Tranexamic acid over the counter?

[Giruse]

I am currently in the throes of the period from hell...week 2 or 3 of heavy bleeding, wearing night time pad plus tampon, sitting on towels, dashing to loo every couple of hours, you get the idea. All pretty awful to deal with.

The only thing that helps (apart from losing weight, when I am at normal BMI I don't get the same problems, certainly not to the current extent) is tranexamic acid. My GP won't prescribe it willingly (last time a couple of years ago I basically had to cry and plead for it), so for the last few years I've been buying it over the counter. I don't take it constantly - my periods seem to reset themselves for a few months, or if I've dropped some weight that helps. But it's good to have as backup, or for like now when i am at the end of my tether!

The problem is I can't find anywhere that still sells it. I've tried Boots, local pharmacy...all say they no longer stock it. Has anyone bought it it recently? Or knows where I might be able to get some?.

I don't want to be referred because this isn't a constant problem. If I lose weight again it'll stop and even if I don't this medication resets things for a few months. If I was in my 20s I'd be more concerned but at this age I'm expecting it all to stop soon anyway with a bit of luck. I actually thought I'd have gone through the menopause by now.

I've tried both injection and pill. Didn't help. The only things that have are Tranexamic acid, and losing weight/ doing a lot of exercise. But of course at the moment the last thing I feel like doing is running 5k.

@Giruse my dd was prescribed them in November over the phone by a doctor from our practice. He spoke to her for 15 mins asked a few questions and left a prescription at our local pharmacy.

Definitely change doctors and get one who is more understanding . They are doing phone appointments.

Blunt question but how overweight are you OP? Is that why they won’t prescribe?
(Not judging, I am obese but still getting tranexamic acid on prescription but obviously as it is a blood clotting drug there are risks.)

I have also had the coil talk and declined.

You need to sort something though, what you are experiencing isn’t normal. Surely you can have a telephone consultation with the GP? If they refuse to prescribe it ask for a reason why they are refusing. And make a note of it.

I was overweight when it was prescribed (probably about 6st) and my weight was never mentioned, I was never weighed or asked about it. I weigh less than that now anyway. I think tbh they were annoyed that I wouldnt agree to have the coil even though there's always a massive wait for that to be fitted (pre Covid it was 6-8 weeks), and they never believed me about the issues I had with the injection, basically suggested I was making a meal of it.

I did think about changing GPs at that time but all the surgeries here are constantly oversubscribed and now none are taking new patients due to Covid so I'm stuck with the one I'm at.

I'll contact them on Monday but I'm not optimistic. If they are difficult as I expect I'll go via 111 and see if I have more success with them.

@giruse I wouldn't say you don't want to be referred cause if you lose weight it'll go away, point is that it's not normal and you shouldn't have to put up with it until you lose weight. Sounds like a fibroid or pcos issue, but I would deffo get it checked.

Effectively they will make me put up with it until I lose weight by not prescribing this to me. And in the current climate any referral or investigations could take months by which time I will have lost weight. But I will have had months more like this in the meantime.

I bought it in Boots before but my GP had prescribed it for me since I found out you could get it on prescription. Think you need to see a different GP sharpish

Also don’t see what your weight has to do with it? I’d start complaining and bloody loud if I were you

Who can I complain to though? There is no separate practice manager, one of the GPs covers those duties as well. I can't move GPs because none are taking patients.

I think the only thing I can do is contact 111 if my GP won't help, and hope that I can be seen at the out of hours in our local hospital (and that they will prescribe it).

Well yeah, many people have told you to contact 111 at this point

Maybe they think you’re overusing it? When I was prescribed it, they gave me a disclaimer to only take it on heavy days. Do you take it throughout the entirety of your period inc light days?

@bestbeforedateexpired

I think you are resigned to the situation because of your previous experiences with your GP. Please contact them again and be explicit about the impact this is having on your quality of life. State this even to the gatekeeper receptionist (don’t hold back). Utovan can help but there may be a shortage of that too. Please persist. I finally did early last year. I was referred to a consultant under the 2 week rule I had a transfusion then hysteroscopy and removal of a polyp at the height of the pandemic in April. My life has been transformed. At the age of 54 my periods are finally manageable. Don’t leave it as long as me.

I've been on utovan since last august on and off and since November (until this week) daily and not had any issues. Mind you I've also had trans acid anytime I've asked.

Wonder if there's regional issues?

Mefenamic acid isn't the same. I used to be prescribed both together, I switched from mefenamic to ibuprofen as it started making me feel sick 🙁

OP, a lot of what you are posting seems to be speculation about what the GP might say or do. Excessive bleeding is not normal and I expect you are anaemic too. I’m not sure why you are reluctant to be referred. You can refuse the coil (I did); and you can get this sorted.

I don't know for sure as I only work very part time now but a lot of the more niche OTC medications (I know periods aren't unusual but very few women actually take Tranexamic acid) were discontinued for commercial reasons ie lack of sales. The pharmacy can't sell any out of the dispensary as they're not the licensed OTC variety (same thing but it's a bit of legal minefield).