At what point should I go to the hospital for a heavy period or bleeding?

I lost a baby a couple years ago which resulted in anemia for a while, and had a pelvic infection and BV the year I got pregnant with my surviving child. I have been diagnosed with dysmenorrhea. The pelvic infection and the other (uterine?) infection caused severe abdominal pain. I do not have abdominal pain but am having problems with feeling a little lightheaded or dizzy and forgetfulness that is bothersome and disturbing to me (I've been wondering if I'm going through "the change"), have hypertension, had to just change another tampon and pad, had a clot this morning that looked about the size of my thumb about 2" round and another much smaller clot, and physical back and neck pain. I use condoms and the calendar method. I had a time several years ago when I tried to give/sell my blood plasma, and after a lot of testing they said I had too much protein in my urine (?) and therefore couldn't use my blood.
We can't afford for me to have to go into the hospital right now.

To clarify my question, how much bleeding or how many times should I be changing my feminine items for it to be an emergency?

The heavy bleeding along with the lightheadedness makes me think anemia.

You have had this before, does it feel similar to you?

The bleeding sounds heavy enough to consult your doctor or health care provider, but not necessarily an ER.

If the bleeding changes, ie becomes bright red, and increases dramatically, it is an emergency. But at this point , I would probably call and find out what your HCP recommends.

Over the long term, an iron supplement might help. It isn't a quick fix, but you may be iron deficient. Blood loss causes shock if it is excessive, so be on the look out for a drop in blood pressure, usually experienced by lightheadedness, and certainly if you pass out, it's time to get help pronto.

Hope this helps,
Karen

PS The protein in your urine is a concern; If that is still present, you might need medication to prevent kidney damage. Don't put that off , OK?

i was told that changing a super tampon 4 to 5 times a hour because i too have heavy periods too but i would call the doctor to be safe

I was told that if you have clotting that is bigger than a half dollar then you are bleeding to much. Also if you are having problems you should be using a pad and not a tampon. If you are using more than 1 pad every two or three hours then it is an emergency. Normal usage would be about 4-5 pads a day depending on how hygenic a person is.

Is there a chance you could have been pregnant and miscarried?

I would suggest a trip to the ER.
I know it is very expensive to go to an ER. But would you rather risk your life? I've been in your shoes dear. I know how hard it is. But there are ways to get help if you are low income or have no insurance. Even after you have gone to the ER. Just let them know that you are interested in finding out about it when you go in.

Goodluck!

From what I've heard - dizziness alone is reason enough to seek urgent medical care.
If you can't afford to go to the hospital, you might consider at least calling your OB/GYN and telling them you would like to see your doctor urgently. Sometimes doctors will squeeze you into their schedule if it's a problem like this.