Menopause Matters Forum
Menopause Discussion => All things menopause => Topic started by: Jollyjo on October 16, 2015, 11:11:33 AM
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I'm 52. My periods were always irregular until about 4 years ago when they became regular to the day. This past year they have got heavier and heavier to a scary point.
I've had a hysteroscopy and biopsy - all clear.
The have offered me a thermal ablation or hormone injections as a merina coil failed to work.
I've chosen to try herbal therapy for a few months.
My other sympotoms: Migraines, rages , night sweats and over emotional.
Is the heavy (VERY HEAVY) bleeding normal? It can be scary!
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My mum suffered from flooding during meno. She said she had to double up on towels etc.
My friend was hospitalised with similar. Her blood count dropped through the floor, but Mirena worked for her.
Maybe a second opinion would be good. You can't go on like that.
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I was like this for a few years in the end I could hardly leave the house they then found I had multiple fibroids the marina dident do a thing in the end I had a full hysterectomy felt like I had my life back. I no what your going through hope you sort things soon .
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Hi Jollyjo,
Yes heavy, as in the soak-through-a-super-tampon-and-superplus-towel-in-a-minute type of heavy, is fightening but normal. I've even flooded through clothing and down my legs. I thought I was haemorrhaging at one point and went to A and E.
Like you, my hysteroscopy shown all was well. They put in a Mirena coil but I lost it - it came out in one of the floods, attached to a big clot! In the end, I opted for an ablation as a last resort before hysterectomy. It worked and I have have light to very light periods ever since - well when they can be bothered to turn up.
As CG says, you can't go on like this as your iron levels will be falling through your boots - a second opinion would be good.
Galadriel x
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Hi Jollyjo
:welcomemm:
I haven't had this problem but in your position I would defo go for an ablation - ie a mechanical method rather than medication. If you go for this then you might then be able to start some low dose HRT which should help the night sweats. Although you may well be coming to the end of periods, you may still have a few months or a years of heavy bleeding if you are one of the later menopause women. Herbal remedies will do nothing at all to help the bleeding!!!
Hurdity x
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Ihad this in peri meno on and off for about 3 years. The most important thing is to keep an eye on your blood count in case you get aneamic. I had all the tests twice and all was okay it was due to oestrogen dominence as once you stop ovulating you don't produce any progesterone.
My friend had the ablation for same thing and it worked wonders for her.
I chose to use natural progesterone cream via private doctor and that worked for me.
Another friend had the mirena coil fitted and that worked for her.
I remember being terrified on a few occasions as I really thought that over 4 days I was literally bleeding to death.
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I had this too. At one point I actually managed to put two tampons in side by side + two towels and I still leaked.
Then one day my periods just stopped and that was that.
You do need to watch your iron levels and I agree with Hurdity, herbal won't stop this.
Honeybun
X
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Thank you for taking the time to reply. I'm on 3 x iron tablets a day and have been since last summer. I have monthly blood tests as the iron store gets so low. I will bless the day the periods stop! Ho hum! The rages are my other concern, I get so vile and HATE my husband.... once the rage is over I LOVE him with just as much passion! Poor sod! Lol! He is putting up with so much. Thanks again :-D
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There is medication to ease heavy bleeds to but the name escapes me ::)
What does your husband think?
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In response to CLKD's comment the treatments are listed here:
http://www.menopausematters.co.uk/periodtreatments.php
Tranexamic Acid is the most common one I think ( listed first). I presume you have been offered and considered this?
Hurdity x
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:thankyou: Hurdity! Members really ought to write The Book ;)
One of my big problems is that I know stuff has been mentioned but I can't remember names etc. :-\
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CLKD, my hubby is as frustrated as me. He comforts me when I'm in the depths of self pity, hugs me and tells me I'm beautiful when I lack self confidence, makes me laugh when he dares, sleeps in another room when I hate him and loves to be close when I love him! The fact that he is SO supportive makes me feel worse sometimes! It highlights what a total witch I am. Sometimes he cries, which makes me want to die. I almost want him to leave so that I stop hurting him. We have always been so close until now. I said to him to remember that when I hate him, I hate me more, much more. It really is tough at the mo. I just want to find me again. Some days I fear this horrid person IS me. He is totally supportive- and as we speak is googling stuff to do with the menopause. I think it is only just hitting us that this could damage our relationship forever. Evidently my mum had a few pleasant glows and it all stopped! ::) I have an appointment with a medical herbalist tomorrow, if he can sort me out it will be a flippin' miracle. ;)
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Believing what your DH tells you is the first step ::). Do NOT assume that because you feel like you are behaving like a Witch that he thinks you are! That's your guilt, not his ::). When I suffered depression so bad I couldn't get out of bed, I offered my DH a divorce which he refused, telling me that he was put onto this Earth to care for me :o :-*. I never offered again: in case. ;D
Live in the 'now'. Have a buzz word that he can throw in your direction when you are OTT! as he dives from the room. Make sure that there is stuff he can help around the house with when you are tired. Sometimes they need to be led during this upheaval which means they are occupied and less confused about their place!
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Hello and welcome. I'm very new too and this is probably my first response to someone else's post. I'm sat here crying. For all of your post. I read it at first because of the blood. I've had lots of mental symptoms for a few years now and have only just related it to menopause this last month as October I missed my first period. I got hardly any pain a few days ago, light blood and then yesterday and today loads of blood leaking lots and I've never leaked before. I'm doubting if it is menopause because I'm having a period but that's me and my paranoia symptom I think. But then your post about your husband read similar to our marriage and what our partners have to deal with. When I gave my husband the big piece from here for him to read he cried because it just confirmed everything he had been going through and knew it wasn't because we didn't love each other. I'm so glad I've found this forum. I don't know any terminology or any of the medication but I read as much as possible and relate to so many people who post.
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I can relate to this so much. I've always had fairly heavy periods (I come from a family of women who seemed to bleed for Britain! I remember my mum flooding during meno). The last four-five years mine have been dreadful and my cycles are sometimes only 23 days, so I only get 17 days not bleeding. I literally cry( sometimes for hours!) when I realise it's that time again. I've been offered the mirena etc and have kept refusing mainly because I feel perhaps it's better the devil I know!! I have been battling anaemia all this time. One I dipped into the 'severe' bracket without realising; I had been crunching on ice cubes and thought nothing of it. My son googled it (see it does have its uses!) and realised pica for ice is a sign of anaemia. Having damaged several teeth in the process I now realise, I also discovered I've yet to meet a doctor who is familiar with this weird sign that your iron stores are getting dangerously low. I've never got my ferritin stores above 24 (which is still low) and this summer they dipped to an all time low of 4. This was despite being only mildly anaemic according to my HB levels. One doctor pooh-poohed the fact I was feeling tired when exercising as my iron levels were 'good for me'! It turns out low ferritin stores can make you feel awful too. And mine cause me to have palpitations -- especially skipped beats. So please check your iron levels; low levels make menopause symptoms worse in my experience. The past two months I have been taking Floradix liquid twice a day along with my regular one a day ferrous fumarate (my stomach can't handle more than one of those!). The Floradix has lots of B vitamins which can't be bad. It's a bit expensive but worth it as my ferritin levels have gone from 4 to 23 (nearly my all time high!) in less than 6 weeks and I do feel better.
I'm also trying Serenity progesterone cream. The last two months my cycles have been a bit longer and the blood loss quite a bit less. So fingers crossed. I'm now starting with hot flushes though. (I realise the 'panic attacks' I thought I was having are now coming with feelings of heat!)
Another thing worth trying is taking ibuprofen for 2-3 days before your period starts (if you can predict!). This can reduce blood loss and has worked for me -- I should say 30% -- as long as I manage to predict when I'm due . . . not easy when cycles are erratic/ But even so, if you take the ibuprofen during the first couple of days it has some effect if not as much as if you started sooner.
I feel desperate at times and dread the next period, but at least I feel I'm trying to get on top of things. I have resorted to Tena Lady pads and Lillets super plus extra and still have trouble functioning!
Love to all. x
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:thankyou: Pricey! Any experiences help others ……..
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It's great that there are others out there who feel similar to me, that's comforting! I said to someone today I feel like I'm in a cocoon, I know I will emerge if I fight my way out- (my fear is that I won't be a beautiful serene butterfly when I emerge, but an evil witch :-\ ). I still have my sense of humour, (sometimes!). This site has certainly helped me already. Thank you all :)
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Hi
I totally understand, my periods were so debilitating due to blood loss and anaemia I had to stay off work, I won't go into all the details.
I did have an endometrial ablation, this did slow things right down for me but I still got a bleed. It is worth thinking about.
Hope you are well soon.
Shellb
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I wonder where all the blood comes from - you uterus is not supposed to be all that big ;D Yet so many women lose so much blood and it is considered 'normal' such a lot of the time.
(small rant)
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I've had similar for last 3.5 years. Only once or twice a year for me but like you say can be frightening - last one was 3 weeks solid flooding day and night - thought I should keep a mop with me! I had it all checked out 2 years ago and ended up with lots of scans due to a thickened endometrium, and eventually a hysteroscopy with biopsies but all was fine - just very thickened lining and a fibroid due to the hormones going to pot at start of perimenopause. I have suffered with very low ferritin though and non-anaemic iron deficiency throughout this time due to it so had to take iron supplements and cope with feeling tired a lot of the time. Just been back recently to doctor after last one as was worse than it has been and the scan this time showed lining fine and she did a blood test for FSH/LSH and finally I'm getting there and through it she says - phew. The unpredictability though of knowing when and if the next period may come and what it may be like though is a right pain.