PERIMENOPAUSEAND HEAVY PERIODS
Dr Steven R. Goldstein, a Perimenopause Specialist in NYC recalls the case of a patient stating she could no longer wear tampons because she had to change them so frequently. She said it was very scary because the blood was so clotty. She thought she was pregnant and having a miscarriage. She felt tired and dizzy much of the time, and the bleeding was making it difficult to leave the house.
You can have very heavy, very frightening bleeding from nothing more than a hormonal imbalance. In fact, this is true for more than seventy five percent of women who experience heavy bleeding episodes in their thirties and forties.
Dr Steven R. Goldstein is a Perimenopause Specialist in NYC who has worked with numerous women to help them cope with the symptoms of Perimenopause for his over 30 years in private practice. Perimenopause is a transitionary phase to menopause which can begin as early as the late
thirties and as late as up to the late forties.
Why the heavy bleeding in Perimenopausal women?
The estrogen you are making stimulates the uterine lining to build up. It thickens. During Perimenopause ovulation is irregular and unpredictable because of changing hormone levels. If you do not ovulate during perimenopause, this causes the lining to get thicker and thicker with no progesterone to trigger its release.
Then the endometrium is destabilized and your blood flow is heavy as it releases a larger than average lining. The result can be heavy, clotty bleeding that is different from the menstrual periods you’ve experienced before.
If you are experiencing heavy bleeding, what should you do? Miscarriage is the first thing to rule out when one experiences an unusually heavy, clotty bleed. But heavy or prolonged bleeding is very common, and it can come from a host of causes. Fibroid tumors are one cause. Pelvic infection or an IUD that’s gone awry are also reasons for heavy bleeding as is Endometriosis polyps, cancer, hyperplasia and so on. Does your lower abdomen hurt? Did the pain come on slowly, and do you have a fever and discharge from your vagina? It is very important to see your gynecologist.
What’s normal for one woman may be excessive for another. If your period can be dealt with by a super plus tampon, it’s probably within normal range, however check with your gyn.
Avoid hot baths if you are bleeding heavily. The heat dilates blood vessels,, increasing your flow. Aspirin can also lower the ability of platelets to clot and increase your bleeding. Try a non aspirin pain reliever if you are having cramps.
Dr Steven R. Goldstein is a past president of the International Menopause Society, a Certified Menopause Practitioner and co author of the book “Could it be….Perimenopause?”. If you suspect you have Perimenopause, or are having heavy bleeding Dr Goldstein, Perimenopause doctor in NYC
is available for consultation at his office in Manhattan.