A menstrual bleed that is sudden, profuse and often early is termed “Flooding” in Chinese medicine.

It can be caused by any of the following: -

Different characteristics of the menstrual bleed & Chinese medical diagnosis

The nature of the bleed gives important information about what is causing this problem. For example, if the blood is bright red with profuse bleeding then this would indicate heat in the Blood. Heat is said to “move the blood recklessly in the channels”. This implies that the blood is agitated by the heat, and it leaves the blood channels which results in excessive bleeding.
Long-term emotional strain can cause this. For example, long-term stress causes the qi (energy) to stagnate. Over time, this stagnation generates heat. This is analogous to a car ticking over in a traffic jam; the car gets hotter and hotter unless the traffic starts to move again.

There is also something termed ‘Empty Heat’ in Chinese medicine and this can occur due to overwork & excessive sexual activity. This also causes the blood to move recklessly.

If the blood is particularly dark with some blood clots then it is clear that the blood is not moving smoothly and this can cause excessive menstrual bleeding. It is similar to a rock in a water pipe; the water cannot flow smoothly and there is a danger that the pipe will burst (which causes the bleeding). This can also be caused by long-term emotional strain. Energy (qi) moves the Blood, therefore if the energy stagnates over a long period of time then Blood will eventually stagnate and result in excessive bleeding.

Energy is also required to ‘contain the blood within the blood vessels’. This may sound somewhat peculiar, however in Chinese medicine it relates to a condition called ‘Spleen Qi Not Containing’. Spleen energy can become depleted by physical overwork (including too much sport), and chronic illness. This lack of energy can cause the blood to leave the vessels and cause excessive bleeding.

Correct acupuncture treatment depends on differentiation of syndromes according to Traditional Chinese medicine.

I would also recommend visiting your GP for this condition, to make sure that the bleeding isn't caused by more serious conditions such as cervical cancer, cancer of the uterus, endometriosis, fibroids or endometrial polyps. This is not to say that acupuncture would not be helpful… quite the contrary!