Heavy periods

Heavy periods (also called menorrhagia) are common and may just be normal for you. Treatment can help if they're affecting your daily life.

Check if you have heavy periods

You may have heavy periods if you:

Causes of heavy periods

It can be normal to have heavy periods.

They can sometimes be heavy at different times, like when you first start your periods, after pregnancy or during menopause.

Sometimes, they can be caused by:

Rarely, heavy periods can be a sign of womb cancer.

See a GP if:

  • heavy periods are affecting your life
  • you've had heavy periods for some time
  • you have severe pain during your periods
  • you bleed between periods or after sex
  • you have heavy periods and other symptoms such as pain when peeing, pooing or having sex
What we mean by severe pain
Severe pain:
  • always there and so bad it's hard to think or talk
  • you cannot sleep
  • it's very hard to move, get out of bed, go to the bathroom, wash or dress
Moderate pain:
  • always there
  • makes it hard to concentrate or sleep
  • you can manage to get up, wash or dress
Mild pain:
  • comes and goes
  • is annoying but does not stop you doing daily activities

Treatment for heavy periods

Heavy periods do not always need to be treated. But there are treatments that can help if they’re affecting your daily life.

Treatments from a GP include:

You should have a blood test to check if you have iron deficiency anaemia.

If these treatments do not work or a GP thinks a condition may be causing your heavy periods, they’ll usually refer you for tests or to see a specialist.