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[Menocrazy]

Hi there
I’m new to this forum and at my wits end with all this, sorry for the long post.

I’m  4 years into menopause ( there is a question mark over this now) and I am struggling so much right now and wondered if anyone could offer some help as I have some big decisions to make.

2 years started HRT. 2 squirts Oestrodial1x 100 mg progesterone tablet
(Made me feel back to my old self.)

January and March 2021 incident of very light spotting, nothing to write home about, but my Dr put me in for a two week referral for menopausal bleeding.

6 April initial appointment
2 fibroids, 1 ovarian cyst and minera coil needs to be removed as has been in 7 years. Can’t remove it as too painful.

Two weeks later a hysteroscopy appointment.  Slightly thicker lining, biopsy taken and coil removed that was embedded in fibroid.

Three days later started bleeding heavier ( like a period)
7 days after surgery still bleeding. Saw a&e dr in hysteroscopy department. General opinion coil was still working so an unbalance in progesterone, progesterone tablets doubled. 
Biopsy clear and no infection.

Forward 6 weeks a  period bleed every day.  My Dr talked to hospital gynaecologist on the phone recommended that I keep on with the extra progesterone as it can take three months to settle in.

6 days layer after talk to Dr’s set out for a walk,  terrible bleeding like a haemorrhage , through tampon, pad and my jeans flooded for over 30 Mins,  went to a&e,  saw on call gynaecologist, they think removing the coil caused a structural problem.  Put in for an urgent scan the next day, gave me tranexamic acid

Bleeding stopped over night

The next day had the scan,   Completely clear no abnormalities at all,  told to tranexamic acid for 10 days. Take it easy for a couple of days.

Two days later start bleeding again, talked to Dr, she put me in for another 2 week referral which I have had. The day before my appointment I had an endocrine appointment he took bloods for my hormones and confirmed my thyroid would not be causing these symptoms.

There is nothing nasty going on at the third scan.  Biopsy clear not worth repeating so soon, Options given
Stop HRT
Sequential HRT
Another coil but fibroid could expel it and would be painful to put in ( last one done under general)
Hysterectomy

Also bloods show possibly not menopausal!

I’ve put in for a hysterectomy but it’s been left up to me as  what to do with my meds as it will be a four month wait and I’m so confused. 

Any insights or help will be greatly received.
MenC x 

[jaypo]

Hi there and welcome to the forum,so sorry about the rubbish time you've been having,I've never been on HRT so sorry I can't comment but I HAVE had the awful flooding with huge clots,couldn't leave home for fear of bleeding publicly, I opted for a vaginal hysterectomy and it sorted everything, I had large fibroids too and these were the culprits, I was in and out of hospital in two days,felt great,good luck in your decision

[Menocrazy]

Thank you for your reply, I’m learning about different hysterectomies right now, I will look into that one.  I was out in the park when it happened, luckily I had opted for darker blue jeans, I was thinking of stone washed and I am So glad I had changed my mind.   Good to know it helped sort things out for you, maybe there is a light  at the end. Thanks again. X.

[jaypo]

I'm just giving you my take on it,I'm sure someone will be along to help re the HRT,my flooding was awful,just standing doing the dishes one day and woosh,my jeans were covered,even the floor was covered,I just got to the end of my tether and decided it was time for the hysterectomy,I'd tried numerous other things i.e endometrial ablation but nothing worked. Oh and they left my ovaries,let us know how you get on x

[CLKD]

Hysterectomy may well give you more problems - how old are U?  HRT can protect bones and heart - will U be able to continue with the regime if has suited you ?

I would lay off surgical intervention for as long as possible.  Letting the hormone upheavals settle.  Would a D&C [scrape] be possible to clear the womb which should stop any bleeding.  It may be that stopping HRT will cause the fibroid to shrink.  I would need to know where the bleeding is coming from.

How much benefit did the coil give you?  What is likely to happen to the fibroid and the ovarian cyst, where is the bleeding likely 2 be originating from?  I had painful, heavy, clotty periods, at least they were cyclic.

Do make sure that you don't become anaemic.  Blood tests are reliably unreliable when checking for menopause. 

Let us know how you get on.

[Menocrazy]

Thank you for your reply, I’m 54.  They can’t conclusively say where the bleeding is coming from.  The endometrial lining was thin yesterday. ( bleeding not so bad the last couple of days but still 3 tampons a day). If the big bleed was a period then I will be ovulating about now.  The coil stopped the heavy bleeding I was having before but I didn’t have any fibroids before so they weren’t a consideration. The fibroids have come since being on HRT, as I had a scan before starting HRT, which apparently is unusual.
I feel like I am an odd case!
So good to be having some constructive discussion to help me think about this thank you again. X.

[CLKD]

What size tampons?  How many do U usually require?  Say, during your menstruating years?

I would have to change pads a lot, sometimes every 30-40 mins: painful heavy bleed on the 1st/2nd days, which required double pads at night and thick pants as well as laying on a towel.  Never less than 6/7 pads per day until the period stopped.  Then I would have a day without anything followed by a day of brown spotting.  'normal' 4 me for many years.

Probably fibroids then?  R U making notes?  You could be referred to a menopause clinic B4 you make any drastic decisions though the medics seem to be following up as necessary. 

Hopefully others will be along who have had fibroids and/or HRT.

[Menocrazy]

Normal (regular)  tampons, but every day for 8 weeks, I used to use super/ super plus before but only for seven days out of 28. 
I think I panicked yesterday I said menopause clinic (four months wait), then emailed for hysterectomy (four months wait) I could not bear to still be bleeding in 8 months,  I’m feeling a little lost really.
The medical team have no follow up planned from now and my gp is out of her depth, I have no treatment planned apart from the options they gave me to make my own decision for HRT for at least four months, hence the fact I’m fact finding as much as I can as there is a bit of me that thinks taking away the progesterone might make things even worse as that was what the coil was.
The thought of going back to heavy periods as opposed to what’s happening now seems hard but I’m terrified of a big bleed out of the blue again.
My haemoglobin is good apparently I have a really good level so that helps and my ferritin is ok too.

[CLKD]

Get yourself referred to a menopause clinic.  Make a list of your worries to take with you.

Periods often become heavy in peri-menopause, which is normal but unpleasant. This is the period leading up to when periods stop completely i.e. 'menopause' = literally the final period.  Which is anything after we have been bleed free for over 12 months.  Mine waxed and waned for 2-3 years B4 I realised they had gone, I had been nursing 3 cats and a dog for 22 months 

Most of us probably think that periods stop, we may have a few hot flushes/sweats and that's it!  Probably because our ancestors got on with it, or were admitted to a mental asylum or took to their beds with smelling salts.

Do look out for vaginal atrophy too, though this shouldn't be a problem.  Yet.  . We have threads on that too.

If your regime helped, could you continue with that?  I think a menopause clinic - not a gynaecologist!! - is the way to go.

[Menocrazy]

Thank you, right now I’m tempted to stay on my HRT as it is. Before This year I hadn't had a period for four years. Hence the fact they thought menopause, I started HRT 2 years ago.   Maybe I should put the brakes on total decision making before I know more.
Thank you again x

[Taz2]

Hi Menocrazy. What a tough and puzzling time you are having but I'm so pleased that all your scans etc have come back clear. When you started HRT I see you had gone two years without a period so naturally that would seem to say post meno. Did you have other meno symptoms or just the missing periods?

Taz x 

[Menocrazy]

Thank you so much for your reply.  I had hot sweats loss of sleep and aches and daily  afternoon depression,.  The last period I had was light and out the blue  March 2017 ( two days before kidney donor op) but I hadn't had one for two years before that.  My husbands kidneys were failing and I was going to be his donor so we waited until after the operation and another year to let my body settle down with just one kidney then I started HRT.  Within two weeks of starting HRT I felt like the old me and all symptoms  just vanished.  I must admit I would miss the progesterone, that really helps me to sleep.  X

[Taz2]

Donating your kidney must have been a very emotional time for both of you. I hope that the outcome was good for your husband?

I guess that as you had the mirena at the time of your sporadic periods then there was no way of telling if you were actually post meno. It seems a shame to have to go through hysterectomy when you may be really close to your periods finishing but , then again, there are women on here who are still experiencing bleeding in their late fifties. We're with you whatever you decide. 

Taz x

[Menocrazy]

It was emotional but so worth it, he is doing so well, it’s good to see him active and fit again.
That’s the problem with the coil you don’t know what going on, my friend said maybe emotional stress made my hormones look menopausal but as things died down maybe I wasn't.  I don’t know if it could work like that. I will keep researching, I am hoping before I do anything major there will be a proper consultation somewhere along the line.  Thanks again for the reply.   X.

[Taz2]

Brilliant to hear the operation worked for him. I'm sure emotional stress could have had a bearing on your hormones. Yes, research as much as you can on the options open to you and ask questions even though they may seem daft. Let us know how you are getting on.

I had a vaginal hysterectomy seven years ago due to prolapse. The consultant was surprised when I asked about the effect it would have on orgasms. He said it was 'refreshing' that I'd asked and he was surprised that more women didnt ask about this. I told him that I felt it was really up to him to broach the subject as not all women would feel they could ask or even if it was necessary as, surely, it would be mentioned by the medical profession if it was going to impact on an important part of life.  A year later a friend had the same consultant and he included the subject in his information sheet. Result! 

Taz x