Heavy periods nearing menopause?

[silver-chipmunk.livejournal.com]

Hi, my first post here. I am a fifty year old woman, still menstruating regularly every month, not on birth control. In the past several years my periods have gotten much, much heavier, though they don't last any longer than they did before. I don't have any other problems with them, no cramps or other symptoms, not even ones like I got when I was younger. But the amount I bleed each month is daunting. Has anyone else had this experience? Is this just part of my approaching menopause?

(I would have tagged this but the tag menu isn't loading for me)

Pube curiosity

[sophy.livejournal.com]

This is a question for the vagina owners (or previous vagina owners) out there, especially those who might be fairly bushy...

Anyone else get the occasional stabby pube? Like, you're minding your own business and then suddenly out of nowhere one of your long pubes get loose and inside the labia and pokes at rather tender bits and it hurts and you have to go somewhere private to adjust??

I ask because my fellow vagina owning friend looked funny at me when I told her I had to do this recently, so now I have to know how many other vagina owners out there also experience this woe.

(no subject)

[starsburnaway.livejournal.com]

I have been on the pill since I was 14 years old, so for 8 years now. I have switched pills quite a few times now because they seem to stop working. The primary reason I was prescribed the pill was because of heavy bleeding. After a while (6 months - 1 year) I get spotting and heavy, painful periods again.
I have spoken to my GP and she prescribed Yasmin. She told me this would be a final option as it's rarely prescribed because it's expensive compared to other pills. I spoke to a different GP a few days ago again after the aforementioned issues resurfaced and he told me to stick with it. The injections or coil aren't an option because my GP told me there is a risk I could bleed constantly for a few months, which could cause anemia as my periods are already heavy.

Is this normal? I'm worrying about how this issue continues to come back, despite being prescribed different pills. Should I push my GP for tests? I had a smear test last year which came back as normal.

instead cup/baby wipe/potentially awkward social situation question

[ant1matter.livejournal.com]

Hey superstars!

I started using those Instead disposable menstrual cups last month and I love them, but I have a few questions.

1. I am broke as heck and I only have a few cups left, and I can't seem to find more (that's another question), so is it okay for me to re-use the disposable ones? They have similarly designed reusable ones so I'm assuming that if the flimsier material of the disposables isn't ripped or broken, it should be okay, right?

2. I just moved into residence at university, so I'm sharing a washroom with a bunch of other girls. It's set up like a public bathroom with stalls and sinks outside, so it's not really possible for me to yank the thing out, go to the sink to rinse it, and then go put it back in. Would it be okay for me to use baby wipes or something similar to wipe them out?

3. Does anyone know where I can get more of these things in Canada? The website says Shopper's Drug Mart but I've been to two of them in my new city (Windsor, Ontario, if anybody in the area has info) and haven't found anything. I *am* right near the border (literally, I can see Detroit from my window) but I don't really want to have to make a trip over there just to see if they have these things, although I'll take a look if I go.

Sorry for the wordiness. Thanks in advance, you people rock!