Heavy period sufferers - how do you cope?

[MamaMilkMachine]

I suffer BAD when it comes to periods....always have. Sorry if this is too much info but I literally bleed through and begin to leak down my legs with both a super plus extra tampon and a night time pad in the space of around 3-4 hours. It's so heavy I have taken the day off work today. I have told them it's because of a head ache and stomach cramps which I am also suffering from but just couldn't bring myself to say that it was because I'm bleeding so heavy. How would I even say that? My boss is a Man and he is lovely but very awkward not sure how he would cope with hearing the gory details of my monthly visitor. How do you other ladies cope? Any tips to stop leaks etc? I have been to the doctors various times tried various contraceptives and tablets nothing seems to work :( thanks

I agree that a referral to a gynae is needed.
I have similar to you and I'm due a hysterectomy shortly, my story is a bit different (& I'm a lot older) as my periods stopped for ages and it was assumed I was having an early menopause (blood tests indicated too) but then they came back with a vengeance.
I flood lots and I even sit on a puppy pad (less embarrassing to buy) in the car!!!
There are reasons for very heavy periods but many options to help.

A cup and going vegetarian ( not done because of the heavy periods but have had a massive impact on them). The cup has also been really positive for me as pads even reusable were uncomfortable and tampons were impossible

I had an endometrial ablation for ridiculously heavy periods. Like you I would flood every 45 minutes, passed great big clots, had a hormonal migraine, vomiting, cramps, the works.
Scans found no cause.
So an ablation was recommended.
I had it done 3 years ago. It has changed my life!! For the first 2 years I had no periods what so ever. Now, I have one day of very mild cramps and a bit of light spotting (one panty liner takes care of it)

See if you can get a gynae referral and talk about an ablation.

Ablation isn’t advised until you’ve finished having DC. OP is only 27, with one DC, and isn’t sure yet if she’s finished her family.

Could you just take the pill back to back? So you never have a period? Does that work?

And did you try the Mirena coil?

OP, have you had an ultrasound scan of your womb? It’s one over-the-tummy scan (like when you’re pregnant) then a lovely wand up your fanny. 😮 That would’ve been fine if they suspected fibroids or polyps.

*done, not fine. The fanny wand is never what you’d call “fine”. 🤣

Medication - mefenimic acid and an anti inflammatory for the pain. Iron supplements, and prescription fillet steak (or so I tell DH )

I realized I needed to do something when my (male and totally not comfortable with talking about that sort of thing) boss said to me one day ‘your brain has switched off again. It does this, erm, every few, erm, weeks, doesn’t it. Your memory totally goes. Everything ok?’ It made me realize that I wasn’t quite blagging pretending to cope as well as I thought.

I also lost weight - about 2.5 stone so far, but I was a short-arse size 18. Apparently this will help my fibroids and therefore help my heavy bleeding, but not sure whether this is actually helping or if it’s just the medication.

Now I have heavy but manageable periods, but still have 15 year old boy skin.

mefenimic acid and tranexamic acid were a life saver for me but reusable sanitary towels have been the biggest game changer!!

Sorry, yes, just realised OP still wants more children.
I'm sorry. I did rtft but the heat has done silly things to my brain...

I got some medication from the GP but it didn't really help until evening but it meant work was still stressful. Last year I had an ablation as I was done having children and I had very light periods August to Dec but since then I haven't bled at all. The light periods were basically just when I wiped after the toilet and very rarely had anything on the panty liner I would wear.

It's really made a huge difference to me.

I don't cope, tbh. Unmumsnetty hugs, it really does suck

Just realised the I misread the OP.

I wish I had gone to the dr sooner. The mini pill made things worse. But I think it's trial and error.

Thanks all for your helpful ideas, I feel a bit like the GP is a dead end but I have moved GP recently so it's maybe worth another go. Although they did give me both the tummy and the lovely ermmm wand scan and lots of tests. Having been pregnant and then breastfeeding I had forgotten how awful they was until they returned. Breastfeeding and having heavy periods really is taking its toll so as people have mentioned I should maybe get some iron supplements too as I have found my periods also make me anemic.

I use tena lady pants, the ones that look like a giant pull up, with a couple of kotex pads stuck in as well. Expensive but finally I can sit down without fear of getting blood on the chair.

It is certainly worth trying the GP particularly as you have now moved GP practice. I would try and properly establish the root cause of your heavy bleeding rather than simply taking iron supplements.

I would certainly return to the GP and insist to them that you should be seeing a gynae to properly establish the root cause of your heavy bleeding. Your periods should not be like this and it is not something that you should have to put up with at all.