How are heavy periods treated?
If there are no signs of an underlying abnormality, treatment is not absolutely necessary but most women prefer to have something to help them cope more easily each month. • If the problems are severe, bleeding may be regulated by tablet treatment. These may be hormonal or non-hormonal. • Hormonal treatments include the contraceptive pill and danazol (eg Danol). • Progestogens are effective in making a woman’s periods more regular but do not reduce the monthly flow. • Non-hormonal treatments include tranexamic acid (eg Cyklokapron), which reduces the blood loss by up to half. • Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) reduce monthly loss by about a third. • Alternative approaches include the use of a hormone containing contraceptive coil (Mirena), which is suitable for most women. • Surgical alternatives include destroying the lining of the womb with a laser or applying heat treatment to the lining of the womb with hot water in a balloon. Hysterectomy – the removal of the uterus
