after unexpected bleeding under 2ww. I had a polyp that had descended through through my cervix.
I bled horrendously for about 12 hours after the procedure and GP said to double up on tranexemic (?) acid which stopped it.

Thank you. I just emailed consultant for some advice. Hopefully this is not anything too unusual. How were you after all that, did periods go back to normal levels?

I was post menopausal so nothing since. I felt loads better generally after it had been removed. Fingers crossed for your biopsy, mine was clear- they said they almost always are.