Can't use tampons due to heavy periods, sanitary towels make me feel dirty, is mooncup the answer?

[PricillaQueenOfTheDessert]

Hi all, I'd appreciate your comments. I haven't been able to use tampons for years due to heavy periods, they aren't absorbant enough and I used to have terrible cramps as well as leakage. I've used sanitary pads ever since and I hate them, I flood and have to run to the loo even in meetings. Especially now that they are all perfumed, yuk. I've heard about mooncups and have been wondering about using them. What are your experiences with them? Are they ok with a heavy flow? Are they easy to use? Please tell all...

PS on the first day I have to change a night time pad in a couple of hours. Can the mooncup offer a better alternative?

I'm very heavy too and used to use tampons with a pad too. Now I use a mooncup and it does last longer, still can't go without a pad though.

I love my mooncup! I had the Mirena coil to try and control horrendous bleeding. Flooded constantly, was more or less housebound for the first day or two of my period. Anyway, the coil didn't work for me, so I had it removed. Read about Mooncup on MN and can honestly say I have never looked back. It has never leaked, is so convenient when out and about. I can't feel it when it's in and I honestly recommend you give it a go. It's not as grotty as you'd imagine, I don't even think about my period now, let alone worry about it. My period doesn't seem to last as long, cramping isn't so severe and it copes with clots. Sorry if TMI.

Bear with me on this, but the Tens Lady Night pads (yes, the incontinence ones!) get me through the heaviest days. They are just like xxl sanitary towels. I found the moon cup ranneth over during floods, there's only so much liquid they can hold.

*Tena

I can't use tampons or towels, too heavy. I'd be changing them every hour or less. Mooncup is amazing, 8 hours +. Don't get why people put up with tampons and towels, they are so inferior.

My mooncup runneth over way before 8 hours, I'm lucky if I can get to two hours before it leaks but that's better than the 15-30 mins with a tampon. Hence a pad is always needed.

I do like my mooncup though, even though it does still leak.

Pricilla

I would also look at this problem also in a different way and try and find the CAUSE of the heavy bleeding. Many GPs are not up to speed when it comes to such issues so you should really be referred to a gynaecologist to see if there is actually a gynae problem. Gynaecological problems like fibroids and or endometriosis (to name but two) can cause such problems to arise.

Do not put up with it, infact you do not need to put up with this problem indefinitely.

The mooncup also has the ml marked on the inside of it so you can keep track of how much you are actually losing. This could be useful with the GP/gynae. I think sometimes GPs can be dismissive of "very heavy" bleeding but with actual numbers it's easier to determine how excessive it is.

I agree that the mooncup is good for quantifying flow. Unfortunately on my heavy days I'm emptying it hourly or more frequently, so for me it's not the answer.