Question from one woman to another, serious answers please!?

Question

I am 33 with 2 children and for years have suffered very heavy and painful periods. it means 3 days of not being able to leave the house. i cant go on the pill as i suffer terribly with migraines (probable all hormonal) , i have tried the injection and had migraines solid for 3 months (although no bleeding-that was bliss!) my doctor put me on tables to slow the bleeding but all they did was prolong the agonising pain!!!
i had a smear 3 weeks ago and i am waiting on the results. i have talked about this with my husband, that "if" my cells in anyway are abnormal then i want a hysterectomy, he agreed. but the more i think about it, the more i want a hysterectomy anyway as this would take away the part of me which confides me to the loo for 7 days in a month!!!, what should i do??

i have an overactive thyroid which doesnt help as side effects of this are liver like lumps (hope your not eating!!) i once read in a magazine that the "average" woman should loose 2 tablespoons of blood a month!!! WHAT! I loose that while i sit on the loo. i reacon i must loose 2-3 pints a month, and yes i am anemic!
we have completed our family, and my husband is with me on this one as he suffers the side effects too!
while i write this i have been up 3 times to the loo, now thats not normal?

i did take mefenemic acid for 3 months (during my period) and i had side effects so my gp took me off them.
My husband does support my decision, as he doesnt like seeing me distressed during my cycle. i am up and down like a yo yo, this has been like this since my second daughter was born 4 1/2 years ago. i had a smear shortly after i had her and all was clear. i will go back to my gp and discuss it with him, sounds silly but as my gp is male i really dont think he understands? do you know what i mean?

Answer 1

ask the Doctor what side effects if any there may be for you if you do decide to go for it anyway. You may need to go on HRT, this may cause you more pains if they are hormone related.

i am 23 and would consider it, because my periods are few and far between but when i am on i can be on for months. so i know what you are going through. I to can't take the pill as it gives me chronic pains and i can't walk however my test came back normal and i went for a scan, apparently there's not much else they can do.

Answer 2

You poor thing, I feel for you - I had the same problem for years until I had the Mirena coil fitted. I was housebound for days at a time, didn't dare go out as I'd had more than one embarrassing 'accident'. I had the Mirena fitted and it was the best thing I ever did, my periods completely stopped for almost 3 years, and now I have some light spotting every 8 weeks or so. The only minor problem was that I had to have it put in under general anaesthetic, but it was either that or a hysterectomy.

Another alternative is a relatively new procedure called endometrial ablation - a special instrument is inserted into the uterus and heated to a very high temperature, burning away the lining. It's usually done under a general anaesthetic as a day case procedure - it's supposed to be as effective as a hysterectomy but you shouldn't need HRT afterwards as you will still have your ovaries. The recovery time is much quicker than for a hysterectomy as obviously there is no surgical wound.

Have a look at the website below, it describes endometrial ablation and also provides useful information on other treatments for heavy periods.

In any case, you really should go back to your GP and insist on a referral to a gynaecologist. If your GP refuses, see a different GP. Good luck, you really don't have to live like this.

Answer 3

Hi, I had similar problem, bled for a whole year without stopping, liver stuff too, had to wear at least 3 pads for work at a time, very tired, anaemic etc. Took the stop you bleeding pills, eventually had Mirema coil put in and haven't looked back - also had a D&C at same time. I no longer have a period and have had no side effects, a hysterectomy is a major operation and you would need HRT as you are quite young to have this done. Try talking to your GP about a Mirema coil or similar, far less drastic than a hysterectomy. It is awful bleeding so heavily and for so long, good luck. x

Answer 4

Full sympathies, only the wearer knows where shoes pinches.
Lets discuss common causes
1. Hormonal imbalance
2, fibroids
3, abnormal smears
4, Pelvic infections
5.Thyroid problems
and many other obscure causes
recommended tests are 1, smear 2, swabs 3, blood test to make sure you are not anemic as result of heavy bleeding, THyroid function test etc4, Ultrasound of abdomen and also vaginal examination by Nurse or doctor

Briefly, normally used step ladder approach for these conditions, though it may vary from person to person
1, Hormonal pills
2. Mefenamic acid/tranexamic acid
3. Mirena coil IUS CAN LAST UPTO 5years
4. Endometrial ablation/ Thermal balloon ablation, meaning scraping off/burning off inside lining of womb
5.Hysterectomy , only if all other fails, and if fibroids is the root cause of your problems, only then its further proceeding with hysterectomy

Word of warning, for all other methods if you have side effects or they did not work, you can stop them but if you went ahead with hysterectomy and then want more kids or else, no going back, I would recommend trying and exhausting other approaches first and then consider hysterectomy and anyway, hystercectomy is not at all indication for abnormal cells, Most women have abnormal smears and it can be treated fairly easily with Loop diathermy or freezing

Last point , is your thyoid under control as abnormal thyroid both underactive or overactive thyroid can cause excessive bleeding

Answer 5

I am so sorry to hear about your problems, but I now know that I am not on my own being stuck to the bathroom each month. I have no pain but if I am not chained to the toilet, I am forever changing. My doc sent me to the hospital to be checked out as the pill made me way too moody. The hospital eventually gave me hormone tablets but they made me moody, helped the periods though. They did a scan and found that I had two fibroid in my womb and that was the problem, they said they were too small to operate on as it was a big operation, I assumed they meant hysterectomy so hormone tablets were my only hope, which I declined.

Since then I have had a kidney transplant, not connected, and my periods have gone back to being the chained to the bathroom type. I feel at 34 that even though it is a big risk to my transplanted kidney to have more children, that I am not ready to have a hysterectomy yet. I feel that I am too young, but yes I can't cope with the periods. I can see that you want to get rid of the problem but it could be something else than abnormal cells and I wouldn't rush into it. You may be opening Pandora's box and jumping from one problem to another. Whatever you decided, good luck and I hope you get sorted and your results are normal.

Answer 6

Yeah, I can understand your thinking on this one, as I have very heavy/painful periods. I think you should think about it really well before you commit to anything, especially if your smear results come back clear, as it is quite a drastic step, it's one that you can't go back from, and I hesitate to say this, but it is only one week a month, and a hysterectomy is for the rest of your life. Just make sure you really want this before you make any decision. You can ask to change doctors or see another doctor without giving a reason, so if you feel uncomfortable about discussing this with a male Doc then ask to see a female doc. (It might help as she's probably been there with the period stuff!)Maybe go for counselling or something to discuss is with someone first? That might help to sort out your feelings about it... Other than that, I wish you the best of luck, I hope you get this sorted. If you really feel strongly about it you owe it to yourself to look into it. Talk to you husband, as well, you need to make sure he's ok with the idea, too. Good Luck!

Answer 7

Can you try to get a female's doctor's advice before you go for it? There must be one at the practice. I don't understand all the ins and outs, but you should be sure that the hysterectomy will stop the pain, and that the pain isn't caused by anything else as well. I mean, you could have pollops in your womb, and if you got those out it would help. That would be a less major operation too. See if you can get a scan of some sort to find out what is going on.

If you do get a hysterectomy, watch out for osteoperosis as a result of an early menopause. That's what happened to my gran.

Answer 8

What does your husband think about you having one whatever the outcome? If you both are absolutely sure your family is complete then maybe it's right for you.

Do some research about HRT and all that though, that might be just as aggravating! You should discuss it with your Doc, and really think long and hard about it, no going back.

Oh and if there was anything wrong with your smear you'd have heard by now = )

I once saw some weird like cup thing on Ebay, you use it instead of a tampon, it kinda cups inside you and collects all the blood, do you think this would be good for you? I'll have a see if I can find it and post the link later.....

Lots of love x

Answer 9

I had a hysterectomy at the age of 30, after being able to have 2 children. I suffered from endometriosis and do NOTregret the day I had the op. My only down side is that nearly 6 years later I am still seeing the HRT nurse trying to get my levels right. I hope the gyny lets you have one. All the very best to you...

Answer 10

Firstly, have you been to see a Gynecologist as opposed to just a General Practitioner? The symptoms you are describing sound very much like you may suffer from endometriosis. You might be aware, but in case you are not... endometriosis is a disease where the lining of the uterus (endometrial cells) grow outside of the uterus. Heavy and prolonged periods, extreme amounts of pain, frequent urination and cysts, inconsistent hormone levels and infertility or difficulty in conceiving are all common symptoms of endometriosis. Certainly there are more and you needn't have all.

One of the problems with the diagnosis of endometriosis is that because its symptoms are common to other diseases, it can only be properly diagnosed through a laparoscopy. (A surgery where they insert cameras into your uterus and surrounding areas to actually see the liaisons.)

So with a bit of background out of the way and keeping in mind I am not a physician, I suggest you see an OB/GYN as soon as possible. There are a variety of treatments, none completely effective except for a hysterectomy (which is the final course of treatment in most cases.) Because the growth of the endometrial cells is dependant on the amount of estrogen in the body, there are also medications available which temporarily (6months) cause your body to go into menopause. These have proven to be extremely effective. Many forms of contraception are also used in treatment, but as you stated earlier, these create further more troublesome problems.

Please keep in mind this is a very general overview, there is plenty of information available on the web.

Good luck!

Answer 11

If I was going thru everything you were and DEFINATELY did not want more children then I was opt for a hysterectomy. It's not an easy op to get over, and your hubby would need to take on the lions share of the housework and dealing with the children, but after the initial couple of months it would be well worth it! You need to be able to live again - I know it's only 7 days a month but thats roughly a quarter of your life and then theres the anticipation of the next period.
I'd def go for the op.