i have had my period for 5 years now and they have never been regular and are very heavy and lasts up to a week. it's not always painful though. is this normal? how can i ease this? (i dont want to go on the pill).
2006-12-20 09:06:24 · 19 answers · asked by stupid 1 in Health ➔ Women's Health
nope i am not obese, i am a normal weight and i'm only 16.
2006-12-20 09:18:45 · update #1
It is a fact of life unfortunately, we all have good and bad ones
I did read somewhere that eating banana's just before your due on helps so I tried that and it seemed to work, but I don't know if that was mind over matter...
I'm not on the pill so on bad days i will go to bed with a hot water bottle and take 2 paracetamol
2006-12-20 09:10:38 · answer #1 · answered by xXx Orange Breezer xXx 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, this is "normal". There is a wide variation in how much and how long women bleed, from a couple of teaspoons, for a few days, to the volume you experience and more.
I suffered with similar heavy periods when I was young. I would have to change my towel every half hour on the first two days - or when I started using them, a super tampon changed hourly. The average length was 7 days, and sometimes 9, rarely less. I was prescribed the pill to lighten them, and it did, slightly with the average length dropping to 6 days.
After my first son was born, they lightened considerably, but after the second, they got much worse. Suddenly I would "flood", even if I had just put in two super tampons 5 minutes ago. After an incident on the day of a close relative's funeral (stress made things much worse) I resolved to do something about it, but it was not until I went to donate blood and, when the nurse refused me as I was so anaemic (explaining why I found it so difficult to do any aerobic activities at the gym!) - that I took time to ask my doctor.
It turns out that there are other drugs that you can now take to reduce the severity of bleeding other than the pill. I took tranexamic acid, which worked very well, but, as my family is complete, eventually decided for a more permanent solution (endometrial ablation). This is probably not an option for you!
Please don't suffer in silence. It is worthwhile getting it checked out, as in 50% of cases there is a physical cause, such as fibroids, that may require treatment. In addition, I strongly recommend that you keep an eye on your iron levels. The human body may be excellent at coping with low levels, but it doesn't half leave you tired!
2006-12-20 09:34:42 · answer #2 · answered by sweeteglantine02 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i would go to docs you could have a hormonal problem.. heavy periods could mean anaemia
Treating heavy periods
Once a remedial cause for heavy periods has been ruled out, the options for treating it are usually:
Non-hormonal treatments: these include drugs such as mefenamic acid or tranexamic acid, but they're not suitable for all woman and they may cause side effects.
The contraceptive pill: the combined oestrogen/progestogen pill may be suggested, and can control cycles and reduce bleeding.
Mirena: this is a type of intrauterine device which slowly releases the hormone levonorgestrel. It can reduce blood loss by 80 per cent to 90 per cent (many women say their periods stop completely), although it may cause a lot of irregular continuous bleeding for the first few weeks.
http://www.marilynglenville.com/general/menorrhagia.htm
if u dont want to go on the pill go on the patch,, works like a nictone patch u put it on each week. i think and recudes that flow of ur period.. the injection stops ur period or reduces it too...
2006-12-20 09:40:49 · answer #3 · answered by sarah p 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hi...
Don't take any pills or any kind of medicine...think...what did we have in the old days? Nothing just a cup of tea and it always helped...I had the same problem and drinking camomile tea 1-2 days before and during my period it started to come to a normal level. Also a major fact for me was that I had to go to the toilet to empty my bowel very well so it doesn't push more blood out than normal. Try it and give me a buzz...
2006-12-20 09:38:00 · answer #4 · answered by sophiahullassaf 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Unless there is an underlying medical problem resulting in heavy cycles the 'pill' is the only alternative. The pill may be used to make your cycles regular, to reduce the amount of your flow, and pills are available to eliminate your cycle all together.
2006-12-20 09:10:03 · answer #5 · answered by john e russo md facm faafp 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
That's totally normal - they probably won't be regular for quite a while, if ever.
Unfortunately, going on the pill is the only way to get them regular and lighter.
2006-12-20 09:09:44 · answer #6 · answered by Hello Dave 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'm 16 and suffered with this problem, i went to the doctors and they put me on two types of tablets, one that thins the blood, therefore decreasing the number of clots, making periods less painful, and strong painkillers. These did not work for me and my doctor is going to put me on the pill. I would suggest speaking to your doctor because some tablets may work for you. Hope this helps.
2006-12-20 09:55:17 · answer #7 · answered by xX~ Aimee ~Xx 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The usual control for heavy and/or irregular periods is the pill, if you dont want to take that there isnt much you can do;
2006-12-20 09:10:55 · answer #8 · answered by huggz 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It sounds normal but I am sorry, I don't know a way to lessen the symptoms besides going on the pill.
2006-12-20 09:09:43 · answer #9 · answered by What Do I Know? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Birth control is the best way to ease it. There are other forms besides the Pill, if you don't like it.
2006-12-20 09:09:31 · answer #10 · answered by rinkrat 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋