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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 18 of 18. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by pretty_paints on February 3, 2005, at 3:48:22
Hi guys,
This isn't actually to do with psych meds, is it ok that I post it?
I have the craziest periods. Never on time, always random. But I get pain so bad I want to die. It is honestly the worst thing ever. I just lie in bed and cry. Also my periods are SO heavy. I must always wear a super-super-heavy type tampon AND a towel, at the same time.
But anyway the point is, last night I stood up and nearly fainted. This has happened a few times and always on the first day of my period. I have been anaemic in the past and have taken iron tablets. I don't really want to take them again coz I'm on so many psych meds and iron tablets annoyingly have to be taken on an empty stomach etc etc, and it just takes ages to sort all the tablets out. Grrr.
However, I do think I am loosing too much blood. My doc gave me some kind of blood clotting tablets, which stop me loosing so much blood. But I'm almost out of them. I've been on the pill but came off it as it made my depression much worse. I don't really want to have another go at a different pill, it kinda put me off altogether.
Anyway my point is, do you think the fainting could be as a result of loosing too much blood? Is there any other way I can stop this happening?
Thanks a lot for any info!!!
Kate xxxxx
Posted by rainbowbrite on February 3, 2005, at 4:25:32
In reply to HEAVY PERIODS, posted by pretty_paints on February 3, 2005, at 3:48:22
A towel? taht really doesn't sound good.
IMO- I think meds mess up periods! that being said I think that not only losing to much blood BUT horrible PAIn can cause a person to pass out. So i think its possible but i also thing you need to see a gyno asap! You never know it could be endometriosis or soemthing. I hope you get checked with gyno.
hope this helps a bit.
Posted by ed_uk on February 3, 2005, at 9:31:49
In reply to HEAVY PERIODS, posted by pretty_paints on February 3, 2005, at 3:48:22
Hi Katie!
>I have the craziest periods. Never on time, always random.
Were they like that before you took your first antipsychotic?
>My doc gave me some kind of blood clotting tablets, which stop me loosing so much blood.
Tranexamic acid? (Cyklokapron)
Have you ever tried mefenamic acid to reduce the bleeding? (Ponstan, Ponstel)
>I don't really want to take them again coz I'm on so many psych meds and iron tablets annoyingly have to be taken on an empty stomach etc etc, and it just takes ages to sort all the tablets out.
Some people do take iron tablets with food! Less iron is absorbed though so you may need a higher dose. In the UK pharmacists are supposed to advise that.... 'Although iron preparations are best absorbed on an empty stomach they may be taken after/with food to reduce gastro-intestinal side-effects.'
Ed xxx
Posted by Wildflower on February 3, 2005, at 9:52:36
In reply to HEAVY PERIODS, posted by pretty_paints on February 3, 2005, at 3:48:22
I dealt with pain and heavy bleeding in my late teens. The only thing that helped with the pain was a high dose of naproxon sodium (which is now available OTC). The other thing they did was put me on birth control pills to make things more regular. I've been on them (or various kinds of them) for 12 years now. I'm terrified to ever stop taking them for fear that the horrors will start again. My doctor now has prescribed me to take my pills differently where I have a period every 8 weeks instead of 4.
Another thought, have you tried taking a multivitamin? I love the kids chewable vitamins. They can be taken at any time and they have enough iron to satify the adult recommmendation.
Posted by Miss Honeychurch on February 3, 2005, at 12:01:31
In reply to HEAVY PERIODS, posted by pretty_paints on February 3, 2005, at 3:48:22
My mother had your same problems and it turned out she had fibroids. These are benign growths in your uterus, but they do make you bleed heavily.
Has your Doctor checked you out for this? My mother as well fainted from losing too much blood because of this. She also had to use a towel, etc.
Posted by pretty_paints on February 3, 2005, at 13:43:05
In reply to Re: HEAVY PERIODS » pretty_paints, posted by rainbowbrite on February 3, 2005, at 4:25:32
Hi guys, thanks for your replies.
Rainbowbrite - By a "towel" I mean a sanitary towel. Are you from the US? Maybe you call them something different, "pads" maybe? And yes, I think I'm gonna make an appointment to see the doc.
Ed - For some reason I feel terribly embarassed that you have read this post! Ha ha. Grow up Katie! I just thought it would be a bunch of women answering! But I should hae guessed you would be surfing all the boards, offering your brilliant advice (that sounds sarastic, it's not meant to, it's a genuine comment!!). Yes I have always had NIGHTMARE periods. If anything, when I first went on Prozac and calmed down a little, my periods actually became more regular and easier to cope with (not on prozac anymore though). Yes it is Tranexamic acid. I haven't tried the other med you mention. Is it better?
Wildflower - That's a really good idea about the chewy tablets. I would definately prefer that. I felt so sick today from taking so many meds. I had all my psych meds in the morning. Then I took oxetetracycline for my skin, tranexamic acid for the bleeding, bloody peppermint-type pills for Irritable Bowel Syndrome (it only flares up when I have my period) and Feminax for the major PAIN. Yuk. So the chewy tablets, I will look into it!
Miss Honeychurch - Yes I will def go to the doctor and get it checked out. I've never really had any checks for anything like that, so it would be a good idea. Thanks!
Posted by CareBear04 on February 3, 2005, at 20:09:45
In reply to HEAVY PERIODS, posted by pretty_paints on February 3, 2005, at 3:48:22
hey prettypaints! i can definitely sympathize with your problem. i've had heavy bleeding, anemia, looong periods, and bad irregularity. in the past few years, i've had cramps the first day, but otherwise, i've been lucky to avoid bad pain like you have. i got my period kinda late, when i was 14. i've always been below the recommended weights but still active and healthy. when i competed in sports and trained hard, i would have maybe 2-3 periods a year. this may have also been because it was only a few years after the onset. but i still have no idea when to expect it, and it's horrible because i've been caught off guard while traveling the past two times!
as for heavy bleeding-- it's very likely that you lost enough blood that you were hypovolemic causing dizziness and fainting. do you bleed easily or profusely in other situations and bruise a lot? i went to the gyn to finally get on birth control to control my periods. she sent me to be medically cleared because of concern about the bruising. my clotting times were higher than normal, and i was sent to the hematologist who worked me up like i had a fatal disease! his conclusion is that i have a hereditary bleeding disorder, von willebrand's. especially before surgery or dental work, i'm supposed to take medicine to release more of the clotting factor so i don't lose too much blood. he also recommended oral contraceptives because they promote clotting in addition to shortening bleeding days and regulating blood loss. the iron supplements are pretty nasty, so if you can prevent anemia, i think that's best. i would love to be able to take OCPs, but i haven't had good luck. i'm diagnosed BP, and my first try, alesse, sent me straight into bad depression. that was before i was on a mood stabilizer. then, mircette caused 3 weeks of breakthrough bleeding, i think because the progestin amount wasn't high enough. actually, the hematologist recommended, and i've wanted from the start, to do continuous OCP, so i never have periods. my sister who has done OB/GYN rotations for medicine says that it's true about medical risks from having no periods. anyway, i've been having health problems and haven't been able to take mood stabilizers, so i've had to stop trials of OCPs. i think it's important to protect your mood, but it's well worth trying to find a pill to decrease pain, decrease blood loss, and increase regularity.
i hope this helps!
Posted by pretty_paints on February 4, 2005, at 3:32:17
In reply to Re: HEAVY PERIODS » pretty_paints, posted by CareBear04 on February 3, 2005, at 20:09:45
Hi carebear,
Yeh that was really helpful, thanks! I am going to my doctor this afternoon so I will let you know how things go. I am similar in that I didn't start my periods till I was 14 either, and up until the last like 6 months (when I started antipsychotics and put on lots of weight) I was really skinny too.
Anyway, thanks again! XXX
Posted by ed_uk on February 4, 2005, at 9:03:56
In reply to Re: HEAVY PERIODS, posted by pretty_paints on February 3, 2005, at 13:43:05
Hi Katie!
>For some reason I feel terribly embarassed that you have read this post!
He he, sorry! Try not to be embarrased :-)
Unfortuntely, if you are anaemic, you'll need a prescription iron tablet. The chewy vitamin tablets don't contain enough iron to treat a deficiency, especially if you're still losing blood. Iron injections are also available but they are generally only used to treat people who are having really bad side effects from the tablets. If you do have to take iron tablets (eg. ferrous sulphate) you can take them will meals if you like- taking them on an empty stomach is not vital.
Have you ever used ibuprofen (Nurofen) for your period pain? Did it help? Any effect on the bleeding?
Hope everything goes ok at the doctor! Tell us how it goes.
Ed xx
Posted by CareBear04 on February 4, 2005, at 13:35:35
In reply to Re: HEAVY PERIODS » pretty_paints, posted by ed_uk on February 4, 2005, at 9:03:56
hey everyone--
ibuprofen has been good for cramps and i also use it for joint pain. for some reason, though, my hematologist told me to avoid NSAIDs and aspirin because they interfere with clotting. i can understand the mechanism for aspirin, but i don't know about advil except that in the long-run, it can cause GI bleeding. tylenol is a safer bet, but it doesn't help with pain from cramps, at least not for me.
good luck with the dr, katie!p.s.-- i was kinda embarrassed about ed, too!! hahaha
Posted by pretty_paints on February 4, 2005, at 13:46:46
In reply to Re: HEAVY PERIODS, posted by CareBear04 on February 4, 2005, at 13:35:35
Hi guys,
Ed - I've tried Neurofen but Feminax is better. It deals with all the stuff like achy thighs and all that.
Went to the doc this afternoon, he seems to think it's fine. Ha ha, it was quite funny actually what he said. I explained it all and then he went...
"Well you know, what with your age, and what with being a girl..."
"Being a what?" I said
"A girl. FEMALE"
Ha ha ha
I thought he was gonna say "Well you know, what with your age, and what with....", I dunno...
"all the medication you're on..." or "this time of year..." or "your size and shape" or whatever!!
But, "being a girl".
Um hello, if I wasn't a girl, would I be having this problem??
Lol
He maybe was having a funny day, coz later I saw this big long wooden thing on his desk and I asked what it was and he said "Oh I use that to beat people with".
Hmm.
Anyway, long story short: he basically said that everything's ok, the fainting thing is prob coz my periods are heavy. He gave me the option of Ponstan but said it was more for pain and less for bleeding, so I'm sticking with Tranexamic acid.
As for all the other things you guys posted in about, I hope you don't think I'm ignoring them, but I think I'll just try and take docs word for it and just see how things go.
I am, after all, "a girl".
Ha ha ha
Anyway, thanks for all your replies!!!! Glad you were embarrased about Ed too carebear! You get kinda connected to people on here, even though you've never actually seen them! It's like your big brother reading it or something! Eek! But nevertheless Ed, thanks for your tips!! And thanks for pulling us out of the middle ages! He he
Posted by rainbowbrite on February 4, 2005, at 14:24:26
In reply to Re: HEAVY PERIODS, posted by pretty_paints on February 3, 2005, at 13:43:05
>Rainbowbrite - By a "towel" I mean a sanitary towel. Are you from the US?
Yes I am, sorry for my ignorance...never heard the term before. Im glad you are going to go to the doc.
Posted by CareBear04 on February 4, 2005, at 14:26:14
In reply to Re: HEAVY PERIODS, posted by pretty_paints on February 4, 2005, at 13:46:46
hey there-- so funny about your dr! he sounds... quirky... to say the least. yeah, that part about your "being a girl"... that's just weird. i too would have thought he would say, "being a thin person," or "being so medicated," or "being relatively young" or just something different!
are you in the US? i was just wondering b/c the drug names you mentioned are so unfamiliar. also, all the drs in the the states, at least those i've come across, are very politically correct, making sure to call young people over 18 "women," not girls. i still think of myself as a girl and tend to use that term, but i guess if i'm in a power situation, i would use the word "woman." i don't know.
good luck, and i hope your dr's suggestions work out. let me know! xoxo
Posted by ed_uk on February 5, 2005, at 13:57:22
In reply to Re: HEAVY PERIODS, posted by pretty_paints on February 4, 2005, at 13:46:46
Hi Katie,
You post was so funny- you have a good sense of humour :-)
Sorry if you were embarassed! Most my friends are girls so I'm used to taking about periods! Boys tend not to like me that much because they are scared that people will think they are gay if they get seen talking to me!
Keep taking the tranexamic acid, I don't want you to loose too much blood!
Ed xxx
Posted by Miss Honeychurch on February 9, 2005, at 10:33:52
In reply to HEAVY PERIODS, posted by pretty_paints on February 3, 2005, at 3:48:22
Posted by pretty_paints on February 9, 2005, at 10:49:10
In reply to Re: HEAVY PERIODS, posted by pretty_paints on February 4, 2005, at 13:46:46
Yes I have Miss Honeychurch.
He pretty much said it was normal and okay. I asked about other complications, but he seemed to thing there was no issues there. He asked a couple of questions, like do I spot between periods etc, which I don't. So I guess I'll let things go and, yeh, well, watch this space!!
They are hell, but only for the first two days of each period. I am incapacitated. But as long as I keep taking tranexamic acid and feminax the MOMENT I get my period, hopefully I can relieve that.
He majorly said about going on the pill. But I had a yucky experience with Dianette. It was brill brill brill for my skin (acne), zero spots for the whole time I was on it, but it made me very low and depressed. So I avoid the pill like the plague now!
Anyway, thanks for your concern xxxxxxxx
Posted by Miss Honeychurch on February 9, 2005, at 15:00:43
In reply to Re: HEAVY PERIODS, posted by pretty_paints on February 9, 2005, at 10:49:10
Glad there is nothing "serious" going on.
I had the same reaction to the pill. Loved it for my skin, but I gained 10 pounds and it reaised my blood pressure. That was over 10 years ago though. I hear now they have really low-dose hormone pills which have fewer side effects.
Posted by CareBear04 on February 9, 2005, at 19:19:16
In reply to Re: HEAVY PERIODS, posted by pretty_paints on February 9, 2005, at 10:49:10
hey pretty paints,
glad your doctor's appointment went well. i hate seeing the dr for stuff like that! the pill didn't go over well with me, either, especially with my BP disorder. i didn't even get the skin benefits for the short period i was on it. good luck!
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