$Unique_ID{BRK00839}
$Pretitle{Genitourinary System}
$Title{Does a Heavier Menstrual Period Indicate Anything Important is Wrong?}
$Subject{menses flow heavy cause}
$Volume{J-14}
$Log{
The Menstrual Cycle*0009101.scf}

Copyright (c) 1991   Tribune Media Services, Inc.


Does a Heavier Menstrual Period Indicate Anything Important is Wrong?


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QUESTION:  Although my menstrual period comes regularly enough, I think it is
much heavier than many of my friends experience.  Does this indicate anything
important is wrong?  What should I do about it??

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ANSWER:  If you are concerned about bleeding too heavily, discuss it with your
physician.  The only way to know whether there is something wrong is to
thoroughly evaluate the situation.  You will need to keep a careful record of
the pattern and amount of bleeding.  Take special note of the times you bleed
and any activity that seems to have triggered it.  This information will help
your physician determine the cause of the bleeding, as well as whether it is
excessive.
     Many different conditions can cause excess bleeding, and each one has a
different treatment.  Your physician will want to be sure you don't have a
platelet disorder, small elements found in our blood.  Do you take aspirin for
menstrual cramps?  Some people are particularly susceptible to aspirin's
anti-platelet action.  Platelets are important to the body's clotting
mechanism, so anything that interferes with their action will cause increased
bleeding.
     In evaluating your heavy bleeding, your doctor will examine your uterus
to be sure it is free of tumors, both malignant and benign.  If all other
problems are ruled out and you simply have heavy bleeding during your
menstrual period, your doctor may treat you with a medication that works as a
"prostaglandin antagonist."  This medication will help your own body produce
prostaglandins, which help slow blood flow.
     A "D & C" provides no decrease of blood flow except in the cycle directly
following the procedure, so it offers no long-term benefit.  Methylergonovine,
which is effective in slowing blood flow in women who have just had babies,
has no effect on the amount of blood lost during the menstrual period.
     Any occasion when there is an exceptionally heavy flow and there is a
possibility that you might be pregnant, is another time where a trip to you
own physician is truly in order.
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The material contained here is "FOR INFORMATION ONLY" and should not replace 
the counsel and advice of your personal physician.  Promptly consulting your 
doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical 
problem.
