How heavy is "too heavy"?

Soaking a pad or tampon every hour or two, bleeding longer than about a week, passing large clots, or feeling worn out from low iron are all signs your period is heavier than it should be — and worth checking.

What causes heavy or painful periods?

Common causes include fibroids, endometriosis, adenomyosis, polyps, and hormone changes; sometimes cramps have no single cause. We look for the reason so we can treat it.

How are they diagnosed?

Usually a history and pelvic exam, often an ultrasound, and sometimes blood tests or a look inside the uterus. That tells us the cause and the best treatment.

What are the treatment options?

They range from pain relievers and hormonal options (the pill, an IUD, or other medicines) to treating a specific cause — removing a fibroid or polyp, an endometrial ablation for heavy bleeding, or surgery for endometriosis.

HEAVY OR PAINFUL PERIODS CARE IN SHERMAN, TX

Q: Are bad period cramps normal?

Mild cramps are common, but pain that stops your normal day, lasts for days, or gets worse over time is not something you have to live with. It can point to a treatable cause.

Heavy & Painful Period (Menorrhagia) Treatment Across North Texas & Texoma

When your period runs your life, we help find out why

Periods that are very heavy, very painful, or both can wear you down — soaking through pads, missing work or school, or curling up with cramps every month. It is common, but it is not something you simply have to accept. At G. DeAn Strobel, MD, PA in Sherman, TX, we help women in Sherman, TX, and across North Texas and the Texoma area find out why their periods are heavy or painful — and feel better. There are real answers and real treatments. Call or text 903-957-0275. Our board-certified gynecologists — Dr. Strobel and Dr. Cryer — and our team of nurse practitioners care for women across North Texas and Texoma.

What counts as a "heavy" period? Heavy menstrual bleeding (the medical term is menorrhagia) means bleeding that soaks through a pad or tampon every hour or two, lasts more than about seven days, includes large clots, or leaves you tired and run-down from low iron (anemia). If your period controls your plans, that is worth checking.

What counts as a "painful" period? Painful periods (dysmenorrhea) are more than mild cramps. Pain that keeps you from your normal activities, starts before your period and lasts for days, or gets worse over time is not something to just push through. Pain during sex or with bowel movements around your period can also be a clue to a treatable cause.

Common causes. Heavy or painful periods can come from uterine fibroids (noncancerous growths in the uterus), endometriosis (tissue that grows outside the uterus), adenomyosis (the uterine lining growing into the muscle wall), polyps, hormone changes, and sometimes thyroid or bleeding problems. Sometimes strong cramps have no single cause (called primary dysmenorrhea). Finding the cause is the key to the right fix.

How we find the cause. We start with your history and a pelvic exam, and we often use an ultrasound to look at the uterus and ovaries. Blood tests can check for anemia or thyroid issues, and in some cases a small look inside the uterus (hysteroscopy) or a tissue sample helps. We will explain what we find in plain words.

How heavy or painful periods are treated. Treatment depends on the cause and your goals. Options range from over-the-counter pain relievers and hormonal options (like the pill, an IUD, or other medicines that lighten and calm periods) to treating a specific cause — such as removing fibroids or a polyp, an endometrial ablation to lower heavy bleeding, or surgery for endometriosis. If you are done having children and bleeding is the main problem, more lasting options exist too. We will match the plan to you. To get to the bottom of your periods, call or text 903-957-0275.

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Heavy or Painful Periods FAQs