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 bought nappies and wore them as a pad.

Obviously it wouldn't do up, but I would put it between my knickers and my knickers would secure it in place overnight.

Tena incontinence knickers, period pants over the top, pj shorts and one of the blue washable incontinence bed protectors on top of my sheet. But leaks haven't been a problem since finding the tena knickers, everything else is pretty much only in place to help me feel okay enough to get some decent sleep. Tena knickers, honestly you won't believe how much they hold.

I was also told to be sure to eat plenty of phytoestrogens, including tofu/tempeh at least twice a week, and 2tbsp ground flax seed daily. Some women swear by ginger tablets too - I do ginger shots while on my period. And it's worth supplementing iron too anyway; the tests the GPs do don't show iron reserves, only what's available in your blood, and you'd have to be badly badly anaemic for it to show up on those.

There's a useful Facebook group called menhorragia support group.

Traxenamic acid didn't work for me. Neither did strong analgesia. Mirena coil worked like a miracle.
In the interim inco pants and a mattress protector
Good luck op

Have the supply issues been sorted for tranexamic acid? I had a good stockpile in, so didn't need to hunt it down when it all disappeared a coupe of years ago, but could do with a top up before too long.

Im sorry OP, sounds horrendous. I found Always does period pants that is 360degrees add the absorbency of 5 pads. Think it was £3 for 6 in Sainsburys - this has really worked for me, better than any pads, tampons, and or other period pants.

Can you use tranexamic acid pills? I use them 3 times a day and it really helps as I have very heavy periods. I get mine from the doctors, but you may be able to order online?

Those big heavy duty period pants that are lined from front till back. I leaked everytime at night for almost 30 years until I bought those. Really recommend. I don't even couple it with a pad.

When I first went through my period I held through an orange tampax and a night pad (at the same time) every two hours.

The best way I found to manage it was put a towel down at night and lie flat on my back. You might need to hold the towel up when you get up.

Do you know what's causing this? I used to get heavy periods and double pad. And at night I often leaked through the double pads. Pain as you described. Turns out it was related to fibroid. I had those embolised and the difference was massive! There of course other reasons for heavy periods and other treatments but you may want to explore solutions beyond how best to mop the flood

Heavy night period pants. You also need to go back to gp and push for transemic acid abd further investigations. It's not 'normal' to bleed as heavy as that.

If your done having children highly recommend novasure ablation.

It is absolutely amazing being not anemic, not having to worry about bleeding through clothes or where I sit, life changing.

@Whatelsecouldibecalled sorry for the correction but it’s tranexamic acid. Really good suggestion, though.

Why can't you use a cup? Different brands fit very differently. A cup and period pants would solve your problem.

What some women have to go through every month is awful.

Since I started using a mooncup a few years ago, I have never leaked overnight. I usually wear period pants on the first night when I’m at my heaviest but don’t end up needing them. I struggled a bit to use one to begin with but persevered and now would never go back to tampons for many reasons.

i was going to suggest the big pads I used after I had my children as they are really thick but I really struggle to sleep wearing a standard pad So I really feel for all of you having to use nappies/incontinence pads, etc 🙁

Without going into too much detail, past trauma. Tampons are fine as there are strings but cups are a no no

You can get cups with loops. I know cups can be a faff at first but they really are a game changer if you have heavy periods. They would honestly be your best solution.

This one is even better, as it has a longer pull.

https://www.theperiodlady.co.uk/menstrual-cups/U-MERULA2.html?gadsource=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI7LKz2KeSgwMVP5lQBh1UgAEQEAQYBSABEgL8ofDD_BwE

I would go back to your GP. I had similar and the GP sorted it out. Eventually a Mirena coil sorted it out - to the extent I stopped having periods altogether.