I have been experiencing very heavy & long periods for the last 4 months. They start out heavy, with very painful cramps, for about 7 or 8 days, then it slows down for a few days & then all of a sudden, it will get very heavy (1 tampon & 1 pad change every hour) for a few more days. It always comes with very large clots, some have been the size of walnuts (in the shell), a few a little bigger, & many times I have had to sit on the toilet, to let the clots & blood flow out because even a thick pad & super tampon don t catch it all. Plus the tampons keep the clots stuck & it s very uncomfortable. This is not normal for me at all. I m 42, so close to the menopause, but is this normal for someone close to that? I also have been experiencing belly bloating & pain, nausea, foul-tasting & smelling burps (like rotten meat), lack of appetite, (I also have an an umbilical hernia), more fatigue than normal (I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia 17 years ago), & I just don t feel right. I am making an appt with a gynecologist, but I d like to know what to ask the doctor about, what it could be.