Can't believe I didn't know this at my age-periods

[OneBlossomBee]

I feel utterly foolish to be even putting this down even on an anonymous forum at my age. I have always had horrific periods since age 11 and have only ever used pads as a personal preference as a squeamish person. No problem with the sight of blood though. My flow has always been very heavy and bled through clothes and sheets even sometimes now and did so 2 months ago. I have super heavy pads I use even in the daytime and last year found out I have cysts. My periods have had me imn agony, nearly fainting and doctors, even a woman, said it was "normal". I always thought it was the norm to feel your period as it flowed out of you, but recently read it isn't and only usually if you have a heavy flow or wear pads. To me, I can feel it every period and, sorry to get graphic, have blood clots come out and feel them slide out rather than flow out. It feels shameful to admit finding this out at my age, I shall only say I am over 30. Does anyone else regularly feel their period come out even when laying down?

I used to and was told it was normal and I just had a heavy flow. Mine didn't lessen until I started to use a mooncup (not an option if you're already squeamish about inserting something) and then had a Mirena fitted 8 years ago which was a total life changer. Periods became not just lighter but regular too.

Have you had a laparoscopy to look for endometriosis? I was diagnosed after 25 years of symptoms and at that stage was close to losing function in a kidney and didn't know.

You need proper gynaecological care. I had this and it took 8 year after going to the doctor about it in my 30s for the nhs to diagnose endometriosis and adenomyosis. There is no magic cure, but at least it made sense and I had options.

I have had heavy periods at various stages through my life, when I was a teen I had terrible period pains and then after having all 3 kids they got incredibly heavy again and then again now that I am in peri (I have to use superplus tampons and a pad) If I wear a pad or flood then yes I can feel the blood coming out, particularly clots.
I went to a Gynaecologist last year and she prescribed me tranexamic acid, and was amazed that I hadn't been previously given it for my issue - I hadn't even heard of it before Mumsnet!
The tranexamic acid has been life changing for me, before I had it there were days I couldn't risk going out the house.

I have always been able to feel the flow and clots and had no idea everyone didn’t till this thread 😳. This is why I used tampons from a few periods in when I was 14, I hate that feeling. I have always had to wear a tampon and a sanitary towel, once I feel the flow again that’s when I know to change the tampon. I wake in the night with the feeling and have to get up and change. How do others know when it’s full?

I switched to a mooncup a few years ago and again I empty it when it overfills and I can feel the flow coming out. Alas with the perimenopause I have had days when the 30ml cup fills every two hours including through the night.

i did seek help in my 20s from my GP but was told it was all normal and so thought this was just me and haven’t been back again. Hoping it all stops soon, I am 51 now.

I had terrible periods that got worse in my 30s. I had a hysterectomy at 45 due to a massive fibroid.
It only happened due to a medical at work where it could be felt in my abdomen. 2 week wait appt, and surgery 4 weeks later.
The day I had the hysterectomy was the best day of my life. Hands down.

Yes I do, OP. And like you I have always suffered from heavy, extremely painful, nearly fainting, throwing up type periods, although they improved a lot after having children. I hate the feeling of clots and blood gushing out of me and like you only use pads. I’ve had all sorts of tests and scans and procedures to check that there isn’t anything untoward causing my period problems and the drs have never found anything to explain my horrendous afs. So for me, this is normal although obviously not the norm across all women. Due to my heavy periods I’ve also been suffering from low ferritin my entire adult life and can’t raise it at all.

Yes, I feel it the first day or two. I thought that was normal?

It's not normal, though. It's just not. Did they rule out endo/adeno properly with laparoscopy by an endometriosis specialist ?

Never and I'm 48.

I have this and it is due to uterine polyps for me - currently on waiting list for removal. I had them before and was put on mirena once they were removed, however they’ve come back again 😱

Yes. I’ve actually had a couple of laparoscopies for various issues and there is no evidence of anything. Everything has been ruled out and the consensus from various consultants over the past 20 years is that it’s just what my body does.

I had this all my life too. Was told like you it was ‘normal’ and got brushed off for years. It was only in perimenopause that a a very kind physician associate took me seriously. I had had PCOS, endometriosis and fibroids, but all had been diagnosed very dismissively along the lines of ‘well you’re not in pain so just deal with it’ - as if flooding through to your clothes, bedsheets and furniture, or needing to wear 3 max pads to bed each night was normal.

Despite having early stage ovarian cancer in my 30s no one ever seemed to properly join the dots and I dealt with ridiculously heavy periods, flooding and clots for years.

I ended up at A&E with the clotting and it was them who prescribed tranexamic acid which was game changing.

I ended up having a total hysterectomy for early stage endometrial cancer recently and although the surgical menopause is tough I am so glad to never have another period.

i came here to give this advice. I had awfully heavy and painful periods from age of 12 (I am now 40) and had the same, soaking through clothes, feeling it coming out, clots etc

Tranexamic and mefanamic acid - neither worked for me but the mirena coil was my saviour. Had my first one in 2011, and have had then ever since. No periods at all now with the coil.

Please be relentless with your GP/healthcare provider for them to find a solution that works for you. You shouldn’t have to live with it and you have options available. Good luck ❤️

*edited to correct that I am now 40

I'm shocked (though I know I shouldn't be) that a consultant would be happy to leave you with such an unhelpful and dismissive response. I hope they've given you at least some support with managing it.

I do and didn’t realise it wasn’t normal! Especially when I cough or move suddenly.
Ive had a scan and they found adeno, my GP agrees that there’s probably endo too but they won’t investigate further as I’ve had kids now so it doesn’t matter re fertility 😡.
Ive recently been able to tolerate tampons again since I had my last DC 6 years ago. Weirdly they reduce my period to around 2 days from 5 with pads alone but I feel like there’s something still in there when it ends. I don’t want to go back to pads alone as there was a lot more pain strangely.
The pain I feel is similar to contractions when I pass a clot, sometimes only crouching and bearing down will relieve it until it passes. It’s horrible. The body pains tend to be in my hips, down my legs and in my back mostly. Sometimes kidney area.
I’m also long term anaemic, I can raise my level to just about acceptable with iron tablets but my ferritin is on the floor, last count 4, they haven’t tested that in years though so I don’t know what it is now. According to the GP though, ferritin doesn’t matter 🤦‍♀️

It’s not normal no. But as women we are gaslit into believe it’s tough luck and you’ve just had a bad draw get on with it. If men suffered the way women do there would be so much more investigation into it! My periods were heavy, irregular - I was told this is why they were heavy cos more build up and painful! I got told for years is what it is!! Only when i started trying for kids and I couldn’t conceive it was looked at. Tilted womb, narrow tubes, lining that was too thick! Sorry nothing we can do get on with it!

I had 30 years of pain free periods. Easy peasy, couldn't see the fuss. Perimenopause hits and OMG the pain. It hurt to walk, it hurt to sit, it hurt to lay down. Excruciating. I can feel the lining shedding. It's awful. Super heavy, need to sleep on a bed protector over the sheet - easier to wash and dry than full bedding. Huge clots. And the daggers, god they hurt. 10 years of this has been horrible.

Is it normal to feel it early in the period if you don't have clots or other serious issues? I've always felt it and thought it was normal. I get the odd tiny clot now, but I am 52, and I don't think that's unusual at that stage of reproductive life either.

Yes I've always felt it when i dont wear tampons. How could you not?

I thought it was normal too. I wouldn't say my periods are heavy either but I do feel it coming out.

I often read things online between women who seem to just assume that ALL women's periods are difficult or painful. I literally never notice mine - they cause me no issues whatsoever. I wouldn't care if mine came on my wedding day, Day 1 is no different to any other day, etc. I think if periods are causing problems more women should refuse to accept it, and investigate why it is happening. Cysts, fibroids, whatever - it does not 'just come with the territory of being a woman', don't put up with it!

I think there are tons of women like me but we don't comment on threads where people are complaining about periods because you inevitably get replies like, 'well lovely for you, stop showing off' -- and therefore all the people with problems only see other people with problems, and think it's an acceptable and inevitable part of being a woman WHICH IT IS NOT.

It does matter for your quality of life, though. Has your GP told you they won't help further, or was it someone else?

I don't understand how you could not feel it even if your flow is light. I mean, I can feel discharge.

But then I don't understand how people could fail to realise their skirt is tucked into their knickers or all sorts of things like that that people report doing.

I feel it, it feels like sand giving way i always think. And if I've been lying down then stand up I feel it for sure. My periods aren't heavy and they don't cause me much pain though. I also can feel food and drink travel down and into my stomach which my oh doesn't and my gp said that isn't common while I was there for a reflux issue.

Maybe it's not a heaviness thing and you would be able to feel it regardless of flow and it just so happens you've got both things independently of each other?

When I was young most girls in my intimate circle had pretty light periods. Would last 3 4 days, a little discomfort, that was it. Mine lasted a week, I used a super tampon plus a pad. I am now 51 and for a couple of years now I am using the pill to not have a period, so this problem is solved, as it got worse and my periods were lasting 2 weeks, three days rest then on for another 2 weeks. I have an adenomyotic womb, which accounts for the heavy-ish periods. I have noticed flow if I did not use tampons, but I can tell you most women sail through their periods no problem.