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Acupuncture for Nonstop bleeding

By Archived User | Updated: Dec 31, 2021 | Published: Dec 31, 2021

Hello, i am suffering from profuse menstrual bleeding that started acutely on June 27th due to consuming a detox supplement. Gynocologists solution was to put me on high dose birth control which really caused all sorts of mental effects and hot flashes. I started the birth control pill on July 28th and took my last pill on Aug 30th. They never stopped my bleeding and on top of that I am still dealing with the mental effects and hot flashes still, just to a lesser degree but still there. I started acupuncture that same day I stopped the pill. So its been 3 days of acupuncture now and so far still bleeding a light period of sorts but no longer gushing like i would have, had i got off birth control without acupuncture. I woke up with a panic attack because I worried that maybe acupuncture isn’t working. What if it can’t stop my bleeding?? Is acupuncture a slow process to stop bleeding or is it meant to stop bleeding right away? Does it get worse before it gets better? I had one needle in each hand between index and middle finger and at one point needles in each foot between big toe and then later near pinky toe. And some Moxa around the ankle and toe area. I hope I’m making a correct choice or else its back to god awful birth control pills or surgery of some sort.

On top of all this, I am healing from an old brain injury, and symptoms exacerbated by the birth control pill. I also worry that acupuncture will also exacerbate symptoms. I hope it doesn’t and I hope you can ease my mind about that too. Thank you.

Update: I just got back from a session and she wants to place a needle in the inner part of my middle finger under the finger pad. She said it would be more painful and I refused in the moment. Would it really help bleeding?

Also she suggested a pill called yunnan baiyao capsule for emergencies to stop bleeding. Only issue is I won’t know when my next menstrual period will show up again if I take it. Is it really that powerful? Is it harmless?

Archived Comments

Comment by Archived User

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Comment by Chad J. Dupuis, L.Ac.

Generally speaking menorrhagia is commonly treated with both acupuncture and Chinese herbal Medicine and responds well. The exact time frame would be difficult to even remotely state without knowing all of the details and being able to physically see you, but you are generally talking about weeks certainly to a few months to slow or stop the bleeding, and, again, considering many possibilities upwards of about 9 months to 1.5 years to completely resolve (not that you would be bleeding that whole time, of course, but to rectify the deeper hormonal issues that are most certainly a part of it).

So 3 days in, I wouldn’t worry. I am worried a little that a practitioner would treat you daily, however. I just don’t see the purpose in that, twice a week at the most (which I personally would never do either), once a week would be sufficient. There probably should be some herbs tailored for you as well, so if you are seeing an acupuncturist who doesn’t practice Chinese herbal medicine, and you have options, I would strongly consider switching practitioners. Also, generally, if a practitioner gives you the option of choosing to use or not use certain points that makes me a little nervous. If she felt that what I’m assuming is PC 9 was clinically valid for you, she should have just needled it, it’s not that painful, just slightly more so than the majority of the other points. That said, as you are clearly anxious about the situation and about acupuncture, she may have just been playing on the safe side and didn’t feel it warranted a complex conversation about trusting her experience, etc.

As far as acupuncture making you worse, the simple answer is no. It may not make you better in the time frame that meets with your expectations, but remember that acupuncture is doing nothing more than helping your body make certain choices, it is not forcing anything like a western medication. In that sense, among a million others, it generally only has an up side. Generally speaking about the worst that can happen besides some localized bruising, or temporary tissue irritation is that they might not make you better - this by not having enough skill to properly tailor the treatment to what your body needs - and this isn’t a judgement on any particular practitioner this is just how something that is both a science and effectively an art form works.

Long story short, with a properly trained and licensed acupuncturist who also practices Chinese herbal medicine you should be in a very good place with the hormonal issues within 4 weeks to 3 months.

Comment by Archived User

Hi. I helped myself with turmeric. It stopped my severe bleedings.

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