So fed up of this constant bleeding - Menopause Message Board

Gavi112 · 01-10-2008, 04:08 PM

Past 12 months have been a nightmare, not had one normal cycle or period. I am nearly 47 yrs old. I can go anything from 2 weeks to 8 weeks between periods but can then get spotting and slight bleeding for up to 6 weeks or I get incredibly heavy bleeding where I have to change a pad every hour and can feel that awful sensation of it pouring out of you yuj tmi.

I had all the tests three months ago - hysteroscopy D&C biopsy and ultrasound and all totally normal so diagnosed with dysfunctional uterine bleeding probably due to hormone imbalance.

Due to family history of breast and ovarian cancer cannot do artificial hormones and gyny can only offer my a hysterectomy which I would happily have it I didn't have to have an operation and go into hospital and recover afterwards!!

At end of Sept 07 I went 7 weeks no bleed then started spotting or slight bleeding - this lasted 5 weeks then had 10 very heavy days. Finally just about stopped except for tiny tiny spot once a day but now 2 weeks later I am into day 3 of dreadfully heavy period.

My Dr took blood tests yestsrday to see if I need to supplement iron - up to now I have managed to keep my blood count normal but don't know how long that will last. I cannot take tranexamic acid to reduce bleeding as it causes leg cramps which could be a sign that I would be at risk of thrombosis.

MY gyny has said if I get aneamic then I seriously need to consider having a hysterectomy but I am so terrified of hospitals and operations.

I C Hot · 01-10-2008, 07:05 PM

Hi Gavi112,

Sorry to hear about all this bleeding you are having. I did have a hysterectomy back in 1998 and though it wasn't a fun procedure and recovery it was sure better then what I was dealing with. You might look into a good progesterone cream, as that might help regulate your period and help you to feel better. Sorry I am not more help, but wanted you to know that you are not alone.
Julie

liverpool sue · 01-11-2008, 03:16 AM

hello. i guess you're the only one who can decide whether or not you can put up with the bleeding, knowing that it will come to an end at some point when you hit menopause, which by the sound of it won't be too long. i too suffered very heavy periods, needing to change pads almost every 15 minutes at one stage, and feeling it run out of me. something to bear in mind is that although it seems like you're bleeding to death sometimes, the actual blood loss is relatively small and very few ladies suffer any anaemia, so i hope that reassures you.
lots of ladies have hysterectomies when they're having your symptoms, and lots of ladies put up with it (as i did) and wait for it to be over. that may not be a lot of help to you right now, but it is something only you can decide.
whatever you do, i wish you well and know what a difficult time in our lives this can be.

Gavi112 · 01-11-2008, 07:06 AM

thanks. Another thing I find strange is that I can bleed either slightly for a weeks or horribly heavily for a few days and yet I always have a good blood count. I have always had a blood count at the very top of normal (15) and it only drops to 13.9 when I bleed excessivley for days on end and within a week of it stopping its back to 15.

My Dr thinks this is great and says I must be very good at maintaining my levels. I have had my iron stores tested and they are always within normal range.

Liverpool sue you say that lots of people can bleed like this and never get aneamic but sometimes it worries me that I can bleed such a lot and not get aneamic! I have awful health anxiety so one minute I am convinced I am aneamic then next that I have hemochromatosis!!

liverpool sue · 01-11-2008, 07:43 AM

and isn't becoming a hypochondriac yet another symptom of all this? so many things happening all at once, no wonder we worry so much about it!!
i always try and tell myself that menopause is a natural process, and not an illness, and that one day we women will be back to whatever the new normal will be for us, minus the periods and awful symptoms.
a little blood goes an awful long way too. i can't remember what the actual quantity is of an average period, but it is a very, very small amount. so even with heavy and prolonged periods, it's much less than the pint (or metric equivalent) that you might donate and still not suffer any effects.
good luck gav.