DD and heavy periods

[Sallysoup]

Hi all,

Can anyone who's been through it advise if there are any options via the GP to help with DD, just turned 14. I won't go into graphic detail but her periods seem abnormally heavy and she suffers from feeling unwell 2-3 days before and the first 3 days of the period itself. She is already prescribed iron tablets.

Thanks

Hello, I would definitely speak to the doctor, just to make sure her anaemia is being treated the right way - she might need a higher dose of iron tablets and better monitoring. Sounds like her body isn’t coping well.

Good luck and I hope she feels better soon.

She could go on the contraceptive pill?

Definitely speak to GP

Definitely speak to the doctor. My dd15 has transexamic acid which makes a huge difference. I thought they wouldn't prescribe unless there was a six month history or something but she had two super heavy periods with flooding at night and the (female) GP prescribed it straight away. If it's a male GP don't let them fob you off. Heavy periods are miserable for a young girl.

Thanks all, the first visit to the GP resulted in a blood test and the iron prescription, which she's had for 3 months, no improvement yet but might help a bit.

I wasn't sure if the pill was still offered, but I'll ask.

I'll ask about transexamic acid, thanks! Is it 2 periods after asking for it, or just a history of heavy flooding? Every period she's had since age 11 has been awful 😖 thankfully they are not regular.. although that probably points to another issue somewhere? Roughly every 2-3 months.

I'm clueless, I went on the depo injection at 18 and I'm 32 now, not had a period in all those years, so thanks for the advice.

Mine were all floods from the first one. I am so sympathetic to your poor DD - it is horrible. Nothing helped, except pregnancies and finally a hysterectomy.

Please try and find a GP who will take it seriously. It is very hard to enjoy your youth when flooding at least half your life.

I'm sorry, that sounds awful 😟

I've definitely taken not having periods for granted, dd is really suffering so I'll find out the best GP to speak to. Her GP is fine but male and nearing retirement, hmm.

Mine didn’t start until 15, very heavy etc and she was in floods of tears and leaking heavy san etc. I phoned and spoke to the receptionist and asked her help and explained very young and shy daughter that she needed someone really empathetic and kind and that this really wasn’t normal and a GP that felt the same.
The receptionist recommended a GP who is a part time gynaecologist at the local large city hospital. And the receptionist actually arranged for the GP to phone me first to discuss which we did and then she saw My daughter and me face to face. GP was active from the start - endometriosis runs in the family. Talk with me - talk without me and a very gentle external exam. No internal exam. She then put my daughter on painkillers and menfamic and transfamic acid (spelling might be off then) and was told to do 3 periods and then reconsult. My daughter did that and it was working quite well. Then after about 6 months not so effective so GP saw her again - meanwhile referral to hospital (12 month wait) has already started. After a long considered discussion DD started mini pill and takes it continuously so no bleed. Settled down after about 6 weeks and hasn’t had a period since. So far it’s ok. She said hospitals will treat the same way first and then do exploration. She’s waiting for her gynae to come through but she does have an emergency Thursday at the walk in emergency gynae clinic if she needs it on stand by. She hasn’t needed it. Daughter has built up a lovely relationship with the GP

Hi OP. Here's my recent experience. DD has just turned 12 and started her periods a year ago. They have always been a little on the heavy side and she ended up on iron tablets in the summer. Fast forward to Sept and she's on B12 injections too. I'd been keeping an eye on everything, but I rang the doctor 3 weeks ago when she was up 3 times in one night changing her pad. Doc prescribed tranexamic acid so she's taken it for one cycle so far (taken for 4 days) She will be due another cycle soon, so will see how that pans out. I had to request two boxes of it as one box has gone to school. This is mainly because it's taken 3 times a day, so she takes one dose at lunchtime and even though it's only for 4 days each month, they need it to he in the original box with her name etc on. Worth also noting that the tablets are quite large and it's 2 per dose.

I had already researched on the NHS site about the Tranexamic acid and was reassured to see that there weren't many reported side effects, so definitely thought it was worth a bash. I'm hoping it helps in the longer term. GP did say that often periods can be heavy at this age, but mine never were. She also has other health issues, so I didn't want this getting out of hand and making her any more tired than she already is.

Best of luck. Periods really do suck.

My DD at that age was put in the pill and it sorted it out

She was in agony so we were happy with the result

They were heavy and painful

Thanks all, can see a potential issue with the tranexamic tablets, NHS website says not suitable with epilepsy, dd has infrequent seizures never confirmed as epilepsy but just been referred back to peads due to a long seizure in summer. Will see what the GP thinks.

Ibuprofen can help too taken regularly

Dd went on the mini pill at 14 and then had an implant at 15.
The nurse said being a teenager is hard enough without heavy periods and illness.
Mood swings have gone, no time off school and now work due to headaches, cramps and general lethargy.
At 16 she's had no periods for a year and is a much happier young lady.

Dd has only recently started taking tablets (she's had to, after finding iron liquid disgusting) and now takes ibuprofen instead of calpol which has made a bit of a difference, but barely touches the pain on day 2. The illness before each period is causing her attendance issues at school, on top of her other health issues her attendance 88% and school are giving me grief.

Sounds like my daughter. Pill tried transamix acid stuff …then I suggested to Dr.. Depo injection hurrah!!,! Sorted. Heavy periods gone.

No advice OP but my period was absolutely awful as a teenager and my mum never took me seriously. I used to bleed really heavily for 10 days each time. Having my first baby in my 20s was a game changer and now I have ‘normal’ periods. Hope you find something that works!