Flooding through a super plus tampon in less than 2 hours

[Whathefisgoingon]

I’ve noticed for the last six months, most of my periods have been much heavier than usual, but today takes the mickey.

I’ve flooded through a super tampon (orange) and soaked my underwear in less than 2 hours.

I had a pelvic ultrasound a year ago and a recent private one last month with a consultant AND saw a private gynae who did a smear and swabs - everything internally looks totally normal.

Anyone know why this could be happening? It’s very abnormal for me.

I do suffer with anxiety and stress but alway have!

At my heaviest, the fattest tampon needs changing every hour and I wear a pad too. It's a good day or two of a real inconvenience.

Are you of an age where it could be perimenopause?

I always had periods like this but they got much worse around peri menopause...think super plus extra tampon, super towel ad double knockers soaked through in 20 minutes...grim. And flooding unpredictably for 7 days a month. Iron deficiency can aso make periods heavier....
You don;t stste your age but I was 42 when this started.... norethisterone tablets saved me

@FlorettaB According to the GP, no. I’m 33!

I have PCOS and this sometimes happens to me. Not every time, but every few months. Age didn't play a factor for me. It would happen on my 30's and 40's.

See the GP but in the meantime get some maxi period pants, the sort that can last 24hrs. No more leaks

I have started having random flooding and the heavy duty period pants are a game changer.

Do you know what age your mother went through the menopause? I hit peri menopause at your age and was out the other side by 40. My mother was exactly the same. We also started getting periods at the same age.

Has your doctor offered tranexamic acid?
Mine have always been heavy, and post pregnancy they were awful for a few months, but tranexamic acid really helps. And using a moon cup with period pants as backup but I realise that’s a very personal preference.

Have you been investigated for other conditions, or any other symptoms that could be related? Thyroid issues are known to affect periods, so can anaemia I believe, and then the heavy periods make the anaemia worse.

tranexamic acid really helps

True. It’s really good. I don’t know how it works but the really slows the flow.

@FlorettaB Not sure, but she lost a pregnancy after age 40.

Is it worth seeing the GP even though a consultant gynae and radiologist gave me the all clear physically last month!?

From previous discussions with the GP I very much felt it was just “normal” and there was nothing they could do since physically wrong is wrong. They told me they don’t test hormones.

I was at the park with my 2 year old and had to rush home, he was having such a good time, he was so upset 😕

@SBAM GP did a blood test last year and included thyroid, again all normal apparently.

I've always had this, no explanation ever received this. According to one gynaecologist, it was IBS 🙄👍.

Super Plus Extra tampons are a godsend.

Have you had covid op? Mines has been like this since I had covid at the start of May this year.

Then it’s not that. The period pants suggested plus tampons plus tranexamic acid from your GP will help. It’s the worst thing leaking through clothes. I hope you can get it sorted.

Definitely not unusual post pregnancy
I've experienced similar since 35
Definitely get period pants or wear tampon and pad. I had to find alternatives to get through work. Back to back meetings meant I couldn't get to the toilet every hour or even every two!

@Willowthewispy Yep, I had covid in February and one GP told me that is the most likely reason for the change as she’s seen it a lot. It did start after covid, but there is nothing concrete about this so I’d rather they didn’t make assumptions!

@Whathefisgoingon yeah you are definitely doing the right thing getting it investigated. I've read up on the data re covid and periods and it's interesting but they still don't know why. They think it could be covid changes hormones.

I've not been to my gp about it or anything but thinking now that I should.

I really hope you get a solution op as it's really not a nice thing to live with and can be really limiting to daily living 💐

I had awful heavy and irregular periods for years both before and after children - many scans and examinations showed nothing untoward. I would use two superplus tampons at a time if I was away from a toilet for more than 90 minutes for days 2 and 3. Then I started using a mooncup which had two main benefits - 1. I could measure how much blood I lost (over 100ml in three days so super heavy) and 2. reduced the blood loss somehow. I did read that for some women, the tiny cotton threads from tampons get left behind and cause the lining to thicken more and bleed more over time whereas a mooncup is just silicone. Might have been a coincidence but periods certainly less heavy - then i got a coil fitted and they were finally normal - regular as clockwork and normal flow!

I'm 44 and have had periods like this - super plus tampon plus towel in a very short space of time. Generally since having kids (both over a decade ago) they've been getting heavier but the first 2 days of my period are super heavy now. Had Covid recently and that affected my period weirdly too - it went on for like 10 days and made my cycle generally longer though it's readjusting now.

The only other thing that affected heaviness in the past couple of years were:

• having a large ovarian cyst removed, the period after that was super heavy
• using a mooncup - not sure what happened but one time as I was taking it out it was almost as if I dislodged the uterus lining or something - sorry for TMI, and i'm not even sure if that is possible but all I know is that the whole period's worth seemed to come out in about half a day, was a bit of a shocker!

Anyway, I'd definitely see the GP to be on the safe side

I am having literally the same issues. I'm the same age as you as well, have a 2 year old...

My GP has done some blood work and I have an appointment on Monday for an ultrasound referral. The first GP I had prescribed me tranexamic acid which did help with the flooding but we're also having trouble conceiving and so I want to check that there's nothing wrong my end.

This is really interesting, Blobby - maybe I'm unfairly maligning mooncups and should give them another go. Also interested that the coil has worked well for you, had never considered it

I am the same age as you and have the same issue, I went to my GP yesterday about it in fact. My blood tests are all normal (in fact, no sign of the anemia I had had beforehand which is good) so I´ve been referred for a scan. I´m relieved to know i´m not alone, although its a miserable day every month!

If issues such as fibroids have been eliminated and its been going on for six months its worth asking about tranexamic acid. If its suitable for you it can make a massive difference (in my case I just "put up with it" for so long I became seriously anaemic - don't be me!)

I went on the mini pill to help with hormonal migraines and as a result my period volume reduced. Due to fibroids I was bleeding almost every day but mostly lightly. Ablation resolved the problem completely

Thanks all.

It has slowed right down now, so thankfully it’s not constant! Very annoying though.