Period changes due to Hashi's?

[Mummybear0213]

Me again 😅

I've had very normal, regular periods my whole life. Now, since I had my youngest nearly 2 years ago, they've been extremely heavy, painful and long. When I say long, I mean, I'm on day 13 currently.

I have the copper IUD which at first I blamed, however I've been told things should usually calm down after 6 months of that being inserted but my periods are getting worse and more irregular.

Some of you already know the list of symptoms I'm suffering with which I blame on my thyroid, could this also be caused by it?

I will be getting a GP appointment to investigate of course, incase it's something else causing the problem (I was told to try again in a week's time because they have nothing available, as per usual).

So I just wanted to see if anyone else here has experienced period changes because of hypothyroidism or Hashimoto's.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Being hypothyroid often results in heavier periods

womenshealthservices.com/bl...

helloclue.com/articles/cycl...

Being anaemic also tends to result in heavier periods (which doesn’t help)

How old are you

Peri menopause?

[Mummybear0213 in reply to SlowDragon]

I hope not! I'm 33

[Regenallotment Ambassador]

Yup mine have always been all over the place (when my body is left to its own devices and not on the pill or HRT) anything from 14 days to 53. Doesn’t seem to follow any kind of pattern. They have always been very heavy.

I take 3 arrows simply heme to help with low ferritin.

GP prescribed transexamic acid to supposedly halve the bleeding (it doesn’t kick in for 24 hours so misses the first heavy day and night)

Had an IUD twice when I was younger and had them out, way too much for me. Tried HRT in my 40s and made it worse.

Mooncup holds more when flow is fast, Asda do the purple and orange lilets which are the biggest tampons I’ve found. But I still have to do admin hourly and double up with pads. Teaching is a tad challenging if it happens on a weekday. Spare black trousers in the drawer, we have 3 similar age women in the department with the same symptoms.

Have they checked you for fibroids? Common with hypo. It would be worth knowing and knowing the size if you have them so you can monitor. Mine were 1cm 2 years ago, 2cm last year and I’m about to request a revisit as I’m 50 and it’s getting silly now. I’m going to have to start having a day off work as I can’t keep up and I’m getting all kinds of new pains. It was a 5 week wait for an appointment with our women’s health nurse. 🤦🏽‍♀️

I’ve tried dead nettle tea too, apparently that reduces flow. Too soon to know of it actually works.

Hope you can find some answers 🌱

[Mummybear0213 in reply to Regenallotment]

I've got an order of Three Arrows heme iron on the way! Can't wait for them to arrive and get started on them.

They've not looked into yet. My GP surgery never has appointments, I'm constantly told to try again in 2-3 weeks. This morning I explained that I'm having gynae related surgery in 2 weeks so they need to see me about this issue ASAP but still said try again next week. I very much doubt anything will be done by my op date so I'll just have to suffer and wait like everything else in life lol.

I'm sorry you're having to deal with this too. Some days are soo bad, the really heavy days I can barely function.

When I think back my mother ended up having a full hysterectomy in her late 20s because of how bad her periods were. We don't speak now so I can't ask what was causing it for her. I just remember her needing to go to A&E a few times because of it and having blood transfusions.

[Regenallotment Ambassador in reply to Mummybear0213]

My Mum had a hysterectomy in 1975 after I was born, she was mid 30s. The gynae I saw last said yes, we did that in the 70s and 80s and we don’t do it any more…. Bah!

Hope everything goes well with your upcoming treatment , keep ringing, keep at it, I find ‘I’m not coping’ seems to do the trick. I’m careful not to overuse it.

🌱

[sparkly]

Having read your post from the other day, I so feel for you as I have been in same situation and took years to get diagnosed. I too think pregnancy kicked things off for me properly but likely I'd had thyroid issues since being young. I would recommend that the copper coil be changed for the mirena coil, this could possibly stop your periods all together or at least make them lighter. But, if thyroid is causing the issues then it might not possibly work.

I hope you get diagnosed soon and are also able to increase your vits and minerals that are all terrible.

It's so difficult when you have young children to care for and you feel so dreadful.

Part the reason you get gaslit by gp is they blame your issues on being a busy mum with a young family

[Mummybear0213 in reply to sparkly]

Thank you for your kind reply x

During my prolapse surgery I'm going to request my consultant to switch the coil to the Mirena. I initially asked for my tubes to be tied but she offered to change the coil and said I could change my mind on the day if I want to. So I've decided against the tubal and I'm going for the Mirena instead. I am nervous because hormonal contraceptives have all been terrible for me in the past but no harm trying I suppose.

I was livid after that appointment with the GP. He was extremely patronising and actually quite discriminative when I think back, putting the blame on my anxiety for everything, like it's all in my head. Honestly made me question myself and wonder if I am going mad.

[sparkly in reply to Mummybear0213]

I use to find having my husband with me on difficult appointments helped. Didn't get dismissed as much.

[Mummybear0213 in reply to sparkly]

Tbh I've found female doctors more understanding than the male ones. There is one GP in particular at my surgery who has been helpful in the past for other issues but she's very hard to get an appointment with.

Think I'll keep trying for her and hope for the best.

[Regenallotment Ambassador in reply to sparkly]

Interesting isn’t it, I took my husband to the last few hospital appointments with ENT and it really helped. He sat there quietly and had a good take on things afterwards. I felt like I was ‘heard’ better. 🌱

[Agitator23 in reply to sparkly]

Shouldn't you be true but it is 😏

[Decant in reply to Mummybear0213]

I am so sorry that it takes a man to accompany you to get better care. It disgusts me that this is still the case.