Perimenopause question. Probably TMI.

Factual Questions
1

I am just wondering if it is within the range of normal experience for a perimenopausal --(I’m assuming here. “Perimenopause” can only be determined retroactively.)-- woman to bleed continually for two weeks.

My mother and her mother both had hysterectomies due to endometriosis before they were 40; however, last time I had a pelvic (say two years ago), they assured me that I don’t have it myself.

So, even if my mother and I were speaking, which we aren’t, she wouldn’t be able to tell me what to expect; and at the moment, I am not close to anyone who has been through it.

2

From my experience with peri menopause, it is normal to have all kinds of changes in flow duration, frequency, and time between cycles. It is the start of big changes, and you can talk to your gynecologist when you have questions. But even if you had regular periods as long as you could remember, it is going to change. A two week flow is within the range of normal, and so is a skipped cycle.

3

I’m sorry to say that yes it is.

And I thought tests on hormone levels could give a pretty good idea of whether one is in perimenopause.

4

Oh! I didn’t know that. Like I said, no female cohort to consult. Well … damn. I guess bleeding for 2-3 weeks does have the effect of making you glad when it’s no longer an issue, eh?

5

I briefly went on a form of birth control pill to regularise the situation: it made it worse, resulting in a moth long period. I was not impressed.

The good news, I guess, was that for me this was like the last hurrah for my monthly cycles and they were soon to stop completely. The bad news was that after nearly a year clear my body decided to produce two final periods – which did, at least have a proper interval.

Are you having hot flushes and how are the mood swings?

6

Still, I think you should get it checked out. My wife had that in perimenopause, so its probably normal. But, years later after she was fully into menopause, she started bleeding again for long periods of time. She attributed this to more menopausal wackiness but I insisted she go to the doctor. Anyway, it ended up being uterine cancer. We caught it early, so things are ok.

TLDR, probably normal but get it checked.

7

One important thing to remember is that-- no matter what strange changes your cycle is going through, you can still get pregnant until you are, I think, one year past full menopause. Several of my cousins are referred to as menopause babies, because my aunties were not aware of that fact.

8

Yes, it is normal. However, if the flow gets heavy, or becomes bright red, get thee to a doctor, pronto.

The reason it is happening is because your hormones are in flux. Your progesterone and estrogen are no longer producing in sync as they have for the past 30+ years and you may not be producing enough estrogen to tell your body to stop bleeding and prepare to, umm, toss an egg into the great abyss known as the uterus. Possibly, your body doesn’t have an egg ready to be so flung. Either way, it’s hormonal.

9

Actually, there are many different reasons why you would have prolonged bleeding, from cancer to thryoid levels. So I don’t think that you could or should tell her that it’s hormonal. You don’t know that, and you could cause her to not go to the doctor, having a serious medical condition.

10

Alice, you are correct. I do not know for sure. Mea culpa.

11

It’s probably worth talking to your doctor about; if you do some research on perimenopause, it sounds like any and everything is possible and “normal,” but your doctor will still be a useful resource for managing symptoms and problems and keeping an eye on things.

12

No hot flashes, mood swings, pain – just lots of bleeding. Going on three weeks.

Thanks, carnut, for the details on the endocrinology. I got to thinking about it today myself; and I figured that since menstruation is a process that normally has a finite length determined by a chemical signal, and since it’s ongoing, that chemical signal must not have been sent. I remembered that I had been taking DHEA supplements fairly regularly, but I hadn’t taken one for awhile. Perhaps that may have interfered with the process. So I took one, but so far no difference. I won’t be at ease unless I see a doctor, I think. That’s what I’ll do.

13

The same thing happened to me. It could be normal but you should see a doctor. They did an endometrial biopsy on me and put me on progesterone right away to get it to stop until they got the results (which were good). Now I’ve been on Depo-Provera for 4-5 years just to keep it in check. Even if it’s “normal” that doesn’t mean you have to live with it.

14

Oy vey. Been bleeding 11 days straight…and yes, bright red, PLUS the darker clots, yay…this started just 4 days after my ‘normal’ period ended. No pain, no mood swings, not even any ‘normal’ cramping like I sometimes get during the first day. Though I am feeling, understandably, tired as hell, lol. In between insurances, so will wait until new one kicks in. Hopefully the bleeding will have stopped by then, as I can’t imagine going in and flooding the place, ugh.

As this is the third month in 7 that my period has suddenly switched tracks, after 30 years of absolute, boring, lovely, monotonous ROUTINE periods, I am pre-supposing peri-menopause as well. Will of course get checked out, but I am not at all worried about it.

What I’m worried about is single-handedly decimating forests for my tampons, destroying the rivers with all the laundry <they don’t make tampons big enough sometimes, ugh>, and never having full on sex with my husband again. Poor guy; he got me all broken, as we’ve been married less than a year, lol.

So…I’m thinking of adding soy in. Definitely taking vitamins+iron, though it’s hit or miss since no matter when I take them, I sometimes harf them right back up (with food, after food, doesn’t seem to matter) and keeping up with the raisins for quick iron, but…

Anyone have anything, besides HRT, that’s really worked for them? I know everyone’s different, but…I suspect that if this continues, I will be willing to try just about anything.

10 YEARS of this shit? TEN YEARS?!?! Or MORE?!?!!

Kill me now, not one pint of blood at a time, jeebus! >.<

15

Shower sex is your new best friend. :wink:

16

Agreed.

But, seriously, get your self to a doctor and don’t wait if the period keeps up at that level or gets any worse. You have to consider how much blood you are losing as well as the effect of the constant bleeding on your day-to-day life. A D&C can go a long way to clearing up the clot issue.

17

I had the Novasure procedure a few years ago for my heavy, painful periods. It has been such a relief to not have them any more!

18

A nurse friend of mine had ablation and is very happy with the result.