Having a horrible period, is it normal?

[BrokenGirl]

Ladies, I'm having a really horrible time with my period this month.
It started last Friday ( it was really Thursday but there was so little I'm not counting it). All day Friday it was fairly light and brown. That hasn't happened to me in years. So the first bit of red bleeding I had was on Saturday. It's been getting heavier since then and the cramps / pains are very bad as well.
Today is day 4 of red bleeding and I still have cramps and heavy bleeding. I took a shower a while ago and while I was washing a largish clot came out. Without sounding disgusting, it kind of landed on my hand. I thought it might break up in my hand but it didn't. It was quite solid (not hard but not soft where it would start falling apart a bit). Is this what clots feel like? It just freaked me out when I felt it because I don't think I've ever felt a clot before.

Between the brown stuff, the clot, the cramps and the heavy bleeding I'm withered. I'm 44 so I know it's possible I might be in perimenopause. Are all these normal symptoms of that?

[BlueIris]

Weird periods are absolutely a sign of that, yes. I'm 44; mine are coming back to something resembling normality, but I had 2 years of utter unpredictability.

Chat to your doctor if you're worried, but I don't think you have any reason to be.

[Carys]

Yup, I'm sure we've talked perimenopause before and the complete erratic nature of changes, which literally can be anything and everything. Heavier, lighter, lasting less time, more time, on and off stopping and starting, shorter cycle, longer cycle, this that and every shade of grey inbetween. Nothing is the same each time, the unexpected if to be expected because your hormones aren't following 'normal' patterns. As for clots - I had this a few times last year and a few years prior, and I'd only ever had small ones before, but there was an hour or two here and there that . It is due to the speed of the loss of blood, which can alter dramtically due to sudden hormone shifts (rather than nice smooth ones in the earlier years of menstruation) and blood that coagulates before leaving the uterus.

[BlueIris]

I should probably say, Carys, you pretty much saved my life with your advice when I joined this place.

[Carys]

I should probably say, Carys, you pretty much saved my life with your advice when I joined this place.

Wow, that sounds dramatic. Always your hormone buddy Blue !



Also, I need to add here, you have lots of 'Period' threads in your posting history. Some of them are about the same as you've mentioned here. It would certainly be worth revisiting them and reading the many replies, as I'm sure they are relevant. For example -

https://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?241053-Large-clot-during-period

[BrokenGirl]

Thanks Carys and BlueIris!!

I know I've asked about periods before and I am learning to expect the unexpected now, to a certain degree anyway.
There's just been a few unusual things this month (brown for first day, clots, heavy, lasting longer and cramps on day 5). I think it's the cramps are getting to me the most. They were exceptionally bad this month, I even had to take some painkillers a few days ago which is something I never do. And to still have them on day 5 - I was getting worried.

It's so easy to fall down the HA rabbit hole when periods start behaving erratically. It really does test our ability to control those nasty thoughts

[Carys]

It is actually comforting and reassuring to look back and see that you have asked the same before. I've kept a diary for my erratic period for 9 years now, noting all salient points, pain, heaviness, length of cycle, start date, end date, spotting, stop start - whatever, anything notable - If I got concerned I looked back at it and realised that something similar had happened before. You already have that type of 'diary' on the go here to some extent, in the shape of your period posts. I didn't type all advice and thoughts out on this thread, as I remembered doing them before on other threads. So, the reason for looking back is to remind yourself of those longer replies

[longnovember]

I’m 45 and going through the same thing. This past Friday my period was so heavy I had to change my tampon within 5 minutes of using a new one... had large clots and couldn’t keep up with the flow for an hour, and I was at work, it was a mess. Last month my period dragged on for 2 weeks, the first week was normal period, but I kept spotting for an entire week after. Now it seems like the same thing is happening this month, and I’m getting worried if there is something more serious going on or just hormones. I actually just had a pelvic ultrasound (including internal) and a pelvic ct scan done in March of this year for groin pain that since disappeared. Aside from a small 3mm ovarian cyst everything was ok, but I still am getting scared because of the spotting and unusual heaviness. Also having more cramps too beyond the normal cycle stuff.

[NoraB]

Between the brown stuff, the clot, the cramps and the heavy bleeding I'm withered. I'm 44 so I know it's possible I might be in perimenopause. Are all these normal symptoms of that?

Yup, and at 44 you're well into peri-menopause territory. You'll be pleased to know that your periods will eventually bugger off altogether (great, right?) but there could be other delights such as vag atrophy (thinning skin), hot flushes, and general insanity - but you will finally be able to wear white trousers risk free!

[Catkins]

Just wanted to butt in and say HRT has been great for me. Until my recent anxiety problems, with a patch, sleep had been better, topical pessaries for 'downstairs' helped with discomfort and generally I wasn't so all over the place mentally.

Just for future info.