“I have severe bleeding during my periods which leaves me very tired. Can I take some natural supplements during this time?”

Yes, there are treatments that can help support your body as it loses so much blood. One such supplement would be iron or eating iron rich foods alongside vitamin C or eating vitamin C rich foods. However, taking iron without knowing if you are deficient is contraindicated since iron overload can deposit iron in your tissues causing issue. The most important next step for you would be to work with your doctor to understand the causation of your heavy bleeding so you can address it. If your doctor doesn't have any ideas move onto the next doctor. I know that can be a hassle and expensive but if you don't have enough information to find an answer you just have to commit and keep looking. The more you look, the more you see, the more you see, the more you know where to look.

Yes, you can. If you tend to bleed heavily, you may be deficient in iron and need to take an iron supplement. However, I do recommend you to talk to your doctor to figure out why your bleeding is so heavy and address it properly.

It would be good to get your iron checked. With heavy blood loss, there is increased risk of iron deficiency anemia. Symptoms include fatigue. There are herbs that are helpful for both slowing bleeding as well as regulating hormones. It is best to consult with a trained professional with specific training in herbal medicine, such as a naturopathic doctor, for your specific picture.

YES, HAVE YOU HAD YOUR HORMONES TESTED. IF PROGESTERONE IS LOW THAT CAN CAUSE INCREASED BLEEDING. YOU SHOULD HAVE YOUR BLOOD TESTED TO MAKE SURE YOU ARE NOT ANEMIC.

With heavy menstrual bleeding, it is best to start with some diagnostics to understand why you are experiencing the heavy bleeding. This can be looking in depth at hormones and/or doing an ultrasound. Once getting that data, there are many nutritional, herbal, and other things that could be done to help regulate the bleeding. With this issue, it is also important to assess for iron deficiency anemia.

Yes

I’m sorry to hear of your troubles but you are not alone! This is a common problem for many women. Yes, there are supplements you can take plus foods to help (as I’ll discuss below) but I HIGHLY recommend seeing a Naturopathic Doctor or Functional Medicine Doctor to get to the root cause of your concern and REVERSE IT! Then you won’t need supplements and won’t be in exhausting agony every month.
Every month on our period obviously we loose blood which leads to fatigue since blood transports key elements like vitamins, minerals and oxygen to our body. Iron is one of these key minerals because it helps provide/create energy!
Iron rich foods and iron supplements are helpful but not all are created equally.
**Animal sources of iron are most easily absorbed and used by out body. You can find them in things like eggs, turkey legs, chicken liver, beef liver, lamb, shrimp, tuna, oysters/clams.
**Plant sources are also good but not as well absorbed at animal sources BUT if you eat your iron rich plant with a vitamin C rich plant, you will absorb more iron! Iron rich plants: lightly cooked spinach, brown rice, molasses, beans (especially navy, kidney or lima), lentils, tofu, and enriched cereals. Vitamin C rich foods include: bell peppers/sweet peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, strawberries, mangoes, all citrus, and moringa.
**Iron supplements: one of my favorites for period or pregnancy related low iron is called Floradix. It’s a liquid supplement you can find at many health food stores or online. It’s a non-constipating form of iron (yes, some iron supplements can lead to constipation!) and it tasted much better than other versions. It’s especially helpful to take this right before your period starts and all the way until the end of your period. Don’t take it on a daily basis unless your doctor tells you you’re iron-deficiency anemic or have low iron levels.

Yes, there are. Find a Naturopathic Doctor near you to help you find the right supplement and dosage for you, as everyone is different.

Ferrous Sulfate 80mg OTC daily with Orange Juice for 30 days after you check your Hemoglobin and Hematocrit to make sure your levels are not abnormally low. Lab Test for CBC with Diff, Iron Level, MCV, Transferrin %.

https://drlja.ecwid.com/

I would recommend that for heavy periods you take an iron supplement, to rebuild you body's iron stores, and a daily multivitamin containing folic acid, vitamin C, vitamin B-12 and other vitamins that help build red blood cells.

The multivitamin should also contain b3 (included in B-Complex) which should help with energy levels, and since this is only a 4 day long event I would simply get in a habit of taking these daily so that when your cycle begins it should hopefully be offset.

Sources:

1.) https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/niacin-benefits#section2

2.) https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/menorrhagia/expert-answers/heavy-periods/faq-20058365

Indeed, you need to take care of this issue asap.

There are many natural things to help with heavy bleeding, but you should see a doctor to make sure you aren't losing too much blood causing you to be anemic. Having low iron could be the cause of your fatigue.

Yes. You will want to find a Naturopathic Doctor to work with to guide you through the process.

Yes, it sounds like your liver is not clearing toxic estrogen. Calcium D glucarate and indole 3 carbinol will help.

Regards,

Carolyn

Yes, you should seek a doctor who can work with Bio-identical hormones, check your blood levels, gather a complete history and physical exam. There are effective natural ways to balance your hormones.

I would speak with your healthcare provider if you haven't already to see if you are anemic and/or find the underlying cause for the heaviness of your period. It may be that you need a supplement to help balance your hormones or build your blood. This will guide you better when choosing a natural supplement.

Excessive bleeding can be from a few different causes. Maintaining regular check ups with your gynecologist is important to rule out more worrisome causes. Ensuring you consume fresh fruits and vegetables is helpful for getting daily fiber needs as well as antioxidants and plant compounds. The broccoli family is a good source of such compounds.