Before it comes up, let me first say that I haven't taken this to the doctor because I don't have a doctor and I can't really afford to go see one at the moment. I do plan to go see one as soon as I can afford it, though.
For reference, I'm in my early twenties.
I have an awful menstrual cycle. I have:
1. An irregular, frequent cycle - Never at the same time, sometimes twice a month.
2. Very heavy bleeding - On the first two days, I usually go through a tampon/pad every 1-2 hours.
3. Severe pain beyond normal cramps - So painful that I have to drug myself up to the eyeballs and take time off school/work.
4. Cycles that last 7+ days - I don't think I've ever had a short/normal cycle.
I've been looking up ways to treat this because I know it's not normal. It looks like I have 3 options:
1. Birth control pills - I'm not too keen on the pills. I've looked at the side effects and a lot of them seem to outweigh the good. The cost would also be a bit of a problem.
2. Thermal Endometrial Ablation - Doesn't work as well for younger women as it does for older women. Younger women often need to have the procedure a second or third time for it become permanent.
3. Hysterectomy - It's really expensive (about $10,000). The recovery period is also pretty long.
If you could suggest something and/or give me your opinions, that would be great. If you're on the pill, I'd love to know how it works/doesn't work for you, and if you've had one of the above surgeries, I'd also love to know how it works/doesn't work for you.
I've trawled the internet but if you have an article that you think might be handy, I'd love to read up on it.