Menapause

I remember when my mom went through menapause. She always complained that she was bleeding through everything and that she had clots the size of baseballs...those are her words, gross I know. So, to me it would be normal just from what my mom said. She had a hysterectomy(I don't think I spelled that right) a few years ago. You should definately see the OBGYN and maybe have the same thing done since you don't need those parts any longer and to stop the issues :-)
good luck

Have you been checked for fibroid tumors? My mom thought she was going through menopause, but in fact it was her fibroids. Lots of cramping, blood loss, continuous bleeding and lots of clots. PLEASE check with your doctor. Good luck!

hi T.. I am a 43 yr. old mom of two(son-4 and daughter 5) and I am peri-menopausal. I have been having periods that will sometimes last up to 2 1/2 weeks. A big portion of that time very heavy and sometimes several clots. My doctor initially said that women have to look at there hereditary factors. My mom was 41 when she began to experience menopause so he said that this contributes to some of the problem but that we have to monitor my pattern. I would say that you should ask your gynecologist to check you out for any other possible issues that may cause similiar symptoms but also do some research on menopause as well. there are some great books out there. I also understand from many women that during the time of menopause it is very crucial to keep tabs on what we eat and drink and how it can affect us. I do think that the clots are somewhat normal but always good to get that professional opinion.good luck
M.

Hi T. - the whole thing can be such a mystery sometimes. I did have a few months of very heavy bleeding, timing was irregular, etc. That didn't last for more than a few months, but it was a little scary the first time. I say if you're still worried call your family doctor or your ob/gyn for reassurance. Things seem to have quieted down for me in the past 6 months or so. I'm 52. All the best!

I sometimes have large clots with my cycle, my sister said she sometimes also does.

Yes, perfectly normal. I had huge one's just before I went in for surgery. It was awful.. Hang in there!

K.

Hi T.,
I'm 54 and going through SOME stage of menopause. I was having semi-clotty periods. I mean it would appear so. Excess tissue I suppose. Every menopause is different. Have you had the pleasure of the night sweats yet? Honestly I wouldn't know the difference between it and having a low grade fever! And the daytime equivalent is called...oh. Hot flashes. Even in the dead of winter.

But really if you're really worried about clottiness, I'd see your OB/Gyn. Or, if you want to avoid meds, find an alternative practitioner. It may be little more than a "getting used to the change" situation. Or regulating things. I'm taking herbs/supps geared towards women's needs. Depending where you are, I could suggest someone, but she lives in Pinckney. If you're in Ann Arbor area, there's Bio Energy Medical Center.
Let me know!

NO!!!! Go see your doctor!

I am going through menopause currently. I was losing a ton of blood. Periods were lasting 2 weeks, the a week to rest, then back again. And nothing, as far as products, was "super" enough to control it. Finally I had a D&C done. I've been all better since then. I would say you should discuss with Dr. It was wearing me out. Exhausted all the time. I was anemic (sp?) and worn out. I feel for you!!!! Mother of 3 and 54 yrs. The doctor said that the pregnancies have a lot to do with it. My youngest was 10# 10 oz at birth. I call him the Grand Finale!!! Didn't want to give birth again after going through that. ha!!

Hi T.,
I am a 58 year young mom of adult children & grandchildren.

From what I hear, Menopause is different for each of us. I assume the blood loss is vaginal/period. Have you been to a gynocologist (preferrably a woman)? Has anyone said you have fibroids in your uterus? Have you had a D & C done? Are you on medications that thin your blood? Has anyone done a CAT Scan of your pelvis or a vaginal ultrasound to check your uterus and ovaries?

There are many possible things that can be going on. I am not a doctor or nurse, but I do work in a hospital and learned many things along the way. If all of the above have been addressed, I don't know.

Please, Please, Please go to the doctor for this. Do not give up until someone tells you what is going on. Pay attention to your body and tell the doctor the smallest insignificant thing that it does differently. And always understand why you are having a test or taking a specific medication. Be informed about your health.

I hope this will help. Maybe someone else has had this problem and will respond. Remember, we are all different and so are our bodies. Best wishes on your journey to the next phase of "Womenhood"!

C. S.
____@____.com

never happened to me. if i were you, i'd call a doctor and see what they have to say. congrats on the 10 grandchildren. i have one and i just love it.

Normal? Well...I am 45 now and just over 2 years ago I was dealing with a lot of that and a lot of cramping each month where I wanted an epidural. I talked to my doctor and ended up having the balloon ablation procedure and it did wonders!!!
Now all I need to use when I have my period is just a panty shield for about 1 day and I'm "good to go". No more cramps, no more clots!!

http://endometrialablationboard.yuku.com/
This is a website where women "talk" about what they have had done and it helped me to know what to expect and what it involved. Of course, keep in mind all women are different and not everyone has the same result, but I can say from mine that it really helped!!!

Hello T.

As a postmena @ 53 (forced due to the Big C) yes, it is normal for the huge LOOKING clots. When I asked my Gyne about the amount I thought might actually cause me to become anemic, he explained that it really was not as much blood as it seemed, more of the tissue, mucous lining and it looks like it's more than it is. However, to be absolutely sure you aren't having serious issues, ALWAYS check with your doctor and be frank about your fears.
And as I mentioned, I did find, thanks to constant monitoring and early detection of HPV many years ago that it had mutated to uterine cancer and upon further pathology tests of my ovaries after removal(My choice) that I actually had a cancerous tumor in one of them that would have killed me within 2 years. So when the doctors suggest yearly PAP tests, be sure to tell friends - DO IT. Now, I can relax and enjoy my grown kids and their families and grandkids for hopefully MANY more years. I only have 6 grandchildren with one on the way, so I am a bit envious of you T.!! Have a good day and good luck with getting through Men - A - Pause ! I certainly prefered using HRT though, without it, I would have been a basket case.

My sister (48) had the ablation with mesh procedure done a few months back for symptoms like yours. I've had the same issues when I'm not on hormones since I was 13.
As someone else pointed out, it is mostly tissue that has built up and is sloughing off at a rapid rate. It's when you're filling an ultra-maxi with liquid flow every half hour or less that you need to worry about anemia (been through that too).
My advice is to talk with your doctor about your options and to rule out tumors, fibroids, etc. that may be causing this. A hysterectomy seems a bit extreme if the tissue is healthy. An ablation (is this what they used to call D&C?) sounds like the most convenient.....outweigh the risks of outpatient surgery and a week or so of discomfort against the years of breakthrough bleeding and worry that your protection is going to fail.

I am not sure but I sure hope so because I had a period that lasted a month and then have had the clots since. I have checked some sources on the internet and did find some info to support that. I am also going to go and see my doctor and suggest the same for you too. I am 47.

God Bless
K. S

I to had this during menaoause till I was finally done. My last period was the worst ever! Also you have to go a full year period free to finally be done! Good luck with hor flashes and night sweats. K.

Hi-
I am 40 and started having a similar issue about 3 years ago. My periods were never really normal, however with the increased flow and terrible clots-I decided to talk to my doctor. She recommend Nova-sure, it is a procedure similar to a D and C. I went through that procedure last August and have been very happy with the results. You do have to be put under briefly, but I was out of the hospital in a few hours.I did have to have a few tests performed beforehand to make sure my issues weren't more serious. The recovery time was similar to a bad crampy period, however after about 10 days things were good again. I now have a three day period and no clots! I definitely feel better and stronger because that excessive loss of blood was causing anemia, not to mention exhaustion that interfered with my family. I have a husband and 2 teenage boys who really didn't understand me during this time. I hope this helps, it was a very confusing time frame for me because I was a little young for this issue, however I am very happy that I researched my options and didn't have to have a hysterectomy yet. (doctors seem to use this option) Have a nice day! S.

Normal? It happens often, but not sure I would call it normal. I had that, but I had endrometris (I think I spelled that wrong) too. My iron got low enough we had to do something about it, so I ended up having my uterus seared. They have a name for it, but basically they seared the lining with hot water (don't worry I was out for the procedure). I can't believe how much more energy I have now! So check with your doc and keep track of your iron levels.

I know when I was bleeding like that it was so very draining. Hang in there!

I'm in the same boat. My periods have been changing this way for the last 5 years. I'm now 53, and finally starting to skip periods all together once in a while. But the clotting issue is normal, as your cycle changes. My sister/nurse told me that the only problem would be if the flow does not stop in a normal amount of cycle time, or if there is extreme cramping that is unusual for you.
What fun... :/

Hi T., I just turned 53 last month...about 6 years ago I began to flow very heavy and lots of clotting, and very painful....
I went to my Dr. and found I had fibroids..after 5 years of 2 week periods with all the clotting etc. I decided to have the hysterectomy they advised me to have back then as I decided I couldn't wait for menopause to be over...

After my path test came back they also found I had Adenomyosis(internal endometriosis)

I have learned alot from a free site called hystersisters.com (all kinds of womens issues)

So my advice would be to see your Dr. to make sure you don't have anything else going on in there.....

Good Luck...B.

When I was going through the change I did have episodes of large clots when my menses arrived. However, I had been in treatment for a diagnosis of Breast Cancer.

It very well could be normal. At our age, so the doctor tells me, our urteres begins to thin more and more and that is where the clotting comes from. I bleed alot and also had hugh clots. After a year or so of trying meds to control, i had a balloon ablation (sorry bout the spelling) of my urteres. You are probaly going thur pre menopause. The balloon thingy was one of the best things i ever had done. I highly recommend it. First things first tho, be sure to see a doctor.

Hope so - I'm 47, peri-menapausal and have the same thing. If you get regular checks with your gyn, then I wouldn't worry unless you have other symptoms. Good luck.

I did and I had to go in for a D&C while in my 20's which seemed to help. I found out years later in my 30's that I had a large non cancerous tumor on my uterus. The doctor was not really too worry while I was having the clots. What does your doctor think?