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Non-Surgical Treatments Depending on the reasons for heavy, prolonged or painful periods, these may be controlled with hormonal treatments, including the contraceptive pill, progestogens (which help regulate periods, but do not reduce the monthly flow) or with a Mirena device. Alternatively, there are non-hormonal treatments like tranexamic acid or mefenamic acid. A Mirena device is an intrauterine system (IUS) contains the active ingredient levonorgestrel, a synthetic form of the female sex hormone, progesterone. It is inserted into the womb in a similar way to a contraceptive coil Once inserted it steadily releases the levonorgestrel into the womb (uterus). A Mirena device can be particularly useful for women needing contraception who also suffer from very long or heavy menstrual periods. Because the levonorgestrel prevents the womb lining from thickening, it reduces the amount of tissue that is shed each month as a menstrual period and makes periods lighter. Periods may eventually stop while the IUS is in place. Tranexamic acid is a synthetic derivative of the amino acid lysine and is often used successfully as a treatment for heavy bleeding associated with uterine fibroids. Mefenamic acid belongs to the group of medicines known as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and works by preventing the production of irritant chemicals that cause pain and inflammation in the body and can be used to relive pain and discomfort of conditions such as headache, toothache, arthritis, painful or heavy periods. Mefenamic acid thins the blood, making periods lighter and therefore less painful. |
