Prolonged periods

Posted , 11 users are following.

Have any of you lovely ladies experienced similar symptoms. Stressful times

I am 47 and have my period pattern has changed a lot in the last 2 years. It started to come early for a number of months and then I had a prolonged period of 6 weeks with various stages to it from heavy to light and some days staining. Then it settled down for about 6 months and then my last period was late and lasted on and off for 8 weeks. Stopped and started a week later but is very light. Been to GP and had a internal scan which shows all is normal. I'm just anxious that something else is wrong with me.

Add in the cramps, memory loss, tiredness, forgetfulness and I fear I am becoming a complete basket case!!

1 like, 14 replies

14 Replies

  • Posted

    I've been spotting now daily for 3 months.  I also had an internal scan which was OK.

    There are many people like this who are proven to be OK.  I would think that I will go for an MRI scan next to hopefully dismiss anything nasty.  Try not to worry x

    • Posted

      Thank you for the reassurance. It's so exhausting and worrying at the same time.

  • Posted

    I'm 49 recently and went through this heavy prolonged bleeding. there was no end in sight and after a year !

    ?went and had a mirena coil fitted. it has settled down , now, and I can function better, 

    ?I get depressed easily ,anxious ,worry etc, and think after year n half coil might be making it worse.

    ?I have to continue on with it ,or I'm back to square one. its a constant battle every day 

    lately chocolate , cake n coffee cravings , and am putting on weight n don't seem to care. 

    I will see how moods go , hormones all over place. hope it will be over in few years P.G.by time I get coil out. I will be about 52/53  then . pray its all over by then but seems never ending for now.

     

    • Posted

      Sharon do you mind if I ask you some questions? Like you I suffer from anxiety and my brain is in overdrive with worry! Was your bleeding constant? Sometimes mine is very light and other times heavy. Might stop for a few days and then come back.
  • Posted

    I am 54 years young, and for the past 2.5 years I have been experiencing erratic periods.  At first it was GREAT. My periods were much lighter and spread apart. Then I went through heavier bleeding, along with night sweats, moodiness, tired and irritable. Then I went 4 months without a period, and thought this is it!!!!! Only to be followed by the worst bleeding/clotting/ cramping in my life!! I was unable to leave my house for fear of bleeding thru my clothes. I finally had to buy the depends, which gave me much confidence in the bleeding area, but certainly not for my self esteem.  I bled on and off like this for a few weeks.  I was researching everything I could find.  I finally found on Youtube, a woman much younger that had dealt with this, the answer was IRON!!  I started taking iron and the bleeding slowed down and STOPPED.  I haven't bled like that since.  Then, I went back to fairly normal periods, with an occasional spotting or staining.  Then, it went to having a period every 2 weeks, with a headache, which was marking the drop in estrogen. Then every week.  I also had this weird fluttering that felt like I was pregnant.  I read somewhere that it has to do with the ovaries shutting down.  I take progesterone cream periodically and some different hormone balance herbs.  I know that this stage is unpredictably predictable.  I never know what I will deal with from day to day.  HOWEVER, I know I am overall healthy and this will END and mark the final days into menoapause.  I stop and breathe, and tell myself this too shall pass. I realize that this is a normal passage thru womanhood, and all the bitchin I do is not going to change what the body already knows what to do.  I wear a pad pretty much everyday, because I never know.  BUT, I do know this... I am not crazy, I am not dying and this is just what my body has to do!!  Hope this helps!  

    • Posted

      Aw thank you so much for replying. I don't wish you these symptoms as they are awful but I'm reassured I'm not alone!

    • Posted

      This is a terrific response - thank you.

      I am on this roller coaster as well, and although at first it REALLY threw me for a terrible loop, I am very slowly coming to realize the same thing. I try to live each day with positivity and remember that my body will do strange, sometimes worrisome things, but I can try my best to breathe deeply, calm the fears, and not give into it. I have also started to get my mind working WITH my body, and not feel like my body is so disconnected from my mind/or is failing me. When sensations or pains crop up, or symptoms I've never experienced before, I feel like I almost ask my body what I can do to help it. Maybe it's calm the system by meditating, maybe it's trying to get some sleep (haha), I take vitamins & eat healthier, so I can feel that I'm giving my body some assistance nutritionally, and even when I'm in a slump, I TRY to get out for a walk to breathe in fresh air, to look at the ocean, and find some beauty somewhere. 

      I am often at the VERY low end of the Ferritin range, so I am going to go back on my iron pills after this info. Maybe that will help out the period as I just had a 3 day break in between periods which both lasted about 14 days each. It was a strange one, but I am going to ride it out for a bit before talking with my doctor. Here I go...hormones are very powerful indeed.

       

  • Posted

    I haven't had my period in over a month. 16 days late right now. I skipped a period in July. Then it came back heavy in August. I have all the symptoms of perimenopause but doctors aren't doing anything for me. I'm 37 years old. My mom went through it early. Had my hormones checked and my testosterone was below normal and my progesterone was 0.2, estradiol 12.

  • Posted

    Unpredictable messed up periods seems to be totally normal for peri menopause. For 4 years my periods were all over the place. Anything from 12 to 60 days apart. Usually very heavy. Sometimes lasting a few days, stopping for a few, then starting again. I had a scan and everything was fine. Then, this year I didn't have a period for nearly 6 months and thought it was the end, hot flushes began too. I also had that weird fluttering feeling like another lady on here - just like in early pregnancy. Even took a pregnancy test, just in case. Then, on holiday, standing on the beach, no forewarning, no premenstral symptoms, I feel the blood gloop out of me. Hot flushes have now stopped and I've had another period the usual 32 days later. Looks like the ovaries have kick started again.

  • Posted

    Hi Anne,

    Your story sounds much like mine.  I'm 46.  My periods changed significantly during the last 2 years.  My cycles are all over the place.  Sometimes shorter, sometimes longer.  This past year my cycles have been 55-65 days apart.  A few times I'd have a period that was light, lasting only 4-5 days.  However, this last cycle which was 65 days, produced a very heavy, flooding period that lasted 18 days.  In the beginning, I just spotted and it took forever for my period to start, but when it finally did it was horrible--heavy bleeding with clots, cramps, night sweats, terrible anxiety, heart palpitations, nausea, brain fog, sleeplessness, etc.  I felt like crying all the time.

    I went to my doctor and she did several tests and advised that my progesterone was low. As was my vitamin D and iron.  I am definitely perimenopausal and she expressed that this is simply what happens to some women our age as we go through peri.  I am investigating several options to help manage some of these symptoms including bio identical hormone therapy, various supplements, light exercise, and meditation.

    My brain fog has lifted somewhat and my anxiety has improved a bit, but I know this is not over and I'm nervous for the next period to begin.  My plan is to continue to work with my doctor to try to improve my symptoms as I go through the transition.  

    Everything you are experiencing is normal.  I understand your fear and frustration.  Some days I feel like I'm going crazy and I miss the old me.  I know it is all hormonal.  I find the women's stories posted on this forum to be of great comfort.  I know I'm not alone.  Please remember you are not alone.  I hope you are able to find some comfort, as well.  Take care of you and eventually this will pass.  Hugs! --Sarah

    • Posted

      Aw Sarah thank you so much for replying. I'm glad this seems to be normal. I've been so worried that I think my anxiety is worse than my symptoms. It scares me as none of my family/friends have had this ridiculous bleeding xx

    • Posted

      several of my family / friends haven't had such bleeding symptoms because they have coils fitted. My friends who haven't got coils have the same carnage as me. Perhaps your friends haven't got there yet.

    • Posted

      Anne very short comment, anxiety it is the worst of the symptoms I have it really bad too. I am 54 you are younger than me try to control it now the most natural way possible, exercises, supplements anything away from antidepressants. I am personally taking buspar trying my best to limited just twice a day, doesn't help that much but I really don't want to go stronger with drugs also I use the headspace app a lot, bubblegum wherever makes me breath and comeback present again. Good Luck and feel better 

  • Posted

    Hello Anne,

        All of this is very normal in perimenopause. Periods change in length, schedule, flow, color, and pretty much everything else you can think of.  It's all due to an unregulated hormone system.  Glad you got it all checked out and things are fine.  

       For me, as things progressed, periods became once every two, three, and then every 6 months before they finally stopped.  It's all very unpredictable.  Similar to when we were in adolescence and things were just getting started.  

       It's not easy, but sounds like you''re doing  fine.  

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