Tranexamic acid advice

[Bringingupboys98]

Hi
I've never suffered with periods until having my second child in early 2024. But over the last year they've become so heavy. I went to my GP and had some tests done as I felt shit and tests have found my iron is low (Ferritin 12)

They prescribed me the tranexamic acid a few months ago but I have been reluctant to take them. I suffer from very low blood pressure / heart rate and I worry the clotting factor will make that worse? Also worried my periods may last longer (they already last 9 days).

However I am on cycle day 2 and already gone through a full box of super tampons, feel shaky and weak and breathless. So thinking It's probably best I take them.

Has anyone got any good or bad experiences they can share ? Thank you

I don’t know why you wouldn’t take it? It make my periods far lighter and shorter.

She outlines exactly why she is worried about taking it. I don't know why you can't read

I have low blood pressure and heart rate. The last year my periods have gone from 3 light days to 7 days of bleeding through two lots of protection. I took TA for the first time on my last period, and it was back to thee days of light bleeding and I only needed period knickers and no other protection. It was genuinely like magic, I can’t recommend enough. I was told to take for 5 days but I stopped after day 3 when my period had finished.

Just to add, by low blood pressure I mean regularly when I stand up I lose vision for a few second and my resting heart rate is 50-55 bpm. I don’t know how that compares to you OP

This is also another question, if it makes your period stop, how do you know when your periods actually 'stopped' for definite? Like the next day you don't take the tablet and suddenly it's back, that's what scares me also. I don't want to be caught out x

My HR averages at 48 bpm at rest a day

Just checked my watch and today it's dropped to as low as 40bpm at one point

The hypotension risk with TXA is usually associated with IV administration. If you find your dizziness and low BP worsening then you should speak to your doctor. In your position I’d definitely try it. It sounds miserable for you. Your periods definitely shouldn’t get longer - you should experience the opposite. No one can predict how anyone will react to a drug - you just have to try it and see.

I've only ever taken it when my period was dur to fall at the smart tome as my wedding. I believe you take it in the same waybyou would the pill and stop for x number of days and then your period should happen. I will say the one time I took it, I bled for about 15 days when I came off it and had the absolute worst pain. It was worse than Labour if I am hinwst, but I do have massive issues with my cycle so it us entirely possible that it was just a coincidence.

So not a world away then.

I was at home on day 4 so after not having any real bleeding when I woke up on day 4 I decided not to take the morning tablet, and figured I’d just take the lunch time tablet if I started to bleed again. I didn’t, but it was textbook like an old period for me so I was pretty confident I was done. I probably would have still worn some sort of sanitary ware if I had been going out or maybe would have taken the full 5 day course to be safe.

My HR is low, as is my bp. I have been bleeding continuously since May and have used tranexamic acid at times. It slows things down and makes periods shorter and lighter and it gave me a chance to get on top of the anaemia. Unfortunately, it stopped working for me but I now take continuous norethisterone instead (but I still bleed for half of every week).

I have low bp and hr, and use tranexamic. I find it a total game changer. The trick is to make sure you take it as soon as your period starts. I only take for 2-3 days, that’s enough for me.

It doesn't stop your period. It reduces the flow and heaviness.

I wouldn't be able to manage without it, its best to start it as early as possible as it takes a few doses to properly kick in.

You need to ask for your Ferritin to be rechecked as your breathlessness will be dies to anaemia. What was your hb? You may need to push for an iron infusion.

Thank you xx

I don’t think you’re thinking of the same thing? You take TA when you start your period and only while you’re bleeding.

Have they offered an ultrasound to see why your periods are suddenly so heavy?

I’ve just looked at mine, over the last few days my lowest heart rate has been 42 but the normal low is 47 ish so you are lower than me but I don’t think by so much I’d be worried about taking TA as it has absolutely no effect on me in that regard

Sounds like norethisterone which delays your period and then often causes a mega period when you stop taking it (so mega in my case that I was hospitalised!)

I've asked but they haven't given me one. I had one in 2024 when they first started being heavy, but not recently. I'm sure somethings not right, I can feel something in the way in my left side when I sit up etc but they can never feel anything when I mention it to them. Probably think i'm crazy

I have no idea what these all mean apart from the ferritin levels

I take it and find it really helps. My prescription says 2 tablets 3 times a day for a max of 3 days or something like that....in bed and too lazy to go and look. I take it on my heaviest days. Morning mid afternoon and bedtime. It doesn't stop my periods just makes it a more manageable flow. If I forget to take the table the heavy flow start up to remind me. My ferratin was low but just over the threshold, something like 24 so the gp said it was fine. I took iron anyway and it improved things although I now thing it's low again because all the symptoms have come back.

Tranexamic acid orally doesn't tend to cause much in the way of BP - it's when we bosh it in IV quickly it can be a problem. Being iron deficient though can make you more likely to have lower BP, particularly exaggerated postural hypotension, and the iron deficiency doesn't sound like it'll get better until you turn the taps off so why not try the txa and see if it helps?

Thanks all. Going to give it a go today. Bought the new tampax super plus extra tampons (purple pack) and already leaked through 3 of them today. Don't know why this month is so bad!

Your blood results all look slap bang in the middle of where they should be.

I would ask again about an ultrasound. I suddenly starting having v heavy periods, getting to the point of bleeding through a super tampon, a nighttime pad and period pants within 30 minutes. It was like a tap with clots like cricket balls. Turns out I have multiple fibroids, the biggest the size of a mango and several the size of tennis balls. My uterus is the size of a 20wk pregnancy right now.

I take norethisterone daily but use tranexamic acid when it's v bad. The only time the tranexamic acid has caused any blood pressure changes is when I had it via IV in A&E.

Id also recommend an ultrasound. Try a different doctor if you need too. Its so bad women get fobbed off with a tablet instead of trying to find the cause.

If this is a regular thing for you I can highly recommend the mirena coil. I haven't needed tranexamic acid since having one fitted.