long menstrual cycle

I have been on my menstrual cycle for 3 weeks now and i'm starting to get worried. Should I be? I was in the hospital recently with an abscess in my throat and the day after I was released I started my period and it is now 3 weeks later and I am still bleeding and passing alot of clots. A friend told me it could be my body getting rid of all that infection from when I was in the hospital. I am still worried though. Can you give me some advice?? PLEASE????

[Elaine Brown, MD]

Hi!
No, its not normal to have a period last that long!  You may want to get some iron and start that right away.  It could be that stress from a significant infection caused an imbalance in the hormone levels that led to all this bleeding.  If you were my patient, depending upon several factors, I would start you either on Progesterone daily for 14 days (Prometrium or Provera), OR I would have you take three birth control pills daily until the bleeding stopped, then gradually taper the pills back down to one per day until you had finished two packs.
Depending upon some other issues ( your age, your BMI, your family history) I would consider an endometrial biopsy--this removes a small amount of tissue from within the uterine lining and helps diagnose the cause of the bleeding.
Hope this is useful!
Dr B

[lissa1151]

Where would I need to go to get iron and what should I get? A certain vitamin or?? You mentioned in your post that it may depend on other issues as well... I am 25 and intrometriosis (sorry if its mis spelled) runs in my family (2 aunts and my mother) and cancer and diabetes as well i'm not sure if that helps but any further advice would be greatly appreciated!! I am really worried and my husband just got laid off work which ended my insurance and I cant really afford to go to the dr right now unless I absolutely have to until my insurance where I work takes affect and his unemployment. So whatever I can do myself for now is what id like to try first. So again....any advice you can possibly give me would be GREATLY appreciated!! Thank you so much for concern and advice