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Women's health

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Anaemia heavy periods

7 replies

Rainagainandagain · 28/02/2026 10:52

I had severe anaemia and my haemoglobin was 4. I had blood test as i was feeling awful and i jad to have transfusions and iron transfusions.
My haemoglobin is now 142. I feel loads better. I had CT Scan which identified 6 ovarian cyst and thick ET.
They are going to monitor cysts as CA125 is normal. I had a hysteroscopy and had several polyps removed and biopsy. I was offered mirena coil but would rather have pill. I thought and told consultant my periods were normal. I feel silly now as the consultant said from what she saw on hysteroscopy she would expect me to have very heavy periods. My friends are older than me and whenever i said oh my periods are bad they say oh yes i get that too so i always think its normal. I have always suffered severe pain every period sometimes feel like i am going to pass out with nausea and pain in legs. I never been pregnant or had babies. I have been to GP 4 times twice it was a man who said it will be hormones. Third time it was lady GP who said take ibuprofen. Fourth time it was another man locum GP who said it might be period anxiety as i said I felt hot and dizzy and very painful and he suggested i had panic attacks and gave me propanolol. I was only in my 20s then in 30s and embarrased so i didnt go again. I have had periods so heavy i can feel the gush even sitting down and have to change lady pads often. I lose loads of blood maybe a pint or more each month the heavy loos lasts about 3 days then lightens up. Wearing black clothes and thickest pad and period knickers. Towels on bed at night in case i leak. Now I feel stupid as I said to the gynae my periods were normal but she did say every normal is different. I still haven't been given the pill and dreading next period. I haven't had period since hysteroscopy only a bit of bleeding that lasted 4 days a few days later. Should I ask GP for mini pill. I am in my 40s so might be too old for pill. I wish I'd known about the mini pill I would have taken it before now as no wonder I am so anaemic.

OP posts:
YouDriveMeCrazyButICanDoThatMyself · 28/02/2026 11:16

Mine were like that for years. Horrendous. I was sleeping on a towel, up 4x a night flooding, even with superplus tampons and thick pads, changing every 40 mins during the day, clots the size of my palm. Days off work sick because I couldn’t leave the house for the flooding. No one was interested.

Have you tried tranexamic acid? That can reduce flow for some women,it worked a little for the first two years for me.

Mini pill and Mirena were actually hell for me. Mini pill made me bleed solidly for 5 months to the point I couldn’t stand. Gynae said I had to try it for 6 months but it was awful.
Mirena caused spotting every day in between my heavy periods for the whole year I had it in. I had to beg to get it removed. Awful.

I had to beg for a hysterectomy in the end, I waited years. Turns out I had Endo that they had somehow missed on a laparoscopic investigation!

Iron bisglycinate can help with the iron, it works far better than ferrous fumerate/sulphate as it has better bioavailability. Buy the highest strength you can find. So sorry you are suffering this way, it ruined over a decade of my life. Flowers

DisplayPurposesOnly · 28/02/2026 11:21

First off, your painful and heavy periods are not normal. (I count it as abnormal if pain relief doesn't work and I cant sleep through it. Extra 'not normal' if the pain makes me feel close to fainting or actually faint, or vomit.)

If you dont like to say not normal, then describe your periods to the GP as you have done here.

What is your objection to the Mirena coil? I dont know anything about the mini pill, sorry. I took the combined pill for many years, came off it (no issues) for several years. I had the Mirena coil fitted when I was 55 after my periods became fountains ⛲️ and I experienced the worst pain of my life which turned out to be adenomyosis (do not recommend). Three problem-free years since.

Rainagainandagain · 28/02/2026 11:56

YouDriveMeCrazyButICanDoThatMyself · 28/02/2026 11:16

Mine were like that for years. Horrendous. I was sleeping on a towel, up 4x a night flooding, even with superplus tampons and thick pads, changing every 40 mins during the day, clots the size of my palm. Days off work sick because I couldn’t leave the house for the flooding. No one was interested.

Have you tried tranexamic acid? That can reduce flow for some women,it worked a little for the first two years for me.

Mini pill and Mirena were actually hell for me. Mini pill made me bleed solidly for 5 months to the point I couldn’t stand. Gynae said I had to try it for 6 months but it was awful.
Mirena caused spotting every day in between my heavy periods for the whole year I had it in. I had to beg to get it removed. Awful.

I had to beg for a hysterectomy in the end, I waited years. Turns out I had Endo that they had somehow missed on a laparoscopic investigation!

Iron bisglycinate can help with the iron, it works far better than ferrous fumerate/sulphate as it has better bioavailability. Buy the highest strength you can find. So sorry you are suffering this way, it ruined over a decade of my life. Flowers

Thanks so much. I will get the bisglicynate. Thanks for letting me know. I will ask GP for tranexamic acid! In the meantime I will maybe have to self fund for private hysterectomy. No one in the NHS is bothered. I asked female gynae after the hysteroscopy about a hysterectomy as I still have these ovarian cysts one is 82mm and I can feel it but they are just going to monitor them she said no to hysterectomy as I could still conceive a child. At 47!?! I might self fund a hysterectomy.

OP posts:
Rainagainandagain · 28/02/2026 12:00

I don't fancy a coil fitted as if I have a reaction it will be stuck in there and will have to have it pulled out. I don't know what to do. Think I might get the tranexamic acid thanks. Then self fund a hysterectomy.

OP posts:
Rainagainandagain · 28/02/2026 12:01

My neighbor had a prolapse where everything came out in her 80s and I am worried about that too when I get older.

OP posts:
Rainagainandagain · 28/02/2026 12:13

I haven't had a period since the polyp removal so no idea what's going on. It might be perimenopause? I had all the signs of a period on its way then nothing. I wonder if the hysteroscopy has done something and helped in some way.

OP posts:
Rainagainandagain · 28/02/2026 20:25

YouDriveMeCrazyButICanDoThatMyself · 28/02/2026 11:16

Mine were like that for years. Horrendous. I was sleeping on a towel, up 4x a night flooding, even with superplus tampons and thick pads, changing every 40 mins during the day, clots the size of my palm. Days off work sick because I couldn’t leave the house for the flooding. No one was interested.

Have you tried tranexamic acid? That can reduce flow for some women,it worked a little for the first two years for me.

Mini pill and Mirena were actually hell for me. Mini pill made me bleed solidly for 5 months to the point I couldn’t stand. Gynae said I had to try it for 6 months but it was awful.
Mirena caused spotting every day in between my heavy periods for the whole year I had it in. I had to beg to get it removed. Awful.

I had to beg for a hysterectomy in the end, I waited years. Turns out I had Endo that they had somehow missed on a laparoscopic investigation!

Iron bisglycinate can help with the iron, it works far better than ferrous fumerate/sulphate as it has better bioavailability. Buy the highest strength you can find. So sorry you are suffering this way, it ruined over a decade of my life. Flowers

Thank you. I am very tempted to pay for a private hysterectomy. I don't fancy like going on the pill or coil.

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