Definitely something you need to get figured out - you can quickly become anemic which can be serious if not addressed. I went along all well and good for many years until I was diagnosed with fibroids at which time I started having problems like you describe. Though my GYN offered no alternatives other than do nothing or total abdominal hysterectomy there are other options. I ended up having a Uterine Fibroid Embolizaton (UFE) which solved my problems. It's a non-surgical procedure performed by an interventional radiologist - about one week recovery time for me.

If fibroids end up being your problem I would HIGHLY recommend looking into options other than hysterectomy so you can avoid major surgery and all the risks and possible long term complications that come with that.

((((Janie))))

I wouldn't leap to conclusions. You may just need a D & C (Dusting and Cleaning LOL). Year ago there were a lot of questionable hysterectomies -- kind alike the C-sections of today.

Periods are icky, but early menopause is not fun either. Those girly hormones protect your flesh and bones!

Let us hear what you find out.

Happened to me, too - at age 45 - total hysto. - go get it checked out!

could be just early peri-menopause or some hormonal drop that mimics it;
when your hormone levels drop, your body sometimes over-corrects & instead of periods stopping like you'd think they would, they go nuts.

wishing you the best.

sylvia

Sending good wishes for you to get this figured out!
Hang in there Janie!

***ROFLMAO @ ChiSue's dusting and cleaning***

Endometrial Polyps..my guess (only because I go in Tuesday to see if I have them). Abulation (I think that's what it's called) rather than D&C is what someone here told be to ask about.

Vickey-MN

When I was a little younger than you, I had the same problem. My periods started lasting even longer than yours, and there was barely a break in between. I delayed going to my gynecologist because I thought that all they could do was a D & C, and I was going to refuse to have that. Well, he told me about endometrial ablasion, where they do a process that's like a D & C, only deeper. They remove a bit of the uterine lining. I had it done in 1997 and I've never had a period since! For this procedure, you do have to make sure you don't want kids, or that you've had as many kids as you want, because they seal your fallopian tubes too. But the beauty of it is, it does not affect your hormones at all, so you don't have that worry. It's crazy to have a hysterectomy any more for problems that this procedure can resolve. I don't know what year they started doing it.

Thanks ladies for the correct term... I had heard of that but wasn't sure if it was the right name. I will ask about it.

We are not having kids. Eric had a vasectomy about 5 years ago. We decided that if we are ever ready to have kids, we will look into adopting or fostering.

Wow! Is this a great forum or WHAT!

As for the dusting and cleaning, that's an old saw. My DH was in the Air Force Reserves, in a medical unit. He's such a square guy that when I asked him what surgeries he'd assisted at when stationed on a base, he said they'd done a LOT of D & C's. Gee -- let's think real hard now why that might be what they called it?

Don't have any advise or suggestions for you, Janie, just sending my thoughts and prayers that you find out the problem soon and that its not serious. I;m glad you are getting in as soon as you can. Thats smart instead of worrying about it for a long while. Sometimes being a woman sucks!! But it sure has its good moments too. Keep us posted, please. Dottie

I never had my period regularly most of the time I would go onbirth control pills so I could get it about every 6 months and then I had to go on them to ovulate and pills to get pregnant then. when I was about 50 for about a month I was having shortness of air and what I thought was panic attacks or something like that. I think it was on a Friday when I started my period and then I started passing huge clots I waited until Monday and then I told my husband I was going to Bismarck 180 miles away and he could go with me if he wanted. It was a good thing he went with me because I slept most of the way up there. I couldnt get in to see a doctor all I could see was somebody like a Physicians Assistant. She checked me and contacted the doctor right away and they put me in the hospital and started me on IVs so I could have surgery the next morning my hemoglobin was 4.7 when it is supposed to be at 7. I had a complete hysterectomy the next morning. They said they found the very very early stages of cancer but they had got it all so I never had to do chemo or radiation. I wish you luck and I will keep you in my prayers.
.

(((((Janie GA)))))

Just to bring up a niggling question ...

... to carry out this "Dusting and Cleaning" that was mentioned ...

... would one need a broom, do you suppose?

ole joyful ... who, having gone through his bedroom with a dustcloth and broom this afternoon, may have brooms on the brain

Uterine ablation!!! Best $500 I EVER spent (my dedutible). I would do it yearly if I had to; changed my life!! They burn the lining of the uterus and basically do a d&c to clean it all out. I believe the procedure is actually called the "Novasure Procedure". Ask your doctor about it!! :)

Thinking good thoughts for you. My cycles have been irregular for almost 20 years and I seem to have one every 6 months or so and it is extremely heavy that I cannot even leave the house. Doc says I haven't begun to go through menopause yet but I will be glad when this all ends. LOL

Anne

Ugh- I feel for you my dear and am sending up lots of prayers. I have been dealing with this myself. My doc puts me on B. Control pills for 3 months at a time. Then I go off of them for 9 months. Whatever the issue is (no one has ever given me a name for it) it gets under control and I am back to "normal" again. I hope your situation is as easy as mine is.

Trish

(((Janie))))

The doctor will outline your options Janey.
I've been where you are and it is no fun at all. Heavy bleeding is more than a nusciance, it is detrimental to your health. Fibroids most often are benign but some are not so that issue needs to be addressed. As mentioned, anemia is a problem too.

Good luck at your appointment. I hope you get relief soon!

Lori

Yep, I just had something similar. Turned out to be polyps and I had a D & C. That was just a few weeks ago so I'm not sure if my periods will be alot better now, terrible periods run in my family anyways and mine have always been bad. I'm hoping for some improvement though!

I still want children though, so if it were something more serious, I would have done whatever possible to save my ovaries/uterus.