Normal periods last 3-7 days and involve a blood loss of about 4-12 teaspoonfuls.

What is a heavy period?
•    Frequent changes of sanitary towels or tampons
•    The need to use double protection
•    Passing large clots
•    Bleeding through to clothes or bedding at night ‘flooding’
•    Prevention of normal activities
•    Anaemia, a shortage of red blood cells that causes tiredness.

In young women , heavy periods are not usually due to an underlying disorder but sometimes they can be as a result of
•    Infection
•    An under active thyroid
•    A hormone inbalance
•    Using an IUCD (a coil)
•    An inherited problem with the clotting of the blood

Treatment

It is worth going to have a talk with your practice nurse or doctor. They may wish to check you are not anaemic and exclude the above conditions.
•    The combined oral contraceptive pill is effective at reducing bleeding and making the bleeding more regular
•    Tranexamic acid (Cyklokapron) – this reduces bleeding by affecting how blood clots. It is taken during the period and can reduce the bleeding by 50%. Side effects include nausea and leg cramps, and a possible increase in DVT blood clot in the leg but this is rare.
•    Mefenamic acid- this is a pain killer that decreases bleeding and can also help pain.
•    Progestogen releasing IUCD – it can reduce or stop periods altogether. It is also a contraceptive
•    Depot-Provera contraceptive injection and Implanon implant can also reduce and stop periods.

Please see your practice nurse or doctor to discuss these treatments.