(no subject)

[unkempt.livejournal.com]

hi.

my mom's 49 or 51, i can't remember, and has been bleeding nonstop for weeks. she's gone to a few doctors who've given her medication to stop it (i think it's estrogen or something)every two weeks, but her blood flow is really heavy and she gets these awful cramps. the docs have told her to just keep her feet up. she also went and got her uterus lining scraped out for some reason. i don't really know the full details. but she's been home sick from work and it's really taxing on her.

my questions are as follows: is this normal? is this menopause? is she going to be okay? has anyone else experienced this? any stories or advice? what can she do for the blood loss?

thank you.

Comments

[urania.livejournal.com]

for the blood loss: make *sure* she's taking a multivitamin with iron (so she doesn't get anemic!) and drinking plenty of fluids (non-alcohol, non-caffiene) because in general that helps the body cope with stressors (which this is)...

i wonder.... i hope the docs she's gone to have been gynecolegists. if not, she needs to go to one pronto. i'm no doctor, but it sounds like there could be something serious going on here... it doesn't sound at all normal to me and i can't help but think something might have been touched off by the previous procedure she had.

also, if she's been taking aspirin/ibuprofen/naproxin sodium for cramps, those are blood thinners. you'll want to talk to a doc about this, but it might not be a good idea to take them in case the bleeding is actual *bleeding,* not just excess shedding of endometrial tissue...

[sweetalyssm.livejournal.com]

Yes, it's quite normal, although sometimes it requires a DNC. I think there is a rule of thumb in how much blood a woman exudes to know if she should seek immediate medical attention. I think it is if you soak a super absorbant pad or tampon in less than an hour. Anyway, I think it is usually treated with a DNC if it is bad enough. My mom had this same thing happen to her with the onset of menopause.

Really hard to say!

[scarlett75.livejournal.com]

It's very hard to say wether that is normal or not without knowing your mother's full medical history. But, on average... the person above is right...unless she is saturating more than one pad an hour for more than 8 hours... it's considered a heavy period. Since it sounds like she's under the supervision of a physician (hopefully a ob/gyn), she should be ok. Keep up a regimine of plenty of fluids, rest with activity as tolerated, an iron & calcium suppliment (which based on her age she should be taking anyway), and the avoidance of blood thinners. Also, it may be worthwhile to investigate any prescriptions, over-the-counter meds, and/or herbal supplements she is taking. It is possible that these things can thin the blood, making the amount of blood more copious. Other than that... she should trust her instincts!! If she doesn't feel like her doctor is being thourough enough, or if she suspects any other problems, she should get a second opinion.

[eebomb.livejournal.com]

my mom also had this as part of menopause.

[milkshakenhoney.livejournal.com]

when this happened to my mother she had a fibroid which had to be taken out and also she had to get a hysterectomy. i don't know how it is for your mother or anyone else's but i hope she gets a thorough check up.

[ex-verdandi713.livejournal.com]

My mother had this exact same problem, and the culprit turned out to be massive, benign uterine fibroids (this is probably why she had the D&C, to try and remove them from the uterine wall). There were so many of them and they were so large that she ended up having to have a hysterectomy; however, if there are fewer and they are smaller I think the fibroids themselves can be removed individually. Re the blood loss, just echoing the previous poster's advice about iron to fend off anemia.

[punkrckgirl69.livejournal.com]

my mom is 50 and has the same deal going on sorta. she bleeds real bad around her period. she goes through a tampon and pad in a hour or so. she period is also a little longer then usual for her. but it isnt non-stop bleeding. docs say its menopause.

my aunt (her younger sister) is now going through the same thing. so my sisters and i are waiting for our turn.

joys of being women....

[dahliablue.livejournal.com]

My Mom went through very heavy periods and lots of blood loss due to the onset of menopause. She did see her ob/gyn and there were able to check her history and do tests to rule out anything else.
I would make sure your mom sees an ob/gyn (more than 1 for a couple of opinions if she wants). I've heard of others needing a D & C due to all the tissue, when menopause started.
No matter what the cause, she definitely should find an iron supplement and follow the directions on how many to take. Have to replace that iron she's losing, or else she could become very fatigued (probably already is) and sick.
I know it could be many other things, but I'm just taking a wild guess about the menopause, because of her age. I say, if the doctor's aren't helping, find another.

Good luck and take care. I hope she starts feeling better soon!

[sweet-sunrise.livejournal.com]

My mom was been going through the same thing...shes 44...and hers is, oh God help me with this word, entremedriosis...thining of the lining in the uterus.

They put her on estrogen and shes pretty much better now.

[unkempt.livejournal.com]

thank you all so much.