Anyone had an ablation?

[Duvetstay]

I'm 45, always had heavy peroids but really increased last few years. Having to change tampons every hour etc for about 3 days. Lots of clotting, really painful.

I have ferritin of 6 and always on iron but hard to increase it... I have a related issue with my blood which this affects.

Haven't really been to Drs about it much as all they suggest is the coil which I really don't want as struggled in the past with horemonal stuff, I have a lot of issues with my skin (acne and rosacea) and struggle to keep weight down. I've also never given birth vagainaly and when I have a smear they always say how small my cervix is so don't think it would be much fun getting it in and out.

I was reading about other ways to decrease bleeding and when I discussed with the Drs they suggested Mefenamic acid which I've taken last few months. It's OK... pain reduced 50% and bleeding by 20% so not really enough of a result I think - then this month getting bad tummy ache which is a common side effect.

ANYWAY - am well sick of it all and was thinking an ablation may be the answer - Drs have never mentioned it which is odd, is it becasue it's a proceedure? Anyone had it and can say if it helped a lot? I don't get the impression there are may side effects though still a worry obvs, I really don't want a hystarectemy.

I had one about 4 years ago. It did help a lot. Typically my periods didnt stop altogetger, but they were very light and managable. They graduaally reduced and now i dont bleed at all but can still tell when its the totm. Im 48.

Have you tried transexamic acid?

I've had one.

I had been in hospital 2 months in a row with crazy menstrual bleeding causing me to nearly need a transfusion.

It was only after a few days the 2nd time when ablation was mentioned. I had tried the mirena many times and hated it (one got lost, one got stuck half out and the 3rd one came out during extremely heavy bleeding).

I went private in the end as I'd lost so much blood and just didn't want to wait months.

It has been life changing for me. It worked really well and now 3 yrs later a small amount of bleeding is returning but I'm approaching menopause so it's all very irregular.

It doesn't work for everyone but its a fairly quick and simple procedure so not much lost even if it doesn't work.

I had one a few years ago and yes it did help. Unfortunately I ended up with a full hysterectomy at 43 due to another problem and that solved all my problems 🤪

Had mine 15 years ago, got my life back no regrets.

They won't give it to me because of the blood issue I have. It's not serious but somthing to do with platelets! which is why they went Mefenamic acid.

Yeah that's it - doesn't sound like a big thing even if it doesn't work (which I assume it would)

Thanks! So do you just have periods when you would have before but they're a lot lighter?

Crazy you had to go private - why do they not progress these things on the NHS? No Dr has mentioned it to me but seems like such a simple proceedure and relatively low risk.

I know. It also took me being hospitalised twice before anyone even mentioned it!

I was on the "urgent' list but told it would be at least 3 months. I just couldn't wait and had cover so it was an easy decision.

I would saying a couple of days “spotting” a friend described it like a skid mark 😂 which is about right.

I had one in 2005 after suffering similar
symptoms. I suffered no side effects beyond a bad headache after the anaesthetic. I haven’t had a period since, no bleeding whatsoever. Totally life changing.

I’ve had an ablation as a private patient due to peri menopausal heavy uncontrollable bleeding. The surgery was successful and I’ve had no further bleeding since. I went private because the Gp said my blood test was normal so no further action would be taken.

I had one and it changed my life.

I went from having almost continual heavy periods accompanied with dehabilitating pain to short painless periods

I had it years ago. I was bleeding so heavily and my consultant recommended it. This was about 20 years ago and it was so new that the consultant asked me if they could film it for training purposes. I did check my face wouldn’t appear 😀. After the surgery the pain was quite bad and I was quite sick but I poked down a piece of toast otherwise I’d have had to stay in. That evening I was extremely uncomfortable but suddenly early evening the pain just went away. My periods changed dramatically and became very regular and light, 3-4 days at most. They’d been 8-10 days from the age of 13 so I was delighted.

Following with interest as this is next on my list of procedures to try.(Already tried the coil, mefanemic acid, injections and an embolization). No idea on timescale - the ablation was discussed in a&e when I was admitted with very low hemoglobin and needed 2 blood transfusions. The main side effects seems to be stomach cramps afterwards and that I might not work. If it doesn't work, then it's a hysterectomy (complicated reasons as to why that has to be the last resort).

I had one and it absolutely transformed my life. Polyps and fibroids meant periods so heavy I couldn’t even leave the house about 2-3 days a month, was never out of the toilet changing products, and had to carry a handbag the size of a small country at all times with enough products in case I got a flooding situation. I fainted regularly too as I was so anaemic. It was, frankly, brutal and went on for years. Medically they tried everything over the years and nothing worked for more than a few months at a time. Eventually I got an ablation, I had a few complications and had to stay in overnight on morphine, but it was worth it a hundred times over. Periods stopped overnight. Pain stopped. In short, I got my life back - or more correctly was able to start living a more normal life!

Purple cat - that's really good to know as my situation sounds exactly the same - fainting, flooding, fibroids, etc. Hopefully it will be sooner rather than later! I cannot wait to get my life back.