Perimenopause

[Anonymous]

I am 56. I still get a monthly period. I haven’t missed a month yet. They now range from 24-29 days long. I used to be every 30. I am now on vitron iron for severe anemia. I don’t seem to have any other signs of menopause yet. The first few days are heavy (change an Ultra tampon every 3 hours but it is not a blood bath). Visited my OB yesterday and she suggested a Mirena and also chided me for not using BC (she said it was less than a 1% chance of pregnancy). Looking for those who have Mirena at my age. So you just don’t know when you’re actually in menopause and how bad are the first few months w irregular bleeding etc.? I took birth control until I was 49.

[Anonymous]

I had an adverse immune reaction to Mirena (not common but possible) after getting the same unsolicited lecture from my former gynecologist. It removed some undiagnosed fibroids and that cured my heavy period/cramping woes. I’ve been IUD free now for only a year and still cycling similar to you although I’m younger, but it’s regular and light like it was in my 20s. I got a new doctor and she wrote premenopausal on my chart. Just one anecdote…

[Anonymous]

My ob/gyn scheduled me for a sonnogram to look for fibroids. I'm not excited to get a Mirena. It would be nice to have less heavy period though. So did the fibroids cause your bleeding issues? I have to go through menopause soon at my age.

[Anonymous]

Bad experience with mirena (went on it at 45) and had it removed after 6 months and lots of symptoms my obgyn didn’t believe were related (symptoms stopped immediately btw). I’d get checked for fibroids as that can cause heavy bleeding. Also talk with your dr about HRT—more are prescribing for earlier in the process of peri/menopause/post.

[Anonymous]

You need an ablation, IMO

[Anonymous]

tranexamic acid

[Anonymous]

I'm 56 and could have written this exactly. I still have cycles every 24 days and they are so heavy/anemic receiving iron infusions every 9 months. I'm having surgery for a tiny fibroid in two weeks.
I was trying to wait until menopause as I'm dreading this surgery like never before. Transexamic acid did not work for me. My OB pushed the Mirena before the fibroid was discovered.
Good luck and hang in there.

[Anonymous]

I’m 45 in perimenopause for the past 8-9 years. My periods went from every 30-32 days to every 27-29. Very heavy the first day or two.
My doc put me on continuous birth control pills, so I no longer have a period. I had been taking iron supplements everyday and my numbers were barely budging.

[Anonymous]

I have a hormonal IUD (Liletta), that made my very heavy periods disappear within 3 months. It’s great. Highly recommend. I’m 44.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a hormonal IUD (Liletta), that made my very heavy periods disappear within 3 months. It’s great. Highly recommend. I’m 44.

How is it different from Mirena?

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the posters. I am the original OP. I am not getting hot flashes or mood changes. I just seem to not have irregularity in my periods and the first few days are heavy but I manage them pretty well with transxemic acid that works really well for me. I'm done by day 6. I'm scheduled for an ultrasound in 2 weeks to check out what she said felt like her to be small fibroids after doing my pap smear last week. I'm not spotting at all during my cycle and I'm inclined to think that an IUD could take a few months to regulate me and I could in theory just have a quick entry into menopause since I'm so old already.

[Anonymous]

I hated the Mirena. When I hit my mid-late 40's my periods became so painful I had to take off work(and I work at home) and Advil wasn't touching the pain unless I took more than the recommended dosage. My doctor recommended the Mirena. I had it for about 5 years and I never stopped bleeding on it. On the plus side, there was no more pain but it felt like I was always spotting everywhere. It sucked. I got it out last June.

I'm 55 now and menopausal. Because of the Mirena I wasn't sure if my periods actually stopped. I just got a period that lasted about a week. It was different than my periods of yesteryear, but it was a period. I guess I'm not fully done yet.

I am on HRT that has helped with other symptoms. I didn't really have the hot flashes. I had the brain fog and the unexplicable rage that came out of nowhere. HRT helped with both of those symptoms.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a hormonal IUD (Liletta), that made my very heavy periods disappear within 3 months. It’s great. Highly recommend. I’m 44.

How is it different from Mirena?

Not super different. This is useful: https://www.healthline.com/health/birth-control/mirena-paragard-skyla

Though my doc tells me Liletta is now approved for 9 years. She thinks that by the time it's time to take it out, it's likely I'll be done anyway.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My ob/gyn scheduled me for a sonnogram to look for fibroids. I'm not excited to get a Mirena. It would be nice to have less heavy period though. So did the fibroids cause your bleeding issues? I have to go through menopause soon at my age.

Yes, they did. Having them removed fixed it entirely. They were too small to detect with a physical exam.

I will have imaging done if this happens again. I understand they can come back but two years after having the IUD removed, they haven’t.

[Anonymous]

Wanted to add that I saw the fibroids come out. I had multiple small fibroids. I don’t know if they could have been seen with imaging but they were unmistakable.