How heavy are your periods

I have not been diagnosed with endo, but one of the symptoms is heavy bleeding....But how heavy is heavy? Does anybody experience this symptom and how much do you bleed? I know this is quite a personal question, but i think my periods would be considered heavy, but I don't know how they compare to a "normal" period or a woman with endo and "heavy" bleeding. They are just what I am used to and never considered that it might not be normal until I started looking into endo....

[weekari]

I think with endo, symptoms can be so varied. Some people have nothing noteworthy and others are completely disabled. I have severe endo but my periods have always been fairly light and trouble free. But I'm really disabled in other ways - awful fatigue and back/hip pain and less regular abdominal pain & bloating.

I know what you mean about trying to know whether what's your normal is different to other people though. I think it's good to ask and it's good to talk about these things more.

I can't wear tampons any more due to feeling like there's pressure there all the time, it's really uncomfortable and they are pushed out. But I feel I've a better sense of how heavy my flow is. I could wear a regular towel all day and it wouldn't be a risk (I wouldn't actually do this but I'm just saying for an idea of quantity). Overnight, lying down, I find very little comes out. Also it tends to really only last 3 days with a day or 2 of no real flow. Most of the time my blood is quite dark. I have no idea if any of this is normal! 😂

[Hidden in reply to weekari]

I get cramping, but its not severe so I just assumed this was normal period pain. Its not excruciating pain like some people talk about, but its uncomfortable and can prevent me from doing things. My period usually last a week, and I wake up in the night in blood sometimes, I worry about work as I couldn't last all day on a pad and tampon. I am always doubling up. I hate tampons though... find them sooo uncomfortable but it is better than the embarrassment of bleeding through your clothes!

[emmaquinny]

I’m not diagnosed yet, but I’ve always had what I considered to be heavy, until I really had it heavy and needed a tampon, towel and Tena incontinence pants to avoid flooding onto the bed/clothes. Literally feel it flowing out with heavy clots. I’m lucky in the mirena has sorted that out for me 👍🏻 tranexamic acid used to take the edge of that for me too. Hope you get sorted x

[Hidden in reply to emmaquinny]

Omg, I am so glad I am not the only one... I wear those incontinence pads too! I feel like I'm wearing a nappy, its so embarrassing. My poor boyfriend must be wondering what on earth he has got into when I get one of those out hahah! But if I don't, I bleed through my clothes for sure and I flood the bed at night

[emmaquinny]

I feel your pain. I had moments when I worried about what my husband thought of the Tena pants seeing as I’m only 33, 🤦🏼‍♀️ but to be fair I decided in the end I couldn’t care less and if he had of had the cheek to say anything I’d have left them all off and let him wake up to a massacre 😂 he’d only have done it once 😂 see your gp, let them know you’re flooding, ask for something to help x

[Hidden in reply to emmaquinny]

I love that!!! To be fair, my partner is really good, but I do wonder what he thinks of it all. I'm 25 so yeah.. get funny looks when I go and buy them too. Sad really...

I have seen my GP and its the usual story, they send you away with a pill. Wait and see if they get better. Its all about "whats normal for you" but there must be a line where it becomes not normal full stop. Its not okay...

[emmaquinny]

It’s not at all ok or normal, and it is terrible so many women are left to suffer. When I discuss my symptoms with colleagues, family or friends they can’t believe I’m left to just get on with it until the next referral or appointment in 18 weeks then given something else to try or told to wait 🤷🏼‍♀️ it’s crazy how little even some general gynaecologists know! I’ve been given info contradicting Nhs/nice guidelines by professionals! I’ve only been on the journey for 18 months, but since I changed to a gp that listens and cares, found a voice by empowering myself with some knowledge, things have moved in the right direction. X

[Starfish123 in reply to emmaquinny]

I understood heavy bleeding should be seen in under 2 weeks in case it’s cancer, it was a gynaecologist that told me that after it took 2 months to see him, I’d actually been referred for something else, the bleeding hadn’t even been included in the notes to him.

[Hidden]

Pre diagnosis I would fill a super pad or tampon every hour on my heaviest 2/3 days. Nighttime was horrendous. It sounds silly but only after I was diagnosed did I realise this wasn’t normal! Xxx

[Jajo1987]

Hi, Its fair to say the symptoms vary with different people and this symptom is one I suffer with, to put in a nutshell during a period we call the second day 'death day' as by the title u can imagine what I mean its brutal and horrificly heavy and stops me going in to work for that day I usually find it managable for the first and fourth day, if I'm on holidays I have to come home as I cant be more than a few metres away from a toilet or bed. Unfortunately I tend to feel really down around this time as I can't carry on my life as normal during this time and I have an active routine so it really messes me up, without trying to put in too much detail I find I'm changing my pad every hour at the most on a good day. I feel your pain if you suffer with heaviness, I'm considering having a hysterectomy as I cannot get pregnant either and this has caused so much pain over the years of doing tests then being disappointed ect, let me know how you get on sending hugs xx

[weekari in reply to Jajo1987]

You're symptoms sound awful. A disabling period is definitely not 'normal' and clearly is a sign that something isn't right. From my own experiences of being fobbed off and dismissed by Dr's over the past 4 years where my life has gone from being super active, holding down a really demanding full time career to now being unable to work & ANY activity being an intense effort that I need to recover from, I think you need to trust your instincts. I knew I wasn't right. I knew something was causing all these weird symptoms and I knew it wasn't just stress as they were telling me. I had a lap as well as many other tests and the never found anything. Now I've just been told I have severe endo. It was missed. Trust yourself and just keep pushing. I know you feel like a total pain and they're going to hate you but if you do in a kind way, then you're not doing anything wrong. Get informed, read nice guidelines and direct your Dr's.

I also think a medical approach isn't the only way. After I was dismissed, I went to see alternative therapists (physio, acupuncture, reiki, reflexology, chiropractor etc) as well as loads of lifestyle changes (yoga, meditation, diet etc) all of this has given me lots of relief from my symptoms and helped me cope.

Just don't give up. There is hope 😊

[wanwood]

There is an NHS tool online to help answer this question which I found helpful: nhs.uk/Tools/Pages/Heavy-pe...

[Sludge78]

The second day of my period I would carry a full pack of towels with me and never be far from a loo, just standing up or moving seemed to cause a flood which would entirely cover and soak through a clean pad (nightime ones) along with clots (good thing is day 3-4 was usually very light). Switched to washable/reusable towels and managed to hold out a bit longer with them (at least long enough to finish a conversation/meeting and get to the loo).

[Hidden in reply to Sludge78]

Yes I get that feeling when I stand up. I panic every time and run to the loo because I feel the rush of blood. It's horrible

[princessk09]

I don’t have very heavy periods, there’s a lot but I don’t go through a lot of pads in a day. I get loads of blood clots though (sorry tmi)

It’s the pain side for me, my periods make life unbearable to the point I’m dizzy and vomiting with the pain. Plus I’m constantly in pain outside of my period which is like a dull ache/ elephant sat on my pelvis feeling haha

I’m waiting for a lap for a diagnosis but endo is so varied in symptoms. I used to have medium flow to light now it’s sort of heavy to medium xx

[Char411]

I’m diagnosed but have never have too much trouble with heavy bleeding. I did have it before being on the pill some years back but now they are fairly light( thanks to the pill), however they are prolonged... minimum is 7 days and they always start with old dark brown blood, despite the light flow they are incredibly painful though. I struggle with all my other symptoms much more ( the list is never ending so I am thankful I don’t suffer heavy bleeding too)

Big hugs xx

[cmbxm]

my definition of heavy is beyond some people’s definition of heavy, my definition of heavy is getting out the shower and having blood run down your legs cos you’ve been 3 seconds without a pad, or laying in bed and feeling your pad fill up before you’ve even got off to sleep and changing it every 1/2 hours throughout the night, I’m undiagnosed though, so I could just be really unfortunate and have super heavy periods, x

[Hidden in reply to cmbxm]

Thats the thing, I have the same thought process as you. I just keep thinking maybe I'm just unlucky with heavy periods and it's not endo.. but I have other symptoms too so not sure xx

[cmbxm in reply to Hidden]

I have other symptoms too, I had a failed lap in the autumn of last year and I had a serious crisis of confidence over my own symptoms it was only after I sat down with my GP in the February about another matter and he asked how my op went and I broke down and let everything come out and he said he was referring me to another hospital, I’m very lucky in the fact that I have a GP that believes me, just have to convince the hospital that it’s something else now x

[Hidden in reply to cmbxm]

I'm so sorry for you, I hope you get the answers you need soon xxx

[cmbxm in reply to Hidden]

You too xxx