Heavy Periods: Went to GP today (on a Sunday... - Thyroid UK

Thyroid UK

137,765 members ā€¢ 161,555 posts

Heavy Periods

ā€¢21 Replies

Went to GP today (on a Sunday šŸ‘šŸ¼) and asked for tranexamic tablets again to help with heavy periods. He said I could have them but not for long term use and suggested marina coil (no chance) or mini pill.

I told him I had recently started taking liothyronine and hoping this will help my periods. Unlikely he said.....

Just googled it and hypothyroidism can affect periods. My periods have always been heavy and I think Iā€™ve always had an underactive thyroid looking back at my energy levels.

And we have our lives in these peopleā€™s hands. Itā€™s unbelievable.

Read more about...

The ability to reply to this post has been turned off.

21 Replies
ā€¢
greygoose profile image
greygoose

Low iron can also cause heavy bleeding. Have you had your ferritin checked?

Doctors know nothing about thyroid - and especially not the symptoms!

in reply to greygoose

Hi yes I started up on iron again a couple of months ago. I donā€™t fancy the mini pill either. Thereā€™s only one day where itā€™s bad so will stick to tranexamic for that day.

shaws profile image
shawsAdministrator

Menstrual problems are common in hypothyroidism. It's just as well that we learn to more than doctors or endocrinologists. Tick off the following and I think you will have more than a few. Hopefully T3 will help to get your body back to how it used to be. I expect many women have had womb removed instead of having sufficient thyroid hormones prescribing.

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/about_...

As doctors know no clinical symptoms any more, we are given 'some other prescription' for the symptom rather than hormone that the body needs to function, i.e. T3 for the T3 receptor cells. Some convert levo sufficiently to do so but others don't.

Thank you.

Auntbessy profile image
Auntbessy

Hiya I have been plagued with really heavy periods since having kids. So bad that I canā€™t leave the house for a few days sometimes! I was also prescribed tranexamic tablets. Whatever you do try not to have any kind of hormonal contraception if you can help it as it often makes your thyroid symptoms worse. Secondly have you been checked for fibroids? I have a few and they are linked to hypothyroidism and can cause very heavy bleeding and clots. As the others suggest. Work on getting your iron and B12 levels really good. My periods have massively improved since supplementing with higher doses of iron and B12. Itā€™s only been 3 months but I have noticed quite a difference. Have you had your ferritin and B12 checked recently?

in reply to Auntbessy

Yes Iā€™ve been taking iron for a few months and B12 complex. I donā€™t want to go back on the pill or have a coil fitted. Will just see how it goes with all these new meds šŸ‘šŸ¼

shaws profile image
shawsAdministrator in reply to

Try to get sufficient levo to bring TSH to 1 or lower with FT4 and FT3 in the upper part of the ranges. I know the latter two are rarely tested in the NHS but might be well worth getting private test from one of the private labs if he wont. All tests have to be at the earliest, fasting (you can drink water) and allow 24 hours gap between last dose of levo and test and take afterwards.

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/testin...

Medichecks have a special offer of some sort every Thursday and Blue Horizon is the other lab. They are both home pin-prick tests. Make sure hands/arms are warm for blood draw.

Lulu2red profile image
Lulu2red in reply to Auntbessy

Definitely no contraception treatment of any kind. Use a common until better.

Ebs73 profile image
Ebs73

Hi, I've suffered from heavy periods since 13 and thought it was normal to be so worried about leaking in class etc... I started to have unbearable pain in my lower region plus headaches plus vomiting. Long story short after trying the pill and being told I have polycystic ovary syndrome (24) I was given all sorts of tablets and had to have surgery to remove a large cyst on my ovary at the age of 25. I started to look for natural alternatives and had small success, after being told a couple of years ago that I have endometriosis and that was the cause of my pain and bleeding I decided enough was enough, I'd done a lot of research and my view was that I had some sort of thyroid problem and as no Dr would treat me I went private. Eventually saw Dr P, tried ndt and adrenals which didn't work very well, so I started on t3 (I'm thyroid hormone resistant) also used natural progesterone cream (research before using) every two weeks leading up to my period, and cbd oil every night to tackle the endo pain and inflammation. I used to have to wear black clothing at the time of the month, wear two night time pads, and basically stay home so I didn't leak everywhere! My periods are now normal, no giant clots, sorry tmi, no leaks, sometimes I even forget it's due as my crazy pmt has gone too! I also eat an anti inflammatory diet but that wasn't enough by itself. I hope you get some relief, topping up with iron can help the anemia but if you're bleeding heavily each month it's like trying to top up a bucket with a hole in the bottom. I've been borderline with my iron after stopping supplements, because I no longer bleed so heavily. Where as with supps before I was always anemic. Sorry post is so long but it's been decades of nonsense and no help from gps and specialists to no avail, I had to help myself and wish I'd taken action sooner! Good luck with it all.

Paula101 profile image
Paula101 in reply to Ebs73

Hi Ebs73

I have CBD oil but not yet tried it properly. How do you suggest I take it, 1 drop in some water? I've taken a drop under my tongue a couple of times but worried someone might smell it on me? Probably sounds daft.

I've read posts about how effective it is for many an ailment & have faith in it. Many thanks

Ebs73 profile image
Ebs73 in reply to Paula101

Hi Paula101, yes you're right to pop it under your tongue, keep it there as long as you can, I take two squirts of my cbd oil every night to tackle the pain and inflammation of endometriosis, the only conventional options offered are serious drugs and repeated surgeries! Everyone is different and may need more or less cbd. If you take your dose at night you won't have to worry about anyone smelling it on you, although it is not a psychoactive drug so it is totally legal. It does have so many uses, its a shame people cant get this on prescription! (Sorry for late reply I have no internet at the moment, waiting to be connected in next few days)

Paula101 profile image
Paula101 in reply to Ebs73

Sorry Ebs, thanks for your reply. I've replied back but forgot to hit the reply button against your post! It's a little further down.

Paula101 profile image
Paula101

I am hypo, have been for many decades. Had heavy painful periods since the word go. They still give me trouble & are terribly erratic as are my moods that go with them. I'm on my Vits & mins plus just started NDT today for first time, so here's hoping šŸ˜Š

I'm impressed that you can see your GP on a Sunday, don't think our GP's would go for that round these parts šŸ˜„I agree with Auntbessy try not to go down the hormonal contraception route, they'll most likely mess up you even more. I hope you find relief, as I know how bad it get.

Lulu2red profile image
Lulu2red

Don't bother taking the tablets, never worked for me. You need your thyroid levels to be optimal. They love to find you off with gneloogical issues. However estrogen domenance effects your thyroid. I had the Morena coil fitted, periods stopped completely, stayed in for 6 year's. Taken out when menaupausal was complete. Obviously it's personal choice but I wish I had done it earlier in my life. I suffered for years like you. And yes it's definitely a hypothyroid symptom. Don't use patch contraception either it was the worse thing ever!

in reply to Lulu2red

I just donā€™t know about the coil, heard horror stories and I hate being probed!!! They are only heavy and I donā€™t get any pain but itā€™s just the inconvenience of it. Doctor said it could be fibroids. But mine have always been heavy and I wonder that I have always had a bad thyroid.

Sodo profile image
Sodo

I continue to suffer with painful heavy periods. I did have a merina coil fitted before, but even the small dose of hormones affected me and caused constant bleeding so had it removed. I've had uterine polyps removed as well, but that's had no effect either. I've been prescribed codeine and naproxen for the pain, but I will only take them at night as they make me drowsy. I think it's trial and error to find something that helps. Someone mentioned to me to try chromium 2 weeks before your period is due, 200mcgs twice daily is meant to help. I've yet to try it. But think anything is worth a go. Take away from any thyroid tabs though. There's a short article here about it: myhormonology.com/nix-pms-w...

Lulu2red profile image
Lulu2red

Get referred to a gynecologist to rule out any issues. I had a scan done had polyps. Removed under general anaesthesia and Morena fitted at the same time. My daughter is 32 and she has one fitted her periods have stopped too. You can have one with no progesterone but then you will continue to bleed. I felt like I was in my change of life at 29 year's old. After giving birth I was borderline hypothyroid took 10 years to get treated and a further 27 on T4 that did nothing just made me worse. Long story but T3 only has led me out of hell. What a waste of my life all that time seriously ill but no one listening. It's a bittersweet victory. Endocrinologists, GPs it's such a lottery. Be your own advocate you know your body better than they do. I wish you well. Feel like suing the NHS for negligence!

in reply to Lulu2red

I hear you!

honeybear1 profile image
honeybear1

Hi ,I suffer extreme periods 10 days and unable to leave the house, I did all the gynie stuff. Years ago and to,d nothing was wrong but had a mirina device fitted an was also on pill, with both mirenaā€™s I had constant bleeding for at least 6 months, wen I was on the pill as well I ended up bleeding for over 4 months continuesly eventually stopped the pill and the bleeding stopped also???. Since then I got NDT (erfa) and everything was fine until an idiot GP sed my levels were to high despite feeling fine including periods 4-5 days avg. bleed, had been told I was to high for years from old GP but no pressure as I felt fine, finally I decided to drop by 1/2 grain daily jst to prove my hypo. Symptoms. would return....they did including awful periods again after seeing idiot GP I returned to usual dose, unfortunately my periods stayed the same, I was left furious as without this fools interference everything would still be fine. Iā€™m now back to the gynie root and despite all tests many invasive everything is fine in fact my reproductive system is basically perfect, unfortunately periods still a problem and since I canā€™t take another 15years of this have decided on abilation (novosure) and sterilisation. Was jst curious if anyone else has had this done and what the results were.....anyone pls.

Paula101 profile image
Paula101

Thanks so much for your reply and advice on CBD oil. My husband would also like to try it now as he's not sleeping to well. It sounds like it helps your endo pain & thankful for a better alternative. With regards technology it's great when it works & when it doesn't the world comes to a halt! No worries šŸ˜‰ Thanks again.

helvella profile image
helvellaAdministratorThyroid UK

When you see a user name of Hidden, it means that the person is no longer a member of this forum.

We often close posts that were originated by people who have left - there is no point in wasting our time making replies. Occasionally, the thread might still be active and popular and will be left. More often, it is simply a case of none of the admins noticing!

I shall now be closing this post to replies.

The ability to reply to this post has been turned off.

You may also like...

Heavy periods in teenagers.

My granddaughter has heavy periods, she is on a contraceptive pill to help alleviate this. I've just

Help for heavy periods with migraines.

when my period starts. I bleed heavily for a week and have the most awful right sided migraine...

Heavy Periods

Over the last few months I have been experiencing horrendous heavy periods...after a night shift...

Heavy periods

get less heavy periods. Instead they tend to start a week earlier with spotting and I have a huge...

Heavy Periods sometimes lasting 15 days

for advice. My daughter of 20yrs has been having heavy periods and irregular, sometimes lasting 15...