period won't stop :(

[LindaRK]

Wow, you are 48 and your doc DISMISSED perimenopause?  I find that pretty incredible myself.

[sixpack]

Wow, you are 48 and your doc DISMISSED perimenopause?  I find that pretty incredible myself.

mind blowing, if you ask me.... 

maybe the doc is in denial????   

[sassparella]

Wow, you are 48 and your doc DISMISSED perimenopause?  I find that pretty incredible myself.

yep he said I wouldn't just get night sweats I'd get hot flushes during the day too if it were pre menopause, I said to him that the night sweats tended to be worse just before my period and he said that didn't mean anything.

Now on day 8 of my period and still bleeding.

[kazoo]

I'm sorry, but I think your gyno is crazy.  A quick internet search (not that YOU need to do that, but I did out of curiosity) revealed a whole bunch of women with night sweats which were worse before their period, many of whom were even younger than you.  So obviously it does 'mean something' in spite of what your doctor says.  Also hot flashes 'and/OR night sweats' were listed as a common perimenopause thing.   In other words, you don't have to experience both for it to be a legitimate symptom of peri.

Perimenopause has as many crazy symptoms as anxiety, and it is different for everyone.  Although I had the heavy bleeding and extended periods, I have never had a hot flash, for example.  I once had a doctor tell me I couldn't possibly be in perimenopause because I was only in my late 30s.  Wrong, wrong, wrong.  It was indeed perimenopause and it lasted 10 years, so I didn't reach actual menopause all that early.  I just had a longer prelude.

How about getting a second opinion, before you go down Anxiety Lane?

[sassparella]

Day 9 and still bleeding

[sixpack]

Day 9 and still bleeding

so what if it happens to get to day 21 and bleeding.

as I told you earlier my 14yr old had a period that lasted 3-3 1/2wks at a moderate flow...


so what if it lasts 3wks---

what does that MEAN  really?  I mean I know you think you have cancer.  but how many times have you thought that? and how many times have you been right?  you've decided it isn't hormonal or perimenopause despite many peeps here tellng their stories.


as everybody else has said, your doc jumped the gun or is in denial that perimenopause exists or you are hearing only what your HA part of the brain wants to hear.


and if I remember correctly one of your docs said it WAS hormonal.....   I'd have to check but it was on your "sweating" thread.

bottom line sass--

your ha thinking has already decided that you are incredibly  ill.  there is really nothing we are going to say that will change your mind.

[annoyingwife21]

Sass- Regarding the possibility of bleeding to death. I have had two miscarriages at home, I bled for almost a month and the gyno said that is normal & it was crazy heavy. The only time you need to worry about bleeding too much is if you are filling a pad front to back in an hour and this goes on for 5 hours+  If you are wearing tampons I would recommend stopping so you can accurately monitor blood flow. Seriously your body will replenish the blood loss- just make sure to drink plenty of water and takes some extra iron.
I agree with others on that it might be the start of menopause. I remember my mom going through some crazy heavy menstrual cycles when she first started going through "the change"

[LindaRK]

Sass ... I have to echo what's being said.  Remember when I told you I hemorraghed and had a 50% blood loss?  I woke up in a pool of blood .... lost more before I got to the hospital.  Didn't even need a blood transfusion and I'm here to talk about it. :-)  I did look quite peaked though LOL

[sassparella]

Thank you all. I just wish my gynae hadn't been so negative and scared the heck out of me. He made me feel like it could be something bad, and I even told him I suffered from health anxiety, so now I'm convinced I have ovarian or uterine cancer. I'm dreading the ultrasound next week and what it will find, I just feel like crying all the time and spend the day feeling sick and shaking with fear. I just want it all to be OK. I hate feeling like this.

[msgb98]

I think you need to see a new doctor if you can.
At 48 you are in perimenopause.

[oregoncoastlady]

Definitely need a new doctor.

[Slangevar]

I think you need to see a new doctor if you can. At 48 you are in perimenopause.

Agreed. You are clearly in perimenopause and, as my gyn told me (who is incidentally a man, but a great one), "All these symptoms you're having?  They're gonna get worse before they get better."

Plus 9 days of bleeding isn't even that long!  There are teenagers who have longer periods than that. My mom bled for a month before we could convince her to go to the doctor and she was fine! 

[sassparella]

day 10 and still bleeding 

[SighNoMore]

Sass, I once bled for 32 days. It was insane, but here I am years and years later to tell the tale.

[spmom5]

I'm 45 and had similar problems.  After thinking through the usual doc checked it all and thought adenomyosis... nothing terrible except a huge pain in the length and difficulty of periods.  Only way for certain diagnosis is through hysterectomy.  Only goes away through hysterectomy or menopause.  I had a hysterectomy and sure huff that is what it was.  Even if it wasn't I've been happy w/ the surgery and its nice not having those parts to freak out about any more!

Hope this helps.

[sassparella]

It still hasn't stopped. It's just spotting now, but I'm on day 11 and it's still going, it feels like it's never going to stop.

[catrinclaudia]

Sass, I told you I had that twice. Once last year and a couple of months ago. I bled until day 12 or 13. The last time I had it, I started bleeding again on day 19. That's when I went to my doctor.
I trust her a lot and again she said that it is most likely just a funky period. She said, typically a woman as one or two funky periods a year. But she also said that it might be a hormonal imbalance and if I wanted to she would give me some progesterone cream.
As usual I told her that my real concern would ovarian or uterine or cervical cancer. She told me that she can rule out cervical cancer because she can see that the bleeding is not coming from my cervix. Uterine cancer she said no way, I would be too young and not overweight. Plus, she said that it is the spotting throughout the cycle not the continuing bleeding that she would investigate further.
Ovarian cancer just does not present itself with bleeding. So perimenopause or hormonal imbalance or stress or just a funky period... that's it.
When I had it the first time it freaked me out and in panic I went first to my GP and then straight to my gyn.. This time, I was on Zoloft and even though I was a little irritated, it didn't freak me out. (Nor were my girlfriends who I shared it with worried... happens to all of us every once in a while.).

[dancer67]

The only thing I want to add to this(and I do not think anyone mentioned it) is that when you are going through peri-menopause, and you start with either the heavy bleeding or periods lasting longer then 7 days, and/or they are coming sooner then 21 days you should be taking iron. I would def, without a doubt talk to your Primary care Dr about this or your GYN. You NEED to be on iron. I am 45, and my periods were lasting longer(7 days) and it was heavy for the first few days. Well, low and behold I found out I was anemic. If I had waited any longer, I would have needed a blood transfusion. I had a few doses of IV iron, and now take 3 iron pills a day. Thats is the only problem when you are in peri-menopause is that the heavier bleeding(or longer periods) can cause anemia. I would get your Dr to order a CBC/diff and full iron panel. It is nothing to be scared of, but you want to stay ahead of the game. Peri-menopause can last up to 10 years. I am 45, and I really wish mine would just stop already. At 48, no doubt this is peri-menopause. BUT, having a pelvic ultrasound is prudent as fibroids are very common at this age which can cause prolonged periods. I hate this whole thing. And when we have anxiety and something is different we tend to freak out. But I can guarantee you are fine. Very normal for women in their 40's. But please ask about the iron. Oh, and maybe find a new GYN.

[kazoo]

You could get your iron checked.  But even when I was having the heavy, heavy prolonged periods my iron never went too low.  It's an easy thing to check for, though, so I can't see any reason not to.   I wouldn't recommend taking iron supplements without seeing if it's a problem first, because too much iron is not good either.

Sassparella, I am just wondering, is the fact that a whole bunch of us women your age, and even younger, on this forum, have had the same experience with wacky lengthy crazy periods making any sort of difference to you?  What we are saying is that is what is to be expected during perimenopause, which at your age, you are most definitely in.  There really is no reason to stick with a doctor who is negative and doesn't seem to understand perimenopause at all.  You don't need a doctor who unnecessarily scares you and aggravates your anxiety.

[sixpack]

Sassparella, I am just wondering, is the fact that a whole bunch of us women your age, and even younger, on this forum, have had the same experience with wacky lengthy crazy periods making any sort of difference to you? 

one could only hope it does.  but with hypo, often, seeing anything other than what our BEASTIES tell us is devilishly hard.  no reassurance or logic or rationality or facts or proof or med tests or competent docs can get through.  Anxiety does not relent easily.

But I do agree with you kazoo about not adding iron pills etc without FIRST finding out if you are anemic (as that can cause different kind of issues) AND then following a doc's instructions.  Personally, I wouldn't be asking this particular gyno for help in that regard....   THat doc, again seems to be in denial himself OR one that just likes stirring up the pot as much as possible by flinging every possibility no matter how REMOTE.  It is frightening to me what this man has told sass....   however I do wonder, sass, how much information you've misunderstood that the doc has given you OR if you described your issues in such a way that makes a doctor think the worst.  This isn't a dig here,,,,,,, BUT we anxious often are not that reliable or are not able to really explain things to doctors in the most coherent ways...  it is part of our catastrophic nature.  For example, If a person comes into a doc's office in abject fear or describing things in the most sinister of ways (which is how anxious peeps percieve them), it can leave a doc believing the most tragic of possibilities....

If two peeps went into a doc's office describing your exact symptoms, one with an anxiety disorder and one without, I'm wondering WHO ends up walking out of the office with a HUGE list of diagnostic tests and/or dire possiblities and the one being told that those symptoms, due to her age, are attributable to peri-menopause.   AND I'm wondering if the non-anxious person would have actually seen a doc about it to begin with?  Would the non-anxious woman know that peri-menopause was the cause and not given it much other thought.



I'm not trying to be mean at all but bottom line, sass.  which I'm sure you won't really accept any of this at all is this : 

you are 48.  you have health anxiety.  Which is NOT being managed well at all.  You have a history of running to docs when not really necessary.  You have a history of not believing med tests OR you believe part of what med pros tell you and discount other things that you are told (and, to me, you believe what you shouldn't and don't believe the stuff that you should).   you have nightsweats almost certainly caused by peri-menopause BUT your anxious over thinking (that also causes sweating) has taken over and made the sweats worse and kept them going.  Now you have a longer than normal period.... which as far as I am concerned is more a nuisance and pretty much a BIG whoop tee do.....  and your anxious thinking has, again, turned it into something sinister and caused it last longer....       I am sure your gyno would tell you that that couldn't happen, but, I'm not that impressed with this doc.............  at least based on your interpretation of the events.  Which, given how your BEASTY is doing much of the decision making here,   I see your conclusions about your well-being highly unreliable. 

sass----     In the end what you do about your thinking, way of life and everything isn't going to impact anybody's life here at the zone.  But what you choose to do will certainly impact not only your life, but your family and friends.  so for your sake (and your family and friends) I hope you are able to get this runaway train under control.   What are you willing to do?   Anything? 

[dancer67]

Sixpack said it well. And trust me, I am 45 and going through the SAME thing. Us HA peeps freak out when something changes. And then when a Dr. dismisses it, you really feel as if something is wrong. I have always heard the saying"When you turn 40, anything goes". And it is true. Right now, I expect my period to come every 25 to 28 days. Well 3 months ago it didn't come till day 35. I was scared that I was going to miss my period, but OTOH was kind of hoping it didn't show up as it would have been great to get a break. My husband tells me I complain when I get it, and compain when I don't, or it's late. It is such a rollercoaster ride!!! As far as the iron, you can SAFELY take a womens mulit vitamn with iron. But DO NOT take ANY iron supplements until ou get a blood test. And I don't mean just a finger pick at the Dr's. I was hopping mad that my Hemoglobin was always fine at the GYN. Yet, when my primary care Dr. did my yearly bloodwork, BOTH my hemoglobin and Hematrocrit were low. She then ordered an iron panel and my Ferritin(iron stores) were only an 8!!! I had no symptoms(Surprised everyone). Usually with Ferritin that low, you tend to feel very worn out and tired. I think every woman over the age of 35 should have a full iron panel done. We just cannot bleed heavy for a long time, and expect your body to keep up. Even a diet high in iron cannot keep your iron stores up. And finger picks are just not a good indicator of your iron stores. That is one of the big downfalls of having long periods. And being in the lovely throws of hormonal changes. You are not alone. It is hard for me. Every month I panic. I just want it to stop and never come back. So far that hasn't happened. Every month it is a surprise. Honestly, you need to find a GYN who is sympathetic to your HA. And any GYN who tells a 48 yo woman that they are not in peri-menopause is just nuts.

[msgb98]

I went through this in the last few years. It is something that scared the bajeezous out of me. I went to see the gyno. She stated it was normal. It put me at ease (some). I understand the feeling that they don't really know and are guessing.  You think that way and the only one being harmed is you.
Now unless I have it for 20 days and is gushing (like it was when I was on blood thinners). I don't worry as much. I still worry (don't get me wrong). But I have been through some very hard things in my life both physically and emotionally (with other family members being very sick).

I am not in the medical field and I am not saying that what you are going through is similar to what I have gone through but you do have to trust your gut and your inner feelings about a lot of what is going on inside you. That I found out personally. If somehow you really feel off then make sure that you see someone that you trust and someone who does not blow you off. Your feelings are valid no matter what they state.

[sassparella]

Thank you for your replies. My gynae ordered a lot of hormone blood tests and also ordered a full blood count and an iron panel test so I'll get the result for those when I go back in a couple of weeks so I have had the iron tests done. My period is down to very light spotting now so at least it's not heavy.

Sixpack, I have been trying to get my HA under control, my problem is I'm phobic about death, it dominates my life. If I wasn't scared of dying I wouldn't have HA. But every time I get a symptom all I can think about is that it's fatal. I don't know how to address this. I've mentioned it to both my psychiatrist and my psychologist and they just dismiss it. If I could find a way to address my fear of death it would make everything a lot easier to deal with.

[dancer67]

Sixpack, I have been trying to get my HA under control, my problem is I'm phobic about death, it dominates my life. If I wasn't scared of dying I wouldn't have HA. But every time I get a symptom all I can think about is that it's fatal. I don't know how to address this. I've mentioned it to both my psychiatrist and my psychologist and they just dismiss it. If I could find a way to address my fear of death it would make everything a lot easier to deal with.

I know EXACTLY how you feel. I have a huge phobia of death. I have struggled with religion so I think that plays a big part in it. I am seeing a new therapist. He knows that is one of my phobias. I am also a control freak by nature. I want to control everything. Problem is, I can't control what may be going on inside my body. And I can't what if everything to death. He tells me that "what if" is not a useful question. And it IS true. Because nobody knows when you are going to die, or how, or when. And that is where my control kicks in. When I am scheduled for a test, I "what if it" to death over and over. Meanwhile, I am losing days and weeks worrying over something I cannot control. Now, it is easier said then done. My "what iffing" is all I have ever known. It is like I am mentally preparing myself for the worse, so if I get bad news, I am already prepared and even have what Dr's I am going to see. But when I get the good news, it is such a relief. It is exhausting. I am trying to work on the what iffing, and saying that is not a useful question. But it is hard. And next session we are going over some coping skills. Being the age we are at is really hard. Besides the worry of our periods getting wonky, you see all those horrible brochures about being at a greater risk for cancers over the age of 40. No more hearing "Oh you are to young for that". Now you hear "Well ya know, your at that AGE". Ugh. I hate it.So I DO know how you feel. But as another poster said(And my GYN told me this as well), if you are noticing big changes going on with your cycle, come in. Trust your instinct. And Dr's are more concerned over bleeding to much, then skipping periods.The first time my cycle went 9 days I panicked. I decided I would give it another month and see what happened. It was a regular period. Then my period was late. That is how I know it is hormonal. If I had fibroids,I would have heavier bleeding each month, and longer periods. Honestly. If this were me. I would research other GYN's in the area. Get a recommendation. Give it another month and see what happens. I see you are getting some tests done, and I am glad for that. Just remember that hormonal tests are not accurate at all. There are just to many variables. What you want is the iron panel, and for piece of mind(if you feel you need it and there is nothing wrong with this) is to ask for a trans-vaginal Ultrasound.  If the U/S is clear, then it is hormonal.But I have tried not to jump and run to the Dr's. Because once you open your mouth. They have to investigate it. Which sets your anxiety off because now you are thinking the Dr must really think there is something wrong. But they have to do these tests to cover their butts. This is not a fun rollercoaster ride. But at 48, your hormones are going to be all over the place. Trust me, I hate it as much as you do.

[sixpack]

Thank you for your replies. My gynae ordered a lot of hormone blood tests and also ordered a full blood count and an iron panel test so I'll get the result for those when I go back in a couple of weeks so I have had the iron tests done. My period is down to very light spotting now so at least it's not heavy.

Sixpack, I have been trying to get my HA under control, my problem is I'm phobic about death, it dominates my life. If I wasn't scared of dying I wouldn't have HA. But every time I get a symptom all I can think about is that it's fatal. I don't know how to address this. I've mentioned it to both my psychiatrist and my psychologist and they just dismiss it. If I could find a way to address my fear of death it would make everything a lot easier to deal with.

well most folks don't relish the idea of death.  we all can get phobic if we allow it to.  unfortunately we are ALL going to die.  we are.  there are no two ways around it.  you can be as afraid of it as can be.  BUT we have to learn to deal with that eventuality either that or accept that all of our lives we are going to be spent looking for the end of it.  what kind of life is that?   

What is interesting is  here you go--again--saying that the docs are "dismissing" another issue of yours.  you are saying that the gyno dismissed  peri-menopause as a cause of your troubles.  now you have your mental health pros doing the same.  devil's advocate here: and you can lambast me if you want  ,  but why are docs always dismissing you?  Is this really a doctor issue or your perception of these things--your anxiety only seeing what it is letting you see?  Because it is either that OR australia has a boatload of bad docs that you are finding to treat you. 

Sass I know it is hard having anxiety.  I do.  I've been there and at times I have a difficult time not letting it take over.  But what I know, for sure, is when I make rationalizations (make excuses) as to why I allow my anxiety to do what it wants to me, I only get worse.  I only get more entrenched in my poor thinking.   In the end I am the one who has to pull myself out of such thinking.  I could go to the best shrinks in the world but shrinks are not miracle workers.  All they can do is advise me on how to get better.  I am still the one who has to do all of the heavy lifting.