The good news is it eventually does end.
My periods starting going off schedule in my mid-forties, I'd have a few months without, and then a monster. I'm 51, soon to be 52. Or sometimes I would get a really light period of one or two days. In my prime I had regular and heavy periods. Some of the monster periods lasted 3 weeks, the worst one lasted nearly seven weeks so I finally went to the doctor - I wasn't really keeping track of how long and was surprised when I realized how long, and that's when I called.
The monster periods were horrible, needed tampons and night pads both during the day, kept a change of panties and pants in the trunk of my car, would end up having to take a shower in the middle of the night, etc. Not fun!
When I did go to the (new) doctor, they found I was very anaemic, and although things had slowed down by then, the doc's first recommendation was a uterine ablation. I did my research as an add-on to my online medical degree, and decided thanks, but no thanks. Plus the (new, now ex) doctor creeped me out because of heavy Christian overtones in the office - no reading material in the waiting room except bibles, Christian music in the background - it was a bit too much for me! Pills were not an option for me due to other medical reasons.
My (ex) doc said he used hot saline solution to do the ablation and performed it as an office procedure with local anathesia. It sounded terrible to me, although if I had been continuing to bleed heavily I guess I would have considered it, but with a different doctor. The former doc wanted to do it even though my bleeding had mostly stopped. Here is a quote from the link below:
Endometrial ablation is a procedure that destroys (ablates) the uterine lining, or endometrium. This procedure is used to treat dysfunctional or abnormal uterine bleeding. Sometimes a lighted viewing instrument (hysteroscope) is used to see inside the uterus. Endometrial ablation can be done by:
Laser beam (laser thermal ablation).
Heat (thermal ablation), using:
Radiofrequency.
A balloon filled with saline solution that has been heated to 85C (thermal balloon ablation).
Normal saline (heated free fluid).
Electricity, using a resectoscope with a loop or rolling ball electrode.
Freezing.
Microwave.
The endometrium heals by scarring, which usually reduces or prevents uterine bleeding.
Endometrial ablationThe new and good doc said the reason for the really heavy periods after a couple of months without is that you have built up lining that didn't release itself monthly as usual, but when it did finally come out, there was a lot of it. Or as one woman said on a different forum, "It looked like a big old chicken liver fell out there on the floor!"
If I were you, I would take iron as a preventative with some vitamin C that helps absorb the iron. I would also get some Metamucil in pill form since the iron will give you constipation. But it's worth it to get some energy back. Plus I found that getting over anaemia helped my mood tremendously. My entire adult life my red blood cell count was at the low end or a couple of points under normal. But since it was 'normal' I never took any iron for it, and looking back I wish I had, because I think it would have helped during all my mood episodes.
I still haven't gone a year without, but they're about 6 or 8 months apart and only last a day or two, very light. So I'm almost there. I take gabapentin for hot flashes instead of hormones and it works fine. Good luck to you.
