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

Thanks all. got another GP appointment booked in a couple weeks time. I will request again a scan! It will be the 3rd time in a year of asking for one so fingers crossed. I mean my last scan (ultrasound/ transvaginal) was in 2024 and nothing showed other than a cyst on my ovary but I have pcos anyway so it wasn't a concern for them.

Also, just seen a post about tranexamic acid, someone was from italy and apparently they don't prescribe it there as it can cause heart attacks. Now i'm scared. I heavily exercise and i'm so worried

Hi all, me again. Is this safe to take when I exercise, as in is there any additional risks involved?

None as far as I have been told or experienced.

If you're really anaemic you will feel very short of breath though.

Not getting your blood loss under control will be a much bigger risk to your health than transx potential side effects.

It was game changing in quality of life for me for several years.

It’s really not an exotic or risky drug. Have a read of the packet insert on anything else you take regularly - put things in perspective.

It worked really well for me as long as I took it right at the very start of my period…
as soon as I started spotting. It had no effect at all if I took it too late.

Have you asked about any other tests/possible treatments? For example, depending what is causing heavy periods, there are types of surgery that could help, but obviously only a doctor can diagnose and say whether this would be helpful for you.

I've requested more investigation for my heavy periods.
I keep wondering why I never used to feel so weak and tired before my kids but then I remember my periods were very irregular and short , so less blood loss. Now they're clockwork but so heavy. No wonder I'm so low in iron, wel at least I kind of hope it's just my periods causing that.
Those who had low iron from periods and started taking this tablet, how long until you saw an improvement in your fatigue/ weakness ?
I don't take any other meds other than vitamins and paracetamol if I need it x

TA has been total game changer for me. 3 kids and such heavy periods I struggled to leave the house on days 2 and 3. Leaking through a max tampon and pad within an hour. I had investigations and nada. Started TA and it was the magic bullet I needed! Zero side effects other than the annoyance of taking two massive tablets 3 times a day for first two days. I echo taking it as SOON as your period kicks in though - a few hours delay makes a big difference to me. I find if I start it immediately it’s amazing.

This is so good for you! I hope my next cycle I will come out feeling so much better.
Just finished my period and only managed a day of the TA as I was already a few days in when I decided to start taking them so don't think I got full affect. Anyway, been to gym tonight and so breathless, dizzy, weak, I think my iron has plummeted again.
This last cycle I got though nearly 3 boxes of tampons and a pack and a half of pads along with my period underwear. surely this isn't normal?

A quick Google tells me that tranexamic acid is available in Italy on prescription, just like in the UK. It's also used as a skincare ingredient to minimise dark spots which I had no idea about!

It's quite extraordinary to claim that it causes heart attacks. It's not indicated for people with some heart problems because it blocks the breakdown of blood clots. That's not a side effect, it's the mechanism whereby the drug reduces bleeding. It's routinely prescribed for heavy periods and for surgeries where heavy blood loss is expected.

Your doctor must have considered your risk factors before prescribing tranexamic acid. It's not suitable for everyone, that's why it's prescription-only.

In your position and with ferritin as low as 12 I would ask for a prescription for iron (you need much higher doses than whatever you can buy over the counter). And also get on top of the heavy periods by taking tranexamic acid as needed. You can do those two things to help your body while you are being tested to find the cause of the heavy bleeds.

Your hemoglobin is healthy but your ferritin is very low. Unless you take action you will be entering anemia territory soon. You know what that means - with anemia all your organs function suboptimally due to lack of oxigen. Then you'll probably find exercising difficult or impossible. And remember that long-term, untreated anemia can damage your heart.

You can buy the TA over the counter now but it's costs a lot!

yes i know the risks of being anaemic, not good! I have been feeling dreadful since I walked out of hospital with my second. i've been taking iron in various forms for 1.5 years along with vitamin C. x

Dd17 takes it and finds it stops the flooding she previously had and makes her periods manageable. She takes it just the first few days of her period.

Glad to have stumbled across this thread. Found out my ferritin was 6 a week ago and also been prescribed the TA for heavy periods. Coincidentally started my period a couple of days after picking up the prescription and took it for 3 days. It massively reduced my bleeding and the duration of my period. Share your concerns OP as also exercise a lot (currently marathon-training) and have low blood pressure. But have taken loads of iron supplements in the last week too and hoping it’s starting to kick in.

Also following with interest. Also massively heavy periods with such low iron, I was prescribed an IV for it - has anyone done that?

I will call GP tomorrow and ask about TA. When you say “take it as soon as you start” do you mean first trace of any bleeding? I am hoping this is the miracle I need (also can hardly leave the house on day 2, bleed through pads, jeans, onto cushions) but I definitely don’t want it to “save up” the blood for any kind of mega period down the line -could that happen or am I being bonkers?! 🤦‍♀️

That sounds tough for you. I took the TA the second I found out I was bleeding. 2 tablets 3x a day for 3 days. It probably reduced my bleeding to around 25% of what it would have been and maybe halved the duration of my period.

Track and start it a day or so before.

@Bringingupboys98 I was prescribed TA after horrwndouslt heavy periods after my 2nd child. I genuinely couldnt understand how i could retirn to work they were that bad. I didnt take it for ages, tbh it wasnt really explained to me how it would work

By the time i decided to try it, i had had sone awful experiences as a result if heavy periods *heavy periods is the understatemebt if the year!)

I could not have beeen mire surprised that it bloody worked!'i had previously been bleeding fir 6 weeks at a time, huge clots. Severely anaemic, no iron stores.

By day 3 of my period (and day 3 of taking TA,) my period was LIGHT. Stopped by day 4.

I did get more pain and bloating while taking it, for info, but it really did work (i ended up having an ablation so no need to continue taking)

Tranexamic acid helps reduce heavy bleeding, but it can affect blood pressure. If you're feeling weak and breathless, it might be worth taking them, but consult your GP first, especially due to your low blood pressure.

So the weakness and dizziness are almost certainly due to anemia caused by blood loss. I also had horrendous periods after my daughter was born. I was prescribed Tranxenemic acid which helped a bit but not enough. I was on super high iron tablets but my doctor basically told me I was putting Iron in one end and losing it from the other so I was unlikely to really fix my iron levels until my periods were sorted. I had a scan and for me it was adenomyosis that was causing the issue. I had the Mirena fitted and to be honest that changed everything for me. I still have periods but they last 3 days and I don’t need anything better than a panty liner most days as it’s mostly just browny discharge. I’ve been able to get my iron levels up and it’s been transformative.

Truly you need to get this sorted asap. Are you on iron tablets? If not, you should be with those symptoms. But definitely take the tranxenemic acid as a first step to see if it works for you. To be honest, if the Mirena hadn’t worked, the next steps would have been surgical as I couldn’t continue as I was. I was so ill from the blood loss.

To add to my previous reply, i ended up havibg an endometrial ablation which hekped a lot. Periods didnt stop altogetger but were barely there.

Because any medic who isn’t about to be struck off wouldn’t prescribe something for a patient if they knew the patient had a condition that might be made worse by it. The whole point of a prescription is that it is done for the patient based on their medical history. That is why prescription is gold standard over issuing meds via PGD.

I don’t know why whoever raised you didn’t teach you how to converse with people in a reasonable manner, but there we go.

Hi All. So my cycle just gone, I took the TXA for the first 3 days, it did help and my period was more manageable! However, My period stopped a few days ago, and now today I have some spotting. Could this be a sid effect of the TxA? I've never had spotting between cycles before? anyone had similar,?

You dont take Tranxemic acid for that. You will have taken noresthisterone or similar.

I can't comment on low blood pressure OP but my 15 year old dd was prescribed them for prolonged bleeding and they were brilliant. She was told to take them for 4 days and then stop. There was no bleeding after stopping the tablets.

@Bringingupboys98 speak to GP about Naproxen and if this would be a viable option for you considering all your other medical factors.

Naproxen can help relieve Menorrhagic periods. It inhibits prostaglandins (hormone) rather than affecting the blood cells like Tranexamic Acid.

I have PCOS and suddenly started menorrhaggic periods a few years ago. They started with no warning at all and I was terrified. I took 2-3 naproxen tablets in a single dose on day 1 of my period and by day 2 (took 2 tablets), the bleeding was significantly less and day 3 (2 tablets and none after this) almost non existent.

I did this for 3 cycles and never had another menorrhagic period again to date. It's like it rebooted something that had gone wonky hormonally for me.

There is also the benefit that it is anti inflammatory and a pain killer.

Worth discussing with your Doctor to see if this would be a suitable route for you to try.

Keep on at GP though. Woman often have to fight to be heard in medicine. You do not have to accept bleeding so heavily is a new norm for you. Advocate for yourself and your health. 💗