Heavy periods with clots. I don’t go to MDs for anything.

I am 35 years old with 3 incredibly healthy children.
Five years ago I started having heavy periods and had been eating this algae for 6 months and thought it was from that so I stopped. That month I got pregnant and had a very easy labor and homebirth nine months later. I nursed for 2 1/2 years and started my period 4 months after birth. They were heavy then but not real bad. My son is now 4 years old and my periods are light the first day and then get heavier and by day 3 I am losing alot of blood and then after the last clot – hardly anything. I can tell a difference in my mental state after these clot are past. I assumed it was from hormone surges. During my periods I have no pain, actually I have not had mentstrual pain since I started Chiropractic care 14 years ago. For the past 4 months, I have been spending alot of time working at a desk
and thought my coccyx was out because it is painful to sit down. I am definately tired more and walking up stairs gets me winded. For the past 3 or 4 months I have had reoccuring Yeast infections and had one really bad bladder infection that I thought was due to sitting too much. I eat healthly, minimal sugar, rarely breads and stay away from processed foods. If I choose to eat or drink anything that is bad – wham! I get a yeast infection.
I have not gone to a medical doctor in 14 years (I had my children at home) and my children have not gone and my oldest is 10. Do you have any suggestions on what I should do based on my symptoms? Are there any alternatives to going the medical route? Any cleanses? Any herbs or homeopathic suggestions?
I appreciate your time.
Woman in West Virginia

Dear Gambino-
You have contacted a surgical practice. We believe in women receiving annual gynecological care.
You cannot treat conditions appropriately unless you have a diagnosis. I would recommend you find a phyisican you can trust and get a complete evaluation. Once you have a confirmed diagnosis…there may be alternative methods to treat your problem. Until then, you are working in the dark…….

I am very encouraged to hear of another woman who is experiencing heavy bleeding and clots with NO PAIN! I am otherwise healthy; good weight, nutrition, fitness level. I have been practicing Natural Family Planning for over 10 years (as birth control pills give me chronic yeast infections and headaches). I am 38 years old and had a D&C four years ago to help alleviate bleeding. It helped for about 2 years and now I’m back to where I was. My Gyn at the time told me I had a “big, boggy” uterus (?). I just had a sonogram yesterday. The technician told me my uterine wall is 2X normal thickness, but ovaries looked good. Day 1 of my period is light-moderate. Day 2 is when I get slammed with incredible volume and clots that are up to half the size of my fist! During the day, I have to change overnight napkins every hour and feel a bit woozy (but hematocrit is borderline ok at last check). Day 3 is heavy but manageable. Day 4 & 5 are quite light by comparision. Through it all, I have no level of pain that can’t be managed with 2 advil. As my husband and I have chosen not to have any more children, I would really like to affect some change for myself! Would another D&C be wise? I don’t really want hormones or IUD (which my currecnt gyn offered as a possibility), and a hysterectomy seems extreme. I will be seeing my gyn soon to discuss results of the sonogram. I want to go in with as much info as possible. Any advice/info is greatly appreciated.
Strangely Pain-Free in Texas

Dear Barbra-
Your symptoms are classic for Adenomyosis. Many women do not experience pain until the disease is quite advanced. Adeno spreads into the uterine muscle with every menstrual cycle..it is hormone dependent. Your symptoms will continue to get worse as long as you are producing estrogen. A D&C will only offer you temporary symptom relief, it will not treat the actual disease itself. Your periods will decrease after the D&C until the uterine lining has regenerated.
Most gyns will recommend hysterectomy as the condition worsens. We do not advocate that drastic approach. Adenomyosis eventually requires some type of surgery…you can treat the symptoms temporarily, but eventually most patients cannot tolerate the side effects. Our surgery can help you…we laser remove the infected part of the uterus but leave the healthy organ for hormone regulation and sexual response. Patients have very light periods after the procedure, and do not experience the negatives of a hysterectomy.
Let us know if we can help you further

Dear Doctor,
I have visited with my gyn to discuss my sono. results. She is recommending endometrial ablation and although I do not know what method she uses, I have done a lot of reading and there seems to be similarity between the ablation method and your laser method interms of what the treatments try to accomplish. I confirmed that she does not perform the ablation with a laser (as at the time that was the only question I knew to ask) but would treatment with either cryo, electro-cauterization, or heated saline wash accomplish similar ends? Also, although I do not wish for more children, I was deeply concerned about the dangers of pregnancy post ablation. Any comments?

Thank you deeply for your time and care.

Dear Barbra-
Endometrial ablation and our procedure are not the same. Endometrial ablation destroys your uterine lining only…this should prevent a future pregnancy, and any periods BUT it will not treat the cause of your heavy periods, which is your Adenomyosis. This disease will continue to spread internally into the uterus, and will eventually produce pain. We have been contacted by women who did try the ablation procedure…the pain suddenly worsened after the technique.
Our surgery will remove the disease itself from the uterus, not remove the uterine lining. Women have regular cycles after our surgery, but have minimal periods because the disease has been excised.
We recommend finding the root or cause of the problem and treating that, not just treating symptoms. Good luck