period pain

[susyp]

I have really bad period pains occasionally - when i was 19 i had an episode where basically i was screaming in pain, throwing up, and eventually blacked out so i was taken to hospital - bit of gas and air and I was fine (cue lots of housemates hilarious jokes over how i would cope with labour...). Went on pill. Now that is not an option for me - i am slightly better with pain now in that i don't get hysterical - but it can be bad. Nurofen + doesn't cut the mustard - now am taking mefenamic acid on the advice of forum which also is not really helping. Generally I just use a hot water bottle (it seems to come on worse at night) but the other night I had chronic pain , which was managed with a hot water bottle - but it was even worse in my back and the only way to cope was for my husband to rub my back quite hard and me go on knees with hot water bottle against my stomach. I threw up quite a lot too. My husband wanted to take me to hospital whereas I knew it was just period pain so was (angrily!!) resisting. It passed in a couple of hours into something more manageable.

Is it possible for me to get stronger pain killers from the doctor? Any advice from fellow sufferers?

I'm going to try an up my exercise (from 0% recently due to colds) as that definitely helps with the chronic pmt I get so probably would help with pain also?

It's not a big deal in the scheme of things of course - just interested if there is anything out there I can ask for.

susypx

[WorkingMummy]

Susyp have you ever been referred for this? Sounds absolutely hellish and I really feel for you.

I have migraines of similar intensity and prescribed dihydrocodeine helps me. It really is about finding the painkiller that fits you.

But seriously, could something be up? Not life threatening, obviously, just totally horrible. Has it been investigated?

[GinaG3]

Im diagnosed with endometriosis and adenomyosis, have you ever had either of these looked into with a gynaecologist? My pain is more than period pain, more like labour pains and continues throughout the whole month but then my periods can go either way. I'm not your average sufferer and my consultants are completely stuck but for most sufferers the pain is in sync with menstrual cycle. Maybe have a look at generalised symptoms on the awareness websites and see if its similar to you? I have extreme nausea, migraines, dizziness, fatigue and mood swings for around 2 weeks a months after I ovulate. There are a lot of other drugs out there to use so don't give up just yet. I've spent 3 years trying to find a drug that works for me and I'm still trying now..

[SBot]

I suffered badly for years, a day off school each month, vomiting each day. Diagnosed with endometriosis at 25, had lazer treatment. Had pellet injections for 6 months which shut down my system, the less periods the less build up of the endometriosis. Then went on the pill, but advised to take 2 sometimes 3 packets back to back, again to limit the number of periods. Had a baby at 32, periods now, zero pain and fairly light and short. Though the odd one is heavy but no pain.

Definetly go and see your doctor. A doctor once said to me pregnancy is a treatment for endometriosis!

[Beagle]

I started getting the same thing in my late teens onwards, similar symptoms, when I was in labour the contractions felt more manageable than what I experienced with period pain, as the period pain never lessened whereas contractions peak and end, until the next one, and felt purposeful. That probably only makes sense if you have had really painful periods. The sonographer found fibroids when I was 8 weeks pregnant which follow up scans have shown are shrunk to pea size now, and since my baby I have had one episode a few days before my periods restarted but never since. Is there any chance you could have fibroids or another underlying issue.

Did you use TENS during labour, I remember thinking how useful that would feel to take the edge off period pains as it works on muscle pain, would it be worth borrowing one to try? Apart from that ponstan used to make me feel sick and ibuprofen, and hot water bottles, a bath helped more. Swimming and yoga too also cutting carbs a few days before period even though mostly all I wanted was chocolate and toast. Sorry I can offer nothing more constructive other than to sympathise with how debilitating this can be. Last occasion my other half came home to find me lying on the floor crying with our 11 month old sitting on my head wanting to play.

[susyp]

Thank you all wow I am so glad I posted! I did read about endometriosis but since I have had a baby , and got pregnant easily thankfully, it seems unlikely. I ve had two pregnancies first one ended in miscarriage and I was given over counter painkillers for the pain of that and really it was fine, nothing like this last period pain so I figure my pain threshold can't be low. I can't really face any invasive testing either but will def read up in it, nausea thing is interesting as since coming off pill I have occasionally felt nauseous right before my period . Gee my stuff is nothing really comparmed to you guys. It's really helpful reading all this thank you so

Much will read carefully and digest and look into all the ideas and tips

Susypx

[GinaG3]

Not unlikely at all. I was diagnosed after pregnancy, which can exasperate symptoms, as with Adenomyosis too. Both worth reading up on. I would definitely look into Endo with your GP. Would highly recommend Gynae teams at Guys hospital too, but felt Kings lacked the specialism (personal experience). I also fell pregnant easily with my daughter, but had many problems with what doctors see as chemical pregnancies since. I was diagnosed by laparoscopic procedure as a day case, had laser removal at the same time and was up and moving about again within 3 days. It really isn't as daunting as it seems, if it needs to be done at all that is..

Im currently on contraceptive pill, no break to try and stabilise hormone levels. Should stop periods but haven't even touched them at all! Awaiting my second operation under new consultant but keeps getting cancelled due to my health.

http://www.endometriosis-uk.org/information/symptoms.html

http://www.adenomyosisadviceassociation.org/Symptoms.html

[susyp]

Ah ok! I can't go on pill as recently had breast cancer, for same reason not desperate to have any more surgery. During my treatment I had a drug to put me into menopause but still got very light periods which they were surprised by. i ll get anreferal to gynae Anyway to discuss it. Oh bodies are quite annoying !

Thanks for sharing that, much appreciated

Susyp x

[olujoy]

Why don't you try eating ginger

[astrid83]

Heavy period pains are awful. I've had them since I was 15 and really feel for you.

I've had to cancel stuff, call in sick to work, been picked up by husband in the car as I've been in too much pain to even stand up. Also get headaches, diarrhea and nausea because of the pain.

The one thing that works for me is to start taking ibuprofen few days before my period is due. So if my period is due on a Friday I might start taking pain killers on a Wednesday. It takes that horrific shocking onset of period cramps away. And I actually avoid exercising around when my period is due as that seems to make it worse. My husband also got fed up with picking me up from Peckham Rye Park where I'd lie screaming on the ground due to period cramps starting during a morning run.

Hope you get some help, you really shouldn't have to suffer like this!

[duchessofdulwich]

has anyone been told that after having children period pains are not as bad ?

[susyp]

yes, i must start keeping a diary, not least so I know I am being pmtish and therefore possibly unreasonable (not that I would ever admit that to my husband!). I am a bit random with the painkillers as I tend not to take them until the pain is very bad so I think I need to build them up as suggested.

I also what I thought was a very strange labour - I went almost straight into multiple contractions, I never had any break between them at all. Thought I would cope because of breaks between contractions but I never got any! Ended up with csection anyway.

This thread has been brilliant for me thank you all so much.

Susypx

[Carrie]

With the mefanamic acid you definitely need to start taking it before the pain starts - try keeping a diary so that you are aware of when your period is likely to start and then start taking the mefanamic acid a couple of days before - it is a preventative as much as a treatment for pain!

[GinaG3]

Slightly odd but if you use an iPhone there are period tracking apps. I use 2 different ones (free in app store), you can track when it starts then ends, all symptoms within that month, weight gain etc. It then tracks when you ovulate, most fertile days and predicts your next period. Most useful tool ever if you have problems surrounding periods. Just remember to open the app to tell it whats happening or it wont tell you anything. My consultants always want to know dates so I can just open it up and feed the info straight to them. Hope you find something to help you soon, it really is horrible being a woman sometimes..

[monniemae]

I was prescribed Tranexamic Acid at same time as Mefanamic acid as it reduced the blood loss - helpful if your periods are v heavy as well? That made a difference to me. I found feminax better than mefanamic acid tbh. But the best thing I've found was to eat really healthily for at least a week before period - ie no white starch or sugar, just complex carbs etc. I swear it helped though I'm not normally one for anecdotal advice! And as I've aged it's weirdly tapered off anyway, much less painful now then two years ago (and the 20 years before that..) I do have a large fibroid but my periods were always painful - still, the GP was great about referring me for tests at Kings when I was complaining about painkillers not being enough. So do ask your GP. It's not ok to be bedbound / in agony every month.

Also, could it be bowel pain happening at the same time? I also had that (gastric stasis during period) and that was real agony. Trick there is to stop eating till it passes.

And defo agree that you need to take painkillers BEFORE the pain is really bad - first inkling or even before, otherwise nothing will touch the pain.

hth

[etta166]

I know you've said you can't use the pill, but the Mirena coil might be an option. It's a hormone-releasing coil so the hormones are localised to the uterus. It will pretty much stop your periods.

I've also been through years of really bad period pain that lasted for the first 2 days of each period and totally incapacitated me. It was so bad that I refused to belive that I was in labour first time around until it was almost over because labour was meant to be painful and I never reached a stage where it was a patch on my period pain!

I have no idea what I'll be like when my periods finally come back... (3 pregnancies and extended breast feeding means I've hardly had any in the last 5 years). One thing that I did find used to help was huge, huge amounts of exersize. In my case I'm not sure that it was a healthy amout though, because it basically stopped me from having regular periods.

[Convex]

A friend had pain like you describe which improved after a chiropractor treated her for back problems. Her migraines also lessened.

That is not only anecdotal but secondhand so may be totally irrelevant!

[susyp]

thanks brilliant advice here. mirena coil not an option either sadly. But I also have awful pmt for 2 weeks often which definitely is helped by exercise, so my mission for this month is - LOTS OF EXERCISE. also have started taking magnesium pills which are meant to help - and am going to take iron during my period as I wonder if part of the reason i generally feel so terrible is iron defiency due to heavy period. As for pain - have downloaded one of those aps so shall start building up the painkillers when period is due - hoping exercise will help to (preemptive) as i was doing lots in summer and pain wasn't really a huge problem - it's come on more in the winter since I have been much more lazy, so we shall see.

really really appreciate all the advice xxx

[bodsier]

Hi

I have worked with a client who had severe period paims for many years. She was off sick from work every month due to perioid pains. Reflexology really helped her, she no longer suffered with this problem. She had fibroids. I am trained in gynaecological and spinal problems.

[Beagle]

duchessofdulwich Wrote:

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> has anyone been told that after having children

> period pains are not as bad ?

Duchessofdulwich, I was told this at 20, took me 15 years to consider finding out but in my case I feel better generally since I first got pregnant, in fact what I loved about being pregnant first time round was how evened out my hormones felt and continued to feel.

[Saffron]

susyp Wrote:

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> thanks brilliant advice here. mirena coil not an

> option either sadly.

There is a new low-hormone IUD on the market in the States. It's being offered under the trade-name 'Skyla'. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/09/skyla-iud-intrauterine-device-_n_2442434.html

Jan 9 (Reuters) - U.S. regulators on Wednesday approved a new low-dose hormone intrauterine device designed to prevent pregnancy, the first new device of its type in 12 years, according to Bayer AG.

The T-shaped polyethylene device is designed to prevent pregnancy for 3 years, during which time it releases a diminishing dosage of progestin, according to Bayer documents.