Intense periods can be truly annoying. Who doesn’t love piercing cramps, erratic poops, and doubling on pads? But when you have uterine fibroids—benign, noncancerous growths or tumors that form in your uterus—a heavy flow might be more than just an inconvenience. It’s sometimes really uncomfortable and even painful, and it can disrupt your life.
Stephanie Hack, MD, FACOG, who specializes in reproductive health advocacy, tells SELF that “heavy bleeding” used to be defined by the amount of blood a person with a uterus expels during their period: roughly 16 teaspoons, or one-third of a cup, per day. While that’s still one indication, there are other potential tells: bleeding that lasts more than seven days, or having to wear multiple pads at once or both a tampon and pad also signal an abnormal flow, per the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). Your happiness is a major factor, too: “Now, we consider excessive bleeding [an amount] that affects the quality of life,” Dr. Hack says.
Major menstrual bleeding occurs when a person has uterine fibroids because they “increase the surface area of the inner lining of the uterus, which allows for more blood loss,” Dr. Hack explains, adding that fibroids can also affect your uterus’ ability to contract, or place pressure on the endometrium (a.k.a. the tissue that lines your uterus). Size, and amount, matter too: The larger your fibroids are, and the more of them you have, the higher your chance for a strong flow, Christine Armstrong, MD, an ob-gyn practicing in Waterbury, Connecticut, tells SELF. “However, heavy bleeding can still occur with one small fibroid.1”
In some cases, heavy bleeding can lead to health complications like anemia—so treating uterine fibroids is important. The best option for you, Dr. Hack says, will depend on your symptoms, health history, and future pregnancy plans. Here are a few options you may want to discuss with an ob-gyn.
READ RELATED: How can we get Wizz Air to pay the money it owes us?
Lifestyle changes
While no food will eliminate fibroids (or the heavy periods they might cause), some might help minimize your symptoms, Dr. Wetter notes. In a 2021 review of studies on uterine fibroids,2 people with uteruses who regularly consumed fruits, vegetables, and foods with vitamin D, like milk, yogurt, salmon, and tuna—were at a reduced risk of developing fibroids.
“We think these foods are helpful because they may help your body eliminate excess estrogen with high fiber content, while antioxidants may help fight fibroid growth,” Dr. Wetter says. Containing foods that contain iron can help treat anemic symptoms from heavy bleeding, Dr. Hack says. Some research also suggests that exercise may decrease fibroid symptoms, including heavy bleeding.3
While Dr. Wetter says nutrient-rich foods and regular movement can help manage symptoms, they aren’t an end-all, be-all solution: “I recommend making those changes, but to also consider medication or other management as diet and lifestyle changes may not be enough depending on the severity of the bleeding.”
Over-the-counter and prescription medications
Though they don’t eliminate fibroids, some medications can help manage heavy bleeding and other period symptoms, like cramps. Hormonal prescriptions are a popular option, Amy Wetter, MD, a board-certified ob-gyn at Pediatrix Medical Group in Atlanta, Georgia, tells SELF. They help reduce estrogen and progesterone, which are responsible for stimulating fibroid growth. A doctor might prescribe a gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) or a GnRH antagonist, but hormonal birth control, like birth control pills, also works this way.
