HUGE Blood Clots & Bright Red Blood During Cycle

Please seek medical advice for this! This much bleeding and such large clots are most likely a sign of something. It could be hormonal or it could be a cyst or tumor...This is something that NONE OF US are qualified to help you with UNLESS someone is a doctor!

My periods were always 3 days, very light, no problems. Then after I had my first child (at age 39) they started being horrendous! Huge clots, soaking through tampons and pads over and over, having "accidents" for the first time in my life! And the cramping would be TERRIBLE, so much so that it would wake me up at night. Some months it is better, and seems to be getting better with time (somewhat). I don't think there is much they can do for it. I always thought girls were over-reacting and big babies for not being able to handle their periods. Now unfortunately I see what they were complaining about. I don't think there is much they can do to help - but it should get better with time.
Good luck to you - you are not alone!

I had a leep procudeure last spring and the same thing happened to me.I was bellding extremly heavy blood for about ten days. I finally went to the ER and they sent me home and said everything was fine, that night it got even worse, pretty much exactly as you are describing and I went back,they had me lay in bed till it finally stopped ,around 12 hours later, they said if it did not stop on it's own , they would have had to put me under to stop it.
I think you may need to find someone to stay with you and to help with the kids and just rest for as long as you can to see if it subsides. If not you should seek medical help.
Best of Luck.
I did learn that you can lose an awfulm amount of blood though and still be fine!!!
It was SCARY for me , but not really a big deal at GYN ER.
Pleaae let me know what happeened if you can.

A.,

What you are experiencing sounds like you may have fibroids tumors. (or at least one possibility). My Mom experienced this with hers.

There is a Judeo-Christian Health Clinic Near St. Joseph's hospital. I think there fees are based on a sliding scale. Rural Health Services may be an option as well depending on where you live. There is always the health dept, but I don't know if I would recommend them.

There is an Chinese herb formula called Yunnan Bai Yao or Yunnan Pai Yao. You can get it OTC in the asian stores. It is mainly used to for muscle soreness but will stop bleeding. Follow the directions on the package. Still find a way to go see a doctor!!!!

I would go to an urgent care center like Central Care, or call them at least it might be cheaper than going to the ER or your Dr. with no insurance.

Good luck and I hope everything is ok!

i would go to a gynocologist because i had this issue 2 years ago it was horrible at work and i had to wear 3 pads 2 long wise back to back and a extra one in the middle which was uncomfotable.the i tried overnighters they were a little better then i went to the depends department and had to get like those mens secuirty things for bladder control and they worked besr and were much more comfortable.but vert expensive.
anyway iwent to the gynocologist and they were trying to give me a pap she said my uteran all was thick and she could not even scrape by uterus and had me come back and do a intra sonogrham (where they stick the probe inside you and looks around) and i had cist on my ovaries shich she said these kinds were normal for women my age going into peri manapause (i was 45 12-22 this year) so they said to make these go away they have tor est your ovaries they do this by putting you on birth control pills for 3 months then you go back to see if they are gone if they are gone then good if not then they may have to opperate.
so what i am saying you may have cist. see the clots are cause from the cist bursting and coming on out ike that.
good luck and let me know.

Hopefully, your cycle has settled down by now. Sorry you didn't get a response earlier.

I did want to suggest that if you haven't stopped bleeding yet, indeed you should go see a doctor to at least make sure you aren't becoming anemic. Please do not go to the ER for such things though. That is a waste of your money and a waste of the valuable time and resources of the ER. Instead, use one of the walk in clinics (even the minute clinics at Walgreens or Publix would work although one of the Florida Hospital Urgent Care clinics would be better.) These will be far cheaper for you in the long run (less than $100 most likely) vs hundreds or thousands of dollars that you will be responsible for if you go to an ER. ERs aren't free.

Good luck and I hope you feel better soon.

So sorry you're going through this...I've been there. For me, it happened when I had 2 ectopics (in my 30's) and again when I got close to menopause ...also when I sometimes got ovarian cysts. I would have to say it's important to get checked out by a doctor. There are some who will work with you on the money issue. The wait time at our local ER's seems to be shorter lately, from my experience...with recent expansions. I wish you the best, God Bless.

Size of an egg is pretty drastic. I remember the nurse telling me post-partum that anything larger than a ping pong ball and/or soaking a pad every hour should trigger a call to my OB-GYN.

My cycle has been quite heavy after my 2nd child, and I have learned to keep TWO changes of clothes in my car during my period.

Lack of medical benefits stinks. Your ER may set up payments with you, if they're not a private hospital. Good luck to you!

A.,
You should see a doctor. That is a lot of blood loss. My immediate thought was a fibroid tumor. I had one removed 7 years ago and they tend to cause a lot of bleeding. However, although my period was much heavier, it was not as heavy as yours. I also did not have bright red blood.My doctor told me to take Advil 24 hours before I was to expect my period and that should decrease the blood flow. However, don't take my advice as being professional,seek a medical doctor.

Good luck.

Good morning!

I'm 27 and I have had that same issue since having my daughter via c-section 5 yrs ago. I will have horrible cramps with it though. I soak and super plus tampon and a pad! My doctors only answer for me is to go on birth control and I don't want to do that. She says it will control my cramps and the heavy flow better. At time when I'm in the shower I will literally try to get as much out as possible. I know this may seen like too much info but since you were open I will be too. Those clots you speak of ...... I can push them out like a baby. Sometimes even help them down the shower drain. My periods used to last 5 days even .. however now after about 1.5 - 2 days of the heavy it's nearly over. So I would hold off on that ER visit. See how you are by the end of the day. I'm sure you have been running around and stressing the holidays as well so maybe that has played a part. I Hope everything turns out ok and you have a wonderful holiday!!

I would certainly recommend calling your doctor - that doesn't cost anything.
The size of your clots is worrisome as well as the pain you're experiencing. I'm not an expert on women's health issues by any means, but I had to follow my instincts last year about a swollen lymph node in my collarbone (despite other people telling me I was over-reacting) which led to a diagnosis of cancer.
It's not likely to be the situation in your case. You shouldn't have to go to the ER - your doctor's office will be much less expensive. I would call your OB/GYN immediately.
My sister did have problems like these and had cysts in her uterus. A neighbor had to have an ablasion to prevent a similar issue.
Good luck. Please keep us posted.

Hi A.,

My menstrual flows have become increasingly heavier after the birth of each child. I have 3. I soak a regular tampon in less than an hour, so I can totally relate to the heavy flows. However, at night, I seem to bleed less, perhaps because I'm not as active and I seem to think lying down has something to do with it because the moment I sit up, it feels like the flood gates open. I have spoken to my OB about the heavy flows and he has stated time and again that the heavy bleeding is a hormonal issue. I've had 3 c-sections and I do not have fibroids, as heavy bleeding can sometimes be associated with fibroids. I would not suggest taking estrogen (1) without the advice of YOUR physician and (2) without thoroughly researching your options. My doctor gave me estrogen many years ago when I was on birth control pills due to break-through bleeding. After reading the fine print, I decided that was not the route I wanted for myself. I do not have clotting issues, but the heavy bleeding I do. I would say this doesn't sound like a life threatening issue to warrant a visit to the E.R., but I am not a qualified medical person to instruct what you should or should not do. You have indicated that you are not in any pain, or you were at some point but not so much anymore if I understood you correctly, so it sounds like it's just a matter of keeping enough supplies on hand. Could you place a call to your doctor's office to speak to the nurse about your situation with your health and benefits? It never hurts to ask and in my experience, doctor's are willing to give information, as well as nurses, over the phone. If he felt that it was a life threatening emergency, he would most certainly instruct you to visit the E.R.

Yes, I have experienced this. I found out that I had Fybroid tumors that are completely NON cancerous, but they make you bleed A LOT more. I had a lot of blood clots and blood that I hadn't had before. The only thing I would be concerned about is if the bleeding doesn't stop. (Then there is a chance you will have to have a hysterectomy.) But I would go to the gynecologist if that happens. If you only bleed for the usual time of 5-7 days, I would wait until insurance kicks in and then go to the gyno then. Also with losing a lot more blood during your period, I would take an iron supplement. I ended up being anemic from losing so much blood. I hope this helps.

I don't understand the ER route because you don't have health benefits. The ER is very expensive, and very crowded with sick people,or people having major emergencies. I would call your regular OB - they can probably work out a payment plan with you - mine offers a
40% discount for cash paying (self paying vs insurance pd - could be credit card for all they care) patients. If a "procedure" of some sort is required - then if it's not an emergency - maybe they can help you wait 'till you benefits kick in... Good luck. Keep us posted!

Hi A.,
I am going through the same thing that you are going through. Mines started a few years after my last child was born, I also had my tubes tied. When I first noticed this I went to the doc and he put me on birth control pills. Didn't help just made me bleed for 15 days straight. I have been having clots with every period. It just worsened last year when I was doubled over in pain in my driveway and couldn't move. Went to the doc again(after being on three different types of birth control that hasn't helped yet). Doc did a ultrasound and found that I have Fibroids(sp). Was talking about doing a Hysterectomy but found out that something in my blood wants to clot so doc doesn't want to do that surgery. He told me about another procedure called NovaSure Endometrial Ablation. This procedure helps with excessive bleeding. It doesn't take as long to heal as it would with a Hysterectomy. Talk to your doctor and have them do a ultrasound to make sure it is fibroids and to see what your options are. I know you said you are jsut getting back on your feet but if you can go to a health clinic or something so you can get this taken care of.

Hi, A., I'm P. and know exactly how you feel. It's a very scary thing. I dealt with the same thing from age 13 until menopause 3 years ago, except with coffee mug sized clots. Mine was due to endometriosis, which is, partly, an imbalance in the hormonal system. I agree with the other ladies who have recommended seeing your GYN, or a Centra Care if it goes beyond your normal cycle duration. It could be hormonal imbalance, or fibroids, although fibroids tend to grow slowly and take quite a long time to reach this stage, and the additional stress with your job situation could also be a factor. Especaially in light of the tubal, its best to be safe and consult a GYN. Hope all goes well for you and you're able to find an affordable solution.

funny you should type this up just before i was fixing to. I am only 25. I have 2 kids. After my daughter I had a tubal done. i was 24 when i got it done. Ever since then my period has been completely different. i started having SEVER hot flashes. i called my dr and they did blood work to check my hormones and everything came out fine. i told my doctor about the clots, and she said as long as they are not bigger than a quarter i dont have to worry. BUT, if they were bigger than a quarter i should call her. the first 2 days of my period i have to wear a super plus tampon AND a pad b.c i bleed right through them both. the cramps are terrible and the PMS is insaine. ( i have never had cramps nor PMS before the tubal) i still have the hot flashes and i have no answers. my mom has cysts on her overies and she says her periods are really bad. soo, im thinking that may be our answer. i would call your docotor and tell them. ALSO, if you are a long time patient wtih your docotor, you can tell them your insurance situation and they might see you as a "charity" case. (i work for a doctors office and we do that , as needed, for some of our long time patients that are having a hard time. hey it cant hurt to ask.
good luck!

I've spent many a night in the ER with friends and can tell you that unless you are hemoraging they can't do much for you.

What's happening to you is not abnormal, just not what you are used to. I know several people including myself who have gone through this, and the change is usually triggered by a hormonal change, which can be triggered by a number of environmental factors such as stress, moving, change in exercise or eating habits, etc...

If you call your local health department they can assist you in getting a low cost pap and you can discuss this with a gyn.

Hi A.,

My advice is to go to the ER. I know it could be a long wait but the fact that your losing so much blood and you're clotting that much in such a short period is concerning. Better to be safe and find out your options that windup in dire situation down the road. You have children & a hubby to be there for. Please, just goto the hospital as soon as you could. Please keep us posted.

S.

Dear A.,
Because it is Christmas eve day where you live, I would try to at least consult with a nurse via phone before the Holiday kicks in.

Or is there a woman's health hotline you can call???

Best of Luck and feel good. Remember to take care of yourself so that you can take care of the others that depend on you.

J.

My mom had the same problem post-tubal ... turns out she developed serious fibroids and pollyps in her uterus. it caused serious anemia and low blood counts. She landed up having a hysterectomy in her early 30's because of it. Now I've have the same crappy problem for the last few years and I'm only 34. I have had this show up when i'm hiking and camping with my scout troop and let me tell you, it's embarrassing and has actually made me cancel my participation in events because of it. i'm so sick of it upsetting my life that i feel like i want a voluntary hysterectomy sometimes!!! The clots are painful sometimes as they "run their course" so to say!!!

MOST IMPORTANT, as others have stated though, since we are NOT medical professionals you seriously should HAVE THIS EVALUATED BY MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL because it can be from a host of problems from the aforementioned to cysts and tumors to endometriosis which CAN spread to other organs if left untreated. I have been told by my GYN and nurse practitioner that if you are soaking more than a heavy-duty pad in an hour, then you may be hemmoraging and should seek attention promptly.

See the practitioner and work out a fee. let them know you don't have insurance and see if they'll work with you.

Good luck!

I would call or go to your local health dept. I believe that most of them offer womens services and they are based on income. It might be you best bet to get madical attention without going into medical debt.
Good luck!!!
K.