Life's Too Short For Heavy Periods When You're a Teenager!

Today’s episode is going to be relevant to you if you (or your daughter) suffers from very heavy periods.

Helen Wills talks to Fi Star Stone, who suffered with extreme heavy periods from the age of 15 when her periods began, to the point where it was affecting her quality of life, and her ability to be at school. She was eventually diagnosed with endometriosis and polycystic ovaries, but she says that not all heavy bleeding like hers will have the same causes.

Fi talks about how much is too much, what the symptoms of endometriosis are, and what help is available to young girls who have heavy periods with no clinical cause.

It’s a really honest chat, and Fi gives a lot of hope to teenage girls who might be feeling like they have to suffer in silence.

What medications help with heavy periods?

Your GP might first of all prescribe Tranexamic Acid, which helps to slow down bleeding, and Naproxen, a strong anti-inflammatory to help with the pain.

If these don't help sufficiently, girls might be put on the pill to either reduce the severity of periods, or stop them altogether.

Why it's important to go to the doctor if your periods are unmanageable

Very heavy, painful periods might be a sign of an underlying condition like endometriosis, which can damage your fertility if left untreated. A simple ultrasound scan can see whether this, or polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) might be an issue.

Who is Fi Star Stone?

Fi Star-Stone is a bestselling author, qualified parenting advisor, child sleep consultant, and regular contributor to parenting media.

She’s also a mum of two little ones born less than a year apart. Fi is a specialist speaker on childcare and parenting issues on the BBC, and a regular face on Mother&Baby IGTV lives.

Fi also co-hosts a podcast ‘Self(ish)’ which takes a look at the importance of finding ‘me time’ when there is no time!You can find more from Fi below:

Fi's books on Amazon (affiliate link)TwitterInstagramFi's website The Regular ParentThe Self(ish) Podcast Regular Parent Podcast

More teenage parenting tips from Helen Wills:

Helen wills is a teen mental health podcaster and blogger at Actually Mummy a resource for midlife parents of teens.

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There are already stories from fabulous guests about difficult things that happened to them as teenagers - including losing a parent, becoming a young carer, and being hospitalised with mental health problems - and how they overcame things to move on with their lives.

You can find more from Helen Wills on parenting teenagers on Instagram and Twitter @iamhelenwills.

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Please note that Helen Wills is not a medical expert, and nothing in the podcast should be taken as medical advice. If you're worried about a teenager, please seek support from a medical professional.