Primolut

I've got a course of Primolut to take, to induce a period - it's been something like 8 months! Anyway, the usual deal is you take 3 a day for 5 days, and then once you finish, you get the mutha of all withdrawal bleeds. Because I know it's gonna be bad, I'm trying to time it right to it doesn't get in the way of anything else.

On Friday I took 1 tablet in the morning, I had a bit of a brain snap and forgot I wasn't going to take them yet. It was only the 1 tablet though.

Then last night I started getting a familiar pain, and this morning I've got all the normal symptoms - sweaty, heaps of pain, feed-me-chocolate-or-you-will-die-itis, the whole works.

So, could the 1 tablet have started this, in which case I'm gonna restart them so it all happens properly....or could it just be finally happening naturally, albeit 7 months late?

I could be that your p4 went up enough then back down to give you a bit of a withdrawal bleed but it probably won't be enough to cause the bleed your body needs so is start them again and get the p4 up high enough. I only ever did three days on primulut at a time. Five days seems a lot...

I'm just going by what it says on the box. I know, it does seem like a lot! TBH, I'd prefer a D&C, but there's no chance they'd do it. After 8 months I'd forgotten how crappy I feel when it finally comes, and I just don't wanna go through it all again. Weeks of bleeding and clots and leaking on freakin' everything, millions of maternity pads and PF's, and lots of yelling. And don't forget the chocolate!

Yeah I totally know the feeling, my friend. Totally.

My gyne has just said we need to have at least four proper bleeds a year preferably six about may be worth looking at getting the p4 every couple of months so it's not as bad when the bleed comes.

Hiya,

Was about to post in the Periods Forum and thought I'd check in here first and walah!

I've got my first period since having Reid. I got it just under 6 weeks after he was born and its been a shocker.

I got my period last Thursday (29/12) and it was fairly moderate. Then on Saturday (31/12) it started to get heavier and than by Sunday (1/1/12) I was bleeding very heavy with clots. I went through 3 maxi pads that day. So I called the 13HEALTH number and they reccomended I go see a Dr. So I just went anywhere I could get in and the Dr gave me a script for Primolut and a referral for a scan. I started taking the the tablets that day and the next day it had settled a fair bit to the point of me thinking the period was over. So i stopped taking the pills.

The next day (3/1/12) again it was really, really light. Then that afternoon I just started gushing loads of blood and passing large clots. So I went to ED and they just sent me away with the scan referral I got and said bloods are all clear get the scan and we'll get back to you.

Had the scan. All is well. No retained products of conception but I'm still bleeding.

I started taking the Primolut again yesterday and it has made the bleeding lighter but i've got really strong uterine contractions. Not constant like period pain rather coming and going like contractions.

I dunno what to do. My normal GP is away until the 22nd so I feel lost atm.

I dont know if I should be taking these pills to slow down something that needs to be coming out but if I dont I bleed very heavily.

Sorry to hijack your thread Keike :(

Any advice???

essentially primulut is progesterone (synthetic) - your period arrives when your progesterone levels fall at the end of a menstrual cycle. what they've done is give you a "bandaid" solution - by taking the primulut, they've increased the progesterone level in your system, so the body stops bleeding. but as soon as you stop the drugs, you start to bleed again - which is what has happened.

it sounds like you have had a dense endometrium post birth, which needs to be fully shed, and each time you've started the progesterone again, it's stopped you actually getting rid of it. my last "post-progesterone supplement" bleed was so scarily heavy that i ended up in ED and had to have a d&c as i was losing too much blood and it was becoming a big issue for my health (and four months on, i'm STILL having issues related to that bleed). i ended up refusing to take the progesteron supplements they wanted me to take to "fix" the problem, realising it would only be a bandaid and i'd be back there as soon as i stopped taking them again, and instead was given cyklokapron - it doesn't stop the bleeding, but it does slow it a lot. a LOT. it makes the bleed much more managable while still allowing the shedding of the endometrium.

FWIW - it sounds like you have a shedding endometrium that you need to get rid of. it is quite common that the first AF post birth is very heavy, and sounds like this may be the case. and perhaps due to the gestation you were at with Reid, the hormones would have been different post birth so it's been worse. i would suggest seeing a GP (i know yours isn't back til end of the month, but can someone recommend another locally?) and see if they will look at options like cyklokapron to allow you to come off the primulut, bleed, but not be uncontrollable. the cyklokapron may have some side effects (i got the runs really badly, controlled with over the counter meds) but it was preferable to the extreme blood loss.

hope that has helped a little - feel free to ask anything more you need to know
BG

BG - I only took it for the 3 days you said, and had a nice, normal, not half so heavy period. And I've got enough tablets to do it two more months in a row, thank you for the suggestion!

glad it was managable hun! that's awesome news.

i've "fallen" into a six week cycle since DD's birth - af should be due tomorrow - if it doesn't arrive i think i'll take the p4 for a few days just so i keep having a regular bleed. the three days of p4 is much preferable to being on the pill all the time!

Ha, I knew I'd done a thread like this before, so BG, you've already answered my question! I thought I hadn't had one for 2 years, I've really gotta start marking them down so I can keep track, because obviously the last one was in Jan. Took first tablet last night, and started spotting this morning. I'm also 2-3/10 for pain, and starting to dread what'll happen once I stop it - I'm gonna do the full 5 days this time.

Doc gave me the script but said I can't rely on this, I need to go to a gyno and get it sorted out. Sure, at $180 out of pocket each time? I don't think so!

Glad you're gonna do it. I'm no longer having cycles so will need to do it soon too


What does gp think gyne can do? Cure pcos?

Who knows. I'm not going anyway, so it doesn't concern me, lol. Actually I've read some stuff about Paleo having a huge effect on PCOS, methinks that'll be the next step.

I know we've got the national guidelines now, but I wish GP's were more knowledgeable about PCOS. It's so freaking expensive to go to a specialist, especially in my case where they're probably only gonna tell me to lose weight anyway. I can get the same info from the GP and get bulk billed!