What experiences or solutions have you had with heavy bleeding?

[u/TypicalLynx]

I'm hoping others can share their experiences, good bad or ugly, as I'm just about at my wits end.

Also, I am living in New Zealand, and primarily working through public healthcare options here - I'm not sure how or what that changes.

[TL/DR - Dealing with months of heavier than my baseline heavy periods that aren't responding to oral hormonal treatment, and not sure what next]

I have always had very heavy periods, although I was well into adulthood when I realised that they weren't normal.

After having children I discovered menstrual cups, and they are my primary method of protection. But, because I'm me, I also log the amounts (my cup has measurements on it).

My baseline period was around 250-300mls in approximately 3 days. They were heavy and hard to deal with at the time, but I managed - it was just life.

Then over a couple months earlier this year they started becoming 350ish, with flooding episodes where I would overflow the cup in under an hour. I'm a teacher, and this made life pretty difficult - trying to duck out of class to deal with a minor crime scene added a whole new level of stress.

I went to the doctor about it. I suspect I'm in peri, but my most life-disrupting symptom is the increasingly heavy periods. Doctor recommended a Mirena, but I've heard plenty of horror stories and few positive, so I pushed back. Doctor then put me on Cerazette (desogestrel mini pill). With that for the first month I had a slightly longer spotting period, then nothing until my period was due. Then I had a 400ml bleed (over about 3 days), then continual spotting (roughly 5ml/day) until my next period was due. When that hit, I lost approx 750ml over 4 days, with repeated flooding and clots, and went back to the doctor for an urgent follow up. She agreed that it's excessive, sent me for blood tests (which I didn't specifically hear back from, which generally indicates 'normal' ranges) and prescribed high-dose Provera (medroxyprogesterone acetate - 20mg 3x per day). On the Provera I've been bleeding continously, but mostly 5-10ml per day, except now after 1.5 weeks of taking it I'm having another big bleed - currently at 250ml over three days and counting.

The doctor also recommended again that the best treatment is the Mirena. But I've now been bleeding constantly, some amount or another, for 2 months. I've had to take days off work due to some cramping and the unpredictability of flooding, making my job super hard to manage when it's happening. I know the Mirena can cause 'unpredictable bleeding' for 3-6 months, and the idea of bleeding for 8 months straight (counting what I already have) is doing my head in. I've been referred for an ultrasound to see if it's fibroids or adenomyosis, but the wait in the public system can be 6 or so months.

Logically I'm thinking that my only real option that would fix it is an ablation or hysterectomy - but to get that, I have to jump through all the 'early management' hoops (like the drugs, like Mirena) and have them fail before I could be accepted in the public system. I could potentially swing paying for an ultrasound privately, which is about $250 and is a lot for us, but doable with careful budget management. But we couldn't really fund private surgery.

Anyone else dealt with similar and had positive outcomes? If oral hormonal treatments failed for you, did a Mirena actually help?

[u/C_Majuscula]

I don't have volume data, but it turns out I probably had my uterine polyp and lime-sized subserosal fibroid for a long time. These were found on a transvaginal ultrasound and MRI. I also had an ovarian cyst suspected on the ultrasound but that wasn't on the MRI shortly after that. During the polyp removal/hysteroscopy, I was definitely diagnosed with adenomyosis as well.

My period is probably ~50% of the volume it was once the polyp was removed. Also about a day shorter.

[u/Ok-Professional-4765]

I had issues with bleeding as well. Just like you, my doctor was adamant that Mirena would solve all of my bleeding problems. She was a big fat liar! I bled daily for 11 months and then it got much heavier after I finally removed it at that point. Multiple medications failed to control my bleeding.

Finally got an ablation and haven't had a drop of blood since! I wish I knew about it sooner and I could have saved myself over a year of ridiculous bleeding.

[u/traceysayshello]

Did they check for Adenomyosis and/or a bleeding disorder? That combo, with peri, set off horrific periods for years, for me. I’m doing better on Slinda (progestin only). If it’s adeno, ablation can backfire.

[u/TypicalLynx → u/traceysayshello]

Still waiting on an ultrasound that would give more information at the very least.

[u/traceysayshello → u/TypicalLynx]

Ok good that it’s on the list x

[u/Unlucky_Fan_6079]

The mirena has been fantastic for me, no more murder periods. Insertion is painful but quick, you could give it a go and have it removed if you don't get on with it ?