bleeding for months

happytoknow · 12-31-2002, 03:44 AM

I have been dealing with AF for 7 months. I have had a few times here and there when I would stop for a few days, but it's been more on than off. I can't seem to find a doctor that is helping. The only thing I ever get is that a cyst has ruptured and that's the reason I'm passing clots and that I need to be on birth control. Last week, I started shaking really bad, I guess from the loss of blood. I took some iron pills to help with that. I just want to know if anyone else has had something like this happen to them, and what they said to their doctor to get them to WAKE UP and do something about it instead of giving me the same tired number.

scarletakb · 12-31-2002, 11:14 AM

I had this too. Here is what I think was happening to me, and what I did about it....

Prior to this non-stop bleeding episode... I had gone many months without having AF.... then I started this spotting/bleeding, and I thought, oh boy.. AF... but, what I really think was happening was that my uterous was soooooo full of lining, that it was "leaking" out. (sorry if that's TMI).. and it would go on and on and on... I would have absolutely no blood there for a day or two.. then a major gusher would happen, and I would bleed for weeks again... it was awful!

So, what I did was get a progesterone supplement from my doctor. She gave me a 10 day supply of prometrium... my period started on the second day of taking it.

I think if you are prone to have this happen, which it sounds like you are... it will definately happen again.

What I've just recently started doing was using in stead of prescribed meds, is Natural Progesterone Cream... I get it at Walmart, and it is pretty cheep... like $12.00??) You can use this instead of the progesterone supplements if you are tired of your doctor giving you the run around.

Read what it says on the jar... but, most say 1/4-1/2 teaspoons twice a day.. ( I use a quarter teaspoon... and do measure it to be exact). You have to apply it to a different part of your body everytime you use it, as your receptors can get oversaturated... rub it into your face, breasts, arms, legs.. bottom of your feet.

use it for 14 days on... 14 days off... and rotate this. Now, I am going to warn you... you will probably get your first REAL AF a few days after you start as it has been so long for you.... and be stocked up on TONS of feminine products. I actually had to take a couple of days off of work because I was flowing sooo hard.

Anyway.. sorry this is sooo long. but, my heart just went out to you because I know how bad that can be... I bled for 7 months straight.... it was not fun.

Please let me know if you need any more help... I'll do the best I can..

happytoknow · 12-31-2002, 05:13 PM

That is exactly what I have been having! It is such torture to bleed for that long and then to hear people complaining "oh, I actually had 4 days of it instead of 3." I wish I only had days of it! I will definatly go out and buy that cream. Thanks so much for your help and for actually letting me know what it was. I got more info from you than any doctor I've seen.

scarletakb · 12-31-2002, 05:22 PM

I'm sooo glad I was able to help!!! Just remember I warned you that you will have the AF from H*LL!

and let me know how it goes for you.. okay?

and, if you don't get AF right away.. continue on the cream for 14 days.. then take 14 days off.. and 14 days back on until the whole thing works out. and, I'll be around if you have any questions you can PM me..

JaimeJenn · 01-02-2003, 03:57 AM

I had the same problem as well...except with me, I bled for nearly a year or maybe more. I was too shy to tell anyone or go to the doc...so I just dealt with it for months...Finally, I got up the courage to go..(cuz I was getting that shaking thing)...the doc put me on BCPs....they helped...then I moved..had no insurance and my prescription ran out..(this was in Oct 01)...so then I didnt have a period for like 5 months...then bam again...for like 3 months...this time I went to the doc tho...tried 3 different kinds of BCPs with no help...finally found one that works....altho it wreaks havoc on my body

Oh well....My prescription runs out again in 3 months and we just moved and I dont have a doc/insurance yet so not sure what I will do!

Anyways, just wanted you to know you're not alone!! Keep your chin up!

HopeNJesus · 01-02-2003, 12:12 PM

Happytoknow,

I went through the exact same thing! My doctor put me on a 10 day process of provera until all the tests for PCOS came back. It helped a little. The major help, however, came when I started BCP's. These wonderful little pills have got my body back on track! I have been ABSOLUTELY regular for two months straight, without any spotting or bleeding between cycles. I know some women don't like the idea of BCP, and I would definitely say to ask a doctor first, but you might want to give it a try.

dna · 01-02-2003, 01:55 PM

happytoknow....

I just went through the same thing as well !!!
I ended up going on the BCP for a month and it stopped !!! although it made me a complete bear !!
I am off them now and havent seen AF for 2 months .. I am going to take a PG test (cuz ya just never know) and then take Provera to bring her on again (since I have some left over) and hopefully she will go away though ...

I do however like the suggestion of the natural progesterone..I think I may try that as well ... since Walmart is just around the corner and I go there ah LOTS !!!!! LOL !

Take care and GOOD LUCK !!

happytoknow · 01-03-2003, 06:07 AM

First, I would like to thank all of you who replied. Your help was greatly appreciated. But I have another question. The bleeding has stopped for almost a week now, but suddenly, I am so tired! I can't ever seem to get enough sleep. I have a hard time going to sleep(I'm up at 4 am writing this) but once I do go to bed, I don't want to get up, regardless of how many hours I've slept. Once I wake up, I make myself get out of bed, but I'm tired all day long. Sometimes, I have to lay back down, I just can't function. Has any one else had this as well?

scarletakb · 01-03-2003, 11:19 AM

Yes... I have had that with the progesterone supplements that the doctor had prescribed to me. They do tend to make you tired. I have also been tired on the NPC... however, it doesn't seem to be as bad as when I was taking the supplements. Also, you maybe a little anemic (sp??) since you have been bleeding for sooo long.

I'd suggest taking very good care of yourself the next few weeks... if you are tired, allow yourself to get more than enough sleep... make sure you are eating right, and getting some vitamins... Also, try to spend some time outside in light exercise... the fresh air, and exercise will help with the tiredness...

BTW, did you try to send me a PM??? I continually have problems with my PM box here... it sent me a message that I was over my limit... but I had nothing in my box.. it's weird...

Anyway, you can email me at scarletakb@yahoo.com...

MommaPaula · 01-04-2003, 02:22 AM

Hi,
I'm a newbie to the board, but not to pcos, but after reading this post, I thought I would share.

I had Years of constant AF. It was heavy and constant,and never stopped. I was TTC at the time, and my Dr.'s response was to take BCP's to regulate it. I had reactions in the past to BCP's so that was out of the question, so he simply said to deal with it.

I later got some pretty good insurance and went to a Reproductive Specialist, who diag. PCOS after looking at my ovaries, and my history. After a few months of fertility injections, and still no preg., he ran a test, which for the life of me I cant recall what it was called, but he injected dye in my uterus, and found a polyp the size of a small melon. It was non cancerous, and not a fibroid tumor, just a polyp that had grown. That was causing all the bleeding! It was removed the same day, and the next cycle I was pregnant. I now have 5 yr old twins. (However, not a single AF since they were born due to the PCOS...Sigh, I cant win for losing!)

My advice is to never give up on getting good treatment and always have something checked out that isnt "your" normal.

Paula

taradon · 01-06-2003, 08:46 PM

I had the same problem a few years ago... it was actually the final straw that finally convinced me to see a dr about all my symptoms, and i was then diagnosed with pcos.

my dr put me on BCPs to regulate my cycles and prevent the problem in the future. also, as a short term solution to stop the current bleeding (until i could get on a more normal cycle), she had me take 600 mg of of ibuprofen every 4 hours until the bleeding stopped.

StaciM · 01-06-2003, 09:01 PM

All I can say is Thank God for the Internet! I totally sympathize with you HappytoKnow, except mine went for 4 years straight. It started when I was about 19 and at that time all I was told was to lose weight. I ended up not doing anything till one day my periods just stopped coming. I agree with scarlet's treatment suggestion. Don't give up on finding a decent doctor to treat your PCOS. They are out there, you just have to find them!

mg79 · 01-06-2003, 09:40 PM

I can't believe how many there that have gone through this.

I was so scared when it started happening and couldn't talk to anyone about it. I finally went to my doctor after bleeding for a year and a half. She did some tests, and put me on birth control. I never found out what was wrong with me.

I went off the bc after a year due to insurance issues. I didn't have a af for about a year. Then I started to bleed again. I had to find out what was wrong with me. I started going to a new doctor at the beginning for 2002. She referred me on and I was finally dx with PCOS. I am now on Met and had my first regular af in years on Provera last month. I hope that I will have a regular af on my own this month.

We are ttc, but you've given me some tips on what to do if this happens once we've either had children or decided it's time to stop trying.

Aren't these boards great?

Mary

CTCyster · 01-06-2003, 10:30 PM

I came to this thread a bit late so for that I apologize.

I just wanted to offer one more suggestion: Have you ever had an endometrial biopsy to check for Endometrial Hyperplasia? The reason I ask is that prior to my DX, I had a 14 month continuous bleed and was treated with a short course (5 days) of Premarin and Provera to stop the bleed. However, that was just treating the symptom rather than the problem. I had a biopsy and was dxd with EH, my cells were found to be one level below pre-cancerous. Having PCOS in the first place can predispose you to reproductive cancers, but having EH as well truly increases your risk. I am happy to say that I was treated with meds only (10mg Provera for 3 months) and my follow up biopsy was clear- no cell abnormalities or lining abnormalities.

Please know that I did not post this to scare you, rather to give you the benefit of my experience. I went to docs before my current RE who dismissed my concerns and put me on...you guessed it...BCPs...which in the longrun did not do anything to help me.

I'd suggest asking your doc for a biopsy, just to be on the safe side- a continuous bleed for such a long period of time is not normal or healthy.

And about your tiredness- have you considered the possibility that you might be Anemic from the blood loss? Again, I am not expert, just throwing it out there.

Good Luck, Cysta!

*Aimee*

azryha · 01-08-2003, 03:26 AM

I agree with Paulas and CT.

The first time I had excessive bleeding it went on for four months before my doc decided to put me on BCP's. They would work for a month and then I would start bleeding again, so she would put me on a different pill. It was the same cycle as we trial and errored through four different kinds of BCP's. Finally, and almost thankfully even though it was very painful, I had a gush of clear fluid and lots of pain one day. At the time I was living at home and so my stepmother called the doc and demanded that I be seen that day. My normal doc wasn't there so I had to go see another one. That proved to be fateful. She took one look at me and my chart and was flabbergasted that the other doc had piddled around with me for so long (near 8 months of bleeding by that time). And, although with a physcial exam she couldn't feel anything, she decided to send me for an ultra sound. The ultra sound showed that I had several cysts inside my left ovary, but they couldn't be sure of the size or count. The estimated guess was two grape size cysts. I was scheduled for a D&C to help stop the bleeding, and two months later I had the cysts surgically removed - turned out to be two grape fruit sized cysts, one baseball sized, and one that popped when the cutting was going on, so the size was unknown. The cysts had been allowed to get so big that they had torn my fallopian tube apart and I had essentially been bleeding from this for the past 8 months. Luckily, they were able to repair my tube and my ovary. But, I have had pain in this area ever since the surgery and probably always will.

Now, 13 months of continuous bleeding, and although the ultra sound came back normal - I know my body well enough to know something is causing the excessive bleeding and my new doctor, thankfully, is good enough that he trusts my instincts and slowly we are working toward what the cause could be - and thankfully he has not once suggested BCP's.

So anyway - like I said, I agree with the others that you should never stop trying to find an answer to the excessive bleeding. If your doctor won't check into it, find one that will. Find a doctor that doesn't care about the insurance company and what they will have to pay - but instead worries about your health and making you healthy. And, one note that my doc told me - if you are on BCP's and the bleeding comes back once you stop it, then there IS a more serious underlying problem that needs to be looked into. As CT said "BCP's are treating a symptom, not the cause."

Just my two cents~
Az