Heavy periods

What is considered a normal period?

A normal period should not last for more than 7 days and you should not lose more than 80mls of menstrual blood in total over all the days of your period. 80ml is about the amount of five tablespoons.

What is a heavy period/menstrual bleeding?

If you change your period products every two hours or more, need to change them during the night at least once or if you are passing clots that are bigger than a £1 coin, your periods are heavier than normal.

Heavy periods are particularly common in our teenage years and in our 40s, during perimenopause, but they can happen at other times in our lives as well. If you are experiencing perimenopausal symptoms such as hot flushes, insomnia, joint pains, mood swings and others alongside your heavy periods, please book an appointment in our peri-/menopause clinic.

If you bleed longer or heavier than normal it is important to check for underlying health problems as addressing these will improve your periods. There are variety of treatment options to make periods lighter. Please book an appointment for our heavy periods clinic.

How does contraception impact periods?

If you are using any method of contraception, such as the pill, implant, injection or coils, these can also influence how long and heavy your bleeding will be, as a side effect of the method used. If you are experiencing this, please book an appointment to discuss your contraceptive choices.

What can I expect at my appointment?

At your appointment we will discuss provide advice about your periods and offer further investigations such as blood tests or ultrasound scans if needed. We will offer different treatment options, such as medications and the insertion of a hormonal coil, but it is your decision what you would like to use.