What do women with (very) heavy periods use

[Marriedtoafarter]

I had been on the pill since I a teenager (due to heavy periods) and have stopped taking it now a year after having DC.

I just had my 3rd period and they are so heavy for 24ish hours, they only last 3 days which is good but when it’s bad I’m going to the toilet hourly to change a tampon and pad as it’s started coming through to the pad.

At night time I have to get up twice in the night and in the morning I have to dash to the loo to change. I can’t imagine what I’d do if I wasn’t sleeping in a tampon as a pad on its own would not manage but I don’t really like the thought of sleeping in tampons.

I will probably ask a dr but honestly haven’t had time to brush my hair let alone book the dr so in the meantime does anyone have any magic products or suggestions?

I use Tampax orange, put in at bedtime and it will generally last till morning. I am waiting for a hysterectomy as have 30 odd fibroids so they are very heavy

I had super heavy periods for a couple of months after having my DD and used the heavy duty maternity pads and at night I used the big pad in a maternity nappy 😂 not glamorous in the slightest and easier to do at home because there's no obvious padding round the crotch/arse area!

I got a prescription for tranexamic acid and it was life changing. Your gp shouldn't need to see you, you should be able to do a phone consultation for something like this

You could try:
Heavy absorbency period pants
Heavy absorbency pads or maternity pads
Tampons
Combinations of the three / sleep on a towel.
There are also medications that you can try too.

Easier to cope with at home though andi s one of the best upsides of WFH

I used a super plus tampon and maternity pads. I had no issue with using tampons at night too, plus obviously the pads. I had a waterproof sheet under my bed sheet and an old towel when it was particularly bad. Some nights, I had to set the alarm so I could get up in the middle of the night to change. Then you perfect the rolling onto side and getting out of bed without sitting up properly to reduce leakage. Joyless times. Thank god for my hysterectomy!!

You could try Tranexamic Acid and there are other treatment options on the site.

ModiBodi period pants.

Mooncup with period pants. If I was any heavier I'd probably use a pad over the pants too. The cup gets 90% of it and the overflow is safe.

I CANNOT abide the idea of sitting in my own squelch. How people use only pants or pads I don't know. The unpredictable wetness of it seems revolting to me.

Period Pants, electric heat pad and Transexamic Acid which was prescribed by my gynaecologist. I found tampons would really dry me out and I'd get worse cramps and pads would just slide about and I'd be constantly changing them.

Period pants are great as you can wear them for half the day and give them a rinse and then chuck in the washing machine on a hot cycle. Also you don't have to worry about leakage at night as they are fairly tight to your body but so comfy like big granny pants 🩷

are you comfortable trying menstrual cups? i changed to them years ago and they are incredible. could also use a pad/ period pants in case you leak

What tampons do you use? I have heavy periods and use Lilets (orange box) and have found them the best for the first 2-3 days. I know some women who use tena lady knickers in bed.

Moon Cup, pad, sleep on a towel. Mine were heavy for 6/7 days so tranexamic didn't help as it just delayed the issue.

Final cure was womb ablation.

I have fibroids and the flow can be extreme. I had to start wearing adult diapers to bed so as not to have to wash the sheets and clean the mattress everyday. They really do help, I hate wearing them though 😔 I'm sorry you're going through this.

The roll!!! Yes! I also considered setting an alarm last night but then remembered I have a toddler instead 🥲

Oh gosh 6-7 days. 1 day is enough for me.. poor you! What do you mean it delays it?

Tena pants aren’t a bad idea, and I use Tampax orange but just realised there’s a size above orange. I swear there didn’t used to be but anyway, maybe I’ll try those next month.

my friend swears by these too… I just genuinely don’t see how they could handle my period 😅

Going to ask my dr about this. Thank you everyone 😊

Highest absorbency non-applicator lillets and maternity pads. This lasts me a couple of hours usually.

I used a menstrual cup overnight once and the entire thing leaked in one go when I stood up. It was horrific and I'd never risk it again. It didn't have anything like the capacity needed for 8 hours of wear and obviously shifted while I was sleeping.

I buy tampax ultra from Amazon and wear the extra heavy period pants for night time. Still not enough! Thankfully it’s only a problem for 3 nights but reading comments from women here saying they can use an orange tampon and be fine makes me think I need to visit the dr…

Incontinence pants, premenopausal, so periods alll over the place, some months nothing then whoosh it's like bloody waterfall for several days and absolutely no pads or the fattest tampons stop leaking...I can't use a moon cup as it aggravated my prolapse...gotta love being a woman!

Perimenopause not pre....blinking autocorrect

Mooncup. Absolutely mooncup. As well as being more reliable with storing the blood my periods finished faster and were less painful.

I'd add to that with pads in a t-shape and period pants.

That handled most of it.

Eventually I chose the mirena coil and my periods changed from a 10 day nightmare to a 10 minute affair!

@Marriedtoafarter you can only take tranexamic acid for 3 days so it would work for you. Whereas for me on day 4 the tsunami started up with a vengeance 😭

Period pants seem so much more absorbant than pads - I won't ever go back