Travelling long haul on worst day of period - help!

[Oovavu]

I'm flying to Thailand tomorrow night and my period started today, 5 days late .
I'm 47 and my periods have been getting progressively worse in the past year - mostly (sorry for TMI) heavy and clotty. Because of the clots in prone to flooding on my 1st & 2nd days. The GP prescribed tranexamic acid which is sposed to lessen the bleed but in reality this just causes more clotting and it all becomes rather unpredictable, which is fine when I'm at home, less so when I'm at work and nightmarish on a plane, I'm assuming.

I usually use a mooncup plus towels for the first 2 days to catch any floods but I'm thinking maybe heaviest flow tampons and towels for the plane? I'm certainly not going to try to swill out a mooncup in an airplane loo...
Any advice please from fellow sufferers? Thank you.

[Watto1]

If you're a bit clotty, maybe a mooncup would be better than a tampon? Apologies if TMI, but I have known clots to slither down the tampon string and fall out. With a mooncup they just sit there. I do appreciate it can be faffy to clean in public loos but at least aeroplane loos are so tiny the sink is in easy reach!

[Oovavu]

Thank you Watto. I haven't used tampons for years so had no idea about the clot/string scenario! Agree - doesn't sound great.

I sometimes feel with the mooncup that it creates a kind of suction when you take it out and makes the flooding worse sometimes - but I might be wrong. I'm dreading the journey now

[anotherbusymum14]

Tampon and two pads. Change regularly. That's just my advice. Oh and where dark ytiusrrs

[anotherbusymum14]

Wear dark trousers* ^^

[hollinhurst84]

Can you take ibruprofen with the other med? That can slow flow down if you take it regularly
Two pairs of knickers makes me feel "safer"
Maybe night time pads, the extra long ones? I find lil lets tampons the best as they go widthways not lengthways and they do super plus

[Oovavu]

Yes I've already planned my black leggings & long black tunic travelling attire - good idea
Two pairs of knickers, two towels & lil-lets look the way to go, so thank you.
I didn't know that about brufen so I'll definitely do that too; I can take these alongside the t.acid. Thanks for the tip.
It's such a bloody (ha) nuisance.

[whatevva]

Tampon, towel and incontinence knickers. Discreet (not red and flowery)Makeup bag with spares.

I am not sure you can take ibuprofen with transexamic acid . Are they both NSAID's ?

[Oovavu]

What does NSAID mean whatevva? I often take brufen for pain on days 1 & 2. GP has never said not to.

[Oovavu]

Re. incontinence knickers - are they big/high-waisted? I can't have anything sitting on my old c-section scar!

[whatevva]

Non-steroidal anti inflammatory drug - asprin/ibuprofen/diclofenac/mefanamic acid/naproxen. Not supposed to be taken together. I would ask the pharmacist if you have time (do they have them at airports?) to be absolutely sure.

[anotherbusymum14]

Oh yes Ibrufen good idea! Especially as you will be siting around a lot.

[whatevva]

www.tena.co.uk/women/product-information/our-products/

[Oovavu]

Ooo ok. Thanks. That's s bit of a worry. You'd think the GP would be more explicit about this when prescribing it for heavy periods if so, as loads of women take brufen for period pain.

[krazipan]

I'm pretty sure that tranexamic acid isn't an NSAID and is safe with ibuprofen

[whatevva]

www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Periods-heavy/Pages/Treatment.aspx

It is ok - it says so here

Sorry for the confusion.

[NameChange30]

I would stick with the mooncup rather than tampons. It sounds like your period is very heavy in which case tampons just aren't going to cut it and you'll be going to the loo to change them every hour or so. Not fun for you or the people around you. How often do you usually have to empty your mooncup on your heaviest day?

[Oovavu]

If I wear heavy duty towels as well, to catch any leaks/floods, I can get away with changing every 2-3 hours. Then I'll get nothing for half a day or something which then warns me there's s flood coming. Quite often I'll have nothing, put the mooncup back in and before I've made it to the sink, I've flooded. That's when I think the mooncup dislodges clots by suction.

Thanks for info on t.acid & brufen. Phew!

[DisposableName]

I'm with AnotherEmma on advising to stick with mooncup...really think it will catch clots better than a tampon, no matter how big!

To lessen the suction when you remove it, before you pull it out you can either squeeze the base or slide a finger in beside it and sort of squish/hook over the top lip of the cup slightly, which should break the seal. And pull your leggings right down to your ankles to give you the greatest flexibility in a tiny mile-high bathroom...just make sure the door's locked!

Also definitely take spares of everything including pants. Good luck, and have a great holiday!

[NameChange30]

A Mooncup holds up to 29ml and the biggest tampons hold up to 18ml. So you would have to change tampon about every 1-2 hours. Not practical on a flight!

I would be surprised if the mooncup's suction would be strong enough to dislodge clots, that seems strange to me, but then the female reproductive system is often a bit of a mystery isn't it!

It's too late for your flight of course but in future I wonder if you would get on better with a different menstrual cup.. You can get higher capacity ones, and many are less firm than the mooncup (so probably less suction)

[Oovavu]

Thanks so much for all the advice. Jeeps, sounds like it'd be even worse if I used tampons more regularly. I'll stick to the mooncup then!
When I mentioned the dry spells followed by sudden flooding and I suggested clots to my GP she didn't seem surprised, so I just assumed this was what happens. I'll practice my removal techniques...
Thanks again. Now just can't wait to get on with the hol & my stupid frickin period do one for another month!

[Oovavu]

Plus sorry, forgot to say, AnotherEmma - will investigate alternatives on my return. Cheers

[birdling]

I get massive flooding at the moment. Have resorted to wearing a baby's nappy as well as a towel. Works well, feels secure.

[Skirty]

I have just horrendously heavy periods where sometimes my flow is so heavy I need assistance from an ambulance crew. I’m also due to fly on my heaviest flow day next month and I am actually considering cancelling the trip because of it. What are the higher capacity mooncups? Perhaps this could be what I need. I currently use a super plus tampon with an unwinged pad inside a Tena silhouette together with a pair of Thinx pants over the top. I’m even thinking to take a beach towel to sit on too in case even all that leaks! The hardest part is when the tampon leaks I flood so badly for up to an hour before i can insert any more protection so if that happens on a plane they will likely take me off the plane....