How long are your periods?

[Glitter Girl]

Past
When I first got my periods, at age 15 ½ , I had a lot of cramping, but from what I can remember, they were not too bad, and they were regular.

When I was 20, I started taking birth control pills (Ortho Tri-Cyclen). That really lessened my cramping, and made my periods a lot lighter and shorter. I knew exactly when my period was coming, and it was great. The pill treated me well for about 5 years.

I’ve been on birth control for a total of about 10 years. The second 5 years did not treat me so well. Suddenly, I began spotting all the time. There were about 10-11 days out of the month where I was NOT bleeding. So…. My doctor had me try a different brand of birth control pills for 3 months. The new brand did not make a difference, so over the next several years, he tried me on brand after brand, about every 3 months. I also tried the Depo Provera shot, which made me not bleed at all, however, it took all of my sexual drive away, so I did not like that.

So, after trying the Depo Provera, I continued trying different pills, and I was never able to get to the way I was during the first five years of my pill usage. I eventually tried NuvaRing, for 2.5 days (which is what brought on my IC), and the Patch, which did not help with my spotting either.

After I got married, my husband encouraged me to get off of birth control and just let my body be natural. I thought this was a good idea, since I had been on birth control for so long (total of about 10 years), and we want to start a family, hopefully soon, anyway.

When I first got off birth control, my periods were somewhat light, but as time goes on, they get heavier, longer, etc…… I got off of birth control approximately November/December of 2004.


Present
My Periods are on for 14 days, and are off for 14 days. I know when it’s about to start because a day or two before, my breasts become extremely tender, and remain that way throughout most of my period. When they get really tender, I can often feel lumpiness in my right breast. Not sure if that’s normal or not….? The first 7 days or so, it’s mostly just spotting….

Then I have 2 days that are horrible, where I have really bad cramping, and very heaving bleeding. During the heavy days I feel like someone kicked me in the crotch.

During my 2 heavy days, I usually wear a tampon and a pad. It's so heavy that I bleed through my tampon, and if I don’t have on a pad, it floods through to my clothes. There are clots that come out during this time as well. I feel like I just want to sit on the toilet all day and let it all just come out.

After the 1-2 horrible days, it goes to a regular flow for a few more days, and then spotting until it ends on the 14th day. I go through this every month and it’s not fun having them last so long, (2 weeks out of every month), and be so extremely heavy for those 2 days.

I've started using progesterone cream morning and night from day 12 (after my period starts) to 26. The past couple of months, it has brought the length of my periods down to 12 days. However this month was 15 freakin' days long.

I am curious as to the general length of time periods should last. How long are your periods?

[Mrs. Burschman]

Excuse my French, but that sucks!

I'm on the pill. Mine are only about four days and really light.

What does your doctor say?

Amy (Mrs. B)

[Glitter Girl]

Yeah, it totally sucks! When I was on the pill mine were light and short also.

My dr. tested my blood to check my hormones and said everything looks fine. She suggests getting back on the pill- which I will not do, or just getting pregnant. She says maybe I'll become more regular after I have children.

I think there must be more options than getting pregnant. I do want to have children- soon hopefully, but need to figure out my IC first, and figure out some other probs I've been having (limb tingling and white matter in my brain).

I've thought about getting cauterized after having kids- but don't know much about it and wondering if I'd have to take hormones. If I would, then I probably won't go that route.

It sucks having my periods last so long......being female is like being in hell sometimes- for me anyway. I feel bad for my husband because intercourse often hurts because of my IC, and then half the month I'm bleeding.

[vm]

Mine last 5 or 6 days.

[curlycue]

Glitter Girl,
It sounds like we are going through the same exact thing, I HATE it I have been on my period for 14 days straight and I am sooooooooooo tired of it, sometimes I want to sream, I went to Tijuana Mexico for spring break and boy did I regret it, the bathroom situation is soooooooooo bad over there that you have to get a bucket and pour water down the toilet so the water will go down, I dont want to get really graphic but when you are on your period and its really heavy its not a pretty sight! its awfull I am in constant worry will this toilet flush! I would die if something happend and then what do you say!

I am on the Heparin/Sodium Bar/Lidocaine, I see Dr Parsons and he adviced me that my periods would get worse with these meds but I cant seem to go with out them, I had stoped for a coulple of weeks and I was in so much pain that I had to start again.I dont want to go on the pill I took it for 10yrs and I am all ready on 400mg of Elmiron that I dont want to take any more meds. Good Luck to us is all I say.

[Kara Isabel]

OMG, I could've practically written your post! LOL

Interesting, I was on Ortho-tri-Cyclen for about 10 years on and off. I quit about 3 1/2 years ago because I wanted to let my body just get back to a "natural" state! My DH agreed to a vasectomy! :woohoo:

I remember my periods were pretty light for the most part til' I stopped the pill, regular bleeding about 5 days but BOY has that changed!!!!!!!!

For a few days before it start I have SEVERE pms cramping, and like you, the first 2-3, or even 4th day are SO heavy and SO severe I have to wear tampons and pads and I have ALOT of clotting (bright RED and clots so big they make me cry!!) and can go through a tampon an hour at certain points...........Of course, my bladder is usually going nutso around this time too!!!!!!!

Then, it will slow down and be pretty stable until I'm completely done (about 8-10 days) and I will continue to spot for a few days after that. ESP. after sex, and the blood is dark (sorry to be graphic), but my gyn seems to think this isn't a big deal.

For some reason, when my period completely stops and I'm just at the "spotting" phase for a few days, that is when my IC is at its "best behaved"......those are the days that I usually just deal w/ freq./pressure but I don't have severe pain attacks during those few days! Atleast I haven't so far.

My gyno also recommended that I go back on BC, but I really don't want to! I just want to live hormone free for awhile, well, natural hormones! AND, the one thing that has gotten a little bit better since I stopped the pills are my panic attacks! They were alot more frequent on Orthotc.

My periods are absolute hell! And sometimes, esp at night, I can bleed through the tampon AND the pad! :( UGH :cussing:

:grouphug: ,
Kara

[armslee]

Glitter Girl, has your doctor ever suspected endometriosis with you? My periods were usually not that heavy but have always been painful. After I had my daughter 7 years ago they began to get heavier. Since my IC symptoms began to get worse so have my periods. My doctor now suspects endo. Unfortunately the only way to find endo is through a lap procedure. He is going to perform one on me next week while I am under anesthesia for my cysto/hydro.
I hope you get to feeling better.

[Glitter Girl]

Wow, I didn't know anyone else would have periods like mine. That's great to find I'm not alone. Maybe I need to get checked for endemetriosis....

Thanks for the comments, I really appreciate it!!!!!!!! Yesterday was day 15 and today it's FINALLY gone- but probably only for 12-14 days and then back to bleeding again.

[armslee]

GG, That really does suck to have periods that long!! Mine really fluctuate thanks to my IC symptoms. I used to be an every 28 day gal. But since December things have been all out of whack. Some months I start every 22 days, then the next month it may be as long as 34 days before I start again.

[curlycue]

Thanks for all the info, someone had mentions to me if I had ever gotten checked for endo as well and I just blew it off mabey she was right I will go get checked. I just get so tired of going to the drs all the time!

[Glitter Girl]

I know what you mean about getting so tired of going to the doctors all the time. It' so exhausting!!!!!!

We should all just get jobs at the hospital so we can go to our appts. on our lunch breaks- lol.

[Kara Isabel]

LOL Glitter girl!

Its TRUE!

I told one of my friends recently, if I'm not home or at my office, I am probably at the doctors OR at Walgreens!!

Pretty sad that all the pharmacy techs know me and have my meds out as soon as they see me!! :biglaugh:

[curlycue]

Yep you are so right Kara.

[wambagirl27]

GG,
My period has always been the same b4 and after childbirth, 5 days, somewhere between 28 to 30 days when it comes again. I can say that's the only thing that has stayed the same since childbirth!

[Kip]

I went through this kind of thing four years ago, I was so bad that I became very anaemic and needed blood and iron transfusions each time I had a period. I was diagnosed with polycystic ovaries. Previously I had periods that were very light, painfree and lasted 3 days max. Finally my periods this year have settled into a regular 28 day cycle lasting 5 days. The first 2-3 days I have very heavy bleeding and pain but after that they are okay.

Out of interest those of you taking heparin may find that makes your bleeding worse and you may wish to change to a different drug, the same goes for oestrogen based products.

Check your diet, usual stuff caffeine, carbohydrates, have a high fibre diet plenty of fresh fruit ad veg as this may help. Exercise is good as well even though you probably feel awful and tired it will help

I use a wonderful herbal cream for period cramps and pain made by Lillets, it is amazing

Hope it helps

Kip

:bunny:

[quiltz]

I started periods at about age 9 I think. I know it was in the 4th grade. I don't remember having problems with extreme bleeding til I was about 13 or so and then realized I was getting it every 21 days instead of 28 or so and bleed for 8 or 9 days. The doctor wanted to put me on birth control pills to try to regulate it and slow down the blood loss but of course with my Catholic parents that was out of the question. In their ignorance I guess they thought I would become sexually active? (duh) I guess I just got used to my situation .... nothing I could do anyway!
In any case, I had menopause at age 30 so I guess I must have used up all my eggs!! LOL ....

I've been on HRT since then on decreasing doses and my GYN/endocrinologist just upped my dosage last visit since he felt it would help the bladder. I often wonder if I had been treated by the doc in my teens if it would have stopped the ovarian failure but not much use in thinking about it now eh??

Oh btw, did try the Estrace cream and it was awful .... pain and burning! I couldn't even get the applicator in without screaming pain. It didn't help anyway.

Liz :rolleyes:

[Jen2381]

I had a somewhat similar experience. For almost two years, no matter what form of BC I took i would have spotting the whole time. I just kept trying and trying (as in switching around looking for what was best for me). The depo made be spot for 9 months. The Nuva Ring was agony hurt from the moment I put it in til one day later when I couldn't take it anymore and took it out. The patch gave me horrible skin rashes that constantly itched. So, I tried different kinds of BC pills, I had to go through 2 brands and then I found it YASMIN. My hero! I've been on it for almost a year now with no problems. Gives me a period that lasts about 4 days. The cramping is dependant on how bad my IC symptoms are at the time though. It could be a killer month and sometimes not. Have you tried to get checked out for endomentriosis (sp?) I know someone mentioned that before but I have heard that IC and endo symptoms can sometimes mimic each other (cept with IC you typically don't get particularly heavy bleeding like you described)

Jen