Fran Steyn, 41, from Swansea, was plagued by heavy, painful periods
Fran Steyn, a 41-year-old women’s health fertility nurse from Swansea, had been battling life-limiting periods for years. Despite her professional background, she found herself stuck in a frustrating cycle of delays and dead ends within the NHS, with no real solution to her problem.
That was until a chance glance at a Tube advert helped her reclaim control over her life. For more than two years, Fran endured a silent struggle: monthly cycles so heavy they prevented her from working, exercising, socialising – even leaving the house.
She said: “After my second child, everything changed. My periods became so heavy and painful that I couldn’t leave the house – sometimes I couldn’t even go to work. Every hour I was bleeding through tampons, pads and period pants. I was anaemic, exhausted and ratty all the time. It was relentless.”
Despite her extensive knowledge of female health, nothing prepared her for the downward spiral her own periods would take in her late 30s. She said: “I knew my symptoms weren’t normal. But every time I sought help, I was passed from department to department. I’d go to the GP, and they’d refer me for a hormonal coil to help. But the referral never went through.
“When I chased it, they said I’d need to go through sexual health to be fitted with the coil – but sexual health then rejected me because I wasn’t seeking contraception. By the time I got back to the GP, they’d discharged me. I had to start all over again.”
For two to three years Fran endured this ordeal – wrestling with agony and blood loss without any resolution, despite recognising her symptoms were anything but normal. Then, one day during a trip to London, something grabbed her attention.
She said: “I was on the Tube heading to a meeting when I saw an ad for Evana. I stopped in my tracks. I didn’t realise you could buy tranexamic acid (a non-hormonal treatment for heavy menstrual bleeding) over the counter. I’d previously had it prescribed by the GP, but then they stopped and said I needed reassessment.
“There’d been years where I wasn’t on anything to control the bleeding. I felt totally alone. Seeing that advert was like a lifeline.”
Fran returned home, researched it and purchased Evana. She said the transformation was instant.
Fran said: “It sounds cheesy, but it’s the truth – it changed my life. Within one cycle, the bleeding was manageable, the pain was dramatically reduced, and I could function like a normal person again. I could work. I didn’t have to cancel plans. I could just be me.”
Each tablet is packed with 500mg of tranexamic acid, a proven and effective treatment for heavy menstrual bleeding that can reduce menstrual blood loss by up to 60%. In a usage study, tranexamic acid significantly improved both menstrual blood loss and health-related quality of life in women compared to a placebo.
The silent impact of heavy periods
Fran’s ordeal is far from unique – and the silence surrounding it, she says, is part of the problem. “Before all this, my periods had always been manageable. Maybe a little heavy, but nothing out of the ordinary. But after my second child, around age 35 or 36, everything changed. The pain was agony – I was bent over, constantly taking painkillers. But I was still no closer to finding the help I needed.”
The impact wasn’t just physical. Emotionally and socially, it started taking over her life: “I’d plan holidays around my period. My husband would say, ‘We can’t go away that week, you’ll bleed through’. We cancelled things. I stopped booking events. It wasn’t just a period – it was a looming threat every month.”
And the embarrassment was real. “We were coming home from holiday in April and my period came early. I bled through my clothes at the airport. My kids were with me. My daughter, who’s only eight, was worried and scared. She didn’t understand what was happening. It was so stressful.”
Recently, a colleague in gynaecology helped Fran pinpoint the source of her discomfort: fibroids, a condition that can lead to heavy and painful periods. She’s now on the waiting list for an official referral to a gynaecologist, but with potential wait times of up to 12 months for her appointment, she’s relieved to have discovered Evana in the interim.
Fran said: “I’m still waiting for a formal appointment with the gynaecologist and then potentially surgery, which could take another year. But at least now I have something that helps. I order it online monthly – no more waiting weeks for GP call backs.”
She continued: “Before, I’d circle the date in red on my calendar and plan my whole life around it. Now, I don’t have to. I can go to work, to the gym, out with friends. I still get a bit of cramping, but it’s nothing compared to before. And I don’t have to fight for a GP appointment or explain myself – I can just order it when I need to.”
Her ordeal has transformed her into a champion for improved menstrual health support: “I tell everyone about it (Evana). I even reached out on LinkedIn to thank them. I was like – people need to know this exists. There are women out there suffering who have no idea this option is available. I saw it on the tube, but I don’t think enough people know about it. If you’re struggling – speak up. And don’t stop.”
Fran’s advice to other women is straightforward. “You have to advocate for yourself. I work in women’s health, I know the system, and even I was fobbed off and sent in circles. If you’re suffering, keep pushing. It’s not normal to have heavy bleeding. You don’t have to live like that.”