NWR: Heavy periods?

Surfinbride

I hope it is okay for me to post here. I'm not planning a wedding... but, did here on the knot back in 2007. I'm a long term knottie/nestie/bumpie. However, most of the people that I know are much younger than I am. I need some advice from people my own age. After deciding we were not going to have more children, my H got a vasectomy and I got off of hormonal birth control pills. My period is heavy, painful and horrible. I hoped it would regulate after a year. It only got worse. I'm anemic even though I take iron and b12 shots. I just went to the gyn who gave me some options. If you have heavy periods, what are you doing, or what have you done, to help? The gyn gave me many options to consider. They range from getting back on birth control, Mirena IUD, endometrial ablation, and more extreme measures which I'm not currently considering. Do you have any experience or advice to share?

debbiem56

I couldn't have the ablation because of meeting several of the risk factors.  Make sure you check those out.  I got depoprovera shots every 3 months for about 10 years.  Then I had a total hysterectomy because I had pre-cancerous conditions in the cervix, uterus, and ovaries.

AlmostMrsGBear

I feel your pain, literally. 
I have fibroids so I have very heavy and painful periods. The pill no longer controls it.

I went with the Mirena option, but wish I went with ablation.  My first Mirena was rejected after 8 months, the second has been in for 4 months. If this one comes out then I will get ablation. Now I have occaisional spotting, and every other month a period that is no more than a panty liner. sometimes I get crampy for no reason, but that could be ovarian cycts or the fibroids, not neccessarily the Mirena.   Overall I am happy with the Mirena, but when it came out it was horrible!! heavy bleeding for 10 days (more like hemorage, can't leave the house of get out of bed bleeding).

Good luck1

Surfinbride

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_40-plus-brides_nwr-heavy-periods?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special Topic Wedding BoardsForum:69dea60c-2319-4015-8380-4a5cc0f18476Discussion:12597703-00fa-4aa2-940c-44e0d377f566Post:86220c44-bfae-401f-aacd-0ee39ace26ec">Re: NWR: Heavy periods?</a>:
[QUOTE]I feel your pain, literally.  I have fibroids so I have very heavy and painful periods. The pill no longer controls it. I went with the Mirena option, but wish I went with ablation.  My first Mirena was rejected after 8 months, the second has been in for 4 months. If this one comes out then I will get ablation. Now I have occaisional spotting, and every other month a period that is no more than a panty liner. sometimes I get crampy for no reason, but that could be ovarian cycts or the fibroids, not neccessarily the Mirena.   Overall I am happy with the Mirena, but when it came out it was horrible!! heavy bleeding for 10 days (more like hemorage, can't leave the house of get out of bed bleeding). Good luck1
Posted by AlmostMrsGBear[/QUOTE]

Sorry to hear that the first Mirena was rejected. I hope the second one works. Do you know why doctors are more interested in Mirena IUD than progestin in another form, like pills? While trying to figure this out, I searched progestin (thanks, google). It's available in a mini-pill. I wonder if it just isn't effective.

I will keep you updated on what I do. It is always nice to hear personal experiences when trying to make long-term decisions. Right now, I have an endometrial biopsy scheduled for next week.

07ultraclassic

My ablation was the Novasure one (vs the heated ball roller, I believe?) I wasn't given an option, but was told that the Novasure one was a faster procedure than the other option (the other could burn a person, or something, if I recall?)

I had an ultrasound and a laproscopy first, so if anything was found they could take that out as well at the same time, but those came back fine. 

Surfinbride

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_40-plus-brides_nwr-heavy-periods?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special Topic Wedding BoardsForum:69dea60c-2319-4015-8380-4a5cc0f18476Discussion:12597703-00fa-4aa2-940c-44e0d377f566Post:9d13d292-4cb0-41bf-b72b-15b4d17b05d8">Re: NWR: Heavy periods?</a>:
[QUOTE]My ablation was the Novasure one (vs the heated ball roller, I believe?) I wasn't given an option, but was told that the Novasure one was a faster procedure than the other option (the other could burn a person, or something, if I recall?) I had an ultrasound and a laproscopy first, so if anything was found they could take that out as well at the same time, but those came back fine. 
Posted by 07ultraclassic[/QUOTE]

Thanks for letting me know. Was your stomach sore after the laparoscopy?

I noticed that you have Seattle by your screen name. I am also in the area. My dr is with Everett Clinic.

Lisa50

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_40-plus-brides_nwr-heavy-periods?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special Topic Wedding BoardsForum:69dea60c-2319-4015-8380-4a5cc0f18476Discussion:12597703-00fa-4aa2-940c-44e0d377f566Post:50f4e73c-46d9-44e2-8e06-98c572f56c65">Re: NWR: Heavy periods?</a>:
[QUOTE]Get a second opinion before you do anything. Have you ever been pregnant before? Or undergone fertility treatments? You might have endometrial polyps.  I had a D&C with an hysteroscopy two years ago. <strong>Everything stopped after that.</strong>  All the polyps were gone, and everything shut down. Never went through "menopause" at all.  (Please don't say I'm lucky, either... that is not appreciated, for reasons I'd rather not go into).
Posted by RetreadBride[/QUOTE]

What does "everything stopped after that" mean??  I just had a similar procedure yesterday and the doc only mentioned that extreme cramping and heavy bleeding are likely over.  I'll still have regular periods though.  Hmmm ... inquiring minds want to know, Retread.