Menstral Clotting

[wkhjr]

I am 55 years old and with every period, I pray it is the last one ever.  My last period started on February 21st. Seven days of spotting, ten days of heavy bleeding, seven days of spotting and now I am nine days into heavy bleeding with lots of very large clots.  My world is on hold.  The clots pass about every fifteen minutes if I am standing.  If I sit, then I must go to the bathroom as soon as I stand up.  I am not in any pain.  My last period was in October and I spotted for about thirty days.  When will this be over?   It is very tiring.

[Machelle Seibel, MD]

A. It sounds like you are bleeding quite a lot.  Ask your doctor to get a blood count on you and make sure you are not getting anemic.  Also get a test for serum iron and iron binding capacity (TIBC).  It is a good idea to start taking iron tablets and a multivitamin if you aren’t taking them and it is a good idea to stay on them for at least 6 months. People who have this type of long bleeding sometimes also have a buildup of the uterine lining called a polyp.  Sometimes an office test called an endometrial biopsy can help figure out the problem. The test involves placing a thin instrument into the uterus and scraping out a few cells to be looked at under the microscope.  Sometimes a minor operation called hysteroscopy is done in which a thin telescope is placed into the uterus to look at the lining and see if there is a problem.  This can sometimes be done in the office and sometimes it is done in the operating room with anesthesia. It usually takes at most half an hour.  Depending on the finding, your doctor might want to prescribe you hormones for a short while to regulate the bleeding.

Machelle M. Seibel, MD

[dragonmiss]

hello all

[nogood147]

Q: Hi, I'm 36 years old.  I've been bleeding heavy for a few months now(10-12 months).  Heavy meaning I go through a pad about every 2-3 hours.  I can even imagine even using a tampoon.  It dosen't look the same as usual, the blood is thinner with the occasional clot.  2 months ago I get my period about 10 days early.  Last month, I get it 2 weeks early.  This month I get it back to roughly 28 days but now the bleeding is lite or better yet back to what it was like before the heavy bleeding, with the occasional clot.  I hope this is just stress, since I've been under alot of pressure lately.  I went to the doctor, I am waiting for a ultrasound.  My appointment is not until another 2 weeks, but I am worried sick.  Can anyone help??