by Angela V Disclosure: I have partnered with YMC and Hologic and have received compensation for this post. All opinions are my own
I started dealing with heavy periods and cramping as soon as I got my first period at around 12 years-old. I remember it getting worse over time and me just dreading getting my period every month. The first few days of my period were always the worse, and I often had to stay home from school, trapped, dealing with unbearable cramps and heavy blood loss.
I also have vivid memories of days when I was at school while on my period and feeling a gush that I knew would lead to an inevitable leak, how I would run to the bathroom hoping nobody noticed, ready to hide in there all day to avoid having to deal with it all. And if I was able to stay at school, and we had PE, I always had to ask to be excused from anything too physical.
I also remember watching some of my friends have completely different experiences with their periods; they didn’t have to miss school every month or constantly have to run to the bathroom to change pads to prevent a leak. On the other hand, I had to wear a tampon and a pad at all times, and that still would not be enough. I spent lots of time with the school nurse as well, dealing with my cramps and all the pain. I felt anxious and lonely back then when it came to dealing with my period. It just didn’t feel normal.
After a few years of dealing with the pain, heavy blood loss and exhaustion I experienced with my period, my parents took me to see a specialist. They knew something wasn’t right and that I needed some help. I was officially diagnosed with menorrhagia caused by endometriosis, and I ended up going on a treatment to help regulate my periods.
Having an official diagnosis and realizing that my experience with my period could be different was life-changing. I was finally able to relax a bit more whenever I was on my period, and the painful cramps were nearly gone. I was allowed to enjoy my life without heavy periods taking over my life.
Do you suffer from heavy blood loss and cramping while on your period? If you do, know that you are not alone. One in five Canadian women experiences heavy blood loss, pain and exhaustion each month.
I want to encourage you to visit HeavyPeriodTalk.ca right now to find out if you have heavy periods, to get armed with questions to ask your doctor and to join the community and swap your own heavy period stories. For every story shared, $5 will be donated to the Canadian Foundation for Women’s Health to support vital research and women’s health education.
And remember, you can’t let your period define who you are!
14 Comments on “Don’t Let Heavy Periods Get You Down”
I suffered big time as will but not till I hit my 20’s and after I had my girls, it just kept getting worse, so the surgeon recommended a hysterectomy and for me it was the best thing I did!!
Thanks for sharing your experience. I deal with these same challenges when my period comes along. It can definitely feel isolating, especially as a young woman.
Thankful that more are being open about stuff like this. I suffered horribly through my tween and teen years.
Thank you for sharing! I’ve suspected something’s been up with me for a while. I’m going to look into this more! Thank you!
oh man since the last baby (4years ago) it has got so bad it was like it stop for a while after birth then it changed, I had to go on the pill to try and fix it, it would be painful and last for 2 weeks sometimes a little more then 2 weeks would be back yuck I hate it now, even with the pill if I miss one after my friend is here it comes back so I can not forget to take them
So glad to hear this is around for women nowadays!
Thanks for sharing that. I found they weren’t so bad after I got an IUD put in.
(also really funny – the ad I got on this page was for Johnny Walker & Ginger – not the traditional treatment for cramps but yummy!)
I have von willebrand’s disease and endometriosis so also suffered severely from heavy periods and all that came with it including low iron. Now the funny thing is, I’m 50 and (finally) haven’t had a period in a couple years but suddenly after 2 weeks of severely sore breasts, cramps etc I am on again????? What???
Thank you for sharing your experience. I can definitely empathize.
What a marvellous post, I remember the cramps and being as white as a sheet when early on when I got my period and it took years for it to settle down and not be as painful. However a friend of mine did have very heavy periods, she could be walking around town and then it would simple gush out of her. Such a horrible experience for her. The only time I had a period like that we were travelling through Greece in summer and I was wearing white pants of all things! We stopped to use the amenities, I was actually in the postmenopausal period and was shocked. I was so embarrassed at having to walk back to the car, it was horrible, I was lucky enough to have a change of clothes and changed in the car.
I remember years ago I was having heavy periods, they were gushes, I could get out the car and a flood, not painfull though. Lucky now since surgery no concerns.
I do like the fact that $5 will be donated to the Canadian Foundation for Women’s Health for each woman that shares her story.
Eventually you will hit menopause and won’t have to deal with it anymore.
This is the first time I’ve heard of https://heavyperiodtalk.ca/. It’s great that there’s a forum and resource out there for women who experience really bad periods.