To spend money on period pants?

[DontWantTheRivalry]

I have the most horrendous periods - I won’t go into detail but the flooding, leaking and huge clots are big problems for me and have a big impact on my life.

I don’t use tampons because they’d just flood so instead I wear sanitary towels that I have to change every 1-2 hours as a minimum.

I’m so done with it. I’m fed up of not being able to leave my house when I’m on my period for fear of leaking and I’m fed up of of having to sit and sleep on towels and I’m really fed up of throwing clothes away because they are ruined by huge floods.

I have been reading about period pants and although they are expensive I’m thinking they may be my only option.

I was talking to my good friend about it and she said that in my circumstances period pants would be pointless as they wouldn’t be able to cope with my flow and clots. She said I would just be wasting my money.

It made me feel really upset because I can’t cope anymore with the impact my period has in my life and I really thought they might be a life changer for me.

AIBU to at least try even them even if it so expensive?

Has anyone else used them for very heavy periods?

I’m one step away from asking for a hysterectomy! I am just so fed up with it all

They are great, I don't rely on them alone but am also prone to huge floods so with tampons/cup they save my clothes (and sanity).

DO NOT BUY FROM WUKA -I got since that were finished badly and actually cut me and drew blood, trying to return them had been a complete nightmare. Plenty of other good brands though

Definitely try them, they cope with my periods.

I buy from the Luna range at Sainsburys. They’re usually around £10 a pair but there’s a 20% off sale this weekend meaning they’re £8. They’re fab.

You don’t say what medical treatment you’ve already had but you need to pursue this. What you are experiencing is not normal.

In the interim YANBU to buy any sanitary protection that might help.

I've got some heavy flow Wuka ones and they seem fine. Also some mid-flow Modibodi ones, and some light flow M&S ones. They all seem good TBH.

It's brilliant to be at work and not to have to carry tampons around and touch the sanitary bin etc.

I guess a period pant with a towel and tampon is a triple protection that would give you peace of mind, and then you could remove the towel or tampon once you were confident that the pants were able to cope with the flow?

You have my full empathy. It’s shit, isn’t it?

You don’t say what medical treatment you’ve already had but you need to pursue this. What you are experiencing is not normal.

I’ve had an USS scan and the result was that my endometrium layer was of normal thickness - but this scan was done about 4 days after my last period so of course there’s not much to see.

I imagine if they scanned me within 48 hours if my periods starting it would be a different story.

I can’t take TXA because of a Heath condition I have.

The doctor wants me to have a Mirena but I have said no as I’ve had two before and had bad experiences both times.

As a result I take three iron tablets a day to try and manage my persistent anaemia but I’m still always only just a few numbers above the cut off line for an iron transfusion.

So I live with the effects of it every day - and then go through hell for 4-5 days when my period comes. That’s my life on replay.

@Ikeameatballs

You don’t say what medical treatment you’ve already had but you need to pursue this. What you are experiencing is not normal.

In the interim YANBU to buy any sanitary protection that might help.

^this

Have you tried cloth sanitary pads? If you buy from a small business that makes them, you can usually customise them to suit you so they can be made for heavy flow and the length and shape you need etc. I prefer them to period pants because the pants usually need to be changed at least once a day anyway and it's complicated having to undress to change.

@DontWantTheRivalry

You don’t say what medical treatment you’ve already had but you need to pursue this. What you are experiencing is not normal.

I’ve had an USS scan and the result was that my endometrium layer was of normal thickness - but this scan was done about 4 days after my last period so of course there’s not much to see.

I imagine if they scanned me within 48 hours if my periods starting it would be a different story.

I can’t take TXA because of a Heath condition I have.

The doctor wants me to have a Mirena but I have said no as I’ve had two before and had bad experiences both times.

As a result I take three iron tablets a day to try and manage my persistent anaemia but I’m still always only just a few numbers above the cut off line for an iron transfusion.

So I live with the effects of it every day - and then go through hell for 4-5 days when my period comes. That’s my life on replay.

I was you (actually even worse) and I couldn’t tolerate the Mirena my gynaecologist recommended and installed for me, so eventually I had an endometrial ablation. It didn’t stop me having periods but they are now lighter, like the perfectly manageable ones I remember from my 20s. If your family is complete or you don’t want children, it could be the solution for you - get another gynae referral and discuss.

If you have finished your family start campaigning to have womb ablation!!

I found a mooncup better than tampons.

Look at the wuka range of period pants. I know people who use them for heavy flow. My dd uses them too.

Op have you also seen your GP about this?

Yes I’ve definitely finished my family.

I hadn’t even thought about ablation - I will go and have a read up on it.

Op have you also seen your GP about this?

Many times.

But as I don’t want a Mirena I’ve sort of just been left to it.

Ah, I see you have. I would make a lot of noise about another gynaecology referral - this is crackers

I suffer with periods like yours so feel your frustration. It's awful, and every time I've pushed it with the doctor they suggest I go on the pill.

I have period pants and they're great. They don't resolve the problem totally. If you pass a clot and then suddenly flood and can't get to the bathroom straight away of course it'll leak through. But they have helped me especially at work. I often wear a pad with them, but because they cover more space than pad they trap the leaks.

I think several places do them for a reasonable price now. Primark for example!

Another think that helped me is getting accupuncture to help.

I thought they looked genius so stupidly bought loads from two brands. Fucking hated them - they just felt so restrictive and bulky snd made me feel claustrophobic! But then I also can’t wear shape wear etc for the same reason and most people are fine with tht. It’s a shame as it’s a great idea.

The cheap brands of period pants aren't that good, most designed as a backup against tampon leaks than the main way of managing them. I find my modi-bodi 'heavy flow' are fine most days but on a heavy day start to struggled after about 5-6 hours so need to be the backup to a tampon if I am going out all day but fine at home where I can change as needed, but they have started doing an up 24hr super absorbent option that you might want to look into.

I really like IceNI for period pants. However I ma not quite sure how they would cope with large clots. I would definitely recommend ablation.

As a side note, tripling your dose of oral iron won't help, evidence shows it just increases side effects with no further absorption. I am surprised you were prescribed this dose as it changed many years ago!

All the sympathies OP.

Period pants do vary in quality etc. there was an article in the Guardian last year which was pretty good. www.theguardian.com/society/2021/sep/01/the-rise-of-period-pants-are-they-the-answer-to-menstrual-landfill-and-womens-prayers

I don't think they're necessarily the total negative that your friend does, but I do think you need to consider that they might not be the life-saver either.

Primark do some which were well reviewed, worth a try and not as expensive as the Modibodi ones which are lots of money...

Good luck.

I have very heavy flow for the first two days and use a combination of super plus tampons and heavy flow modibodi pants. Neither would be sufficient on its own but together they make things manageable and massively reduce my period stress.

I know everyone says period pants are great, but I don’t think I have particularly heavy periods and I still leak. Clots definitely don’t sink in to the material. Changing them when you’re out is also such a faff. But I guess worth trying alongside a pad and/or tampon?

I really like modi bodi. Yes expensive but wick away and don't smell. On very heavy days I might change mid day. Other days one pair will last most of day. I suffer clots too and anything too big I wipe off the pant. Well worth it after I can longer tolerate tampons after childbirth.

I use varying combinations of: tampons (Lil-lets Ultra - the biggest ones), cloth sanitary pads (from Cheeky Wipes) and period pants (Modibodi). Oh and sometimes a moon cup.

I have heavy periods and those are the best tampons I’ve found. At the very heaviest times I would change it every 1-2 hours. I would wear a cloth pad as well.

At night I do the same but for either first or second night I do usually need to use two tampons at a time. (I know that’s not ideal but it works for me and lasts the night - you just have to remember to take both out.

After the first day or two I’ll go to a tampon lasting a few hours and used with period pants.

For the last couple of days I use period pants on their own.

I’m afraid to say as someone with heavy periods that I think they’re great, but they are not sufficient on their own for the heaviest days of my period by any means.

I find period pants are useful as a backup on heavy (for me) flow days and ok short term on lighter days so they're not a panacea.

Cloth pads are better at staying put than disposables too but the need to rinse them (and the period pants) in cold water does get old - I largely use them for environmental reasons and the difficulty in finding non scented pads.