to ask you what a normal period is? (sorry if TMI)

[Caronaim]

8 days, one of which will be almost uncontainable for a few hours, using highest absorbency tampon and towel, and changing both every 30 mins.

I've just read another thread about anaemia, and a poster said she had three days bleeding, which she wasn't sure if that was heavy. Surely that is minuscule?

Also, do heavy periods really cause anaemia? As most of what you lose isn't blood. And if you are anaemic, do your periods get lighter? So which indicates anaemia, heavy periods or light periods?

First day horrendously heavy then 2-3 light days & yes to clots, awful.

Puffins, my GP said that in this day and age, no woman should have to live with periods which interrupt her life. Having to change every hour was interrupting my life, which is why I went to see her (and left a little bit in love with her.) It might be happening because I'm in my 40s, and it might be exacerbated by being overweight, but I don't have to just live with it without any options.

If I were you, I'd ask another GP for another opinion. There are things they can do - mefenamic acid, tranexamic acid, mirena coil, etc, up to surgical options. Not all will be suitable for everyone (e.g. if you don't get on with hormonal contraception), but if it were me, I'd at least want to try possible options besides just living with it.

lying yes. I find though the more clotted my period the faster it's over with though. Maybe just me with that!

LyingWitch I do, even before I was on tranexamic acid. But I don't get as much pain as I did. I'm quite sort of impressed with the size of some of the clots, actually. Part of me thinks it's quite amazing that my body can produce clots like that. (The rest of me is usually sighing and getting busy with cleaning up.)

mywholelife, thanks. I think that's true of mine actually now that I think about it. As I've got older, the duration is a bit shorter but clots are very common. Just as well I'm not squeamish!

EBearhug... thanks, I'm going to see if I can get that tranexamic acid too. I don't think I suffer very much, not like some of the poor posters on this thread, not anything like it, but it is a nuisance and so messy!

whooshbangprettycolours Mine are like yours and I'm having an ablation to stop it. You can't conceive afterwards (or it's very unlikely) but it can stop periods or make them very very light.

I'm worried about your perception of the ablation. I had mine over a year ago and the thinking is you shouldn't get pregnant afterwards not that you can't. It was drummed into me about getting decent contraception to make sure it didn't happen. DH had a vasectomy in the end and I still had to have a mirena coil.

sorry to hijack the thread!

I bleed for 10 days

Day 1-3 is fairly light
Day 4-6 very heavy, scared to leave the house
Day 7 light
Day 8 heavy again ( not as bad as days 4-6 )
Day 9-10 very light

I have been back and forth to my gp, tried several thing but nothing has helped .

Op my periods sound like yours. Mine are 8 days long, day 2-3 I have to change almost hourly. At night I have to wear incontinence pads as normal towels will not contain.

My GP has referred me for an ablation.... Bit scared by it all.

I have recently taken up running and touch rugby and I have found exercise is helping with my periods.

When I was in my 20s I had incredibly painful periods, regularly vomitted with the pain and couldn't eat anything on the first day of my period, but my cycle was about 32 days long and my periods were pretty light, never used anything other than a Lillet Light and changed them maybe 3 times a day and 1 did overnight because I bled less, period lasted about 5-6 days but only 4 with significant bleed. In my thirties my cycle began to shorten a bit, periods were similar, but didn't vomit so much (still very painful). Had the DC in quick succession in my late 30s, early 40s, and BF all for ages, still BF my 2 year old. I'm now in my mid 40s (Mum had a late menopause so I assume I will as well), my cycle is now about 25 days, but I have no period pain since DD1 was born (my Mum said the same thing happened to her) and my periods are still the pretty much the same, I don't have much bleeding the first day (pantiliner until bedtime usually when I put in a mooncup), second day change mooncup when I get up, lunchtime, teatime and bedtime, third day change mooncup morning, lunch and bedtime, after that mooncup emptied morning and night but nowhere near full and mainly mucusy.

For the first 3 days of mine I can only use night time towels and I flood. I often leak and have head to change pjs in the middle of the night before. My Dr has said that it's the reason for my anaemia. They can prescribe medication to lighten the flow, I would make appt to see your go to discuss it.

I get heavy but regular ones but I do have fibroids.

I'm 37.

Vitamin c can help with low iron. I took it because I'm a blood donor and it upped my levels within months...they were low for years previously (not anaemic, just borderline).

I always thought my periods where heavy because I use super plus tampons and can't use a towel on its own for fear of flooding but really I do seem to be average.

5 days.
Day 1 and 2 bad cramps and would use a towel for leaks and change a super plus every 5 hours approx.
Day 3 I'm usually on super tampons again changing every 5 hours or so.
Day 4 could use regular tampon but don't wanna buy too many so use a super for about the 7/8 hours.
Day 5 usually just use a pad. Just like brown discharge.

I envy those though who can just wear a pad, if I do the blood pools to the front or back and I leak.

Apparently it's not prescription only at least according to Wikipedia

In March 2011 the status of Tranexamic acid for treatment of heavy menstrual bleeding (menorrhagia) was changed in the UK, from PoM (Prescription only Medicines) to P (Pharmacy Medicines)[6]and became available over the counter in UK pharmacies under the brand names of Cyklo-F and Femstrual, initially exclusively for Boots pharmacy, which has sparked some discussion about availability.[7] (In parts of Europe - like Sweden - it had then been available OTC for over a decade.) Regular liver function tests are recommended when using tranexamic acid over a long period of time.[8]

Four days, ish. Two heavy flow, huge clots throughout. Lots of pain, although following my third op in three and a bit years, it's a lot more manageable. Can't use tampons. It blows, but compared to how I used to be, it's wonderful.

Keep going back to the doctor those who feel fobbed off. Cry, shout, beg, change doctor, anything. Get it checked out.

(first op: Remove a melon sized cyst, the ovary it was on and the fallopian tube, plus extensive endometrial adhesion work. Next one, small cystectomy from other ovary. Last op, more endometriosis clean up).

OP - how old are you? Mine were utterly appalling until mid 30s, then calmed down a bit. I'm now in perimenopause, so going through a bad phase again, but at least I had a couple of calm years. From the age of 10 I have been a Super Plus every half hour kind of girl, towels under the sheet, set alarm while in bed kinda gal.
I am super anaemic, always have been. Only been able to give blood once, aged about 20. Not from 18-20, never since. It is exhausting.

Get tested for Von Willebrand Disease OP. It's a mild inherited blood clotting disorder and it is quite common. I didn't find out I had Type One (there are two other variations but Type One is the most common) until I was 38, then I could get treatment for my heavy periods (tranexamic acid and DDAVP) and the bleeding I used to get after having a tooth out or an operation. It causes easy bruising and some people also have nose bleeds. I had never heard of it before and obviously it affects women's day to day lives more then men's, as a rule (both sexes get it) for obvious reasons. It is really worth ruling it out, or finding out if you have it.

www.nhs.uk/conditions/von-willebrand-disease/Pages/Introduction.aspx

Yes OP definitely see a GP. I've always been heavy but my cycle came back with a vengeance after DS2 - anaemic, almost passed out on the school run one day! At worst I was 2 x super plus tampons (yes together, side by side!!) and a heavy duty pad which needed changing at least every hour. Sometimes the whole lot would gush out by the time I'd reached the bottom of the stairs . Plus due to cystocele, tampons were very uncomfortable but pads on their just didn't cut the mustard. Utter nightmare. I don't know what I would have done if I was working at the time, I could barely leave the house.

Scanned etc, nothing abnormal.

Iron from GP can be stronger than over the counter. Mirena for me, all the way, though took ages to settle.

Today was day 1 for me - I have emptied my mooncup 15 times and leaked and saturated 6 maternity pads.
I'm going to sleep with my mooncup, a maternity pad and on the world's biggest incopad.
I expect it to be the same for the next 3 days then become a light/manageable flow for another 4 days before tailing off to spotting. Everything together usually lasts for 10 days.