WOMENS-HEALTH Messages for January, 2000: Re: long/heavy bleeding

Re: long/heavy bleeding

From: Harvey S. Marchbein, M.D. (anonymous@obgyn.net)
Sun, 30 Jan 2000 19:23:25 -0600 (CST)

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In reply to: Anonymous: "long/heavy bleeding"

At Sun, 30 Jan 2000, Anonymous wrote: >
>I'm a healthy 39-year old female. For the last 9 months, I've been
>having long and heavy menstrual cycles. I will bleed for 7-10 days per
>cycle. For 3-5 of those days, the bleeding will be heavy enough that I
>have to change pads/tampons at least twice an hour. Despite wearing a
>lot of protection, I've had many bleeding accidents (heavy stains) at
>work, in the car, at home. There is clotting; no signficant cramping. I
>usually have a headache throughout the heaviest part of the bleeding. I
>will usually have a 1.5-2.5 week break between the end of one cycle and
>the start of another.

If periods are routinely less than 21 days apart, that's abnormal and usually hormonla in origin.

>My thyroid is normal (although I have had problems with it in the past
>few years -- everything is regulated now and has been normal for the
>last couple of years). Pap smears are normal. A pelvic sonogram did
>not reveal fibroids (but did reveal an ovarian cyst, which has decreased
>in size over the last couple of months).
>
>My ob/gyn did a D&C, which did not appear to ease the bleeding much
>(maybe for a week or two but after that, the heavy bleeding resumed).
>The pathology following the D&C revealed endometrial cells,

The lining of the uterus is lined by endometrial cells. that's what the report is supposed to say. It usually says something more, however. Like Proliferative (first part of the month) endometrium, secretory (second half of the month) endometrium, etc.

>but my
>ob/gyn dismissed that saying that she saw no evidence of endometriosis
>while she did the D&C. (I do not have any other symptoms of
>endometriosis.)

The diagnosis of endometriosis is never made on a D&C specimen.

>At an exam in December, my ob/gyn said that aside of having me take
>birth control pills, there is really nothing else that can be done about
>the bleeding. For several reasons, I cannot take birth control pills.
>Is this correct, do you think?

Without an accurate pathology report and knowing the exact location of the fibroid and how big, can't say.

>Is there anything else that I can try to
>help with this bleeding? Could this be early menopause and if so, is
>there a test or some other way to confirm this or rule it out?

Need info as noted above.

>This month, I've begun taking Vitamin E, Vitamin K, and primrose oil as
>I read that this helps clotting factors. It's too early to tell if it's
>helped or not...
>
> Thank you...

--
Harvey S. Marchbein, M.D. FACOG, FACS
Great Neck, New York

**Note:  Opinions expressed here are for educational purposes only
and, as such, do not constitute a physician-patient relationship.
This information is not intended to supplant the need for you to
consult with your physician prior to choosing therapeutic options
and/or interventions.

**Private emails cannot be entertained due to time constraints,
consequently no private emails will receive a response.

**Thank you for your understanding ;-)

Next message: Harvey S. Marchbein, M.D.: "Re: very tired....."
Previous message: Harvey S. Marchbein, M.D.: "Re: strange period--can it be due to current problem?"
In reply to: Anonymous: "long/heavy bleeding"

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