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Can you stop your period? Help please.

(30 Posts)
gillybob Wed 01-Jun-11 13:54:07

My hubbie and I are going on a much needed holiday later in the year, just the two of us. Its nothing exotic but really looking forward to it. I have a problem that I do hope someone can help me with. I am at the age where I am still having regular periods but they seem to be getting heavier and heavier every month and for the first 2 or 3 days I feel quite ill (not to mention having to run to the loo every hour or so) and it is lasting a whole 7 days. My hubbie booked the holiday as a suprise and (you guessed it) it is right on the dates of my dreaded period. I was kinda hoping we could have some nice (quite rare these days) "cuddly" time if you know what I mean, but this will be impossible due to rotten period falling on same dates. I am not on the pill as husband had the snip many moons ago and wondered if anyone knew of anything you can "take" to make it go away for a while? confusedperhaps i am living in la la land but thought I would ask your advice anyway. Thanks.

KatyK Mon 13-Mar-17 14:27:56

When I was having very heavy periods and we were due to go to a wedding, I went to the GP and he gave me medication which delayed mine. Unfortunately whatever it was gave me dizzy spells but that was some years ago, things may be better now.

AnnaLee Mon 13-Mar-17 10:32:12

Good article about this stopyourperiod.org/stop-period-whether-safe.html I use this

rosiesposies Tue 21-Jun-11 19:36:03

Been free of the ' curse ' since I was 50 yeee ha !!! Ladies its not hot flushes its POWER SURGES grin

Grumpyoldwoman Sun 19-Jun-11 20:37:44

Mine stopped ''just like that'' at 47..but had been heavy for a year or two with Hot Flushes ( I have just recommended Solgar Dong Quai for hot flushes. I took 2 capsules every morning ...and boy did I know about it if I ever forgot to take them...they were Magic )
Co-incidentally my husband had an accident around the same time ..suffered severe depression afterwards and became impotent. The subject has never been discussed and that was 16 yrs ago !!!

Muttimama Sat 18-Jun-11 12:56:53

Just on age of menopause these days- I'm still as regular as clockwork at 56, hoping for a reprieve soon! Very annoying when we go on long cycling and camping trips and am never sure of the facilities at the next camp site. Last year stranded by the Kiel canal with a shower that managed a cold dribble- awful!

btw I eat linseeds every day and wondering if plant hormones are delaying things. Certainly not much grey yet and no glasses (but that's sometimes borderline). First grandchild due Sept, but good thing baby books have big print!

Penarthgran Fri 17-Jun-11 11:52:02

Do get it checked. I had similar problems and it was discovered that I had fibroids. So I had the op at 50.

gillybob Fri 17-Jun-11 11:04:46

Annah. Whilst I agree "intimacy is not always about sex" and in my case very rarely about sex, but having not had a proper holiday for some time I don't want the entire first week to be ruined (and I mean ruined) with painful cramps and constant dashing to the loo (just incase). Also we lead very hectic lives and just hoped that maybe the sun and sea might lead to something extra special. wink

allule Thu 16-Jun-11 15:17:41

My periods stopped in my early forties - stopped for 6 months; restarted for 6 months, then stopped. My cycle was always fairly regular, but short - 24 days, so I assumed I had got through my quota early!

gma Thu 16-Jun-11 09:46:59

I had my last period at 45! due to the fact that I had a hysterectomy. I had fibroids for a long while but gradually got worse and worse. I was dangerously aneamic and having a constant period. My stomach swelled to the size of a 6 month pregancy and when the fibroid was removed my consultant told me that it was the size of a football!! I am now 65 and fit and well and not missing periods one little bit. My ovaries were left intact and the menopause passed without me noticing it. No hot sweats or other side effects. I know that now hysterectomys are not so common, great advances have been made in treatment of cases like mine.smile

Annah Wed 15-Jun-11 16:21:42

ok have a different perspective. intimacy is not always about sex. it maybe about him being romantic and nurturing even in your most vulnerable state. being emotional or bleeding or tired or poorly he can always be at the very least beautifully romantic. xxxx

jennybumble Wed 15-Jun-11 16:15:34

As some of the other Gransnet say do gets things checked out as well as getting tablets to stop the period, any changes at our "young" age needs to be checked in case of problems. Probably just your body having a last fling.
I stopped periods when I was 55 but then felt really odd and was worried I might be pregnant. At that time you went to the chemist who did the test. When I went back for the result, the young girl said she was so sorry but it was negative, she couldn't believe the smile, I was so relieved.
Have a great holiday.

Totrirulody Wed 15-Jun-11 15:12:06

I think I was about 50, and good riddance as I started quite early, aged 10. My sister and I were at boarding school. She is 11 months older than me so she was very jealous! Not for long...........

Annobel Wed 15-Jun-11 09:39:20

I was a mere child of 43. This seemed to run in the family. My doctor didn't like HRT so I never had it, but, having said that, I was lucky that I only had hot flushes for about six weeks and, as it was a hot summer that year, I couldn't be quite sure if that was the real reason...Oh and my (now ex-) husband was beginning to play away.

harrigran Sat 11-Jun-11 01:03:11

I was 55 and 7 months, what a relief to be shot of heavy periods and pain.

gillybob Thu 09-Jun-11 15:57:30

Hi Everyone

I am 49 and still regular as clockwork in the period department. Not sure whether these things are genetically linked but my mum had a hysterectomy at 38 and my gran had a baby at 50 ! So glad the hubbie has had the snip!!

JessM Wed 08-Jun-11 19:20:23

Wow GadaboutGran. Is that a record? Any advance on 60 and 7 months?
Super-ovary gran!
Bet you had a party.

I think i must have been in early 50s. I know I have been having hot flushes for years now. Still they are preferable to periods!

I could never get fitter when i had periods as 2 weeks out of every 4, I was either pre-menstrual, having one or suffering from yukky feeling you get afterwards if you have endometriosis. Miss the mid cycle highs though.

Libradi Wed 08-Jun-11 19:15:36

Hi gillybob, I've always been prescribed Noresthesterone to stop my periods on holiday. You take 3 tablets a day and as harrigran says you get a period about 48 hours after you stop taking them. For me it's usually much heavier than normal but well worth it.

bikergran Wed 08-Jun-11 19:00:15

well im 56 in October and my last period ws about 3 yrs ago ! not sure if that is classed as early? I don't really know...I think the menopause is something that if it doesnt bother you too much then you don't really think about it.....

GadaboutGran Wed 08-Jun-11 11:22:03

While on this subject, could we do a survey of the age you were when periods stopped. I wonder if the age given in books is still correct as it's never a question generally asked & I wonder what survey produced the results and how old it is. My final period was 7 months after my 60th birthday after a pattern of very heavy periods and migraine followed by lighter irregular ones for several years. (I was checked to see if there was anything amiss but there wasn't). My last period began on the day I learnt my daughter was pregnant and it felt like one of those weird female coincidences.

JessM Tue 07-Jun-11 22:04:01

There is a really good article about this issue in July edition of Woman and Home.

harrigran Sat 04-Jun-11 00:13:41

If I remember correctly you take the tablets for as long as required and when you stop taking them you will have a period in about 48 hours.

gillybob Fri 03-Jun-11 13:20:48

Thank you all for such wonderful advice. I have booked an appointment with my GP and will be mentioning the very heavy periods aswell as asking for Noresthesterone which will hopefully allow me to have a pleasant holiday without worrying about the dreaded leaking !

.....I am thinking perhaps I will ask for a trial run before my holidays just to see how it works. Also I was wondering are you able to minipulate the dates of your perio with this drug? for example could I take it for x amount of weeks to force my cycle into a different (more convenient) pattern?

Thanks again ladies you are all stars. smile

snailspeak Thu 02-Jun-11 15:05:30

Hi gillybob

Cressida is spot on. Noresthesterone will certainly do the trick and it was fantastic for me as I was well-known in my family for getting a period on holiday, expected or not, and way before the peri-menopause. I took this hormone for several years virtually non-stop and when I stopped taking it I had a couple of light periods and then no more so the menopause was very smooth.

I do agree though that while requesting Noresthesterone you should mention your heavy periods. Can I suggest that you give Noresthesterone a test run before your big vacation - your GP is unlikely to reject your request or a little white lie about a holiday sooner rather than later would not go amiss. I don't know whether or not I was lucky having access to it for several years but it is not a hormone associated with, for example, breast cancer.

Best of luck. Have fun.

HildaW Wed 01-Jun-11 21:24:18

If your periods are getting heavier...have not always been so, it probably a good idea to get checked out....they can go that way in the build up to the menopause...can always remember one lady at work having a complete flood....forwarned is forarmed. Hope you get it sorted for the holiday and have a great time!,

JessM Wed 01-Jun-11 16:32:55

Miserable for you gillybob. I remember those heavy ones - I think it was just before they started to peter out. Messy, expensive and rather debilitating.
Give me a few hot flushes any day of the month!

So it could be that you are just having a final few gushy months before your ovaries say "enough already". On the other hand it could be something like fibroids so worth discussing with your GP whether or not you were going on holiday.

Hope you have a lovely cuddly sanitary-towel-free holiday