Delicate Question - running & periods......

[whippet]

Hello - I'm a relative newbie here, but hope you wont mind me asking your advice (you all seem to talk about all sorts of delicate subjects!!)

As part of a lose weight/ get fit drive I recently took up running, and I've been entering 5k, 10k runs etc, and I'm planning to run a half marathon (13 miles) in October.
Only thing is, I've worked out that my period is due on the day, and my first day is always REALLY heavy - sometimes |I can't go fo more than an hour without rushing to the loo to change my tampon!
What can I do to avoid it hapening on the day of the run - can I delay it, or make it less heavy somehow? I'm really not keen to go on the pill for just a couple of months as I've been on it before and it makes me feel bad/ hormonal etc.

But nor can I rush off to the loo all the way around the course!

what about a mooncup ? i haven't tried one, but lots of people on here swear by them..

we're all different when it comes to periods do what works for me might well not work for you but...
I always find that I run very very well on or very close to my due date. Also, when I'm exercising my blood flow is much lighter.
I dont know of anything that you can take to make your period lighter but why dont you use your august or september period as a test run? You'll be up to doing a 10 miler at least by september wont you? Give it a go and I bet you'll be pleasantly surprised.

There is another tablet you can get from your GP - can't remember the name - that you take for just 3 days in order to delay periods. May have the same mood effects as the pill but at least only for a few days. Beware though, I got pregnant after being on this

Try a mooncup - have a look at the mooncup threads and you'll see that most of us who have 'heavy' periods don't have to empty it as often as we have to change tampons or pads.

But you don't have much time if you do want to try one, as it can take 2-3 cycles for you to get used to it. They do have a no-quibble money-back guarantee on the website that bundle posted, so it would be worthwhile ordering one if they can deliver in time for you to try it out during your Aug and Sept periods.

I find that if I'm really worried about getting my period on a particular day that it's usally late (occasionally early) but very rarely starts on the expected day! Unreliable system though !

OMG just looked up the mooncup site and it looks HUGE. I am now feeling slightly faint and queasy. Are they difficult to use and get out? No offense meant pcandles but are they mainly used by hippy types?

Also do they spill when you take them out? Sorry to ask such personal questions but I never knew such things existed.

I'm not a hippy type, but I bought one on mn recommendations and think it's great.

Agree that it needs changing less often than tampons, and fewer leaks, tho' you need to fiddle around a bit getting the stalky bit to the right length so it doesn't cause any discomfort.

You pull it out and empty it down the loo on which you are (presumably) sitting at the time, so spilling isn't a problem.

Feel really tempted as I use but hate tampons. Don't think it's for me though as I'm too squeamish, despite having given birth. I can't bear to use non-applicator tampons and I presume this would be similar on insertion and much worse on removal?

See you GP about Tranexamic Acid. You take it 3 times a day when your period starts and it dramatically reduces the bleeding. I have been using it and have found it a godsend.

daisy do try a search on here for the other threads, someone said they took a small bottle of water out with them when they weren't at home and rinsed it with that, not really that bad.

IIRC, Ii took me nearly a year from reading about mooncups on Mumsnet to actually buy one. My reactions were pretty much the same as yours! I've also never got on with tampons and have had a lot of problems 'down there' (partly as a result of childbirth). It took me three months to feel confident with my mooncup, but now I'm considering buying another - just in case I lose it! At first it was a mess getting it out, but after the second month I have found it...well not quite a doddle, but very nearly so. Putting it in was easy, especially once I had trimmed the tail to the right length for me. I find it easier to insert than a tampon, because tampons are dry but you can wet a mooncup to lubricate it.

Actually, I think Mears' suggestion of Tranexamic acid is a better idea, as long as you try it out before hand to see how you manage on it and whether it affects your running. In the long run (no pun intended ) you may find that a mooncup works well, but it would be better for you to get completely used to it before you commit to running with it, and I don't really think that you have enough time left for that.

Whippet - sorry to come to this a bit late...been away.

Congratulations on the running and on being brave enough to enter a half marathon Can sympathise with the period thing, especially on race day, as it can really affect your performance. I've taken Tranexamic acid in the past and it worked for me. Long term,( 5 years) running has really helped in reducing my heavy flow, and with period pain and PMS too. Good luck

Thanks everyone - some good suggestions...
How does tranexamic acid work - would I take it as soon as my period starts, or when it starts to get really heavy?
How quickly does it work, and would it have any side effects which would interfere with my running?