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Causes of Abnormal Uterine Bleeding

8 January 2021 by Hugh Larson

If you experience bleeding in between your regular menstrual periods, extremely heavy bleeding during your menstrual periods, or if your periods last for weeks, make an appointment with your OB/GYN. Your doctor will need to determine if you have abnormal uterine bleeding so that you can be treated appropriately. Here are some causes of abnormal uterine bleeding and which treatment options your physician may recommend.

1. Anticoagulant Therapy

If you are at high risk for a heart attack or stroke, then your primary care physician may have prescribed prescription anticoagulant medications. While these medications can lower your risk for a cardiovascular or cerebrovascular event, they can raise your risk for abnormal uterine bleeding.

Prescription anticoagulant medications decrease platelet aggregation. This means that they make your blood less sticky and less likely to clot in a normal fashion. While this effect is a favorable one for those at risk for blood clots, it can lead to excessive bleeding of the gastrointestinal tract, bladder, and uterus.

If you experience abnormal uterine bleeding as a result of your anticoagulant medications, your doctor may try lowering your dosage to see if your bleeding stops. In addition to prescription anticoagulants, other medications such as aspirin can also cause abnormal uterine bleeding.

2. Perimenopause 

Another common cause of abnormal uterine bleeding is perimenopause, or the years leading up to menopause. During this time, your hormones such as testosterone, progesterone, and estrogen wildly fluctuate. When this happens, you may experience bleeding in between your periods. In addition, your regular periods may be heavier and they may even last for weeks. If your doctor determines that your abnormal uterine bleeding is the result of perimenopause, he or she may prescribe hormone replacement therapy to help regular your hormones.

It is important to note, that even if your gynecologist suspects perimenopause as the cause of your uterine bleeding, he or she may want to pursue further diagnostic testing such as a transvaginal ultrasound or even an endometrial biopsy to rule out other causes such as endometriosis, uterine fibroids, or endometrial hyperplasia, which refers to the thickening of the lining of the uterus, or the endometrium.  

If you experience abnormal uterine bleeding, make an appointment with your gynecologist as soon as possible. The cause of your abnormal uterine bleeding must be diagnosed and treated quickly because prolonged heavy uterine bleeding can raise your risk for severe fatigue, dizziness, weakness, and even anemia. 

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