Newbie with a few questions.

I am 31 and have been batteling with my period for the past 15 years but over the past 2 years it has gotten terrible. I bleed for 6 to 8 weeks at a time and I might get a 2 or 3 week break in between. Right now I am taking progesterone to stop my period after 6 long heavy clotting weeks. It has gotten so bad that I can't even go for a walk, I need to be close to a toilet. I pass clots so big at times I feel like I might pass out, I have a 4 year old and I can't even take her out to play most days.

I have always masked my problems, I've been embarrassed by them so I rarely spoke about them. I am afraid of seeing a specialist and them telling me that I'm over weight and that is the problem. I made an appointment with my doctor today but I'm just so afraid of him not taking me seriously because of my age and weight.

That much bleeding does NOT come from age and weight, it probably comes from a serious problem that needs to be looked at by a doctor! You don't need a specialist, you just need an OB/GYN. There are many curable things that cause heavy bleeding. For me, it is fibroids. When I finally got it diagnosed, I was severely anemic from all the blood loss and just telling myself, "well, this must be normal." Bleeding that much is not normal and you deserve a better quality of life!! Make an appointment with your OB/GYN today!! Good luck.

Try not to be afraid. I know it's easier said than done, but that much bleeding needs to be addressed quickly and seriously. If the doctor doesn't take you seriously, then seek another opinion from a doctor who will take this seriously.

One month last year, I started what I thought was a normal period but it didn't stop. I knew something was wrong but was so afraid to go to the doctor. After two weeks of profuse bleeding, I was physically and mentally drained and finally went to the doctor. That's when I found out I had fibroids and was anemic. I'd never been anemic in my life and it made me feel just horrible. I was so give out that I could barely hold my head up or move around.

Hopefully the progesterone will help stop the bleeding, but please take care of yourself. Let us know how your appointment goes. I'll be thinking of you.

Same story here...always had heavy periods, sometimes L-O-O-O-N-G ones...Back in 2000 ex-gyn gave Yasmin to regulate bleeding...probably should have checked for fibroids. After a few years when insurance was giving hard times about paying for BC pill, stopped them and was ok -for a while. Changed jobs(more sedentary) and slowly put weight back on...as weight came back, and time passed, periods began to get heavier. Got up to 3days of HEAVY bleeding-the kind where you are married to the toilet and seriously consider buying stock in toilet paper, pads & tampons! Got worse & worse and ended up severely anemic. FINALLY fibroids diagnosed and I fired the ex-gyn because I diagnosed my own anemia when he should have checked for it before I got down to a 7.
Bottom line is you may just have fibroids that are causing mischief...my largest is distorting my uterus to a 16wk pregnancy. Found a GOOD & CARING gyn and talked a LOT about all options & why and why not they would work/won't work, could be done/can't be done...
You need to take your own care in your hands and be checked out...if you don't like the answers one dr gives, go find another. It's ok to do that. They are NOT all equal.
Also, some things I've read do suggest that their growth in directly related to estrogen (which is why they my shrink after menopause) and when you are overweight, you do screw up you hormones and may be releasing more estrogen...but it is not a reason to ignore you just because you are overweight ..fibroids are a force to be reckoned with when they are mischeivious. And so is any other reason for the menorraghea, needs to be dealt with. Good luck