Health Center - Reproductive and Pelvic Health
No matter your age, the health of your reproductive and urinary organs—your pelvic organs—is important. If something goes wrong "down there," it affects your overall health and quality of life. Get answers to all of your most pressing questions and put an end to embarrassing symptoms.
Treatment Options for Heavy Monthly Bleeding
| Lifestyle Options | |
| Ice packs | Put an ice pack on your abdomen for 20 minutes at a time, several times a day when bleeding is especially heavy. |
| Vitamins | Try vitamin C supplements to help your body absorb iron and possibly strengthen blood vessels. |
| Iron | Some research suggests low iron levels can increase menstrual bleeding and that supplementing with the mineral can reduce menstrual bleeding. |
| Nonhormonal Medical Options | |
| Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) | These drugs, which include naproxen (Aleve), ibuprofen (Motrin) and the prescription NSAIDs diclofenac (Cataflam) and mefenamic acid (Ponstel), work by reducing levels of prostaglandins, hormone-like chemicals that interfere with blood clotting. NSAIDs are not specifically approved for treating heavy monthly bleeding but may be prescribed as an "off-label" treatment. |
| Tranexamic acid tablets | Tranexamic acid (Lysteda) is the only FDA-approved prescription medicine specifically designed to treat heavy monthly bleeding without hormones. Women take it in pill form for up to five days a month during their periods. In clinical trials, women experienced lighter periods every month, and the medication started working as early as their first cycle. |
| Hormonal Medical Options | |
| Intrauterine system | The levonorgestrel intrauterine system (Mirena) is FDA-approved to treat heavy monthly bleeding in women who use intrauterine contraception for birth control. The IUD may be kept in place for up to five years, slowly releasing a low dose of the progestin hormone levonorgestrel into the uterus. In some women, it may take three months before heavy bleeding is reduced and there can be some light bleeding between periods, particularly in the first three months. IUDs are not recommended for all women, so talk to your health care provider. |
| Progestin | Progestin is the most-prescribed medication for heavy menstrual bleeding. The hormonal medicine works by reducing the effects of estrogen in your body and slowing growth of the uterine lining. But side effects, including weight gain, headaches, swelling and depression, lead many women to quit using this option. Progestin is not specifically approved for treating heavy monthly bleeding but may be prescribed as an "off-label" treatment. |
| Oral contraceptives | Oral contraceptives can reduce menstrual bleeding by using hormones to prevent ovulation and thin the endometrium. One study compared oral contraceptives to the NSAIDs mefenamic acid, naproxen and danazol and found all four worked just as well to reduce bleeding. Depending on the type of oral contraceptive and the individual, improvement can take up to three months.
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