Help please - DD is on day 40 of bleeding and we don’t know what to do?

[Ann.without.an.e]

Dd(23) is on period day 40. She’s exhausted and struggling and she fills her diva cup about every two to three hours. It has been heavier and lighter at times. She spoke with her doctor when it had been about 2.5 weeks and she said it was ok and to just ride it out. 
She has pcos and just stared metformin right before this. Is this ok? I know it’s not normal per se but will hormones straighten out soon? Is this normal enough for this scenario for us to not be concerned? Any experience is much appreciated. Thanks 

[Katy]

I’d call again and if the doctor won’t see her immediately go to the ER. She may need some blood transfusions. 

[Catwoman]

I think she needs to be seen by her gynecologist ASAP to find out what’s going on. 

Sending hugs!

 

 

Edited June 14, 2022 by Catwoman
Typo

[Tap]

She needs to be seen. There are meds they can give her to stop it. 

[Jann in TX]

((Hugs DD))

I have a dd going through this right now-- 2nd time this year.  She has PCOS too.  Yes, it is a thing.

It is not necessarily a medical emergency-- but can lead to anemia.

We are at day 50 or so and DD is ready to take the meds... last time it stopped after 1-2 doses (then no period for 3 months then rinse and repeat).  Meds were rough on her (mental stability).

Gyn. was not concerned-- said 'it happens' and is not life threatening, just inconvenient --GRRRR!  Gyn did offer dd birth control pills or IUD (neither one a good option for dd).  My DD wants a hysterectomy (60% of one ovary and 40% of another are gone due to huge ruptured cysts)-- Gyn says no.

We are looking for another Dr-- but so far they agree with Gyn..

[Lisa]

Definitely go to the doctor ASAP!

[Ann.without.an.e]

7 minutes ago, Jann in TX said:

((Hugs DD))

I have a dd going through this right now-- 2nd time this year.  She has PCOS too.  Yes, it is a thing.

It is not necessarily a medical emergency-- but can lead to anemia.

We are at day 50 or so and DD is ready to take the meds... last time it stopped after 1-2 doses (then no period for 3 months then rinse and repeat).  Meds were rough on her (mental stability).

Gyn. was not concerned-- said 'it happens' and is not life threatening, just inconvenient --GRRRR!  Gyn did offer dd birth control pills or IUD (neither one a good option for dd).  My DD wants a hysterectomy (60% of one ovary and 40% of another are gone due to huge ruptured cysts)-- Gyn says no.

We are looking for another Dr-- but so far they agree with Gyn..

It’s good to hear that this can be normal. Can I ask which med they gave your dd to make it stop? 

Edited June 14, 2022 by Ann.without.an.e

[NorthernBeth]

As someone who had VERY heavy periods, I disagree that it is no big deal.  My doctor told me to be cautious if I felt dizzy or lightheaded because too much loss could lead to low blood pressure.  I had trouble with anemia.  As well, there is a medicine they can give you that helps reduce the flow, although I can't remember what the name of it was now.  It was a lifesaver though!! Significantly reduced cramping as well. 

A quick Google search leads me to believe that I was taking tranexamic acid. 

• "Antifibrinolytic medicines, such as tranexamic acid, may also help reduce bleeding by keeping clots from breaking" down. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/325965#surgeries

I was extremely grateful the first time I found a doctor who took this seriously instead of disimissing it as non-important.  Going on that medication significantly reduced my pain level and improved my quality of life, as the amount of blood I lost made me feel very uncomfortable going places due to the high probability of leaks no matter what I did.  Keep hunting for a doctor that will take this seriously.  Take her to urgent care if she seems dizzy, light-headed or weak.  

[Mrs Tiggywinkle]

Metformin did that to me—I also have pcos.  After about two months the doctor took me off Metformin and the bleeding stopped in a few days.

 

[DeainUSA]

I lived like this for 20 some odd years and it's not okay.  It's not a great life.  Yes, I got darn near needing a blood transfusion and iron infusion.  What I had to wear to just get through periods was ridiculous (5 pads at a time) and I would still bleed through.    I encourage you and her to be proactive.  I'm so sorry for her.

[Clarita]

Talk to the doctor (obgyn) about it again. I had a friend who had similar type of issue with her period. They end up having to do some drastic measures.

[HS Mom in NC]

Go to the ER, she may need a transfusion or fluids to deal with the blood loss.  2.5 weeks is VERY different than 40 days.

[gardenmom5]

Has she spoken with her dr recently? NO?

My sil was in perimenopause and had a very long cycle.  after a couple weeks or so - she called the drs office and the nurse gave similar advice.  After a few months, she went in for something else and the dr was freaking out because she didn't come in sooner.

18 days is less than half of 40 days.  

I agree - go to the ER, it's too late to wait to get into a dr's office.  She needs treatment now.

[Junie]

48 minutes ago, NorthernBeth said:

As someone who had VERY heavy periods, I disagree that it is no big deal.  My doctor told me to be cautious if I felt dizzy or lightheaded because too much loss could lead to low blood pressure.  I had trouble with anemia.  As well, there is a medicine they can give you that helps reduce the flow, although I can't remember what the name of it was now.  It was a lifesaver though!! Significantly reduced cramping as well. 

A quick Google search leads me to believe that I was taking tranexamic acid. 

• "Antifibrinolytic medicines, such as tranexamic acid, may also help reduce bleeding by keeping clots from breaking" down. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/325965#surgeries

I was extremely grateful the first time I found a doctor who took this seriously instead of disimissing it as non-important.  Going on that medication significantly reduced my pain level and improved my quality of life, as the amount of blood I lost made me feel very uncomfortable going places due to the high probability of leaks no matter what I did.  Keep hunting for a doctor that will take this seriously.  Take her to urgent care if she seems dizzy, light-headed or weak.  

Was it Lysteda?

I've been taking this for several years now and it has been life-changing.

And agreeing with the others that she needs to be evaluated for blood loss and anemia.

[HSmomof2]

She should see the Dr and soon, especially if it’s consistently fairly heavy. Even an urgent care should be able to do a blood test to check for anemia. Or her Dr could send lab orders at the least. I’ve had PCOS and endometriosis and periods that have lasted for 6-8 weeks, and my dd(17) who has PCOS has had the same as well. However, ours weren’t heavy after 2 weeks, they were light/medium but just wouldn’t stop. 

Dd(17) takes BCP’s to control her periods, and it’s worked well for her with no negative side effects. I also took them for many years when I was younger. Metformin didn’t help my periods. I’m nearly 50 now and still occasionally deal with too long of periods. My Ob/gyn has me take the mini pill for a couple cycles when I have a period that won’t stop. It seems to regulate things for awhile. So looking forward to menopause.

 

[MEmama]

10 hours ago, Jann in TX said:

((Hugs DD))

I have a dd going through this right now-- 2nd time this year.  She has PCOS too.  Yes, it is a thing.

It is not necessarily a medical emergency-- but can lead to anemia.

We are at day 50 or so and DD is ready to take the meds... last time it stopped after 1-2 doses (then no period for 3 months then rinse and repeat).  Meds were rough on her (mental stability).

Gyn. was not concerned-- said 'it happens' and is not life threatening, just inconvenient --GRRRR!  Gyn did offer dd birth control pills or IUD (neither one a good option for dd).  My DD wants a hysterectomy (60% of one ovary and 40% of another are gone due to huge ruptured cysts)-- Gyn says no.

We are looking for another Dr-- but so far they agree with Gyn..

Have her check out the  r/childfree subreddit. There is a master list of surgeons who are more open than general doctors and gynos to performing hysterectomies on younger people. 
 

We are not meant to suffer and deal with it merely because we are born with a uterus. Such nonsense and cruelty would never be expected of men. Advocate, advocate, advocate. 

[J-rap]

I'm sorry your dd is going through that!  I believe I have PCOS, although when I was younger they just called it "irregular periods."  But my dd has been officially diagnosed with PCOS and I believe it's hereditary.

My periods were extremely irregular, and I'd sometimes have one short one once/year, or sometimes I'd have one that would last months.  I once had one that lasted over 100 days.  But it wasn't heavy;  it was very light.  If it were heavy (like your dd's), I'd be more worried.  I'd get her in to see someone who specializes in these issues and takes it seriously.  She shouldn't have to suffer with weeks of heavy periods.  

I went on birth control pills when I was around 17 to regulate my periods.  I was an athlete and having months-long periods was a hassle.  The hope was that BCPs would "jump start" my body into being regular naturally, but that didn't happen.  (I learned that because I went off of them for awhile after a year.)  I stayed on BCPs through college though, and they did the trick and I had no side effects.  

When I got married, my irregular periods didn't help when we were trying to start a family.  I began taking Clomid, a first-step fertility drug (after trying to get pregnant for three years).  It regulated my periods and I became pregnant pretty quickly.  After my third pregnancy, my cycles for the first time in my life became regular on their own, and continued that way until menopause.

I imagine there's a lot more knowledge and hormone medication out there now, so I hope your dd finds something that helps!

 

Edited June 14, 2022 by J-rap

[Rachel]

I would suggest having a CBC run (complete blood count). When I was in my 20s I had back to back periods that each lasted 7 weeks. My GYN wasn’t concerned. When I started getting bruises all over my limbs, (I looked like someone was beating me) and felt really run down, I had a physical with my regular doctor.

My platelet counts were dangerously low and I had a condition called ITP.  Basically the body destroys platelets so your blood won’t clot or clots very slowly. It can be triggered by medication, which it was in my case. Strong rounds of steroids and careful monitoring did resolve my ITP within a year. My platelets do always run on the low end of normal these days and  during each of my pregnancies my platelets would drop again so I had to be carefully monitored. 
 

 ITP can be very serious for some people. 

[Ottakee]

I agree with seeing a doctor ASAP.

has she had COVID recently?  You had presumed COVID in Feb 2020 after 18 months of no cycles and in April I started bleeding and it wouldn’t quit.   Had we not been in COVID shut down at that time I would have had a hysterectomy.  Instead several meds later it stopped and I ended up with an IUD as medical care outside my primary doc office was so limited.   

[melmichigan]

I would call the OB/GYN and be seen again. The dose of the metformin may also need adjusting. It took me about two weeks to stop bleeding each time I restarted it after a pregnancy. I also take meclofenamate to stop/slow bleeding when needed.  Be sure she's taking a high quality iron supplement. 

[Loowit]

I have PCOS and have had times like this and sadly a lot of doctors do not take it seriously and a lot of doctors do not believe me when I tell them how much I am bleeding.  After two months of heavy bleeding and large clots, ended up getting DH to take me to an urgent care.  The doctor there put me on some very heavy birth control pills.  It has been years ago, before I had kids, so I can't remember very well exactly, but I think it was double the normal dose or something like that.  It took a couple days, but the bleeding did stop.

About four years ago I went in to urgent care because I couldn't get in to see my regular doctor.  I had been bleeding through my cup every hour all night.  The doctor in urgent care didn't believe me, though she did run a blood count which were terribly low.  I was lightheaded and dizzy, with terrible cramping too. 

I got a nexplannon almost three years ago that pretty much stopped all my bleeding, and it has been so wonderful.

I hope you daughter is feeling better soon.

[klmama]

What is it with doctors not believing women when they explain their symptoms????  Even women doctors do it.  I tried explaining to dh some of my experiences, and he was astonished.  "My doctor never treats me like that!"  Yeah, I know.  

[easypeasy]

7 minutes ago, klmama said:

What is it with doctors not believing women when they explain their symptoms????  Even women doctors do it.  I tried explaining to dh some of my experiences, and he was astonished.  "My doctor never treats me like that!"  Yeah, I know.  

It's disgusting, isn't it??! I've had the same convo with my husband. If he has the tiniest little whine about anything, the dr will actually investigate the cause, whereas I've been offered antidepressants 3x by different doctors for symptoms that have NOTHING TO DO WITH depression. I wasn't depressed in the slightest (was having heart palpitations that increased in severity once - had a knife-stabbing migraine with vomiting that did not improve over 3 days another time - and the last was for suddenly spiking blood pressure).

Just chaps my hide.

To the OP - definitely check in with the doctor again and be insistent. I'm sorry your DD is dealing with this. 😞

[Scarlett]

Were you able to speak to the doctor? 

[Ann.without.an.e]

She is supposed to see her dr soon and she wants to wait for that. It has slowed down some again but still bleeding so that’s good though that it isn’t so much. She doesn’t have a gyn. She has a hormone specialist. She probably needs a gyn too though, y’all are right.

8 hours ago, Scarlett said:

Were you able to speak to the doctor? 

 

[Catwoman]

31 minutes ago, Ann.without.an.e said:

She is supposed to see her dr soon and she wants to wait for that. It has slowed down some again but still bleeding so that’s good though that it isn’t so much. She doesn’t have a gyn. She has a hormone specialist. She probably needs a gyn too though, y’all are right.

 

Personally, I would have her see a gynecologist, but if she wants to see her regular doctor first, can she call and explain what's going on, to see if they might be able to squeeze her in sooner?

[TABmom]

The regular doc will probably refer her to a gynecologist. Honestly, I would have freaked out a long time ago and taken her to the ER. (In fact, I had just a couple days of seriously heavy bleeding - soaking through a heavy pad and a tampon in less than an hour- just a few months ago and called my gynecologist and she told me to go to the ER immediately.)