Horrible mid life periods live support thread - join in!

[LostittoBostik]

Long story cut short: 44, mild peri symptoms, came off Mirena in June as it didn’t suit me at all. I had it for 20 months but I bled almost continually, had sore bobs, bad sleep and a bunch of other side effect. (It was fitted after removal of fibroids)

I’m now getting my period for my third cycle post removal and am starting up a live support thread for anyone in the shit with their menstrual health during peri…

since the coil went I’ve felt 100 times better for most of the month, but the period symptoms have all all come back but worse - flooding, clots, 8-13 day extravagana (out of a 23 day cycle) and an unprecedented about of pain. It took me to a&e last month as my whole abdomen felt swollen and taut and I was worried it might actually be something esle like appendicitis.

it wasn’t. I have a blood test and repeat scan booked, and a gynae referral.

What I need is a hand hold. I’ve just come on and the pain is bad already, bleeding still light/medium. I know I’m heading into a shite weekend and w have a family event on Sunday.

I have naproxen and tranexemic acid. Don’t need the second yet but the naproxen barely touches

it my periods were gong to pack up in three years I’d just keep going but this needs addressing if it’s another decade.

Anyone else in the shit with me? Coping tips welcome, but solidarity the main point of me posting.

I think you will have a flurry of responses to this if you move it to the 'Menopause' section x

I’ve had period problems since they started at the age of 12 but they went into crazy overdrive as soon as I hit 45 and perimenopause.

I’ve had so many hysteroscopies and I have been prodded and poked about so much over the last 8 years, it’s been crazy. My periods became so heavy that I ended up with ferritin levels of 3 and needed iron infusions, eventually I could no longer put up with it all and opted for a uterine ablation, biggest mistake of my life because although it stopped the bleeding I just exchanged the flooding for the most awful pain ever. I eventually pushed for a mri which detected adenomyosis and endometriosis.

I am now 53 and due a hysterectomy in October which I am really not looking forward to but I have had enough of everything, my uterus has been my enemy for far too long now, she’s a bitch and needs to go.

Have you been checked for endometriosis op? It seems to rear its ugly head during peri when the hormones go crazy.

Good luck with it all, I hope you manage to find something which helps. Peri and period issues are no fun.

Have you tried taking the tranexamic acid early? I have done this for several months now and it really helps.

That was pretty much me but at 40. I’ve had painful periods all my life, asked if I had endo, they shrugged
at 40 I started with incredible pain not even when on my period, massive bloating where I thought my abdo might actually burst etc
had an MRI and they found endo. Had a huge laparoscopy where they found way more than on the MRI, the plan went tits up and they had to call in a second surgeon. It was on my appendix, bladder, bowel, ureters, 6 chocolate cysts removed, and a whole load of making everything look normal again

i kept getting staff coming into my room to see me as I was the longest operation in gynae that year! 8hrs 37 mins

I resisted going back to the GP who shrugged when I asked if I had endo and saying I TOLD YOU SO

Oh and the only things that vaguely helped were
a plug in heat pad
be you period patches (they smell like vicks, I don’t care if they’re a placebo, they help)
dihydocodeine, oramorph and naproxen
at a very very low point, ridiculous amounts of gas and air from a lovely ambulance crew

Great thread! I will join please.

I’ve had awful periods for around 3 years now. I’ve had a hysteroscopy which was clear but they have become worse and worse seemingly every month.

All that has been suggested is to get the coil but I’m so worried it’ll actually make things worse. Plus trying to actually get an appointment to get it fitted when I’m not on my period is a nightmare!

So currently I have around a 24 days cycle, bleed for 8-12 days. Huge floods and clots. Mass exhaustion. Changing a pad or tampon every 40 mins. Tried period pants and had to wear the nighttime one and still take a spare out. Have to take a change of clothes to work. Not always painful thankfully (had very painful periods before kids, now just a bit of cramping most months but manageable with paracetamol etc)

I am a teacher so managing them at work is a nightmare. My deputy head is understanding and will come and cover my class every 45 mins on my heaviest days so I can run to the loo!! Nightmare.

I should currently be on but away staying with family so I’ve taken norithisterone to delay it starting. I normally then find the next period isn’t too bad but the one after that is even worse! So the trade off is not great!

I really don’t know what to do. Back to GP? Try the coil? I don’t think I’m near to mesopause unfortunately - no other symptoms. The idea of another 10 plus years of this is awful!

I had an awful flooding incident this month which is making me ask for a hysterectomy.

not sure how I’ll get on with GP but I’m definite on it! No more kids for me and I want it gone. GA and snip it out and no more anaemia and floods

It’s better to have it fitted on your period so that’s no issue. I had a mirena as part of my surgery and it’s been life changing. No periods. Ever
probably worth a try, it can’t make things much worse for you

I haven’t been checked for endo or ando yet because until the last three months (post coil removal) my period pain has never been so bad that ibuprofen+paracetomol couldn’t handle it, and quickly. This constant pain, particularly outside the uterine area so into my bum, whole abdomen feeling swollen too, is totally new. It’s awful.

saw the GP yesterday and she’s ordered a new scan and a referral to the gynaecologist. Will need to keep pushing but it does look like it might be endo from other threads I’ve seen. Does that normally start for the first time in your forties?

i’m currently in bed with a hot water bottle trying to ignore the pain. I’ve been taking 2x 500mg of naproxen a day plus paracetamol and I think in the night I’m going to take one of those pink migraleve tablets instead of just straight paracetomol as nothing is helping at all.

At least unlike last month I’m not scared I’m actually dying appendicitis! It does feel exactly the same as it did last time

It’s tempting at this age but it takes a full six months to recover and I have a 5yo. Not really an option for me right now. Going to have to just see 2 days wiped out every 24 instead for a while

Unfortunately the Mirena didn’t suit me at all - it seems to have caused most of these issues!

This is how I feel, that my abdomen is about to burst! My periods have never been that bad til after 40, and the severe pain has only come since I removed the coil

45, on my period and shouldn’t be because I take the pill consistently without breaks. Absolutely miserable. Also have a problem with my vulva.

Have you got tranexemic acid to slow the flow? It does work for me. It works quite quickly too, within a few hours

i bled for 17 days out of 24 with Mirena. I gave it 20
Months to see if they would bugger off but sadly that didn’t work. Feel so irritated, but currently I feel well for 20 days of the month and like I’m dying for 4 days which is weirdly a better balance

I’m 53 and still suffering heavy regular periods. On my last HRT review I was prescribed Slynd mini pill instead of utrogestan.

I’ve now gone 6 weeks without a period, I feel less like a slave to my hormones as every feels more stable. I have had some more night sweats and have needed to up my oestrogen gel a little but even though it’s early days I feel pretty good on it!

I'm so glad that you've been referred to a gynecologist, @LostittoBostik, because this definitely needs investigating. I also didn't get on with the coil, too much bleeding and then it came out (had a second one that also came out!) But I didn't have periods like yours afterwards, something's not right. I'm now 51 and still having periods, but they're short now, thank goodness.

Thank you, I agree it needs taking seriously and luckily my GP is very good. The pain this last three cycles has been like nothing I’ve ever known before (other than mid-late stage labour). I’m lucky too that we also have health insurance through DH’s work which means I shouldn’t have to wait too long to see someone. Having seen people’s descriptions it does sound like endo. My abdomen is so tender, feels like it could pop!

I’ve never tried the mini pill before. I wonder if it’s time. Especially if I might be adding some oestrogen soon too. On the other hand I feel so so much better off the coil on my non-period days…

ughh sorry to hear it - I suppose when our hormones start shifting things that worked well before just stop working

5am and I’m really struggling. The nausea is off the scale. It’s time for another naproxen soon… see if that takes the edge off at all.

I'm older than you but pre-menopause started progesterone (Utrogestan) vaginally, continuously, and my periods pretty much stopped entirely. Used to have very heavy, very painful periods. Good luck getting anyone to prescribe it continuously though. Started under a private gynae, then switched to GP.
I don't know how advisable this is in the long term - but I'm sticking to it.

Sorry to hear that OP

Endo is a funny thing. I never one had a painful period but they have been super heavy since they started at 12 and I've spent most of my adult life anaemic. The only pain I ever felt was during every ovulation time, the pain would be so bad that it would hurt to sit and would last a week. Doctors all said that was normal!

My period pain only started after my uterine ablation had failed 6 months post op. A year after that I pushed for a MRI and that is when the endometriosis and adenomyosis detected.

My sister has 'IBS' for years but the pain got worse in her 40's and that's when her endometriosis was discovered.

My friend was also only diagnosed in her late 40's. I think it's only because endo is becoming so widely talked about that so many people are being diagnosed later in life.

I hope you managed to get to the bottom of your issues soon. Good luck.

That’s interesting, thank you. I feel like it probably is endo. Does it always get progressively worse? I seem to see lots of variation on this.