Never ending period...

[kateja07]

Hi all -

In December I was having problems with irregular periods and had an exam done and pap (all results normal) my dr put me on birth control, a month later I wound up with severe blood clots in my lungs and was in the hospital for a week. I'm still on blood thinners. Needless to say I am no longer on bcp's. I had a period in January and March, skipped February and April and now having been bleeding since May. I called my gyno about a month ago and she said it's completely hormonal and since I can't take hormones there is nothing she can do. I am significantly overweight and she said exercise and weight loss will help regulate. I asked her if it could be fibroids or anything else and she said she just examined me and my pap came back normal so it's just hormonal.

I saw my normal doctor last week, she's an internist and I explained the situation, just to get another opinion, and she said the same thing, it's hormonal. Granted, I haven't lost any weight or been exercising so I don't know if that would work. I read a lot online and I shouldn't because it just messes with my head but now am concerned about fibroids, polyps and even cancer. I'm 34 and the dr's think I have more of an anxiety problem then anything else. But after almost dying from blood clots I tend to have anxiety. Anyway, after reading a lot of msgs on this board I do realize that it is a very good possibility that it is just hormonal but do you think after 2 dr's I still should seek another opinion just to make sure?

[Roonie]

Oh Kate, I could have written your dilema!

I have been bleeding on and off since April. Finally went and had and exam done. Blood AND pap came back normal. And like you, I was thinking the worst. Like giving myself anxiety attacks.

Well, I just had a sono today. Pelvic and abdomen. The tech said I had "several fibroids". I was completely shocked. Hopefully this is what the cause of my bleeding is, but I still have to go for an endometrial biopsy, which I'm still nervous about!

My advice is, YES go to another doctor. I am getting so tired of them blaming everything on being overweight. What are you supposed to do? Bleed for the next 15 years?! Ridiculous.

Get another doc and tell them (if they don't mention it first) that you want an ultrasound done. How the heck do they know you don't have fibroids? UGH. Good luck.

[kateja07]

Hi Roonie,

That's funny, I was just reading your previous posts and was thinking it sounds like the same thing! My dr's always chalk everything up to being overweight and yes, this could just be hormonal but just to put my mind at ease I would at least like to be taken seriously and examined. It sounds very likely that your bleeding is from fibroids and hormones. Try not to worry about the biopsy so much, I heard it's relatively painless (take some motrin before hand) and you are still young enough that the chances are good that the biopsy will be normal. I've heard that if you do have endometrial hyperplasia most times the cells show up on your pap smear so maybe that will ease your mind a little since your pap was normal. Good luck with everything.

Kate

[~LilyBelle~]

I was on BCP's and also developed a blood clot, but I was only 21 at the time. After stopping the BCP's due to the clot, I bled very heavily for about 3 months or so and I told my GYN and he recommended an IUD. I agreed with getting it put in and have had no problems whatsoever since then and that was in April. I also am extremely overweight, and have no kids, but my GYN felt that the Mirena IUD was appropriate in my situation.

[kateja07]

Jmattson,

I'm glad everything worked out for you. I think I am going to follow up with my dr again. This birth control is scary, I know so many people now who have gotten blood clots, it's just not worth it. Did your dr ever mention if the coumadin has an effect on the prolonged bleeding? I would think it does but I'm not sure.

Kate

[~LilyBelle~]

Kate,

My MD did say that the Coumadin can cause or increase bleeding, but it may not be the only reason for the heavy/prolonged bleeding. My bleeding was so heavy I had to go on prescription iron because I was so anemic. After getting the Mirena, I now hardly bleed at all and have not had what I would consider a true period in about 4 months.

[vefederco]

I have had prolonged bleeding for over a year well actually close to two years now. Mine is completely hormonal. I was searching around the net and came across this site and am going to give the herbal recipes a shot and see if it helps me...
I was on day nine this time when it finally stopped but I have gone as much as three months. This time I was drinking red raspberry leaf tea and that didn't seem to do to much so I added licorice root and with in two days it stopped!! woo hoo. So this is why I am gonna try the herbs and see if I can regulate the hormones naturally and not have to go to the Dr. since they have never helped me!!
BTW-- all the anxiety and stress is SOOOO hormonal.... it is a vicious cycle the more stress you have the worse you hormones get!!

Here is the site!!

http://www.herbs2000.com/women/herbs_w_7.htm

[guineapig]

I had 2 AF a month for 2 years. I had a saline ultrasound done to detect fibroids (none) and a uterine biopsy to detect cancer (none). Neither of these are a simple pap. Get a new doc. Mine turned out that it was hormones, a lack of ovulation precisely, when I began to ovulate I quit bleeding. I had refused to take bcp prior.

Bad bleeding, especially heavy, is usually not "just hormones." Get everything checked out first to be safe!

kateja, if you don't mind, which birth control were you on?

[kateja07]

I was on ortho tri cyclen. When I was in the hospital the nurse told me that she has seen more and more young women with blood clots from birth control. I would advise no one to take them unless absolutely necessary. My friend also got blood clots, she was on the patch.

[Roonie]

Hey Kate,

How are you feeling? Are you still bleeding?

My biopsy came back normal (thank God) but I'm still bleeding. As a matter of fact, I almost had my husband bring me to the ER Tuesday night because I thought I was bleeding to death. My doctor had me go for a CBC, and sure enough my hemoglobin was practically nothing! I am just starting to feel human again, but still bleeding. I'm scheduled for a d & c 11-28. I just don't understand what is going on with me!

Anyway, back to you. Have you contacted another doctor?

[kateja07]

Hi Roonie,

I did stop bleeding for about 3 1/2 weeks but have started up again, sigh, it seems to be a never ending battle. I can go about my morning with no bleeding at all and then I'll bleed a little and then by evening it's gone again, strange. I have noticed that I do bleed more when I'm very active or stressed.

My grandmother is in the end stage of alzheimer's/dementia, she suffered a stroke and heart attack last week and the dr's say she will pass any day now, they moved her to a lock down wing of a nursing home so it's a very hard and stressful situation. I've been putting off making a new doctor's appointment because of that and am thinking that I may wait until after the holidays, I've already been to two doctors so I'm going to relax a little, exercise, eat right and see if that makes a difference.

I'm sorry to hear that you almost wound up in the ER. Are you taking iron and ibuprofen? I've heard those help lighten up the bleeding. Hopefully, the D&C will help your situation. Good luck!

Kate