Menstrual Flooding - Menopause Message Board

Halcyon · 04-21-2003, 04:41 AM

Hi everyone!
Along with my other pre-menopause symptoms, I am really suffering from flooding every month. Basically I get two weeks of brown mucus before my period is due and then when it begins properly the flooding I experience is full-on! No amount of pads etc. really work and I have to change many times in an hour. I've been to the doctor who referred me to the gyno who then recently gave me a D&C and hysteroscopy.
She says that everything is normal in there and that there is no medical reason for my flooding. I was taking a prescribed Herbal hormonal balancing formula for 12 months which I recently decided really wasn't making a difference.
So where to now? The gyno has recommended for me to take a low dose of The Pill to help regulate the flow. She says the only other alternatives I have for the flooding are:
1. An IUD which releases hormones directly into my system
2. A "? Ablation" (sorry can't remember the term) which is basically when they remove the uterus lining.
3. A hysterectomy

Just now I have opted for the "least invasive" of the three - The Pill - to see if that will make a difference. I can't believe I am going to be taking this again after 20 years! and not really happy about it either.

Has anyone else here had the "flooding" experience and found anything which has helped?
I look forward to hearing of any advice or suggestions....
(at present I feel like moving into the bathroom for 3 days of every month and just sitting on the loo!!! LOL. Actually the nights are the worst - lying in bed with the gravity factor on piles of towels is just no fun!)

As you can imagine all of this blood loss every month is leaving me anaemic and feeling weak and exhausted but any iron supplements I've tried constipate severely. *sigh*

Thanks for listening!
apprentice crone

bjg · 04-22-2003, 05:14 AM

i had an endometrial ablation with a laser because i had heavy periods ..it was painless and successful..

Halcyon · 04-22-2003, 06:37 AM

Thanks for your reply!
So would you recommend the endometrial ablation?
Were you given any other alternatives to consider ?
Did it ease the heavy periods or stop them altogether?

kat721 · 04-22-2003, 11:46 AM

The success of endometrial ablation depends on the internal condition and the skill of the surgeon.
If the problem is a result of extensive Adenomyosis then it is unlikely that ablation would provide a long term answer.
Unfortunately, there are not any good ways to tell if a woman has a bad case of adenomyosis or not until the Uterus is removed and sent to pathology. That is because the endometrium grows into the uterine muscle
and it is not visible. Even with imaging tests.
Generally, if a Doctor does a lot of ablations and hysterectomys then it's possible the Doctor might recognize a problem with respect to symptoms and the out come of past patients.
I've been surprised at the amount of Gynecologists who have a lack of understanding with these kinds of problems.
I went through 4 gynecologists and a reproductive endocrinologist.
I didn't go the ablation route. I opted for the hysterectomy. My big symptom was pain though.
kat

snowbug · 04-22-2003, 06:38 PM

This sounds very much like what I am experiencing with my periods now--a total nightmare on the days I have to be in classes or out running errands. On the worst days I have to visit the restroom every 1/2 hour, and sleeping at night is very complicated and usually involves a bunch of towels. I am 37 and it has been suggested that I may be starting perimenopause. I had two periods this month 14 days apart, and the second one included some of the brownish type you describe.

The aggrevating thing is, when my son was born in 2000 (planned C-section due to full placenta previa), the MD was concerned about my bleeding after delivery and said if it was bad they might have to remove my uterus. I have been wishing that they had ever since!!!!