7 week period, no end in sight

[Katambra]

This is for my sister actually. She has been bleeding for 7 weeks straight. Soaking a pad and a tampon in less than an hour and she is passing very large clots. She has been to the dr several times and they give her provera which hasn't worked. The doctors are very unconcerned. This isn't the first time this has happened. She does not get regular periods. She has maybe had 3 in the past 2 years. She has awful cramps. Is there anything else that can be done? Does anyone know of any natural alternatives?
Kat

[gauge14iv]

Please call a midwife or another doctor or someone else!!! Find someone who IS concerned!!!! I recall a patient who bled for several weeks and finally fell and broke her nose on the bathtub when she passed out. She required a blood transfusion!! Don't let her go this far!

[busymom]

Your sister may want to be checked with an ultrasound. About 2 years ago my cycles became longer and longer. My doctor was unconcerned--figured it was early perimenopause at 34!--when they got to be 6 weeks long I went back, insisting on an ultrasound I had two polyps in my uterus. They were removed within a month and my cycles have returned to a normal length.

Unfortunately I can not offer you natural alternatives, time was of the essence as my parents were visiting a few weeks after I found out and were there to help with dd the day of the surgery.

[Inwe Surion]

I agree, a second opinion is needed. I also suggest using homeopathic belladona to decrease the bleeding while waiting for the 2nd opinion.

[saige]

Oh,my word!!! Tell her to get in to see a naturopath ASAP!!! This could be very dangerous!! My aunt had this happen and almost hemmoraged (SP?),they had to do an emergency hysteroctomy(SP?) it had gotten so bad.

[gilnikche]

Does she have any pain or cramping? The symptoms sound a lot like uterine fibroids. Has she been evaluated for this? It is the #1 reason for abnormal bleeding. It is also the most common reason for hysterectomies (most unnecessary). I have found a really good site about fibroids:

http://www.uterinefibroids.com/

A few questions...

-Was an ultrasound done?
-Did he check her iron level?
-Did the doc put her on iron supplements?
**(These are standard procedure)

After 7 weeks of bleeding;she is probably severely anemic!!

[Hera]

I had a similar thing happening a few years ago, it was an incomplete miscarriage, actually. Pobably your sister's is something else though. The similarity is that the doctors were very unconcerned for weeks and weeks, until my mom took me to a doctor that she used to work with, who was willing to pay more attention, they gave me an ultrasound and then bundled me off for a D&C, talking about tropoblastic moles, and such like. Your sister must be assertive! western medicine is very ready to ignore things until they become emergencies........


That was probably the thing that really made me decide to use alternative therapies first.

[mamarain]

The doctor's are "unconcerned"??!! Good for having a sister who cares, and please go find someone who shows a little more professionalism. Soaking a pad in LESS THAN AN HOUR!! Plus make sure she has good nutritional/supplemental back-up for all the blood loss too. Gee.

[Katambra]

gilnikche

She does have awful cramping. She says it is like being in labor again. She has not had an ultrasound, they just keep telling her to wait it out. The last time they told her that (a few days ago) she cried all day. Pain meds are not helping the cramps, neither is a heating pad etc. Her iron level is good so she is not on a supplement. Thanks for the link!
Kat