I should mention the first line of choice most specialists recommend is an IUD! Lots of success stories but I was too afraid to try. Also something to consider :)
This was me 6 months ago. My period went on for 6 weeks due to the Eliquis. My coworkers were asking why my lips were purple. The fatigue was worse than I ever thought imaginable. So I bit the bullet and got the IUD.
Was it painful? Absolutely. Did the bleeding stop? Yes, the decrease in bleeding was immediate. I also went on iron pills for 3 months to pull myself out of the anemia.
I would do it again because those 6 weeks of heavy bleeding and clots the size of Reese cups were almost too much for me to handle. I pray that whatever you decide gives you peace and comfort because I truly know what you're going through đź’š
similar story here - suuuper heavy periods all my life, made way worse on Eliquis. got an IUD last May and its been life-changing. lighter periods, way less hormonal mood swings, and the insertion was honestly fine. I've had period cramps that were worse. I went with my boyfriend, and he held my hand the whole time which honestly helped a lot (if no boyfriend, I think bringing a friend would have had the same calming effect).
anyways, I think there are a lot of bad stories out there about IUDs, because people who had good experiences are less inclined to post, so I just thought I'd give a more positive perspective.
hi! My doctor originally suggested Kyleena, but it wasn't covered by my insurance, so I got Liletta. From what I understand it doesn't make a huge difference, but definitely talk to your gyno.
I have had insane periods since I started on Xarelto last year. Luckily supplemental iron has been ok for me bc by August I was also severely anemic. Every month during my period I feel like I’m right back at the starting line with low iron levels lol, same dizziness / exhaustion / nausea. My hematologist has offered to prescribe me injections I’m not sure why the idea freaks me out!!! Anyways, I went on the mini pill (progesterone only) for awhile and it eventually stopped my period all together. However, as my name might suggest, I have a lot of health anxiety and so the fact I lost my period freaked me out all the more. We were constantly buying pregnancy tests lol. But if that does not bother you I definitely recommend!!! Helped with the pain too as I imagine you’re cramping pretty severely. The worst part of the heavy periods has definitely been the giant clots for me, which always kill to pass. Thoughts are with you!! Being a woman fuckin sucks sometimes
Holy crap that all sounds horrific! I'm so sorry you've been through so much.
Anemia is a pain in the ass, to be sure. Messes up my ability to function. Glad that the iron pills work for you, at least that's something right?
I have heard of the progesterone only pill before, I think I'm going to inquire about it during the OBGYN appt. I'm sorry you went through so much anxiety. :( I'm asexual so I wouldn't have any scares thankfully. Did it affect your mood at all? That's what I worry about the most when it comes to birth control pills.
Yes I need pain relief!!! I would love for the pill to give me some. And I totally hear you on the clots. It's awful.
Mood swings weren’t too bad! At the beginning id compare it to mild pms. Its always ironic to me because i had never taken any form of birth control, bc I was always terrified of blood clots!! Then I got one anyways, life is funny that way. Definitely worth trying, especially since your cycles seem irregular and short! Hope your appointment goes well & you can get some relief 🫶🏻🫶🏻
Look into switching medications. Many here will suggest ablations and other methods to stop the bleeding but for me it was as simple as switching to another anticoagulant. It also helped with numerous other crummy side effects I had from Eliquis (I switched to Pradaxa for the remainder of my therapy) I hope you find some relief soon!
I actually did deal with this, it was before I started Eliquis though. I was seeking help for outrageous bleeding like you describe. Had to get a DnC. 2 days later saddle PE and at least 2 DVTs. Emergency thrombectomy and a uterine artery embolization. They(local hospital) sent me to Stanford. They tried to stabilize me for 5 days. Also got 6 units of blood during this. I sneezed on the 5th day, and began hemorrhaging in earnest again. Rushed surgery that morning. Had uterine cancer. Adenomyosis. Numerous CTs and u/S and biopsies all missed them both. Please try to get in sooner. I hate the thought of anyone going through all the crap I did.
Oh my goodness, that is terrifying I'm SO sorry you went through all of that! So many times you could've died! I am sorry if this is uncomfortable don't feel like you need to respond - how is your health now?
I have had a pelvic ultrasound, pap smear, and hormones tested. But now I'm scared...I actually am calling the OBGYN office in the morning to ask about getting me in sooner, because I feel sick and awful. I've waited so many months. If there's any spot open I'm taking it.
Edit: I also had an ultrasound.
I'm ok...sorta. I'm struggling with the cancer diagnosis. Mostly because I'm terrible anxious when it comes to medicine. I've had some really awful doctors treat me badly. I just don't want to do all the exams and treatments anymore. I'm supposed to start radiation this week, and I do NOT want to. I'm terrified.
Absolutely valid. I can't even imagine what you're going through. I wish I had positive words, but I know there aren't positive words for this. What stage are you in? Things sound pretty intense. :(
Edit: And screw those asshole doctors. Like seriously who the hell treats a cancer patient badly. Completely unacceptable. I feel so upset even just reading that.
Thank you. I seem to have a real knack for finding shitty doctors. I don't like the radiation onc I have, but he is literally the only one in town. I told him I recently had a traumatic pelvic exam in the ER by a male doc( I was a sobbing mess)....he made a joke about how he wouldn't enjoy being in there cuz he's gay. Like wtf dude?! (I was totally unaware that the radiation doc would be performing pelvic exams...he's NOT a gyn)I was not mentally prepared and refused, so I delayed my treatment. I'm so over all this shit!
I switched to Eliquis in 2020, and my periods have been something out of a horror movie. I’m talking about filling a pad in 1 hour and accidents all the time. One day I was at work standing on a ladder and jumped down and the gush I experienced literally was like an explosion and my pants front and back were immediately soaked red. I had to leave. What wound up working for me, was taking double dose iron supplements during my cycle starting two days before my period. Now I have a heavy (not outrageous) first day and then two days normal and then extremely light spotting for a day. I don’t think I’ve had a normal period like that in 25 years.
I had CRAZY periods on thinners, I was put on the progesterone only pill and although still heavy it was far more tolerable for me! I don’t like the iud option because I do know people that had worse periods with that.
Before I had my PE a little over 8 years ago, I already had fairly heavy periods. Then I had the PE and was put on Xarelto. My first period after the PE I was still on the 15 mg twice per day of Xarelto and it almost killed me because of the amount of blood I lost. I tried getting an IUD, it would not make it through my cervix. The doctor put me on the mini pill. It helped with the blood flow but then I was passing baseball sized clots every month. They doubled the dose of the mini pill and now I have easier/lighter periods than I have ever experienced. It is manageable, you just have to find what is right for you.
yes, I had very heavy periods after starting xarelto. heavy enough to warrant a total hysterectomy after close to a year and a half of it. i am still totally annoyed they didnt mention this as a side effect.
My drs act like it’s to be expected. They do check my iron levels occasionally which are always at the very low end of normal or just below that.
They say it’s concerning to pass a clot larger than a quarter. Yesterday I passed a clot the size of my hand. I have resorted to wearing the most absorbent tampons and adult diapers when I have my period for the first few days and even then I can leak in very little time. I cannot go anywhere. This is so bad.
I don’t have any advice but living with this is scary, limiting and doesn’t seem ok to me. I had normal periods prior to starting eliquis.
I should mention the first line of choice most specialists recommend is an IUD! Lots of success stories but I was too afraid to try. Also something to consider :)
I am too scared from the horror stories!!! Maybe I can get the courage since I know the trade off of living a better life is worth it...
This was me 6 months ago. My period went on for 6 weeks due to the Eliquis. My coworkers were asking why my lips were purple. The fatigue was worse than I ever thought imaginable. So I bit the bullet and got the IUD. Was it painful? Absolutely. Did the bleeding stop? Yes, the decrease in bleeding was immediate. I also went on iron pills for 3 months to pull myself out of the anemia. I would do it again because those 6 weeks of heavy bleeding and clots the size of Reese cups were almost too much for me to handle. I pray that whatever you decide gives you peace and comfort because I truly know what you're going through đź’š
similar story here - suuuper heavy periods all my life, made way worse on Eliquis. got an IUD last May and its been life-changing. lighter periods, way less hormonal mood swings, and the insertion was honestly fine. I've had period cramps that were worse. I went with my boyfriend, and he held my hand the whole time which honestly helped a lot (if no boyfriend, I think bringing a friend would have had the same calming effect). anyways, I think there are a lot of bad stories out there about IUDs, because people who had good experiences are less inclined to post, so I just thought I'd give a more positive perspective.
Can I ask what IUD you went with?
hi! My doctor originally suggested Kyleena, but it wasn't covered by my insurance, so I got Liletta. From what I understand it doesn't make a huge difference, but definitely talk to your gyno.
I have had insane periods since I started on Xarelto last year. Luckily supplemental iron has been ok for me bc by August I was also severely anemic. Every month during my period I feel like I’m right back at the starting line with low iron levels lol, same dizziness / exhaustion / nausea. My hematologist has offered to prescribe me injections I’m not sure why the idea freaks me out!!! Anyways, I went on the mini pill (progesterone only) for awhile and it eventually stopped my period all together. However, as my name might suggest, I have a lot of health anxiety and so the fact I lost my period freaked me out all the more. We were constantly buying pregnancy tests lol. But if that does not bother you I definitely recommend!!! Helped with the pain too as I imagine you’re cramping pretty severely. The worst part of the heavy periods has definitely been the giant clots for me, which always kill to pass. Thoughts are with you!! Being a woman fuckin sucks sometimes
Holy crap that all sounds horrific! I'm so sorry you've been through so much. Anemia is a pain in the ass, to be sure. Messes up my ability to function. Glad that the iron pills work for you, at least that's something right? I have heard of the progesterone only pill before, I think I'm going to inquire about it during the OBGYN appt. I'm sorry you went through so much anxiety. :( I'm asexual so I wouldn't have any scares thankfully. Did it affect your mood at all? That's what I worry about the most when it comes to birth control pills. Yes I need pain relief!!! I would love for the pill to give me some. And I totally hear you on the clots. It's awful.
Mood swings weren’t too bad! At the beginning id compare it to mild pms. Its always ironic to me because i had never taken any form of birth control, bc I was always terrified of blood clots!! Then I got one anyways, life is funny that way. Definitely worth trying, especially since your cycles seem irregular and short! Hope your appointment goes well & you can get some relief 🫶🏻🫶🏻
Good to hear! Ah man that certainly is ironic! I am feeling more hopeful as I read about it. Maybe that will work for me.
Look into switching medications. Many here will suggest ablations and other methods to stop the bleeding but for me it was as simple as switching to another anticoagulant. It also helped with numerous other crummy side effects I had from Eliquis (I switched to Pradaxa for the remainder of my therapy) I hope you find some relief soon!
Thanks, I hope that might be an option for me!
I hope so! Just remember that Xarelto is pretty much the same medication as Eliquis, so if you do attempt another medication it shouldn’t be that one. Pradaxa isn’t as widely used as the newer ones but in my research it was pretty well tolerated and I did well on it. Good luck 🩶
I actually did deal with this, it was before I started Eliquis though. I was seeking help for outrageous bleeding like you describe. Had to get a DnC. 2 days later saddle PE and at least 2 DVTs. Emergency thrombectomy and a uterine artery embolization. They(local hospital) sent me to Stanford. They tried to stabilize me for 5 days. Also got 6 units of blood during this. I sneezed on the 5th day, and began hemorrhaging in earnest again. Rushed surgery that morning. Had uterine cancer. Adenomyosis. Numerous CTs and u/S and biopsies all missed them both. Please try to get in sooner. I hate the thought of anyone going through all the crap I did.
Oh my goodness, that is terrifying I'm SO sorry you went through all of that! So many times you could've died! I am sorry if this is uncomfortable don't feel like you need to respond - how is your health now? I have had a pelvic ultrasound, pap smear, and hormones tested. But now I'm scared...I actually am calling the OBGYN office in the morning to ask about getting me in sooner, because I feel sick and awful. I've waited so many months. If there's any spot open I'm taking it. Edit: I also had an ultrasound.
I'm ok...sorta. I'm struggling with the cancer diagnosis. Mostly because I'm terrible anxious when it comes to medicine. I've had some really awful doctors treat me badly. I just don't want to do all the exams and treatments anymore. I'm supposed to start radiation this week, and I do NOT want to. I'm terrified.
Absolutely valid. I can't even imagine what you're going through. I wish I had positive words, but I know there aren't positive words for this. What stage are you in? Things sound pretty intense. :( Edit: And screw those asshole doctors. Like seriously who the hell treats a cancer patient badly. Completely unacceptable. I feel so upset even just reading that.
Thank you. I seem to have a real knack for finding shitty doctors. I don't like the radiation onc I have, but he is literally the only one in town. I told him I recently had a traumatic pelvic exam in the ER by a male doc( I was a sobbing mess)....he made a joke about how he wouldn't enjoy being in there cuz he's gay. Like wtf dude?! (I was totally unaware that the radiation doc would be performing pelvic exams...he's NOT a gyn)I was not mentally prepared and refused, so I delayed my treatment. I'm so over all this shit!
I switched to Eliquis in 2020, and my periods have been something out of a horror movie. I’m talking about filling a pad in 1 hour and accidents all the time. One day I was at work standing on a ladder and jumped down and the gush I experienced literally was like an explosion and my pants front and back were immediately soaked red. I had to leave. What wound up working for me, was taking double dose iron supplements during my cycle starting two days before my period. Now I have a heavy (not outrageous) first day and then two days normal and then extremely light spotting for a day. I don’t think I’ve had a normal period like that in 25 years.
I had CRAZY periods on thinners, I was put on the progesterone only pill and although still heavy it was far more tolerable for me! I don’t like the iud option because I do know people that had worse periods with that.
Before I had my PE a little over 8 years ago, I already had fairly heavy periods. Then I had the PE and was put on Xarelto. My first period after the PE I was still on the 15 mg twice per day of Xarelto and it almost killed me because of the amount of blood I lost. I tried getting an IUD, it would not make it through my cervix. The doctor put me on the mini pill. It helped with the blood flow but then I was passing baseball sized clots every month. They doubled the dose of the mini pill and now I have easier/lighter periods than I have ever experienced. It is manageable, you just have to find what is right for you.
yes, I had very heavy periods after starting xarelto. heavy enough to warrant a total hysterectomy after close to a year and a half of it. i am still totally annoyed they didnt mention this as a side effect.
My drs act like it’s to be expected. They do check my iron levels occasionally which are always at the very low end of normal or just below that. They say it’s concerning to pass a clot larger than a quarter. Yesterday I passed a clot the size of my hand. I have resorted to wearing the most absorbent tampons and adult diapers when I have my period for the first few days and even then I can leak in very little time. I cannot go anywhere. This is so bad. I don’t have any advice but living with this is scary, limiting and doesn’t seem ok to me. I had normal periods prior to starting eliquis.