Period. (TMI Warning)

I can totally relate to the heavy periods. Mine are due to fibroids. I also tested normal (but low) for thyroid and anemia, but with the thyroid pills and iron supplements, I feel so much better. You can get iron supplements over the counter, and even if you don't have anemia, it helps with the exhausted feeling. I only take them when I'm on my period or feeling slow. Makes a huge difference!

I read another MB that has a poster who is an Ob-Gyn. She suggested to someone that if you start taking ibuprofen at the first sign of your period and continue to take it on time (I think you take ibuprofen every 6 hours) for the first two days, it will lighten and shorten the period. I tried it with my last period and it worked. My periods are by no means as heavy as yours but it is worth a try.

I always had heavy periods too. Had to bulk up down there to keep from embarrassing public displays so as not to confuse someone that may think I was recently attacked my an axe murderer.
I ruined tons of sheets and mattress pads. I was happy to discover that hydrogen peroxide poured directly on blood removes it pretty much instantly. Didnt find that out until after menopause tho.
What is interesting is that you think you are bleeding a ton, but in all reality if you were able to catch every last drop from the cycle, it would only be just a few ounces. There are other fluids mixed with the blood that just make it seem like there is more.
I never did figure out a way to make it less. But when you do finally start to stop... probably somewhere in your 40's, you will fluctuate more, some will be really light and short and some will be really long and heavy and it will become quite unpredictable so you always have to be prepared. And when it stops completely, trust me on this, YOU WONT MISS IT AT ALL!
I still have a box of tampons in my linen closet. Havent touched it in 2 years. I guess it's serving as a reminder of days gone by.
I didnt really answer your question did I? I was trying to make the point that you really arent losing as much blood and sometimes, psychologically speaking, it makes you realize that it isnt taxing your body as much you think it is.
I liked to take Pamprin.... I think it has caffeine in it along with whatever pain killer goes along with it, keep a decent dose of it in your system starting the day before your period and it's pretty good at eliminating most of the symptoms.
Drink green tea, its a natural anti inflammatory.

I know you have been tested for thyroid but let me tell you a little story about myself.

When I had menses I had very heavy periods and long about six to eight days. My thyroid was normal according to the doctor"s blood test.

WRONG! My eye doctor actually got it before the medical doctors!

Here is how you test if you need thyroid and it doesn't cost you anything. You should use a mercury thermometer if you can.

In the morning after you wake up (do not get up) but the thermometer under your arm pit for 10 minutes. record your temp for 7 to 10 days. Start taking temp on the second day of flow.

The symptoms of low thyroid are:
fatigue, depression, constipation, menstrual problems, hair loss, skin, weight loss or gain.

Unfortunately most doctors don't recognize under the arm temps although they used to use that as their standards in the 50's. The AMA only recognizes the blood test so IF you do have low thyroid you will to more than likely have to go to a naturopath or a really good medical doctor who will talk to you about this. I would also NOT take anything except either cytomel or amour. The others are fake and do not do as good a job and your body cannot assimilate them like they can cytomel or amour. One is for T3 and the other T4. Your doctor can tell you more or you can look it up on the net.

You can also take dulse or iodine tablets to help with thyroid.

I know you can't afford a doctor right now but in the future you might be able to deal with this when you get more money. But you need to be aware and knowledgeable about this.

Good luck!

N.
Health and Wellness Coach

Updated

I know you have been tested for thyroid but let me tell you a little story about myself.

When I had menses I had very heavy periods and long about six to eight days. My thyroid was normal according to the doctor"s blood test.

WRONG! My eye doctor actually got it before the medical doctors!

Here is how you test if you need thyroid and it doesn't cost you anything. You should use a mercury thermometer if you can.

In the morning after you wake up (do not get up) but the thermometer under your arm pit for 10 minutes. record your temp for 7 to 10 days. Start taking temp on the second day of flow.

The symptoms of low thyroid are:
fatigue, depression, constipation, menstrual problems, hair loss, skin, weight loss or gain.

Unfortunately most doctors don't recognize under the arm temps although they used to use that as their standards in the 50's. The AMA only recognizes the blood test so IF you do have low thyroid you will to more than likely have to go to a naturopath or a really good medical doctor who will talk to you about this. I would also NOT take anything except either cytomel or amour. The others are fake and do not do as good a job and your body cannot assimilate them like they can cytomel or amour. One is for T3 and the other T4. Your doctor can tell you more or you can look it up on the net.

You can also take dulse or iodine tablets to help with thyroid.

I know you can't afford a doctor right now but in the future you might be able to deal with this when you get more money. But you need to be aware and knowledgeable about this.

Good luck!

N.
Health and Wellness Coach

Sounds heavy to me. I suggest the Moon Cup at Mooncup.com it has a 3 month guarantee. It also has a longer tail which is easier to pull out than the Diva cup.
I have been using a the Moon cup a menstrual cup now for two years & I love it for the following reasons. I used to get terrible cramps & now I don't. My menses use to be really heavy the first 5 days & light the last two always lasting a week. Now it's not heavy at all & it only goes 3-5 days. My husband can't tell when my period is any more either, there is nothing to smell in the trash or put in a landfill. I used to have all the problems you are talking about before I used the Moon Cup. Now I have none of them. I noticed that gradually as my body flushed out all the chemicals from what I will refer to as "old methods" my menstrual "problems" became less & less gradually until at about six months of using a cup I had no more. I have no more premenstrual or post menstrual side effects any more either. I am also very regular now. My period comes every 28 days around 9 pm., I used to be able to tell it was coming in two to three days by the cramps I would get. I don't get those anymore & instead of guessing when it was going to come, I now know pretty much to the hour when I will get it.

I never thought about using a menstrual cup until I read an old ad for tampons on Face Book & what was in tampons & how our bodies absorbed so many chemicals using them & pads chemically treated to be absorbent. Think about how much bleach they use to make them white & when you put that inside your body to absorb the menses your body also absorbs the bleach & other chemicals used to make that tampon at the same time. That is why you might feel dried out after you have used them, they absorb all moisture, your menses & all the good moisture to help keep you body healthy. When I go swimming, life is a whole different happier picture for me now.
Back when I used less desirable methods of menstrual absorption to get rid of cramps I used Vitex which is a powder made from the Chaste Berry which comes from the Chaste Tree. It worked great for me. It can also be used for almost every other menses related problem. Vitex agnus-castus & Monk's Pepper are other names used for it.
I will also recommend Glad Rags at gladrags.com washable menstrual pads, the website is great, it is so positive & it has lots of great resources.

You know, I fill a tampon every hour and have bleed out even then on day 2 and 3 of my period.

I have mine every 28 days NO MATTER WHAT! So, you may be normal...however you should talk to a professional. I am not someone who believes that one size fits all.

If it becomes painful or is heavy the entire time, you should see a doctor. Do you have a local PUBLIC HEALTH CLINIC in your area. They may be able to rule out anything severe. They help those without insurance.

Reading your story was like hoe I have felt since I started when I was younger and now today. I use a`mixture of homeopathics and tincture. I use Cramp Bark, Skullcap, and False Unicorn root to deal with the pain and cramping and motherwort and sepia as for irritability, mood stability as well as several Bach Flower Remedies when I can focus down on what I am feeling.The False Unicorn is a prescription that you get from midwife or naturopath, and have found it to be slightly stronger than Cramp bark.everything else you can get online at HerbPharm.com except for the Sepia but that is found with Boiron homeopathics or any other homeopathic that you like. Boiron happens to be the easiest for me to find where i am at. If you have a Whole Foods or New Seasons you will be able to get all of these except for the False unicorn root.

i hope this helps

S.

That is on the heavier side of normal, but still normal sounding. My only suggestion would be that during your periods you be sure to eat plenty of vitamin C along with iron rich foods. The fatigue is likely because during that week, your iron is being depleted. The best way to boost your iron is to be sure to get plenty of vitamin C. Your body cannot absorb iron without it.

I'd talk to your ob about this. That seems like a really heavy flow to me. More than normal.

wow i thought my period was bad! after having kids, my period got much heavier. i was going through a super every 2 hours plus my period lasts up to 10 days (only 2 or 3 days of really heavy). my gyno talked me into having cryoablation done since i am done with babies. it didn't work all that well for me (some people have no period at all after!) and i went on to see a naturopath who put me on iron and thyroid meds. my periods have definitely improved since then but the best improvement has been with my energy level.

my thyroid and iron levels were within the "normal" range (low end) but i was suffering greatly with fatigue and headaches. both of which greatly improved after getting on iron and thyroid meds.

i get drained right before too. my ND put me on extra iron for 3 days before my period. i do take what would be considered a lot of iron by some people however i also have celiac's disease so i don't absorb it like 'normal' people.

i got a diva cup but didn't notice that it helped my cramps. with your extra heavy blood flow, you're going to be changing that sucker a lot more than the average lady. i quit using it because i am prone to infections and i got BV.

I know you don't have insurance, but maybe when you do, you should get checked for a uterine polyp/fibroid tumor.

I've had crazy heavy periods since I started menses at 13. I've had to be on the pill nonstop (except while I was trying to get pregnant) my whole life to control the bleeding. Last December it got really bad and I started hemmorhaging. An ultrasound showed what they thought was a uterine polyp, but after surgery turned out to be a fibroid. The doctor said I might have had it all along and it may have been what was causing my problems. Ever since having it removed my periods have been super light. I'm even considering going off the pill (if I can talk my husband into a vasectomy).

Good luck!

i feel your pain....when i was pregnant with my daughter i found out i had fibroids and still do...having fibroids has made my period really heavy...i dread everytime that time of the month comes around : ( mine last 7 days..the first day is ok and the 2nd and 3rd are my heaviest days..the 4th is a little heavy off and on and the rest are not bad at all....plus i get my period every 20 days.....

Seems like a lot to go through and I understand the medical insurance thing but have you considered going to the health department? It would be worth a shot. When I scrubbed as a surgical tech during clinicals I stood in on many surgery's involving the doctor going in and basically burning the uterine wall. I'm sure it has to be painful but the end results were supposed to be a less heavier period and less cramping I suppose. Anyways just a suggestion and I'm not even sure how much the health department does for people but perhaps they can give you some ideas and where to go....good luck I'm sorry but just remember one day you won't have to deal with it anymore which is the good part!

You've described my periods when I was having them. Since they started that way it's "normal" tho there can be a cause. Later in life I learned that I had endometriosis. I don't know if one can have endo at 16 or if hormones and biology that cause the heavy periods also cause the endometriosis.

Unless there's been a medical breakthrough there isn't much that can be done to change the period. Birth control pills caused mine to be regular, every 28 days and lighter but not light enough to count. I would sometimes bleed thru 2 tampons and a pad in an hour. This was really difficult in school.

Later, I tried wearing my diaphragm and heavy duty pad and that reduced the leaking. Towards the end of the period I only had to wear the diaphragm.

I think that the menstruation process is hormone determined; thus hormones are the only way to change it. There may be herbs with hormone characteristics that could change it but I've not heard of any.

I had a great deal of cramping too and using prescription strength (600mg) ibuprofen from the time my period was imminent for the first few days did help with the cramps and pain. I don't remember that it reduced the flow.

I also think I'd read that soy would help but since I'm allergic to soy I didn't try it.

That doesn't sound like a normal amount of bleeding. You might have a problem with your thyroid. It can cause heavier bleeding if it's not right. My thyroid was out of whack for a short time after the birth of my second child and I had super heavy flow which is what prompted me to go in. In my case it luckily corrected itself (it was a temp thing from the birth of my child) but it could require medications to regulate your thyroid if that is in fact the problem. That much bleeding causes anemia, low blood iron, thus the feeling drained. I would encourage you to take an iron supplement or increase your iron rich food intake until you can see a doctor to at least help with that problem.

The moms here on Mamapedia provide useful advice on a multitude of topics, but medical advice is beyond their scope. Planned Parenthood provides the medical services you need on a sliding fee basis. If you have no money, then their services are free. You can see a licensed health professional (MD or Nurse Practitioner), and likely will be able to schedule an appointment quickly. I encourage you to give them a call.

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Fibroids can cause heavy bleeding. Once I bled heavily and later on very scant menses. However as I got older my periods got heavier and so I went to an acupuncturist. The bleeding slowed down and my periods returned to a more normal flow. Every few months the problem would show up and I would go to the acupuncturist and the flow would abate immediately.
I did not get the fibroid removed.
Acupuncture will regulate the flow better and it is sensible to go to one for a while to restore your bodily balance.