Changes in period cycle

[Happyasharryy]

I'm currently 35, and since having my youngest child (age 3) my periods have been fairly "regular" arriving between 28-30 days normally, but extremely painful and heavy, the first two days in particular are excruciating. The pain extends down my legs and I pass large golf ball sized clots.

The last 4/5 cycles my period has become quite irregular for me. The longest was 35 days and the shortest 24 days.

I'm wondering if anyone can tell me whether these changes would be deemed "normal" or whether I should be keeping a close eye on any other changes?

@Happyasharryy This is absolutely not normal. Go to your GP you can get tranexamic acid (helps with heavy bleeding), and/or mirena coil (thins the uterus lining = less bleeding + less cramps). Also ask for NSAIDs (reduce pain and inflammation) such mefenamic acid and naproxen. It could be something from your birth (did you have any complications). Also make sure to mention large blood clots - massive sign something is wrong. You need to start taking NSAIDs days before your period starts so that it can work at best capacity. The same with ibuprofen and/or paracetamol. Start taking it 3/4 days before and it will be much better.

Also Irregular cycles could be a sign of PCOS, or adenomyosis (sometimes it doesn't get triggered in women until after birth).

If your pain is severe it might be an underlying condition. It could be fibroids or ovarian cysts.
I recommend going to your GP ask for a pelvic ultrasound, a transabdominal ultrasound and a transvaginal one to see what they find.
What symptoms do to have during your period? And if you have symptoms not on your period - what are they? Is the pain worse on or off period?
If you had a transvaginal and/or pelvic ultrasound normally it can pick up adenomyosis.

You may have 1. Primary dysmenorrhea (heavy bleeding and painful periods with no condition or cause or 2. Secondary dysmenorrhea so a condition e.g endometriosis or adenomyosis causing it.
Then if ultrasounds pick up on anythibg (pelvic ultrasound or transvaginal) you may need to have an MRI to see endometriosis. Often endometriosis on the ovaries can form cysts containing old blood called endometriomas (also known as chocolate cysts) which can be very painful - so if they find that with a ultrasound scan or MRI you might gave endometriosis. Another popular cyst is haemorrhagic ovarian cysts with endometriosis.
But you could also be adenomyosis where the lining of the womb grows into the muscle of it, but unlike endo is localised to the uterus only. Thus, symptoms are mainly a couple days before a period and during your period. Main endo symptoms:
• Irregular or heavy periods
• Pelvic pain
• Pelvic pain on opening bowels (dyschesia) and wider gastrointestinal symptoms (diarrhoea amd constipation)
• Pelvic pain on passing urine (dysuria) and bladder symptoms sometimes
• Referred pain to the tops of the legs or back
• Fatigue
Crucially you can still have endo even if they don't see it on the scan, the only clear way for diagnosis is a diagnostic laparoscopy.
The links below have much more detailed and useful information.
https://www.leedsth.nhs.uk/patients/resources/endometriosis-2/

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/adenomyosis/