Heavy periods help

Former Member

My sister is in her forties and has suffered with extremely bad period pain all her life. She lives in the USA and only got medical insurance in the past few years during which they said she probably had endometriosis. She has been taking Dep Provera injection since and it has worked and her periods are much less painful now. However, Depo Provera is linked to Osteoporosis and she has now been advised to stop taking it. She also had a scan today and it shoes she DOESN’T have endometriosis. So what could it be that is causing her to suffer so badly? Any ideas?
Also, what else could she take? Are there other contraceptive injections? Or anything else you can suggest?

Thanks in advance.

Former Member

Endometriosis doesn't show up on scans so I don't know how they've come to the conclusion of her not having it - although it could be something else anyway.

They don't tend to recommened being on Depo or similar drugs for more than 6 months to a year. The contraceptive pill is often used - sometimes tricycled so that you're not having as many periods as well.

Other than that it's mainly treated with surgery.
Some people find alternative therapies like reflexology and stuff help, and also some people find watching what they have in their diet can help.

If she is having to come off the drugs she'll need to have a good pain management plan in place. See what painkillers she can have etc... And also if her periods are regular, working out when she'll need to take it easy and coming up with a plan to fit around it will be useful. If she's lived with painful periods all her life I'm pretty sure she's come up with these sorts of things already though.

This is a pretty useful site... I'm sure there'll be a similar one for the US.

Former Member

Sorry I didn't mean to say scan. She had a camera up her.
Thanks

Former Member

Oh ok, well if they've done a laparoscopy and not found anything it's not likely to be that.
I hope they sort her out.

Former Member

Could it be fibroids? My mum has them and although she has always had heavy periods, they have made her periods increasingly heavier as she has got older. Think they are quite common too, so maybe they would have picked up on that by now...

Former Member

Maybe it's more a hormone imbalance? That can make life very unpleasant and could be why the injection has helped?
I suffer with very heavy periods although luckily i take feminax to take the pain away. I think unfortunately some of us are just more susceptible to these things :grump:

Former Member

Sorry to hear that your sister suffers from heavy periods, I imagine it makes her fear one week of each month A doctor is best placed to diagnose what's wrong, but to deal with the bleeding, maybe she could try a Mooncup in the meantime, while they do more tests to uncover the root cause of the problem?

Link: http://www.keeper.com/

I think a lot of women that have suffered very heavy bleeding have found it lighter after starting to use one of these. :yes:

Former Member

Hi Lipsy, I sent you a PM but didn't hear anything so just wanted to check you got it ok?

Splodgey