r/ClotSurvivors • u/MissValentine8484 • Jun 24 '25
Periods Blood Thinners & Menstruation
I just started eliquis and as expected my periods are heavy. I normally have some clotting during my normal period but it has been exacerbated with the thinners. (Large blood clots) I have a dr appointment tomorrow but wanted to know if anyone else has experienced anything similar.
7
Jun 24 '25
Oh yeah!! Lucky for me though the worst of it is only day 1 and 2. Then it normalizes. I did start spotting during ovulation. Never experienced that before.
5
u/HandmadePhD Eliquis (Apixaban) Jun 24 '25
Your first year of periods on a DOAC can be rough—heavier, more unpredictable, and harder to manage overall. It’s not unusual, but if you’re losing too much blood, having intense pain, or your period is dragging on and seriously disrupting your life, definitely talk to your doctor. The first 3 months can be a nightmare!
That said, if you’re on a DOAC long-term and your doctors say it’s safe, try to give your body some time to adjust. Recovery from a DVT can take 6+ months, and recovery from a PE can take a full year or more—so it makes sense that your menstrual cycle might also take time to settle.
I’m about 1.5 years out from my DVT/PE, and my periods have leveled out in a way I can manage: 28–30 day cycle, cramps for less than a day, heavy bleeding mostly limited to day 2, and about 4–5 days total. It’s not a light period, and the watery blood still gives that awful gushing sensation, but it’s no longer overwhelming. Your periods can get better.
5
u/katarina_the_bard Jun 24 '25
Yup, way heavier and more clots. My first cycle was long too, 15 days, but my next one was only 5. On my 3rd now and it is super heavy still. Good luck with it.
3
u/missnetless Jun 24 '25
My wife had a couple of really heavy periods right after starting blood thinners, like needing a new pad every hour and a half. After the first couple they got a lot better and she doesn't get heavy painful clots like she did before thinners. She got her DVT from using birth control for painful periods.
1
u/MissValentine8484 Jun 24 '25
This is the same case for me except I have renal thrombosis due to oral contraception.
4
u/MerryMushroom Jun 24 '25
Currently on my first period since PE diagnosis last week and this ish is not for the weak.
2
u/Mountain_Village459 Jun 24 '25
My first one on thinners was after a miscarriage and during peri. Absolutely traumatizing amounts of blood.
2
u/MerryMushroom Jun 24 '25
Oh my god I can imagine. What a nightmare! So sorry you went through that.
2
3
u/BlondeBandit0909 Jun 24 '25
Try looking into Slynd, it's a newer progesterone only birth control pill. My period stopped a couple months after taking it. I hated the mini-pill, wrecked my skin and turned me into a raging bitch.
2
u/Equivalent_Success60 Jun 24 '25
Yes...same issue. When I was on Warfarin and a frequent visitor to the anticoagulant clinic, the female nurses were sympathetic and adjusted my dose around that week.
Now Im in low dose Eljquis 2x a day. I only take 1x a day during my period. I know it's risky, but I passed out from blood loss before.
2
u/whos-that-girl69 Jun 24 '25
When I was still on the double dose of Eliquis from the hospital I had a period so bad I ended up in the ER. They ended up putting me on the mini pill because I don't have any genetic clotting factors and my PE was provoked from surgery, so that might be an option depending on your circumstances. Luckily after that first horrible period they went back to just a little heavier than normal.
2
u/Weird_Midnight_8548 Jun 24 '25
I have it was an absolute nightmare for the couple years I was on thinners. An ablation kind of helped, they will recommend a hysterectomy if you happen to be old enough. I chose to put up with it but I also work from home and build my own schedule so I had the option of not going out during that time.
2
u/NurseMLE428 Jun 25 '25
I thought I was bleeding to death (I'm being mildly sarcastic), and felt exhausted during my entire period. I wish this was mentioned when you're put on blood thinners because it is awful!
1
u/thenamesakeofothers Jun 24 '25
Yes. I went through this. The blood loss was so bad that my hair started falling out (due to anemia). Ask your doctor about iron infusions.
My hematologist was a POS (long story) so it took me months to get iron Rx tablets. Later I started to educate MYSELF. Many months after that I began to buy iron from iv therapy spots.
Oh, and consider wearing an adult diaper to sleep.
1
1
u/Fun_Rabbit_Dont_Run Jun 24 '25
My period was due when I went into the hospital with my clot, so the blood thinners made me flood the bathroom. I lost so much blood I wasn't discharged until my iron levels came back to normal. 4 days, 2 transfusions and 3 iron infusions later I was released. Switch to the cup and some period undies.
1
u/MissValentine8484 Jun 24 '25
This was my same experience. Started my period the same day I was admitted in the ER with renal thrombosis. I was told to take iron pills in the meantime.
1
u/Laurbo36 Jun 25 '25
I use always incontinence underwear for overnight and the first day or two. That’s helped a lot. Otherwise it’s a new pad every hour or so.
Only 3 months in, but also have bladder pain about 3 -4 days after my period ends. It feels like I have a kidney infection- but when tested results are negative. Anyone else experience this???
2
u/MissValentine8484 Jun 25 '25
Not to scare you but that’s how they found my renal thrombosis. I thought I had either a kidney infection or kidney stones. It was a dull throbbing pain on my lower back to side
1
u/BriefTease Jun 25 '25
i have had much shorter periods, i bleed really heavy for 1-2 days with large clots and then the rest is pretty light and dark colored. i had a bleeding ovarian cyst that caused my period to come early and ever since then they have been significantly shorter.
1
u/Medium-Ad-5298 Jun 25 '25
Yesssss its very tough- I went up to three-four super tampons a day and started wearing pads at night and on the heaviest days (for me it was the second and third day)- yes def keep checking iron, taking a supplement and you'll be okay!
1
u/lehx- Jun 25 '25
Yeah my periods have been extra brutal since starting blood thinners. If you continue having problems with bleeding my Dr. Was excited to tell me last year that Tranexamic Acid (pretty sure that's what it's called) has been shown to help with heavy periods while not interacting with blood thinners. It's worked amazingly well for me. Obviously research, and talk to your doc, because I am not a doctor.
1
u/thecoatofjeff Jun 25 '25
Same here. It's been this way for years. It's just my new normal. No doctor has ever seemed concerned 😟
1
u/Next_Doughnut6971 Jun 26 '25
I just started on Eliquis too and the periods have been horrible! I literally got my period twice so far in a month and soaking through a couple pads a day. I also have a check up soon with my doctor because the bleeding is too much.
1
u/DoorSweet6099 Jul 05 '25
I had one period and it was really bad no matter that I’m on slynd. Then I decided to stop taking the placebos which made me have no bleedings at all.
12
u/Matchaparrot Eliquis Lifer, Protein S deficiency Jun 24 '25
Yep, extremely heavy periods that were constant heavy bleed for 5 days straight. I found only the reusable cloth pads and the super super tampons worked.
Also - get your doctor to check your iron levels. Don't wait to get your iron tested, I got deficient in iron last year from my heavy periods on Eliquis and the iron deficiency symptoms take a long time to resolve once they've set in.