This scary phenomenon can happen to women before menopause

Helen James has told her concerning story to the BBC. She explained that she had no idea what was happening to her at the time, as she had never heard of ‘flooding’. Now, she wants to educate other women and encourage doctors to take issues surrounding menstruation and the menopause more seriously.

What is 'flooding'?

‘Flooding’ is the term used for heavy bleeding during the time just before menopause. It is actually more common than you might think, and often goes undiagnosed as it is assumed to be simply a heavy period.

Dr Jacqueline Maybin, a senior research fellow and honorary consultant gynaecologist at the MRC Centre for Reproductive Health in Edinburgh, told the BBC that it can be very ‘debilitating’. She explained the biology behind it:

Problematic menstrual bleeding experienced before menopause is commonly caused by ovulatory dysfunction, an irregular release of eggs from the ovary as the supply of eggs is low…This causes disturbance of the reproductive hormones, resulting in irregular, heavy menstrual bleeding.

Helen’s story

Helen started to experience such heavy bleeding that she was completely drained. She wasn’t sleeping because she had to get up regularly to change tampons or pads throughout the night. She explained to the BBC that she was ‘breathless and out of energy’ when trying to climb a flight of stairs. She didn’t realise it for a while, because it was hard to get a doctor’s appointment, but she was actually severely anaemic.

When she eventually sought medical assistance, she was referred to A&E where she received a total of four bags of donated blood. She was also given a dose of norethisterone, which mimics the effects of hormone progesterone. This stopped her period within 24 hours.

Helen’s life changed as a result of her experience

Helen was frustrated that she had not been able to identify what was happening to her and felt she had not been taken seriously because she was suffering from a perimenopausal condition.Mayo Clinic explains 'perimenopause' as 'the time during which your body makes the natural transition to menopause.' Helen explains that she ‘didn't understand and nobody there was talking about it.’

Following her own experience, she decided to do something about this silence surrounding perimenopausal issues. She studied nutritional therapy and made a massive career change: she went from being a management accounting assistant to a nutritionist therapist.

Helen works with women who are yet to experience the menopause, sharing her knowledge with them:

I also try to talk to younger women as well, in their 30s, to expect changes in their late 30s. They might not call it perimenopause but that's when it starts.

Is 'flooding' serious?

Around one in three women experience abnormal menstruation at some point during their lives. This most commonly occurs at the beginning or the end of their reproductive years.

In Scotland alone, 175 women had to receive a blood transfusion in 2022 due to excessive blood loss as a result of menstruation.

Read more:Periods: Tips on how to avoid toxic shock syndrome

What to do if you have noticed an unusual period?

Dr Maybin told the BBC that menstrual disturbance usually reacts well to hormonal treatment. If you have noticed that you are having irregular or heavier than normal bleeding, you should see a doctor. There is no reason to be embarrassed and it could identify a problem that you can then work towards solving!

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Sources used:

BBC: Perimenopause periods left me needing a transfusion

Mayo Clinic: Perimenopause