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[daisysareyellow]

Hi ladies
I posted a bit about myself a couple of days ago. I always had very light periods over the years - 1 or 2 days at the most and as regular as clockwork. I am 51 now and for the last two years they have been all over the place. This period I am having at the moment is heavy for me. I am in Day 3 and still get that "whoosh" feeling when I stand up. Now I am definitely not "flooding", but I do need to change my pad at least every 2 hours. There is some dark matter in there, but very small. My last period was about 35 days ago and prior to that it was about 4 months. That one was also heavy and lasted about 6 days. I am taking iron tablets and have always taken a multivitamin and vitamin d supplement daily. Any suggestions as to anything else.

Just to round out the picture of my health, I started suffering severe menstrual migraine in my early 40's. I took Topamax for 5 years until some side effects set in and now take Relpax as needed. I also take Elmiron for a rare condition called Interstitial Cystitis and it keeps it fully under control. My day to day life is normal as I have managed to get my health issues fully under control.

Today I feel a bit blah. I think it's because of all the bleeding and I am just not used to it.

[CLKD]

Oh I hated my periods once they began flooding, became painful and long ..... 10 days on, 10 days between each bleed 

  It's also pricey having to buy protection  .  Keep hydrated. Gentle exercise when you have the energy.  Keep out of the heat. 

Have you read the thread about cystitis-type problems, can't remember the name - sorry  if I come across it I will bump it.

[daisysareyellow]

So I seem to be nearing the end of this period. Last night I hardly bled at all. Just in response to your comment about cystitis CLKD, Interstitial Cystitis feels and behaves likes regular cystitis, but it is not curable and does not respond to the normal treatments for cystitis. In fact, most cystitis treatments are very damaging for people with IC. No one really knows what causes it, although many women do develop it in the mid 40's. However, the sufferers run the whole spectrum from teenagers to the elderly and it also includes men. Many prefer to use the name Bladder Pain Syndrome, but in my case I had only urge/frequency. I know that bladder symptoms are very common in perimenopause and also menopause, but this condition is not caused by either, It can be aggravated by it though.

[TheWorstWitch]

Flooding is vile - really unpleasant and batters your confidence to boot. I certain identify with what CLKD said about it being expensive too! I've found that pads without wings are better than those with as they seem to suffer less from "overflow" if that helps at all.

My mother suffers from IS so you have my sympathy there too - very much hoping I don't end up there myself having seen what she has gone through!

I've found the standard Wellwoman capsules to be pretty good as a supplement - they give you 86% of your RDA of iron so if you eat an iron rich diet as well if you're not specifically low that should help. Have a look at the ingredients list when you see them and see what you think. I'm also supplementing with extra magnesium and I've taken an Evening Primrose Oil daily for years! Ibuprofen can also help to reduce heavy bleeding - there are details on the NHS Choices site. 

[daisysareyellow]

Hi WickedWitch
How long has your mother suffered IC? I developed it about 7 years ago. It started off in small doses after an initial bout of UTI and then the flares of urge/frequency got longer and longer until I realised that I had the urge constantly. I eventually had a cystoscopy and the Hunners Ulcers were clearly visible. This is only the case in 10% of sufferers, so my diagnosis was clear. I was put on Elmiron immediately and it is 100% effective in my case. Most sufferers are not as lucky as I am. It has a very high rate of depression and even suicide as some people get no relief from symptoms. Elmiron is very expensive, but my private health insurance covers 90% of the cost which is $124 per month. There is no other drug for this condition, so most people try diet and all sorts of other remedies. It's interesting really because I look very healthy. I don't tell many people about my IC and migraines because both are under control, but I did go through a period where both were not under control and now I have tremendous sympathy for people with chronic conditions.

As far as my perimenopause goes, I think I have been in it for about 2 years. My periods used to be 28 days like clockwork and very light. I lasted about 2 days per period. Over the last two years, anything goes really. I do remember going a couple of months without a period a couple of years ago and then getting a really painful heavy one after that. Since that time they would come a bit early or a bit late and then I went 5 months without one early this year and then the next one after that was about 35 days later. Both were heavy and painful on Day 1. I do not get night sweats or flushing, but I had a pituitary tumour for 15 years (diagnosed at 26 years of age and spontaneous remission at 41 years of age), so I am well and truly used to flushes anyway as this condition causes the ovaries to fail. I actually had my son whilst on medication for the condition.

I have a complex and interesting medical history, but I live relatively symptom free now. I am quite persistent in getting to the bottom of things and have faced many challenges in getting diagnosed and then getting the right treatment.