# I need period help..



## karma*girl (Apr 28, 2012)

Hi ladies,

Can anyone help me?
(Maybe a TMI post, but I'm sure most of you aren't squeamish and will understand...: ) 

I am at the end of my rope with the amount I bleed every month.

Today is day 2 and in the last 24 hrs., I have gone through 8 pairs of underwear..before I know it, I am leaking everywhere. 
I soak through the biggest tampon in less than an hour sometimes.
It is so disruptive to my life. : /

I have been to my gyn. and had a blood test, pap, ultra-sounds, (internal & external,) and there is nothing serious to report.

I just turned 38 and I have been dealing with this for the past year or so. I also notice my cycle is shorter- more like 25 days or so, instead of the 28-30 days like it used to be. 
It's horrible. The bleeding is crazy in the first 2 full days- lots of clotting too. 

I just realized that I am supposed to start smack-dab in the middle of our 20 year anniversary trip to Europe. This worries me so much. I am hoping to figure out a remedy before we go, so I don't have a disaster there.

Has anyone tried anything that has worked for lessening the heavy bleeding and or extending your cycle?

Important to note- This is my 3rd cycle on bio-identical progesterone. My gyn. noted that my progesterone was on the lowest side of normal. 
I thought I'd try it and see if it helps. 
3 months down and still waiting for some relief. I heard it could take 3-6 months to see a change. 
It DOES help my mood during PMS though, so that's a definite plus! 

Thank you so much for any tips, help, advice, etc..

*As a side-note- my gyn did talk about birth control, but I don't want to go the 'synthetic hormone' route. I am looking for something more natural..

THANK YOU!!!


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## RainbowBrite (Dec 30, 2015)

karma*girl said:


> Hi ladies,
> 
> Can anyone help me?
> (Maybe a TMI post, but I'm sure most of you aren't squeamish and will understand...: )
> ...


Hopefully the bioidentical progesterone will eventually help, but another thing you could try is to get a herbal prescription from a naturopath. I've found herbs to be incredibly helpful. Also, less sugar/carbs is huge. Optimize your diet.

I was in the same boat though, right before a really nice trip. My gynaecologist prescribed something to stop bleeding that I could take if I felt I needed it. I can't remember just now what it was, but it was literally a medication that they prescribe to hemophiliac patients. I took it with me but never used it. It was comforting to know I had it though, if I needed it.

I'm sorry I can't remember what it was called but I'm sure your gyn will know, if you ask about it.


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## Yeswecan (Jul 25, 2014)

My W did the same when she was 41. Went for weeks. She did have a cyst on her ovary removed and at that time discovered she has had endometriosis for quite sometime. She too stayed off any hormone therapy. The long drawn out periods did not persist but now have become irregular in the sense that she is a week early or late. Nothing really normal. Then again, there is not really a normal cycle is there. 

Try a second opinion?


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## Hope1964 (Sep 26, 2011)

Have you discussed the possibility of getting an ablation with your gynecologist? My SIL had one and it stopped her periods altogether. I never tried it - I just suffered through till my periods ended in 2012. SO glad to be menopausal!!!


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## Fitnessfan (Nov 18, 2014)

Like Hope suggested, I think the ablation is a big help for this. I have a good friend who went through this for years and the ablation completely fixed it. Also I recommend Tampax Ultra. They are literally 4 times the size of super and super plus. I have no idea what took them so long to come up with this. You can get them on amazon. They were a life changer for me!


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## kristin2349 (Sep 12, 2013)

I had uterine ablation surgery. It works and is a relatively "easy" surgery BUT you will never be able to have children.

If your Progesterone is low raising it will help, if your bioidentical is not made by a compounding pharmacy it is likely not strong enough.


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## SunnyT (Jun 22, 2011)

Also...... try two tampons at a time, along with the giant/super/maxi night time pad. It feels kind of ridiculous but is helpful in protecting your clothing.


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## happy as a clam (Jan 5, 2014)

Two at a time?? 

Progesterone always works for me (but I take a super-potent oral pill formula--bio identical creams aren't strong enough), so not quite sure what to tell you.

Try a heavy nighttime maxi pad plus Depends disposable undergarments.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## always_alone (Dec 11, 2012)

Sorry, I have no solutions. But you have my sympathy. Am dealing with a similar problem myself, and you ate reminding me that I need to get on having that ultrasound that my doctor ordered.

Make sure to check for underlying cause!


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## kristin2349 (Sep 12, 2013)

OP,

Since you are bleeding so heavily, you need to have a full iron panel run *make sure your Dr. checks ferritin (stored iron). Before I corrected my heavy bleeding with uterine ablation I became critically anemic and ferritin defficient. I ended up in the hospital and had to be treated with infusions...I bascially lost a year and half of my life and half of my hair (temporarily thank God), anemia can be much more serious than it sounds.


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## greeneyedlily (Nov 10, 2012)

Try menstrual reg from amazon helped me tremendously periods are much more normal now I still have a two hour time where things are kind of heavy, but it was terrible before several days of pretty much bleeding so heavy I did not want to leave the house. Its so much better now with menstrual reg!  

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk


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## aine (Feb 15, 2014)

It will take a while for the bioidenticals to kick in, I was on them for quite a while for mood/general health (no longer though as I had problems with everything, progesterone, oestrogen, testosterone, cortisol, etc). I eventually chose Ayurvedic medicine and haven't looked back since.
in your case you should ask Gynae to check for fibroids, endometriosis or adenomyosis. I had the latter for years which caused pain and heavy bleeding and ended up had to go on a low dose contraceptive pill. You might have to consider this. I came off it when I hit perimenopause as it messed up my hormones due to long term usage. You should ask gynae to recommend a low dose pill that will help.


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## TeddieG (Sep 9, 2015)

aine said:


> It will take a while for the bioidenticals to kick in, I was on them for quite a while for mood/general health (no longer though as I had problems with everything, progesterone, oestrogen, testosterone, cortisol, etc). I eventually chose Ayurvedic medicine and haven't looked back since.
> *in your case you should ask Gynae to check for fibroids, endometriosis or adenomyosis. I had the latter for years which caused pain and heavy bleeding and ended up had to go on a low dose contraceptive pill*. You might have to consider this. I came off it when I hit perimenopause as it messed up my hormones due to long term usage. You should ask gynae to recommend a low dose pill that will help.


Someone else mentioned endometriosis too, as well as a cystic ovary. I had the kind of periods in high school that you are describing. One day I got up from my seat on the school bus to prepare to get out when the bus stopped and the back of my pants and shirt were covered. I was put on oral contraceptives in high school, had problems in college, and finally, when I had insurance, a gynecologist did a laparoscopy and found endometriosis all over my abdomen, big fibroids, adenomyosis, and a huge fibroid growing from my ovary and attaching to my uterus. All of that and my high school problems were from estrogen dominance I now know, and it was all taken out. I was barely 30 years old. 

I use a supplement, Positive Passage, from Andrew Lessman, and a progesterone cream. I tried the pill form of progesterone but it was too strong and caused side effects, but the cream twice a day helps, but yes, it takes time for the bioidenticals to kick in. 

But it took me YEARS to get gynecologists to take me seriously and help me with my problem. 

Good luck, especially since I hope your trip to Europe is fabulous.


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## frusdil (Sep 5, 2013)

OP you have my sympathy. My periods have been all over the place this year...January never happened (we thought I was pregnant and were ridiculously excited)...Feb was normal, March was a week late, then April came and was light, no cramping but wouldn't stop!! I had go to the Dr and take Primolut N(progesterone) to make it stop...I had to stay on it for 2 weeks, and then stop and have my May period which I'm on now. It has been HORRENDOUS. The cramps have been unbearable and the bleeding soooo heavy I couldn't leave the house. I'm giving it 5 days and then I'm back to the Dr...I'm not going through this again.

I'll be very interested to hear how you go with your bio identicals...that might be something I need to try down the track. I'm not willing to try things like Mirena or other implants...My doc won't put me on the pill because of my age (43), so I'm not sure what other options I have...

I had the exact same problem as you at 38, and had internal/external ultrasounds and nothing was found. I was put on Primolut N to stop the horrendous bleeding and re-start my cycle, which worked. The problem corrected itself and was put down to hormones and stress (both my parents were in hospital at the time - dad had just been diagnosed with terminal cancer and mum broke her hip).


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## staarz21 (Feb 6, 2013)

Mine have also been terrible! I've been going in for testing non stop and recently found out that my latest biopsy has to be re-done. Ugh a nightmare! 

I have had:

Bleeding for as long as 6 weeks at a time
Bleeding through a super plus tampon in about 45 mins
My cycle isn't normal anymore at all. I used to be able to track it like clockwork. Now, sometimes it comes in 4 weeks, sometimes it comes in 2...just depends on how happy Aunt Flo is to see me. 
I've clotted a bunch as well
Severe cramps, especially on days 2 and 3. Like...can't get off the couch, throbbing in my back and down to my knees cramps.

I have tried:
The pill...in 2 forms a low dose and a higher dose because the low one didn't work. 
Now I have a Mirena IUD - got it about 2-3 weeks ago.

So far, the bleeding has stopped. I spotted for a while, but no more crazy bleeding. It's wonderful to be able to leave the house and not worry about if I have blood on me or not. I always wear a liner, just in case though. I can't seem to shake the feeling that it will return with a vengeance. 

The next stop will be an Ablation like the others have suggested. It's worked so well for other women with this same issue.


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## Template (Aug 2, 2011)

KG- Years ago when I was in my mid thirties to early forties, I had heavy bleeding the first 36 hours of my period. I'd soak through 2 super tampons in 45 to 50 minutes for about 12 hours. After that, the flow was just heavy. My OBGYN prescribed Naproxen Sodium (which is Aleve over the counter). The dosage was 500 to 600 mg every 8 hours. I just took it during the really heavy time, so about two doses during the bad day. It was amazing. It cut the flow way down so I wasn't running to the restroom every 45 minutes and didn't have double up on tampons anymore. You could try that.


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## norajane (Feb 7, 2012)

You might also want to try a menstrual cup. There is a learning curve, but they hold more than a tampon and you won't have to buy so many tampons. I eventually stopped using tampons altogether. I use Lunette, but there are many brands out there. I think Whole Foods and CVS have them on their shelves, as does Target.


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## VeryHurt (Mar 11, 2011)

Has your GYN mentioned a D & C ?


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## FeministInPink (Sep 13, 2012)

Fitnessfan said:


> Like Hope suggested, I think the ablation is a big help for this. I have a good friend who went through this for years and the ablation completely fixed it. Also I recommend Tampax Ultra. They are literally 4 times the size of super and super plus. I have no idea what took them so long to come up with this. You can get them on amazon. They were a life changer for me!


TAMPAX ULTRA IS THE BEST!!! They really are a life changer. OB also makes Ultra tampons, but without an applicator.

(They're actually been around for AGES, just impossible to find. They were mostly taken off the market after the big TSS scare back in the day, but ultra tampons have become more common in recent years.) You can order them on Amazon, and I've seen a few stores which carry them.

If you are going to Europe, BRING all the sanitary pads/tampons you'll need with you--you may not be able to get your brand there, depending on the country you're in. Especially not the Tampax ultra. AND most of the tampons sold in Europe do NOT have applicators. OB tampons seem to be pretty widely available in Europe.

Feminine Hygiene Around the World


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## MambaZee (Aug 6, 2013)

Hi karma,

I haven't posted on TAM in ages (lurk sometimes) but wanted to chime in with my experience in case it helps.

Few years ago, I noticed my periods getting heavier and heavier so I had an ablation, which didn't work for me at all (I mean, zero lessening of periods) and made problems worse. Instead of 7 day periods, mine went to 10, including a few days of a smelly discharge that I didn't have before. As you can imagine, this impacted sex life with H. I'd been using a Diva Cup for a long time but still had to empty it every 30-45 minutes on my worst days, couldn't sleep through the night, etc. Cycles could be anywhere from 21-29 days and I had lots of clots, too. Horrible.

Before & after that, I'd tried natural remedies, including cutting meat out of my diet & the Shepherd's purse herbal tonic. Didn't work. Finally, after my ablation, my doctor put me on Lysteda, which helped some but I still had to take iron so that I didn't end up anemic again. Also, because menopause was a long way off for me, I knew I didn't want to take such strong medication long term. I did a lot of research & figured out that I probably had adenomyosis but because most docs tell you they can't say for sure without a hysterectomy, all I could do was suspect (I had nearly all the symptoms). I ended up getting a hysterectomy 2 years ago and found out that I did have adeno. Surgery is the only cure for that.

See if your doctor will prescribe Lysteda (or generic version) for your trip. When you get back, talk to him/her about what could possibly be causing the bleeding. I know firsthand how horribly disruptive it can be; I would get depressed and angry every period because I was essentially tied to my house for days on end. That was really no way to live and since my surgery, things have been wonderful. 

Best of luck!


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## Anonymous07 (Aug 4, 2012)

I would look into herbal supplements that can help regulate hormones in the hope that it can help with the excessive bleeding as well. 

I'd also suggest trying a menstrual cup. I know it sounds weird, but they are awesome.  There are several different brands that are all slightly different in design and size. I use the EvaCup(or did prior to pregnancy) and love it! I have endometriosis with severe cramps and heavy bleeding, and the cup really made a difference for me. It worked so much better than tampons and was better than pads. You can look at Youtube for comparisons between different menstrual cup brands to find out which one might work best for your body.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_G87oBd6rOw


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## WallaceBea (Apr 7, 2014)

Have you had your iron levels checked? 

My periods were incredibly heavy a few months ago - I was using one jumbo tampon every hour. I had recently gone vegetarian, and wasn't getting enough iron, and that is what was causing the heavy bleeding.


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## karma*girl (Apr 28, 2012)

Wow! Thank you all SOO much for your insightful replies!!
It is definitely comforting to know I am not alone! Not that I wish this major frustration on ANYONE though!
What we women have to go through, our whole lives, from puberty to menopause...sheesh.
I curse being a woman every single month, since these out-of-control periods came about.

I have been using the Tampax Ultra tampon for the last year or so and I can easily soak through one in less than an hour during my heaviest hours.
Usually day 2-3 it's the very worst. 

I told my husband that I WISH there was a menstrual vacuum that we could use to just get it all out in a couple minute session...or at least most of it! 
How nice would that be?...in my heaviest times I get desperate for remedies! Haha! 

I actually take Naproxen Sodium (680mg. which is 3 pills,) for the cramps and sadly it doesn't help lessen the flow..reduces pain though: )

My iron is surprisingly good! I get a blood test done every year and I just got my results back in March..as of then all is well. I was actually really surprised..normally I am ever so slightly anemic, but this time, I am in normal range: )
My heavy periods have been going on for a couple of years now..experiencing shortening of my cycles as I go. 

Something I just found out in my extensive research is that many women have found relief with orally taking Organic *Unsulfered* Blackstrap Molasses. I just bought some and gagged down the recommended TBS. per day. 
Oh it's so gross...it's so thick, but I blended it with ice & almond milk and make a small shake.
It tastes kind of like what slightly sweet burnt coffee mixed with alcohol would taste like, haha! 
At least blending it made it more palatable. I just kept thinking..."what's worse, massive bleeding for 24 hrs. or this flavor for 5 minutes!? It's worth it, it's worth it..." (Assuming it works for me!!)
The huge bummer is that I won't know if it works until I start again and my next period will occur during my trip..grrrr!!!

I might just take that TBS. without all the extras and get it over with..some people said to put it in your coffee which I could see might be decent..except I don't drink coffee!

It was said that it works the first month of taking it: ) The health benefits are numerous, as well...so I figured, what the heck!

You ladies should look it up- I had never heard of it before until I searched (deeply) for remedies. 
One caveat- if you have a high iron level or take iron, they recommend you stop because the BSM is high in iron which is perfect, for those suffering from anemia from the heavy bleeding. 

I am at the point where I will sacrifice a lot in order to make sure I am not bleeding profusely on a plain, train or bicycle...What a mess to have to deal with there, in Europe!! I will definitely bring loads of my own tampons to make sure I am covered..thank you for that tip!


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## SecondTime'Round (Jan 15, 2015)

I have not read all the responses, but if you're done having kids, I'd try the ablation. My twin sis just had one at the end of 2015 for the same reasons as you (she had just turned 43) and is loving the results. She's had cramps once, but no bleeding. I'm jealous and might get it at the end of this year since I'm about to use up my 6K deductible with elbow surgery (so I might as well since I also have bad periods).


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## SecondTime'Round (Jan 15, 2015)

karma*girl said:


> I have been using the Tampax Ultra tampon for the last year or so and I can easily soak through one in less than an hour during my heaviest hours.
> Usually day 2-3 it's the very worst.


On my worst months I was soaking through the biggest ones in 5 minutes! Something was seriously wrong those months and it was 5 years ago. I mean, it must have been wrong because that is so abnormal. But, I'm like you (and have been pretty much my whole adult life). I can't plan anything for day 2 of my period if I won't be near a bathroom all day. It really affects my life . 

Also, side note....about 4 years or so ago I had another endometrial biopsy and it came back with a uterine infection that my dr. said may have been there at a low level since my last c section, which was 9 years prior. I went on an antibiotic and my periods DID get markedly better. They are still not fun, but not as bad as that particular time.


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## MattMatt (May 19, 2012)

Get a second opinion from a different surgeon.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Begin again (Jul 4, 2016)

One word: ibuprofen. I read that it reduces the volume of blood between 25 and 30%, but for me it was more like 60%! I was like you, bleeding though an ultra in an hour. I tried lysteda, but didn't like how it made me feel. I considered ablation, but hate the idea of surgery. Then I tried taking 2 ibuprofen as soon as my period started and taking it all through my period. Worked for me! I even took my kids to a water park on my heaviest day!!!!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Livvie (Jan 20, 2014)

Hi,

I am 47 and have really heavy periods. I have three small fibroids. I too have been trying to address the bleeding issue, it has gotten life disrupting lately.

I tried the black strap molasses. I actually love the taste! Tried it for months and it didn't make a difference at all (however I recently had a blood test/ferritin check and it was all good so maybe it's kept my levels from falling).

What did help was progesterone cream!! The last two periods were actually NORMAL. I have my life back!!!!!


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## FeministInPink (Sep 13, 2012)

Begin again said:


> One word: ibuprofen. I read that it reduces the volume of blood between 25 and 30%, but for me it was more like 60%! I was like you, bleeding though an ultra in an hour. I tried lysteda, but didn't like how it made me feel. I considered ablation, but hate the idea of surgery. Then I tried taking 2 ibuprofen as soon as my period started and taking it all through my period. Worked for me! I even took my kids to a water park on my heaviest day!!!!
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


Interesting. I may have to give this a try.

Sent from my SM-G930T using Tapatalk


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## Adelais (Oct 23, 2013)

I too went through heavy bleeding like you describe in my 40's. I didn't want to go on hormones, or get anything surgically done because we wanted more children. Using 2 super tampons, one beside the other, with a pad helped deal with the risk of "accidents." Even so, I didn't always catch it on time. With that amount of blood loss, anemia is a probability, so your blackstrap molasses remedy is very smart!

Oh the things we women have to endure. With all that, I'm glad to be a woman!!! Feeling life moving inside was well worth it!


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