Menopause - Heavy Bleeding
by Michael Russell
One of the symptoms of peri-menopause is heavy bleeding. Heavy bleeding is thought to be caused by lower levels of progesterone compared to estrogen during the anovulatory cycles. It can also be caused by fibroids, which are benign tumors found in the uterus. It should be checked out if it lasts for longer than a month or two or more than just slightly heavier than usual.
In terms of lifestyle changes for alleviating this symptom exercise is said to help. In addition you need to make sure you get enough iron along with drinking plenty of fluids.
For alternative treatment methods, you can try acupuncture but there are no studies that prove it will have a benefit. Herbs can be used as a treatment, specifically those that act like progesterone or increase the levels of it. Those herbs are Vitex (Chaste Tree), Lady's Mantle, Flaxseed and Wild Yam Root. Vitex was shown in studies to be effective in normalizing the hormonal cycles and increase levels of progesterone and estrogen in addition to shrinking fibroids. Lady's Mantle is used to prevent very heavy bleeding known as flooding, as is flaxseed But too much flaxseed can cause cramping, so beware. Wild Yam Root is helpful because many of the synthetic hormonal treatments are made from Wild Yam. Homeopathic remedies are lachesis, sepia, belladonna and secale. You should seek guidance on homeopathic remedies from a homeopathic practitioner.
There are several options available that involve drugs or surgery. Low doses of oral contraceptives have been show in studies to reduce blood loss by 50 percent. A IUD can be an option because it releases progesterone and is thought to work well on women with fibroids. And something as simple as ibuprofen in high doses has been shown to reduce the instance of heavy bleeding up to 40 percent. Hormones are not a very effective option. Usually after fibroids and polyps are ruled out, you will take a progesterone like Provera to stimulate a period to get your lining to shed. Lupron is another drug which can be used - puts you into a temporary menopause by inhibiting the hormones from the hypothalamus. This is usually a last option before surgery.
Sometimes heavy bleeding can be treated with a D&C, also know as dilation and curettage. Other surgical options include an endometrial ablation. 50 percent of all women that have this procedure never have another period again. As a last resort, a hysterectomy can be performed. This is a major surgery, so the decision to have one should not be taken lightly. One must consider carefully all the benefits and risks, including the decision to remove the ovaries. Usually just the removal of the uterus is enough to stop the bleeding, so unless you want to enter instant abrupt menopause, you may want to keep them - usually women will go into menopause about two years early after having the uterus removed.
Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Menopause
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