Dealing with heavy periods at night.

[Imamumgetmeoutofhere]

I'm at my wits end. Am 37 and periods are very heavy. Day times are manageable as I can change tampons every 2 - 3 hours. Using the super plus lil let's and on the heaviest I'll get around 2 hours out of one before I leak. So I'll always use a pad as a backup and wear period pads too.

Night time is another thing though. If I don't set my alarm (multiple times) I'll be needing clean pjs and bedding every night. I tend to leak through the tampons and either over the sides or back and front of the pad.

I also get the awful back and belly and pains down into my thighs. Along with the delightful night sweats.

I'm exhausted with it. I just hope my Dd doesn't suffer like I am.

I can't use mooncups and I've been to the GP about it, all tests came back normal and I'm not anaemic. I can't take hormonal contraceptives either so that's not an option.

Any wise ones advise me on how to manage this better as I'm sick of it.

Thank you

I'm so sorry that you have heavy periods. Night time has always been a worry for me, too. What I've found helps for me is a small bath towel folded into a rectangle that can then be inserted down into the underwear far enough so that it overlaps the back end of the pad. When I do this I also stay lying on my back, otherwise I'll leak. I have sometimes woken up to a tiny leak-through about the size of a 5p coin, but it's never transferred to the bed, so it's always done the job. I hope you find a solution soon.

Get those nappy / pants that women use after giving birth.they are disposable.and then use pampers bed mat under you on top of the sheet

Tampons, pads and period pants all together. Plus a washable bed mat (sold as being for incontinence). And at times an alarm for around 2am to get up and change protection.

I used to wore the longest night Always, another knickers over and pjs bottoms. I did woke up often through the night but it happened naturally. For some reason the flow was getting very intense straight away so I needed to go to the bathroom the minute I was awake.
Ibuprofen for pain last and first thing on the first few day.
it seems I’m out of the wood now at least for the last 6 months but I have awful night sweats and lots of other issues. Plus Dd inherited my problems.
I hate this side of my life!

Second the recommendation for adding period pants.

And tranexamic acid, if you can get it.

Have you completed your family?

Have you tried prescription medications such as tranexamic acid?

Mine seems to have calmed down currently, but period pants along with pad/tampon, sleeping on a folded towel or fleece blanket to protect my bedsheets and tranexamic acid from the doctors all helped. I didn’t have too much of a pain issue, but I believe mefanemic acid can be used for the pain if ibuprofen/paracetamol aren’t sufficient - see your GP.

Heaviest tampon you can buy plus Cloth pads specifically designed for overnight/postpartum. My favorite are huge and are a substantial hourglass shape with the back being very large so when gravity inevitably does its thing there is plenty of pad there to do its job.

it’s a U.S. based product. I don’t have a uk recommendation, but you may be able to find an equivalent.

https://meluna-usa.com/products/domino-pads-the-quince-mx-overnight-postpartum-pad-in-minky.html

If you have the means to see a gynae privately for an initial consultation do so, I suggest this as well as referral time for gynaecology are miles long in many areas.

When did you last see the GP about this problem?. You may not have been anaemic then but that could change all too easily . Blood tests for hormones need to be done on the right cycle days otherwise the test can give meaningless results.

Get the period underwear, I use them with the night pads and it’s just great extra protection from leaks, game changer compared to normal underwear. Put a towel under you too the nights you know you might need it.

Period pants are what you need. They are the only thing that allows me a night's sleep during my horribly heavy peri menopausal periods.

I recommend Modibodi ones.

Period pants for the leaking.

Naproxen for the pain.

I have had flooding issues overnight for years. Recently started just folding a wedge of loo roll at the back between my bum cheeks and that takes the leakage I had before and stops it going over my clothes and bedding. I recently forgot and woke up to soaked pyjama bottoms. Really helps and I don’t know why I didn’t think of it before!

Post-birth / incontinence pants (disposable) probably provide the most absorbency and coverage.

Ask you GP if you can try tranexamic acid.

How about these? https://www.modibodi.co.uk/products/sleep-short-maxi-24hrs

Modibodi has a sale at the moment.

If it's that heavy I'd go to the doctor again though.

This. I was introduced to these when I was admitted to hospital because of the extent of my menstrual bleeding.

I’ve used medications like naproxen and tranexamic acid which were great for reducing bleeding. Then 2 of the biggest always night time pads overlapping. I’m in my early 40s and they’ve become much lighter in the last couple of years. It’s miserable OP.

I use a menstrual cup and the overnight pads. Before I used the menstrual cup i was changing my underwear about three times a night. I still have to get up and change the cup 2-3x a night but at least there's no huge mess.

Agree with everyone else - you need the tampon AND the heaviest duty period pants you can find. I have those modibodi shorts someone posted upthread.

However, this is NOT normal and you should be speaking again to your doctor and insisting on being taken seriously and/or referred.

In terms of treatment, I can't advise beyond the most obvious hence my recommendation that you push but I can say that I also can't take hormonal contraception and so at one point I was offered the copper coil. Is that an option for you?

When I sneeze it's a mad dash ahhhh..... straight to the bathroom then gusssshhhh........😅

Quite revolting rearly.......excuse the pun........but there would be no human race and no babies without them and that's a sobering thought if there was one.

@Vuurhoutjies the copper coil tends to make periods heavier, doesn't it?

Does it? I have to be honest, I just assumed it would have the same effect as the Mirena coil - I know at least 3 women who have been given the MIrena as a way to reduce their periods.

But I looked at it purely for contraception purposes and as I wasn't that interested in doing it, I didn't check out the side effects so apologies to OP if it's an inappropriate suggestion!

Copper coil was a disaster for me - made periods much longer and heavier.

I wear massive i co nappies like the old people wear and boxers over the top. This is the only thing I’ve found to work !