Heavy periods

The question i would like to ask you is has anyone being experencing the heavy periods, and if so what have you done, in trying to cope with them when they happen.

I also wanted to ask you i think i am experencing flooding with them, but i do not know how you would describe flooding from a heavy period, but if i go from a sitting postition to a standing position i can actually feel it coming out of me in a gush, and i am also finding that i have to wear both a tampon and pad at the same time to try to give me more time between changes, and i still have to go change every 45 minutes to an hour, and i am just hoping that you would be able to tell me what you did to try and cope with the heavy periods, expecially when you are trying to hold down a full time job as well, and what brandname protection have you found worked well for you.

I also do not wish to go onto the HRT road, because we have breastcancer in our family, so i would like to try and see if there are other natrual things that i can try to do before i give into HRT.
I have heard of the progesteron Cream, but i am not really sure how natrual that is, and if it will help at all with the heavy periods that i am experencing, but at the moment i feel that my periods are controling my life because i find that i have to try and plan and do things around my period, because on some days of my period i am afraid to go out of the house because of how heavy it is, and i am afraid of having an accident.
I have also found that since starting to go through th
My Gyno has told me that he would like to do a Hysterectomy, because i also have two fibroids,but he has also told me that when i fully go through the Menopause, the fibroids will shrink and disapear, but i am at the beggining of Preimenopause, and i might have a few years left, before i totaly go through it according to my gyno, but i do not really wish to go along the hysterectomy path unless i really have to, so that is why i am asking you for any coping stratagies that you have found helped you get through this stage.

Thank you for taking the time to read my message.


Regards
Lauretta

Hi Lauretta
You dont say how old you are but as you are in perimenopause I assume you are in your 40's.
I had very heavy periods, and held down full time work all the time. When the bleeding was heavy I wore 2 tampons at once, as well as a back up pad. I had spare tampons stuffed down my bra and in pockets in case I was ever caught short away from my handbag. When it was bad I could flood the 2 tampons in 5 minutes. I never went anywhere without knowing exactly where the nearest toilet was. Its not easy but you do get used to it. I have even changed a tampon sitting in the car!
I wish I had avoided the hysterectomy and tried several other options 1st. I had a thermal ablation which did help alot, but I then got other symptoms. I also tried the Mirena IUD twice, but unfortunately both times my uterus expelled it. Apparently my uterus was not a suitable shape to tolerate the Mirena. However it may be very suitable for you and I urge you to investigate the possibility of getting one. The Mirena releases a small amount of progesterone constantly, and can reduce a period to a mere trickle.
Brands in NZ will be different to the ones you have in the US, so hopefully someone else will help you there.
Best Wishes in your choices ahead.

Boy Lauretta, your post could have been written by me! I can so relate and identify what you are going through as it's pretty much the same way for me each month.

I'm 50 but show no signs of menopause approaching. I had a D&C in July; subsequently had two horrific periods in August in September and October was just a wee bit tolerable. Not sure if the D&C finally kicked in or not, but I'm gearing up for another period at the end of the month and figure I'm gonna pay for last months manageable one.

Anyway, yes, when I stand up I feel the gush...feels like your insides are dropping out. The worst is when the clots start coming one after the other for a full day to the point where it is hard to leave the house. Luckily, I'm not working right now so I can sympathize with you and how hard it must be to be dealing with that and a job.

I have always used tampons with pad back up since I had an accident at work and didn't have a pad too...and I was only about 24 and hadn't even had kids yet! I've found OB Heavy Days with a pad work well and do give me a little more time...(about an hour and a half) before I worry about an accident. Playtex Super Plus is good too. Thing is, those clots just seem to bypass the tampons anyway, but tampons do help somewhat.

I was all set to schedule a hysterectomy, but now my doctor and I discussed Mirena Coil and we're going to give that a try. I'll probalby have that inserted towards the end of November. My doctor really hates to see me have a hysterectomy being as I'm so close to the change so he's willing to try this on me for now.

I wasn't able to have an ablation, he only does NovaSure and my uterus is too enlarged for it. Plus, he thinks I have adenomyosis so I'm not sure that would have helped anyway.

I'll be sure to post about Mirena once I have it. I'm not really too optomistic about it, but figure if it doesn't work, I can always have it taken out.

Hope you investigate thoroughly all your options before having a hysterectomy as perhaps there is something out there that will help you. Good luck.

Hi Lauretta12,

I too had fibroids in pre-op. They could be causing your heavier flows. At 46, I had normal periods for many years. Then, I was diagnosed with two large fibroids and my periods really got heavy.

Possibly you are a candidate for an alternate procedure such as a UFE (Uterine Fibroid Embolization)?? The procedure shrinks the size of fibroids and might relieve some of the heavier bleeding you are experiencing.

Best wishes. We Hyster Sisters are here to help if we can.

Mary

Hi Lauretta12,

My bleeding was similar to yours. Although I wouldn't call what happened when I stood up a gusher, I did have gushers occassionally. For me they occured whether I was standing or sitting. The worst was occured one time when I sneezed.

On my heaviest days, I was using both a super plus tampon and overnight maxi thin pad. Since they recommend using the apporiate size tampon based on you flow, I did vary the tampon absorbancy during my cycle but always used an overnight maxi thin pad. I preferred Tampax and Stayfree mostly for how they fit. Although I didn't always need an overnight maxi, it was just easier to stock up on one size.

Thankfully I was very regular and although my heavy days were increasing in length I could usually plan my activities so I could be near a bathroom every 45 minutes to an hour on the bad days. Although we have free femine supplies in the office rest room, the machine wasn't always stocked :hair: so I would always have a tampon in my pocket. When I had a meeting I would always tuck a tampon or two in my pocket so I could go make a quick exit to the rest room.

I feel the same way as you about HRT. Right now I am not on any but will be discussing my options at my next post-op appointment.

I also thought about waiting menopause out for some improvement, but the anemia the heavy bleeding was causing due to the fibriods won out. There was no way I could continue for several more years not knowing for sure when menopause would come especially since things were getting progressively worse.

As the other sisters have said, look at all your options so you can make the best choice for you.

s

Hi Lauretta. Your story sounds so familar. At work if I sit more than an hour on my heavy days it can be a fast walk to the restroom to avoid a 'blowout' as soon as I stand up. I swear my pelvic muscles are great at this point! Though lord help me if I have to sneeze mid-sprint.

I've found Stayfree Maxi Overnight with wings to be the least likely to overflow and back up with Playtex supers. And knowing all possible restroom locations helps if you have to travel or be somewhere else, long roadtrips are a bit dicey and I pack extra clothes just in case. I also will 'camp' in the restroom if I feel I'm going to not make it in between floods.

Unfortunately I'm anemic and at this point need to determine what options I have because my flows have become way too heavy, besides quality of life, it's starting to affect my work as well.

Good luck on your hunt for the perfect control.

I had the heavy bleeding also. A super plus tampon and an overnight pad and changing both every 25 minutes. I was only 27 when this started. But I kind of knew it was going to happen for a long time. Both my mother and I suffer from PCOS. And instead of doing a hyster. right away they put me on many HRT for 5 years! One of them being progesterone cream. Now it may work for others and only worked for me for 6 months. Than I had the continuous cramping and back on the BCP even though my tubes were tied. Finally in June I got a new dr. and he said it was time to get something done about this and referred me to my gyno. and 2 months later had the surgery. But I can totally sympathize with the heavy bleeding. I'm not sure of any other options since a hysterectomy was the answer for me since I knew it had helped my mom. Hope you find some answers and take care!!!

Hi Lauretta, I too have had problems with the really heavy bleeding.

Unfortunately for me I was born with 2 uterus, cervix, vagina openings but fortunately only 2 ovaries, each uterus only has one. So when I say I can relate to heavy periods, believe me I can relate.

Most of the previous ladies have given excellent advice on controlling the floods that can occur but what I wanted to tackle was a couple of other things you mentioned.

You might want to really research the cream. I started using it for the same exact reasons. And here is the problem as it was told to me by my gyn. The cream does have the progestrogen which is what you are probably starting to lack production of if your periods are increasing in flow, length etc. Problem is it has much more estrogen than progestrogen usually, and I dont think you can find any on the market that is progestrogen only, they all come with some estrogen too.

More estrogen will cause the uterus linings to become thicker and this is what increases the flood problems as well as clots, cramps etc.

So because of this, even though it helps in the beginning it makes your periods worse too! Not good news I know.

Second, you might want to have your doctor perform an ultrasound on you to rule out other issues other than fibroids.

In my case what was thought was a fibroid turned out to be a dermoid cyst and I am recovering from surgery (Oct. 6) from having it and my left ovary removed.

These types of cysts are nearly always benign but they really cause your periods to go out of whack which is what was happening with me.

There are other problems that can cause bleeding issues too, if you havent had an ultrasound and it wasnt performed vaginally make your doctor give you the referral to rule out all other possibilities. An MRI or CAT scan would work too but from what I understand the ultrasound is preferred for determining mass types.

Other than that, I have had friends who have had ablation and are really thrilled with the results, wish I could of had it done, my anatomy just wont allow it unfortunately.

As for coping, I cant wear tampons, I have to use the overnight maxi pads because they are really the only ones I have been able to find that are really long and have given me the best protection from leaking, if you find that you are flooding so quickly that the pad has problems absorbing it all at once or it is in more than one spot you might try them for peace of mind.

I work full time as well and have found that I dont have to be so paranoid when I am using them.

Hope any of this info helps,
Susan

I can totally relate to the gushing & clotting! I have it whether I'm sitting or standing although it is a lot worse after sitting for awhile or getting up out of bed. After I deal with my ovarian cysts I am going to get the endo ablation that the doctor recommended unless I have to get a hysterectomy than I won't have to worry about it.
Sisters Are the Best

I can relatet to the heavy bleeding also...I couldn't wear tampons so what I used was overnight pads usually 3 at a time...I know that sounds awful but I had to cover all areas, front, back, and middle...SMH...Not a good way to live...Good luck on exploring the options, I didn't, but I'm not sorry that I had my LSH!