Tranexamic Acid

[lillied]

Hi Ladies,

I've recently been prescribed Tranexamic Acid instead of codeine to help with the heavy bleeding as well as the pain.

I was wondering if anyone had any anecdotes of how they were when they took it.

Apparently last night I was forgetting things I'd done barely five minutes before and when they wear off the pains even worse.

Any advice or suggestions for other drugs? I've been on codeine for too long I'm worried I'll get a dependence on it but this new stuff seems to be making me fruit loops.

Thanks!

[Impatient]

Use the search box on the green bar to look for Tranexamic Acid. Hundreds and hundreds of us have used it. It is now available over the counter at chemists in the UK.

The way it works is to reduce the body's own ability to destroy the clots it has just formed. So when your menstrual lining and endo linings shed away causing a bleed from tiny fresh wounds, the natural clotting process is given a boost.

I found that the drug did work about 50% of the time to stop periods sooner than normal. But each month was a bit hit and miss. you can only take the drug for about 4 days max per period then have to stop because of the risks of causing a big blood clot. However if during that exposure to the drug the period has not eased off or stopped then it is likely that it will carry on bleeding for a while after.

Rest assured it will have helped some of the clotting, but may not be enough to help all of the wounds that need to clot. So if you are someone who suffers heavy prolonged bleeding with your periods then it is certainly worth a try each month IF YOU WANT TO STILL SUFFER WITH PERIODS.

I was on it for many years. However I have for over 3 years had a mirena coil inserted - this stopped my period completely and lasts up to 5 years and quite honestly I wish to god I had had mirena decades ago.

Makes a whopping difference to actually stop the periods from happening at all - rather than still have periods and struggle to get them to stop inside a week of starting.

My periods would bleed up to 3 weeks in every month, sometimes the Tranexamics would reduce that to just over a week, but they are big tablets and I hate swallowing any tablets, and Tranexamics are costly either as prescription or over the counter when you tot up the amount you need each and every month.

Compared to the period stoppers of which there are several types and al of which are free because they are contraceptives too.

You cannot become dependent on Tranexamic Acid- it is not a narcotic drug - it can only be taken for 4 days maximum each period then you have to stop till next month, whether it has done enough of a job or not.

We refer to it as a blood clotter drug for convenience sakes but it actually works to prevent already formed clots from dissolving again so they stay clotted.

It is very widely used and prescribed to try and help with heavy periods, but quite honestly - if you can commit to the time needed for the long term period stoppers to get to work they are so much better.

They all work by gradually thinning the regrowth of th menstrual lining each month to the point where there is so little regrowth that periods stop because there is no lining to shed creating a little wound behind where it fell away from the underlying cells.

This takes about 4-6months to be effective.

Nexplanon arm implants last up to 3 years before needing replacing

Skyla coil lasts up to 3 years

Mirena coil lasts up to 5 years

Depo-Provera is an injection every 3 months.

All of which use hormones to work on reducing the menstrual lining and at the same time bulk up the cervical mucus production to plug the cervix with goop.

Tranexamic Acid is not a sex hormone drug at all.

medicines.org.uk/emc/medici... is a link to the patient info leaflet

It works throughout the body on the clotting of blood process, which happens to also include the uterus and the menstrual lining bleeds. It is a very safe drug for most patients because it is used in moderation only when needed ie when you are on your period and that period happens to be gusher. You might not need to use it every month, depending on your track record. Some ladies have variable periods some light and some heavy, some end quickly and others just don't want to stop.

You get to decide if this is a month where you want to add a bit of a boost to try and stem the flow. They are not pain killers, one tablet or 2 days of tablets will not be that much use as the drug builds up the body's ability to hold the clots together for longer.

I cannot see any possible way for tranexamic acid tablets to make you go fruitloops.

drugs.com/comments/tranexam...

they don't work on the brain- they are not hormones or narcotics. You ONLY take them when you are already started on a period and want to help the clots that do form from dissolving too quickly before healing has taken place behind the clot to prevent it from bleeding again. You definitely do not take them all the time. Just when needed and for no more than 3-4 days per period during which time you hope it helps but if it hasn't then you just have to ride it out till it stops by itself and try again the next month hoping it works a bit better. You do NOT take them every day even when you are not on a period.

Because it was hit and miss - I find that stopping periods properly and completely is a much much better way to live, even though it does take a few more periods to get to that stage - long term it is well worth it.

I reckon I have given myself at least an extra 6 months each year being free of period bleeds and all that goes with it in terms of PMS, pain, costs of tampons and pain killers, and curled up in agony on the bed, mess, accidents, extra laundry and so on. I feel absolutely liberated to no longer have any worry about when i'll be on, how long, how heavy, have I packed enough supplies of changes of clothes, pain killers, tampons etc for each outing or day at work. I have so much extra time to be out enjoying everything and a ginormous weight of worry and discomfort is gone. Can't believe how much life has improved by stopping periods.

It is well worth considering the longer term options if you do have need for something to control heavy bleeds each month - then do something about it because it is well worth putting a stop to the monthly hell if you can, not just in terms of reducing future endo but just basically being able to enjoy life and even have a life again.

[Adelind in reply to Impatient]

Your post is sooo informative, thank you!