Female Question

I have very heavy periods. I always wear a tampon and a pad (not a panty liner, but a pad). At night, I will wake up two to three times to change my tampon and the pad will need to be changed to because it is drenched as well. At times, the tampon and pad together are not enough, and I will leak through them and make a mess of my pajamas and bed, This is so frustraiting. I also get huge clots... bigger than a quarter. My cramps are imcredibly painful. I give in a times and take motrin because it is the only thing that seems to give any relief. I usually just spend one week a month sitting with my heating pad on my back.

This isn't exactly what this post is about though. My gyn started me on birth control again.

I was put on Ovcon 35 a while back, but it didn't help at all. She increased it to Ovcon 50 for about three months and it was the best periods of my life. But because of my weight, she refussed to leave me on the 50 and put me back on the 35 stating that now that the 50 has gotten things going in the right direction, the 35 should help. It didn't. So eventually I stopped taking it. Why worry about taking a pill if it isn't really helping me?

This time she put me on Ovcon 35 since I've lost a bunch of weight. She is hoping that this will work. I started taking it after my period ended. Well, less than a week later, I started my period again. At first I thought it was spotting, but as it got "heavier", I realized it was my period. I used heavier very lightly. The heaviest day I had this cycle was was more like a light day of previous cycles. What a change. The cramps where there, but not horrible. 

I am wondering if I got my period at the begining of the pills because of the way we absorb things now. I'm going to keep taking them and see what happens. My period was so long (about 10 days). It just ended two or three days ago and today is my first blank pill.

Do you think my periond was so weird this time around due to the way we adbsord things differently after surgery? 

Gosh, I am so sorry!! You are dealing with A LOT!! Your periods are VERY heavy. That must be miserable. Not sure how to answer, but I recommend that you ask your surgeon about the absorbtion issue and return to your gyno. Bless ur heart.

I take Seasonique that gives 4 periods a year. The first pack I had some bleeding but starting with the second pack it's been wonderful. I have also taken Yaz that gave me a one day very light period. My periods were just like you described and both Seasonique and Yaz worked great. Get yourself checked out for fibroids and try different pills. Good luck.

 I have never done seasoique or yaz, but my doctor did have me taking only active pills. I was told to skip the blanks and move on to the next pack. It didn't work for me. I did this for a year and still always got a period. But I am wondering if she wrote me the perscription for seasonique or yaz (a birth control designed to help you miss periods) would work better than giving me the ovcon 35 and skipping the blanks. 

I really need to just insist even more that this issue gets checked out. 

I had wanted to go on mirena before I had my surgery last year, but my insurance doesn't cover it and it was just way too much money for me, and still is.  

I feel so frustrated with doctors sometimes. 

My insurance covers the Mirena b/c I have the same issue as u, but I also have endometriosis.Somehow they file it based on the medical problem and my insuraqnce covers it.U might want to ask the doc about it. It really helps, but I still have break through bleeding but before I had a period about every 2 weeks and it wld last about 10 days, so def check into it!!!!!

With Seasonique you get only active pills for 3 months, it may work for you but it's expensive. My excessive monthly bleeding was caused by fibroids and it stopped being bad after I had surgery to remove them. My regular gyno never told me about fibroids and just kept giving me BC to control the bleeding. I only found out I had them after going to an infertility specialist who did an HSG that was fully covered by insurance. Please have your doctor refer you for an HSG so you'll know for sure what is happening.

Yes, you do absorb birth control differently. We all absorb about 1/4 to 1/2 of what we ingest. Make sure your doctor knows that. So even though you were taking the 50s you were probably only getting the 35.  You may want to talk to your doctor about something other than oral medications, maybe shots. Getting to the basics of the issue; has the doctor looked into WHY your periods are so problematic? Has your doc run horomone tests? Have you been checked for fibroids, endometriosis or andenomyosis? 

I was going through very similar period and it took me years to get a doctor to listen to me and figure out what it really was. I had andenomyosis and since I was done having kids, I had a hysterectomy. Never felt better and I don't have to worry about iron or anemia anymore.

Be your own advocate, tell the doctor what you need or find another doctor that will listen. You know your body better than they do.

Good luck.

 The doctor has done blood work and had an ultra sound done and said they found nothing. This was a few years back. I may go back and insist that something be done to help me. Its so frustraiting. 

I used to have very heavy periods as well. I don't know if you already have children, or want to but I had endometrial ablation(Novasure) 3 years ago & highly recommend it. I do still get my period, but barely. It lasts maybe 2-3 days & I just have to use a liner. My sis in law had it & she doesn't get hers at all anymore. It's only recommended if you are done having children because a pregnancy could be dangerous.

I was going to suggest Novasure if you are you done having kids but i had it done last july and only had my period the first 2 months then none since...I was having the same issues that you had, so happy that i did it