Clean up tips for work *TMI warning*

[Frequency]

I flood. I can have a super max tampon in for four hours and be fine or I can have one in for five minutes and flood through to my trousers and all down my legs. There is no warning this is about to happen. Wearing a tampon and a pad helps but I still soak the pad and end up feeling sticky and yuck and I sometimes manage to gush over the sides of the pad.

In my previous job this wasn't an issue. I was a carer. When you deal with other people's piss and shit all day talking about the ins and outs of your menstrual flow is nothing. Plus, the toilets there had sinks and space (disabled loos) so me vanishing into one for fifteen minutes armed with baby wipes, spare undies (and sometimes trousers) and an armful of sanpro was fine. No-one uttered a word.

Now, I work on a service desk. 'Comfort breaks' are monitored. Not in a 'you have three minutes and thirty seconds to toilet and get back to your desk' kind of way but people would definitely notice and mind if I vanished to the loos with my bag for fifteen minutes at random intervals throughout the day for four to five days a month. Plus I'm a smoker, so if I wandered off with my handbag in the direction of the loo (and smoking shelter) for fifteen minutes at a time it will definitely raise eyebrows.

Before I 'fess up to my much, much younger male boss and make us both uncomfortable does anyone have any quick tips?

Deffo see your GP, they should be able to help but it may be trial and error for a while.

I think you'll have to mention it to your employer if you think they've picked up on it and at least you can say you're working on it with your GP. It shouldn't really take 15 mins to wipe down with baby wipes, bag up your stuff and pull new stuff on though?

You need to start taking the mini pill, it will settle in 2-3 months , go see your GP👍

If you can wear skirts could you wear a night time pad? I regularly flood but can't use mooncups because of a prolapse. If I was in your situation, however embarrassing it might feel, I'd let my boss know so he can agree to the breaks and defend you if other people comment.

It shouldn't really take 15 mins to wipe down with baby wipes, bag up your stuff and pull new stuff on though?

It's not just myself I have to clean. If my arse is covered in blood when I sit on the loo and my tampon is dripping all over the shop while I transfer it to the bin the clean up operation extends to the wider area, iyswim?

Will def book a GP appointment. I'll phone tomorrow and will email boss re extended toilet breaks. I'm usually back a minute or two early from break so I'm sure he won't think I'm taking the piss.

Jesus Christ OP get yourself to the dr and in the meantime there is absolutely no need to feel awkward about letting your manager know.

My friend is like this, she had the mirena coil fitted and no longer suffers.

She did tell me that when she used to flood, Asda own brand extra extra tampons were the best she could find.

Brand names just didn't last.

I remember being like this after birth. The mess involved between downing pants +ST to sitting on loo was absurd.

I think you've got nothing to loose by trying the biggest capacity moon cup you can find. They are a bit like a stopper so as long as your seated over the loo when you withdraw I'd have thought they'd be a good option.

In the meantime do talk to the GP.

I have PCOS and would flood through a super plus extra tampon and night pad in an hour. I switched to a menstrual cup and reusable back up pads and it has been a life changer. My cup coped with the flooding with fewer leaks, which the pads dealt with. Over time, my flow lightened and shortened to the point I can go 4 hours on my heaviest day before emptying my cup, and no longer rely on pads for back up. There is lots of anecdotal research that this can happen, so it’s not unusual.

If you decide to go down the cup route, it’s best to do some research, as not all cups are equal. It’s not as simple as most guides suggest, eg pre or post children for sizing. Cervix position is more influential on fit, as is the shape and material used. There are lots of really good websites, YouTube channels and Facebook groups where you can find out more. Also Mooncup is just one brand, there are many more available.

Hi

If it's been going on a year go to a gp and ask for a referral to gynaecology. I don't know if this is the case every where but there is a service for women with heavy periods at our hospital to investigate the cause. Don't be fobbed off with it's just one of those things.

They quickly found i had a fibroid, were able to remove it through the cervix. Gave me pills to stop my periods and shrink the fibroid till they removed it which gave me my life back.

On a practical note the gp may be able to prescribe medications that may stop your periods or help make your flow lighter - theres a number of options here.

Ibuprofen does work a bit but you have to take a very high dose for it to work - double the maximum non prescription amount so best done under a GPs supervision.

When my period was super heavy i wore
normal pants with a night time pad under incontinence pants also with a pad with a heavy duty tampon as well.

I kept baby wipes in case it becomes very messy when you change in the toilets as well and a spare outfit.

Tena super pull ups would be good for you, if they can cope with me losing 500ml bladder capacity then a period flood would be no problem.

This is not normal and likely to be caused by an underlying condition. I have similar and it is really debilitating. Go and see your GP for investigations. Mine was due to fibroids and they are soon to be “dealt with”. Tranexamic acid tablets have helped but I can still go through super plus tampax in an hour some days. Definitely see your GP and stress that it is impacting on your work.

What emmathedilemma wrote

This amount of bleeding is not normal. Please do not put up with this and e-mail your manager. He should not feel at all embarrassed and if he does then he should not be managing people.

You need a gynae referral; this problem is not something that you should at all have to put up with. Insist to your GP that you are referred; such problems too are outside a GPs general remit.

Having suffered similarly (and I have been previously diagnosed with both PCOS and endometriosis; this in particular can cause heavy bleeding to arise as can fibroids) I am now scheduled to have ablation surgery.

I had a similar problem and ended up severely anaemic. It took almost a year for my iron levels to get back to a decent level.
I can totally understand the 15 minute cleanup.
I have the Mirena and no bleeding at all now.

Thank you all.

I emailed my boss and got a thumbs up emoji reply . I've phoned my GP. I have an appointment with a prescribing nurse next week. I already had a day off booked in for another appointment and only the prescribing nurse was available. It's a three week wait for a non-urgent GP appointment. I assume a prescribing nurse can help or at least refer me to someone who can.

Mooncup with a backup pad for me is definitely the 'best' at dealing with flooding. Fortunately i was in a workplace with showers when it was at it's worst!

But sorting out the anaemia (in my case it was caused by coeliac disease) is a much better solution! The GP told me that the anaemia causes you to bleed more which makes you more anaemic and you get stuck in a vicious circle.

Good for you op. You did the right thing and I hope you get yourself checked out and the right advice/ treatment.