I Have Extremely Heavy Periods: Can You Help? 

If your menstrual cycle feels more like a roaring river than a babbling brook, don’t ignore it. Many women assume heavy periods are their lot in life, but irregular and heavy flow can indicate health problems. 

At Physicians for Women in Madison, Wisconsin, our team of women’s health specialists, including gynecologists, board-certified obstetricians, and certified nurse midwives, is dedicated to your care. We can help with all types of gynecologic issues, including abnormally heavy periods. 

What causes heavy periods

Heavy blood flow and cramping are expected during your menstrual cycle, but only briefly. If your periods stretch on for a week (or longer) and involve heavy blood loss on multiple days and other symptoms, you’re not experiencing normal menstruation. 

People with heavy periods report many different recurring issues every month: 

• Requiring double sanitary protection 
• Soaking multiple pads and tampons per day, sometimes per hour
• Feeling fatigued or short of breath from blood loss (anemia)
• Enduring constant pain in the abdomen and stomach
• Bleeding through overnight pads 
• Passing clots the size of coins or larger

There are many reasons that you might experience heavy periods or menorrhagia. These include, but aren’t limited to: 

• Adenomyosis
• Endometriosis
• Polycystic ovary syndrome
• Pelvic inflammatory disease
• Uterine growths, like fibroids
• Cancer of the uterus or cervix
• Non-hormonal intrauterine devices

An accurate diagnosis requires as much context as possible, so it’s important to document your symptoms and research what you can. Be prepared for certain questions, like when you got your first period and what it’s been like since. 

If your periods have always been heavy, be sure to tell your provider. If your symptoms are more recent, try to recall when they began worsening and how. We may order medical scans and lab tests to help pinpoint your exact issue.

When to be concerned 

For centuries, the medical community has downplayed the pain and discomfort associated with periods. While partly due to menstruation's taboo nature, there was also little concrete information on how heavy periods should be and when to be concerned. 

The average experience varies so much from person to person that it can be difficult to tell when you’re not in the norm. If you suspect that your periods have been unnecessarily heavy and painful, a specialist can determine whether that’s natural. In many cases, it’s not. 

Heavy bleeding is one of the most common gynecological problems among those who menstruate, affecting over 10 million people per year. If you’re experiencing heavy bleeding with or without severe pain every month, it’s time to get real answers and real solutions.

At Physicians for Women, we can help you understand why it’s happening and what you can do about it. To schedule a consultation, call 608-227-7007 or book an appointment online.