to ask everyone to describe what their period is like

[Thurlow]

Not exactly a TAAT, but inspired by one. And nosiness too But also thought it might be interesting for people to see whether theirs are worse than others and so might need a visit to the GP, as you can't really tell how bad yours are until you know what others are like.

(Nosiness because the heaviness makes me wonder occasionally whether I ought to get checked for fibroids)

Right. Apologies in advance for the TMI..

Mine last 3-4 days. Sometimes cramping a night or two before it starts is bad enough to wake me in the middle of the night and stay awake for an hour or so to have a cuppa and wait for tablets to work. First 2 nights I get through a super extra plus tampon and a nighttime towel, first 2-3 days I get through a super extra plus tampon with 3-4 hours. Haven't tried just using a towel on those days as I suspect it would be disastrous! But not too painful during a period (no need for tablets) and it ends quite abruptly. Not on any contraceptives.

I often wonder how people work when they have dreadfully heavy periods.

Started at 11. Better since the birth of DS.
Cramp like hell the day before. They last about thee - four days - I wear a plus tampax and a towel for the first two days and just a towel for the last day as feel a bit raw after two days of tampax. I would use about 7 tampax and about 10 towels.
I also suffer from flooding in the mornings . I guess I don't bleed so much during the night but in the morning I am usually flooded hence the tampax and the towel.
Also during the night if i don't wear a towel I can wake up with soaking bottoms but not bloody - no its not wee! Unsure what that is !
Hate them !

Pre-dc when 3-4 days light bleeding eg could dtd, bathe without spending, didn't matter if I forgot for a couple of hours eg stained knickers but nothing worse, didn't always bother at night (if wearing dark pjs). Got a coil after dc2 now they are defiantly heavier, don't dtd with a anymore (but do it less anyway), always need sp at night and have turned in to a woman who has a couple of tampax in all my bags. Last maybe 4-5 days now. Occasionally need to change it at night on day 1 or 2. Use regular tampons and change 3× a day, maybe 4 on the first day.

I was hoping that there might be some mysterious cause of the bum spasms. "One of those things" is not a very helpful thing for your doctor to say. Sometimes I almost look forward to menopause but that will probably bring its own set of problems.

Do you think unicorn mares bleed periods in rainbow colours?

I was on the other thread.... I am light and incredibly regular, sorry. I have a 25 day cycle and I ovulate and bleed like clockwork. Every period follows this pattern:

Day One morning - half an hour of cramp to indicate the onset of flow, pre-emptive super tampon inserted.
Day One lunchtime - change to regular tampon.
Day One evening - another regular tampon.
Day One overnight - pantyliner, some spotting as I get upright in the morning.
Day Two day to evening - pantyliners as required, spotting only.

Done.

I forgot to add that although i don't suffer with much pain, for the couple of days before i come on i do get the most awful 'world is against me' feelings (not anger, just tearful) and SO darn hungry i could literally eat all day long if i let myself.

I used to get the bum spasms and clotty periods but they have both gone. No clots since DD. Periods now are two moderate days followed by 2-3 v light days. Still regular as clockwork.

I do get a monthly bout of constipation a few days before which makes me really uncomfortable and get pains down my legs sometimes too. I also get a tearful and / or ragey.

Leg pain.

Awful achy thighs for 3 days straight which nothing will touch.

Drips then floods. Still, no stomach aches so not all bad.

OK, clots - only on day 1. About 20p/50p size. But not every period.

1 1/2 days proper bleeding and 3-4 days light blood (brown)
Mild Cramps first day

I get horrible feelings of anger and irritation along with breast pain the week before. I come on very heavily and stay heavy for about 4-5 days then it's lighter for the next 3 days. So usually 8 days in total.
It's very heavy and clotty with bad cramping which I take naproxen for, it's the only thing that helps! I use a mooncup and pads at the same time because I can't go to the loo enough not to leak. The cup is much better than tampons though.

I'm 42 and periods now worse than when I was younger.
Cycle is anywhere between 25-35 days. I can't stand people for a couple of days before, I get very short tempered and try to avoid my family as I just need to be alone.
Days 1 and 2 quite heavy - tampon and towel will last maybe two hours. And huge clots - yes I too have those horrible ones that slide down the side of your tampon. Stomach cramps in particular are bad when I'm passing clots. Day 1 I also feel light headed and quite unwell too, but nothing specific, I just don't feel right.
Days 3 - 5 flow slows down and all other symptoms disappear.

They do, moxon. 'Tis a known fact. Pretty, pretty rainbow colours. And they don't get PMT, they just extra happy and sparkly.

Slightly tender boobs a few days beforehand.

Moderate bleeding for two days. Light bleeding for a third day.

That's about it really. I've only ever had one or two period related cramps in my whole life. I consider myself lucky.

Oh sometimes I'm constipated the day before my period starts!

(I just know you'll feel happier knowing that fact).

Oh yes how did I forget about the big wobbly painful boobs and spots a few days before pmt.

Has anyone successfully asked and got an early hysterectomy? I can't go on for 20 years like this.

I do, squoosh, I really do. I can't tell you how often I've paused in the middle of cooking dinner or changing the duvet and thought, 'I wonder if squoosh gets constipated before her period comes?'

MrsSchadenfreude I used to be
Like that had an ablation it was the best thing I ever did no periods for 6 years

One day Thurlow, if you're really lucky I'll give you the low down on all my orificial expulsions.

Ablation is the answer

Mine last a good six days, start off fairly heavy (I now think) but taper off so the last three days are fine.

I have used a cup for the last five years, since periods came back after DS, recently switched from Mooncup to Meluna.

First eight hours or so are moderate, followed by 2-3 days heavyish, with day 2 being the worst (cup filled every 1-1.5 hours, need to use a pad as well). At night I line my big pants with pads, use the cup and try not to move around much - I get a gush when I turn over and a mega-gush when I get up! Waddle to the bathroom in the morning like a toddler with a full nappy.)

Last three days are fine, the cup lasts a good few hours.

On the plus side, I have never ever had a single cramp or pain of any kind. Mood-wise I get a little short-tempered and just generally don't have much patience, but nothing awful, and this has improved since I've started taking evening primrose oil anyway.

Cycle every 28 days. Pre dc lasted 5 days not heavy no pain. Since dc painful very heavy flooding for the first 2/3 days always leaked especially at night. Was very ill about 4 years ago periods stopped for a year. I went throu a second puberty and my boobs went from b to dd!! Periods were worse and now boobs were sore a week before every day. I started using reuseable towels. I have never leaked day or night pain is not so bad and my cycle is down from 5/6 days to 4/5.

Ooh, squoosh, what a Christmas present that would be!

I'm 28. Periods started at 10- not heavy, but very painful, used to miss school, vomit and not sleep through first night at all. After an effectual years on mefenamic acid (sp?!) I went on the combined pill at 13 which helped a lot. Changed brands several times during my teens, due to weight gain and mood swings- each time pain seemed to get subtly worse again and now I get the bum spasms (javelin arse) as well, so bad I double up. I also get awful diarrhoea. Spent one year on Cerazette with no periods, but brought on horrendous raging depression. Then tried Micronor but just had random painful spotting. Now back on the combined pill, but the pain is awful, I can't eat for 2 days and wake up in the night crying. Dr has advised me to take three pill packs back to back so only have one period every 9 weeks- at least its less often now!