Patient's question:
I had my period on November 10th. Two days before the period, the flow was very light, and on the third day, I saw a traditional Chinese medicine doctor who prescribed a 5-day supply: Poria, Atractylodes macrocephala, White Peony Root, Prepared Rehmannia, Angelica Sinensis, Costus, Salvia Miltiorrhiza, and Prickly Ash Bark each 10 grams, Bupleurum 6 grams, Leonurus 15 grams, and Licorice 3 grams, plus 5 grams of Moutan Bark. After taking the medicine, the flow returned to normal but was a bit excessive. Three days after the period ended, I had some dark red blood clots and creamy-looking. I saw a doctor and had tests done, but they only said it was uterine bleeding and told me to wait and see what would happen in a few days. Later, the bleeding continued until November 22nd when the flow reduced, so...Doctor's answer:
The most common symptom of dysfunctional uterine bleeding is irregular uterine bleeding, characterized by irregular menstrual cycles, varying lengths of menstruation, fluctuating amounts of bleeding, even heavy bleeding, lasting for more than two weeks or longer, and difficulty stopping on its own. It can also manifest as cyclical bleeding similar to normal menstruation. Excessive bleeding or prolonged bleeding often leads to anemia. Treatment for dysfunctional uterine bleeding primarily focuses on stopping the bleeding, followed by adjusting the menstrual cycle to ensure adequate rest. For prolonged bleeding, antibiotics are used to prevent infection. To stop the bleeding, estrogen such as ethinyl estradiol is administered via intramuscular injection, followed by progesterone or testosterone propionate to promote endometrial shedding and conclude the bleeding cycle. Symptomatic treatments like iron supplementation are also provided to increase hemoglobin. Estrogen is used to buy time to correct severe anemia. Other methods include the progesterone withdrawal method and synthetic progestogen-induced endometrial atrophy. After stopping the bleeding, artificially controlling the amount of blood loss to establish a cycle is a transitional measure for treating dysfunctional uterine bleeding. It is generally recommended to take medication for three cycles to adjust the menstrual cycle.