QuietStorm402000
07-24-2003, 08:51 AM
Amwood asked if any fellow anemics were told about using extra oxygen when flying. ANYBODY? I've never heard this warning--I thought the air in the cabins was set to the same atmospheric conditions as the ground. BUT, I suppose that would vary by what ground? I know in areas of high altitude (Denver, for instance) the air is "thinner" and those with low Hgl have more trouble getting enough oxygen. Would that also include planes? ANYBODY??
To nicolle--I asked on another board "How heavy is heavy?" 'cause I never thought my periods were a problem either. But, how would I know? I only get mine!! I actually emailed the Tampax people and asked how many tampons do most women use per period--they replied 11. That sure seemed low to me only because if you bleed for 3-5 days that means you're only using 2-3 tampons each day??? For reasons of cleanliness I think it's important to change more often!! Anybody else willing to share this intimate info???
Anyway, I was throughly checked by a GYN and she found absolutely NOTHING!! BUT, she made me go on continuous bc pills to stop my periods as with no iron stores I can't afford to lose any. So, I'm spending my life hangin' with the hematologist!! :p
To nicolle--I asked on another board "How heavy is heavy?" 'cause I never thought my periods were a problem either. But, how would I know? I only get mine!! I actually emailed the Tampax people and asked how many tampons do most women use per period--they replied 11. That sure seemed low to me only because if you bleed for 3-5 days that means you're only using 2-3 tampons each day??? For reasons of cleanliness I think it's important to change more often!! Anybody else willing to share this intimate info???
Anyway, I was throughly checked by a GYN and she found absolutely NOTHING!! BUT, she made me go on continuous bc pills to stop my periods as with no iron stores I can't afford to lose any. So, I'm spending my life hangin' with the hematologist!! :p
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nicolle
07-24-2003, 11:19 AM
I guess it would make sense that you would need extra oxygen depending on how anemic you are. The problem is that air and blood can't pump to your heart very easily when you're anemic so that could cause problems.
As far as your periods, I sometimes need to use Ultra/Super Plus every 2 hours or so and a pad. Then I gradually switch. That's way too much according to my female PCP.
I guess some women don't go through that.
I think what we're looking for is even if you do change them every 2 to 3 hours (like you should to avoid TSS), how FULL are they when they come out??
I don't mean to be gross but also are there clots? I mean, I guess this answers some questions for Drs. I guess we could do a websearch on "how much menstrual bleeding is normal?"
It seems kinda gross but if nothing else is wrong with you then this may be it.
Also, I find it helpful to have only young, female gyne. They are much more open. My PCP had prescribed me last year ibu for my horrific periods (which she said can start in your 30s). But then I became anemic by early this year. So then she just focused solely on tampons and my period and said what I am doing is NOT NORMAL. I didn't ask her what WAS normal, but maybe when I see my gyne 8/1 I will.
As far as your periods, I sometimes need to use Ultra/Super Plus every 2 hours or so and a pad. Then I gradually switch. That's way too much according to my female PCP.
I guess some women don't go through that.
I think what we're looking for is even if you do change them every 2 to 3 hours (like you should to avoid TSS), how FULL are they when they come out??
I don't mean to be gross but also are there clots? I mean, I guess this answers some questions for Drs. I guess we could do a websearch on "how much menstrual bleeding is normal?"
It seems kinda gross but if nothing else is wrong with you then this may be it.
Also, I find it helpful to have only young, female gyne. They are much more open. My PCP had prescribed me last year ibu for my horrific periods (which she said can start in your 30s). But then I became anemic by early this year. So then she just focused solely on tampons and my period and said what I am doing is NOT NORMAL. I didn't ask her what WAS normal, but maybe when I see my gyne 8/1 I will.
amwood
07-24-2003, 04:38 PM
Quietstorm...thanks for starting this new thread...the other was getting a little long! It'll be interesting to see if anyone has any answers about the flying thing. I did a quick search online and I actually found some articles written on this...they all said that if you're hgb is below 8.5 you should supplement with oxygen while flying due to the strain it puts on your heart...so I guess my doctor wasn't being too cautious! I'm a little nervous to fly now...although my hgb isn't below 8.5 right now, it's dropped suddenly in the past, and who's to say that won't happen while I'm on vacation. I'll have to talk this over with my doc...yet another issue to bring up :) My doctor reprimanded me back in December when I went skiing in Tahoe...apparently it wasn't a good idea to be up at altitude (about 10,000 feet) and skiing off-trail...at this time I had developed a heart murmer due to the anemia, but I honestly had no idea that skiing/physical exertion at altitude was a bad idea. Needless to say, I missed the rest of ski season this year, but for the most part I was too tired to spend an entire day on the slopes anyway!
About the monthly periods...mine are VERY light...I usually use a regular tampon, and a couple super tampons every now and then. I actually went about a year without getting my period, and it's back now but very light. About five years ago I switched birth control pills and my periods were extremely heavy...I was using super plus tampons every couple hours. Since then I've switched pills and now have very light cycles. I don't know how many tampons most women go through, but 2-3 sounds low to me too! Since my periods are so light none of the doctors have ever dismissed my anemia as "female-related" problems...although that would be an easy answer!
[This message has been edited by amwood (edited 07-24-2003).]
About the monthly periods...mine are VERY light...I usually use a regular tampon, and a couple super tampons every now and then. I actually went about a year without getting my period, and it's back now but very light. About five years ago I switched birth control pills and my periods were extremely heavy...I was using super plus tampons every couple hours. Since then I've switched pills and now have very light cycles. I don't know how many tampons most women go through, but 2-3 sounds low to me too! Since my periods are so light none of the doctors have ever dismissed my anemia as "female-related" problems...although that would be an easy answer!
[This message has been edited by amwood (edited 07-24-2003).]
PaNik5717
07-24-2003, 11:18 PM
Wow! All of this health stuff sure is teaching us all a lot. I live at 6500 feet and was totally scared to go skiing this winter at 13,000 feet. My 8.8 was way too low for altitude, as you can imagine if you have had 8.8 at sea level. I was scared that I would faint on the slopes. I did go a few times, but I was only able to go for a few hours at a time.
As for flying, I would think it would depend on flying altitude and on the size of the plane. Little puddle jumper planes like the American Eagle planes aren't pressurized, are they? In those, the O2 probably gets really thin. When you don't have enough hemoglobin to transport the 02 and there isn't enough 02 to bind with what you've got, life can get rough.
As for heavy bleeding, I had an episode where I was going through one overnight pad an hour and that is considered excessive - and that was in the middle of my cycle. I had to take 6 bcp's a day to stop it. I would guess that changing tampons every hour would be excessive. Every two hours has to be considered heavy, at least. I would use tampons, but mine never get "full." I always have to use a back-up pad and it does seem harder to gauge how much blood you lose.
As for clots, they occur when the blood stays too long in your vagina. During your period, there is an anti-clotting factor in your uterus that helps the blood flow out. If there is a tampon which traps the blood in teh vagina, I am guessing there will be more clots. But if the only traffic in there is blood and there is so much that it can't get out before it develops into a big clot - like the size of the palm of your hand - that is also excessive bleeding. Smaller clots are totally normal.
Losing any blood when your body is working so hard to make it can be really depressing - when you are sleeping so much, tired, weak, out of breath, and dizzy. If you have heavy bleeding and it sounds like a lot of us do, talk to your doc about skipping the placebo pills for three months or more so that it's not like filling a bucket with a hole in it. My doc gives me free samples of Yasmin so I don't have to fight my insurance to get three packs each month.
I talked to my doc again today and she said it is really tough to tell which comes first, the anemia or the bleeding, but they do seem to occur together. She is committed to helping me stay at 13 and figuring out what the underlying cause is.
This is sort of a gross topic, but I am glad someone brought it up. Really, my entire town knows about my bleeding now and it has become an easy topic for me. Keep writing about it and you should have a really easy time talking to your doc about what should be right for you.
Best wishes. I think I am spending too much time on-line!
As for flying, I would think it would depend on flying altitude and on the size of the plane. Little puddle jumper planes like the American Eagle planes aren't pressurized, are they? In those, the O2 probably gets really thin. When you don't have enough hemoglobin to transport the 02 and there isn't enough 02 to bind with what you've got, life can get rough.
As for heavy bleeding, I had an episode where I was going through one overnight pad an hour and that is considered excessive - and that was in the middle of my cycle. I had to take 6 bcp's a day to stop it. I would guess that changing tampons every hour would be excessive. Every two hours has to be considered heavy, at least. I would use tampons, but mine never get "full." I always have to use a back-up pad and it does seem harder to gauge how much blood you lose.
As for clots, they occur when the blood stays too long in your vagina. During your period, there is an anti-clotting factor in your uterus that helps the blood flow out. If there is a tampon which traps the blood in teh vagina, I am guessing there will be more clots. But if the only traffic in there is blood and there is so much that it can't get out before it develops into a big clot - like the size of the palm of your hand - that is also excessive bleeding. Smaller clots are totally normal.
Losing any blood when your body is working so hard to make it can be really depressing - when you are sleeping so much, tired, weak, out of breath, and dizzy. If you have heavy bleeding and it sounds like a lot of us do, talk to your doc about skipping the placebo pills for three months or more so that it's not like filling a bucket with a hole in it. My doc gives me free samples of Yasmin so I don't have to fight my insurance to get three packs each month.
I talked to my doc again today and she said it is really tough to tell which comes first, the anemia or the bleeding, but they do seem to occur together. She is committed to helping me stay at 13 and figuring out what the underlying cause is.
This is sort of a gross topic, but I am glad someone brought it up. Really, my entire town knows about my bleeding now and it has become an easy topic for me. Keep writing about it and you should have a really easy time talking to your doc about what should be right for you.
Best wishes. I think I am spending too much time on-line!
moffa
02-02-2008, 09:42 AM
Hi, My baby diaughter 96 months) has a heart murmer and no one can tell me whether it is safe to travel to an altitude of 1800 meter's! Can anyone help? Does a heart Murmer mean less oxygen is in the blood?
littlebunnyfoo
02-02-2008, 12:40 PM
I don't know anything about the flying thing, but I'm so glad someone brought up the heavy period thing.
My doctors keep asking me that and I honestly have always had longer and heavier periods since my teens. Only now, is it becoming a problem. I wonder why I was fine for all of those years and now the heaviness is causing anemia?
Anyway, my period goes like this...
Day 1. Light. Use a pad.
Day 2. Very heavy. Super tampon change every 1-2 hours almost all day. Tampons are full. Back-up pad. Get up at night 2-3 times to change overnight pad.
Day 3. Very heavy. Super tampon change every 2 hours most of day...can go a little longer toward end of day, but not much. Back-up pad. Get up at night 2-3 times to change overnight pad.
Day 4. Some relief! Moderate. Regular tampon changed every 2 hours. Sometimes just use a pad on this day since I used tampons so much the previous 2 days. Don't have to get up on this night! **I think this day is closest to what most normal women have as a period**
Day 5. Light-Moderate.
Day 6. Light.
Day 7. Very light.
My doctors keep asking me that and I honestly have always had longer and heavier periods since my teens. Only now, is it becoming a problem. I wonder why I was fine for all of those years and now the heaviness is causing anemia?
Anyway, my period goes like this...
Day 1. Light. Use a pad.
Day 2. Very heavy. Super tampon change every 1-2 hours almost all day. Tampons are full. Back-up pad. Get up at night 2-3 times to change overnight pad.
Day 3. Very heavy. Super tampon change every 2 hours most of day...can go a little longer toward end of day, but not much. Back-up pad. Get up at night 2-3 times to change overnight pad.
Day 4. Some relief! Moderate. Regular tampon changed every 2 hours. Sometimes just use a pad on this day since I used tampons so much the previous 2 days. Don't have to get up on this night! **I think this day is closest to what most normal women have as a period**
Day 5. Light-Moderate.
Day 6. Light.
Day 7. Very light.
moommin
02-02-2008, 03:17 PM
hi i have fibroids, ,low ferretin,and this last year i have to use incontinant pads,becouse my periods come out so fast, nothing will hold it,shirley