Polymenorrhea aka too frequent menstruation

[thekarens]

So, I was having this issue last year, went for my pap and they found a cyst on the ovary and scheduled me for an ultrasound. Ultrasound found extra thick lining on the uterus along with the cyst and the doc found a polyp on the cervix during the exam after the ultrasound. Polyp and uterine lining was biopsied and came back fine. Doc puts me on "The Pill." I took it for 3 months and it worked fine, but I'll be honest, I don't like taking it, so I went off it. Cycle was fine for a couple months and now I'm back to having extra frequent menstuation (ie every two weeks.)

So, obviously I'm going to have to go back to the doc, but I was wondering if anyone else has had this issue and knows of other treatments or if it's harmful to just live with it?

[OakLeaf]

How old are you? That's a classic perimenopause symptom, and IME gyns know a whole lot less about perimenopause than the wise women on this forum. If you're over 35, it might just be the kind of thing you have to either live with for a few years, or resign yourself to taking hormones.

[thekarens]

43, I forgot to mention I had blood work and they said definitely no perimenopause. Which is too bad. I'm more than ready for it to be over.

[zoom-zoom]

I just started on Prometrium 200mg (bio-identical progesterone) for this very thing. I'm nearing 41 and have had stupid short cycles (with long bleeds) for at least 5-6 years. I'm not loving some early side-effects of the med, but didn't love the dumb cycles, either. I also have an ovarian cyst--kiwi-sized! I may drop down to 100mg after I finish the 3 cycles of the meds I have, if the side-effects don't decrease a bit as I adapt. I'm crazy sleepy and dealing with some vertigo.

[thekarens]

Hmmm, sounds like it's take the meds or suck it up. My cyst was pretty small. I was supposed to go back for another ultrasound after 3 months on the meds, but they called and cancelled because my gyn was on paternity leave. They wanted to schedule me with another doc, but I wasn't crazy about that idea. So, I guess now that he's back I need to have the ultrasound and check out my options. Did they give you endometrial ablation as an option?

[zoom-zoom]

Did they give you endometrial ablation as an option?

I had ablation about a decade ago, which really helped with the quantity I was bleeding. But I don't think ablation will have any bearing on cycle length/frequency...just the amount of blood lost. For years I haven't had a heavy period, just spotting for a week or more...and with increasingly short cycles. Getting hormones on track (ie adding progesterone to balance out existing estrogen) should do the trick. But, dang, I feel about like I did early in pregnancy, which I guess makes sense, since progesterone levels were higher then, too.

I suspect my relative levels of estrogenrogesterone have always been off. It would explain why I have had endometriosis symptoms since my very first period (diagnosed 10 years ago via laparoscopy when I had my tubal done). It would also explain why I bled early in pregnancy. I was probably damned close to miscarrying (good thing my kid is a stubborn little turd!!) and my idiot OB probably should have had me on progesterone then, too.

[thekarens]

Wow, sounds like you've been through the ringer. I've been lucky. Never had problems until last year. I asked about the ablation because I have two co-workers who had it done for heavy periods and neither of them has had a period since, so I wondered if that was a treatment, but apparently not :-)

[zoom-zoom]

Wow, sounds like you've been through the ringer. I've been lucky. Never had problems until last year. I asked about the ablation because I have two co-workers who had it done for heavy periods and neither of them has had a period since, so I wondered if that was a treatment, but apparently not :-)

I think ablation can completely eliminate periods for some (lucky) women. Because of endometriosis it helped lighten my flow by a LOT, but the endo keeps the bleeding coming. My reproductive bits are totally stupid.

If you don't have endo you may have total relief, but if you're not hemorrhaging, then maybe taking progesterone for part of each cycle would be a better solution.

[thekarens]

Sounds like it. Thanks for sharing your info :-)

[zoom-zoom]

No problem. Like Oak said, so much of this is sort of under-documented/promoted. We've gotta be very open about what we experience so that others can make semi-educated decisions.

[goldfinch]

I couldn't take hormones to regulate my periods as it made my blood pressure go through the roof. Instead I had a hysterectomy. This was close to 20 years ago so things probably are different now. But, the hysterectomy was a wonderful solution and I did not regret it for a second. I wish I could have had it done even sooner than it was done. By the time I had it done I probably was bleeding three out of four weeks.

[thekarens]

I couldn't take hormones to regulate my periods as it made my blood pressure go through the roof. Instead I had a hysterectomy. This was close to 20 years ago so things probably are different now. But, the hysterectomy was a wonderful solution and I did not regret it for a second. I wish I could have had it done even sooner than it was done. By the time I had it done I probably was bleeding three out of four weeks.

My mom had the same thing for the same reason in the late 70s, except in her case they messed something up and it resulted in a two week stay in the ICU.

Thankfully they've improved on that procedure since then.