# Heavy period after failed IUI - coping



## violeta

Hi all,

I have no idea if this is the best board for me to ask this so please feel free to move if not. I'm on CD3 after yet another failed IUI cycle. Am feeling down about it but particularly because it's incredibly heavy this time round. I have had heavy periods since I was a teenager and have always doubled up on pads and tampons, even though with a tampon I was changing them every 5-6 hours. Now I'm changing a super plus every two hours and this time (warning TMI) I've passed some large clots as well. As if the failed cycle wasn't bad enough, my period has to be Turbo Period to add insult to injury. Currently on holiday in Spain and found out I bled through my dress very faintly to the car seat. I feel absolutely exhausted, am very crampy (or was - taken an ibuprofen now) and my husband went to clean it up, even though I said I would do it tomorrow. He shouted at me that I wasn't careful enough even though when we took a toilet break I changed into a nighttime pad and super plus tampon and it still went through two hours afterwards, so I feel extra good about this right now. 

This has happened for the last two, or maybe three, periods. Every two hours is too much, right? I'm wondering if the meds could have contributed to that? I haven't had any other known issues. Am going to mention it to the IVF bods if I get my place in August as, if IVF fails, I need to know how to cope with this bleeding. I'm too scared to go out to dinner tonight as I'm scared of bleeding quickly and suddenly but we're in a hotel so I have to stay in. My husband has also said to me that we can do our separate things for dinner as apparently I "gave him an attitude" when I didn't - I'm just feeling really ****ty. Currently in  Valencia hotel room trying not to cry my eyes out and wondering if my husband will come back or whether he really will go out to eat without me.

If anyone has any experience or tips on coping with heavy bleeding I would love to hear from you. TIA. x


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## Cloudy

I'm so sorry you are going through this honey  

I have heavy bleeds all the time, it's my "normal" I'm afraid. My GP has always advised me that heavy bleeding that leaks through a super thick pad (those ones that are like an inch thick, not those poor excuse for a pad that some makers claim to be 'super') in less than an hour, for more than a few hours, needs to be checked; or bleeding that lasts for more than 14 days. 

I 'survive' my heavy bleeds by changing my super nappy pad every hour (sometimes less if it's really bad), doubling up with a tampon (if i can, endo makes it painful to use them sometimes) and wearing a pair of swimming pants over the top of my normal pants. Plus I sleep and sit on a towel where possible. There is a company called Diary Doll that sell pants specifically to protect from leaking, but they are a lot more expensive than a 'security' thinner ultra pad inside a pair of swimming pants - in conjunction with my usual pad/pants.

I also find staying away from iburprofen and dairy and caffeine helps a little bit - I use paracetomal and codeine (and hot water bottles) for pain.

In the long term the GP can prescribe you tranexamic acid (to reduce bleeding) and mefanamic acid (to help pain) - neither of these affect your chances of pregnancy. Another option is something like low dose norethisterone, or even the pill for the time between now and treatment. Alternatively if you are going to be doing a long protocol IVF cycle you could ask about doing a long down reg which would help.

Thinking of you honey, sorry you are going through this xxx

Also, sorry, I tried to reply earlier and lost wifi!


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## violeta

Hi Cloudy,

Thanks so much for the response and sorry for the delay in reply - the hotel wifi in our following hotels was less than reliable. Thankfully that evening the bleeding subsided and my period went from extremely heavy to light on CD4 - almost like I bled out most of the lining in 36 hours rather than it being spread evenly across 5-7 days. Am definitely going to mention it to the IVF people (will be doing short protocol) in a couple of weeks as even though it was only for 36 hours, it still makes me so anxious as I have no idea if there'll be a sudden flood.


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