Taken only during your period, no hormones — and it reduces blood loss by roughly a third.
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Tranexamic acid is an antifibrinolytic. It slows the breakdown of clots that have already formed, so bleeding is reduced.
It is not a hormone and it does not affect your cycle, your fertility or your contraception. That is its main appeal — for anyone who cannot or does not want to take hormonal treatment, it offers a genuine option.
It reduces menstrual blood loss by around a third on average, which is a real effect rather than a marginal one, and it is taken only on the days you are bleeding.
Try it over three cycles before deciding. One month is not a fair test, since periods vary considerably.
It reduces the amount of bleeding, not the number of days — so the measure is how often you change protection, not whether the period is shorter.
Gastrointestinal upset is dose-related and often improves if taken with food.
Despite the mechanism, large studies of tranexamic acid for heavy periods have not shown a meaningful increase in clot risk in women without existing risk factors.
A personal history of clots is the main barrier, and it is worth asking about family history too.
Interactions are otherwise few. No routine monitoring of the drug itself.
Full blood count and ferritin. Heavy periods commonly cause iron deficiency, and it is frequently missed because tiredness gets attributed to the bleeding itself rather than to the anaemia it caused.
Thyroid function is also worth checking, since an underactive thyroid causes heavy periods and is easily treated.
Yes, for heavy menstrual bleeding where the pattern is clear and there are no features needing investigation.
What we will always do alongside is check for iron deficiency, because heavy periods are the commonest cause of iron deficiency anaemia in women of reproductive age — and treating the bleeding without checking the iron leaves half the problem in place.
What needs investigating rather than treating: bleeding between periods or after sex, bleeding after the menopause, a sudden change in pattern, pelvic pain, or bleeding that has not responded to treatment. Those warrant examination and often a scan.
Tranexamic acid is available from pharmacies without a prescription for heavy periods, after a pharmacist consultation — often the quickest route.
It is an inexpensive generic, and because it is only taken on bleeding days, a pack lasts several cycles.
NHS prescriptions are free in Wales, and free for many people in England.
It is taken only during bleeding, so there is nothing to stop.
It can be combined with an anti-inflammatory such as mefenamic acid or naproxen, which reduces both bleeding and period pain, and the two work by different mechanisms.
Treat the iron deficiency as well as the bleeding. Many women feel dramatically better once iron is replaced, independently of whether the bleeding changes.
No. It does not affect your cycle, fertility or contraception, which is why it suits people who cannot or prefer not to take hormones.
When the heavy bleeding begins, not before your period. It works on bleeding that is already happening.
It reduces how much you bleed rather than how many days you bleed. Judge it by how often you change protection.
Studies in women with heavy periods have not shown a meaningful increase in those without existing risk factors. A previous clot is a genuine contraindication.
Three cycles. Periods vary too much to judge on one.
The hormonal coil, by a clear margin. It also provides contraception. It is worth knowing about even if you decide against it.
Clinically reviewed by Dr Mohammad Zubair Khan, GMC 7563469
Last reviewed
August 30, 2026
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Yes. Care is led personally by Dr Mohammad Khan, so you are not passed between clinicians. Continuity is the point of a small practice: someone who knows your history and is listening attentively rather than working through a checklist.
Yes, with your consent. We can access your Summary Care Record during the consultation, so your current medications, allergies and significant history are in the room. That means fewer questions you have already answered elsewhere, and safer prescribing.
No. We are not here to replace GPs, only to support them. Your NHS practice remains responsible for your ongoing care, and with your consent we write to them after the consultation. We are useful when you need to be seen sooner, or want more time than a standard appointment allows.
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It means the diagnosis can usually be made from your history and photographs, and that treatment can be arranged safely without examining you. Where a condition is not marked treatable online, it is because examination is the diagnosis — listening to a chest, feeling an abdomen, examining an ear or a joint — or because a procedure or device is needed.
Yes, where there is a genuine bacterial infection — cellulitis, impetigo, bacterial urine infections, confirmed strep throat. We will also frequently tell you that you do not need one. Most sore throats, coughs, colds and earaches are viral, and an antibiotic gives you the side effects with none of the benefit.
If your problem turns out to be genuinely outside what we can do remotely, the doctor will tell you straight away, point you to the right service, and refund your fee in full. We would rather do that than fill twenty minutes to justify the charge.
Call 999 or go to A&E — do not book an online appointment and do not wait for a reply to an email. For urgent problems that are not emergencies, NHS 111 is available 24 hours a day, online or by phone, and can direct you to the right service.
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