Girls, how do you cope? (time of the month)

unholyangel

bb69 wrote: »

Hello
I know this hasnt had a post for a few months but I know how you feel OP. I have tried magnesium (liquid or tablets) as it relaxes muscles (research it online/discuss with GP) and cut down on dairy too. I have found that with the magnesium I take fewer of my concoction of tablets.

Hope you get some relief
xx

I do that and cut down on sugar and salt also as apparently these make your cramp worse.

Also have 2 moor mud packs I use (heated), one on my back and other on my tummy.

Tried feminax and didnt feel any benefit from it at all so now get painkillers prescribed by GP for the really bad periods (most months I can cope without).

bb69

unholyangel wrote: »

I do that and cut down on sugar and salt also as apparently these make your cramp worse.

Also have 2 moor mud packs I use (heated), one on my back and other on my tummy.

Tried feminax and didnt feel any benefit from it at all so now get painkillers prescribed by GP for the really bad periods (most months I can cope without).

Hi I think for many people its trial and error. Its taken me years and I mean years to get to a point where I feel I am in control.

I went to the pharmacist once and asked "what tablets have the highest amount of codeine in without a prescription.."

I have to time the tablets at the first hint of pain and then usually manage to get by.

My GP isn't a great help which is a shame. Sometimes I feel I have to justify asking for something stronger

Maryanneslapcabbage

Don't know if this has been mentioned because I haven't read the whole thread, but when I used to get period pain my Mum would make me a cup of gin with hot water and sugar.
I have to say, I would balk a bit trying to get it down, but once I did, the relief was immediate.

unholyangel

bb69 wrote: »

Hi I think for many people its trial and error. Its taken me years and I mean years to get to a point where I feel I am in control.

I went to the pharmacist once and asked "what tablets have the highest amount of codeine in without a prescription.."

I have to time the tablets at the first hint of pain and then usually manage to get by.

My GP isn't a great help which is a shame. Sometimes I feel I have to justify asking for something stronger

I remember the nurse at school telling me we only lose a tablespoons worth of blood per month - regardless if you have heavy or light periods. To this day I think she must've been on crack to suggest such a thing :rotfl:

Also, this is kinda gross (and no doubt I'll incur the wrath of the "holier than thou" judgement brigade) but sex/orgasms help with the pain too! Best done in a double shower though for obvious reasons.

leather5

Hi everyone, I'm jumping in on the end of this tread as it seems to have changed from painfull periods to heavy periods, of which I have much experience! I suffered for years with incredibly heavy and irregular periods which turned out to be pcos. After having 3 children they became regular but incredibly heavy to the extent of dibillitating. There were days when I couldn't leave the house as I had to be close to the toilet at all times. I couldn't use tampons as they would just get "flushed" out (nice, I know). My sister had a Mirena coil fitted and it changed her life as others have said previously so I thought brilliant I will have one too. Went to GP and was told I was an ideal candidate so had it fitted. It never had the same effect for me though and I continued to have really heavy periods which lasted over a week, by the end of which I was exhausted as had to get up several times a night to change tampon/towel. To top it all my periods were so severe that the coil came out and I didn't know! Ended up having a endometreal oblation which has been a Godsend, periods much lighter now and I can cope. Obviously only suitable if you don't want to ever get pregnant but I have my life back now.

Tenyearstogo

SuzieSue wrote: »

So are you saying that your periods were so heavy that you thought it was normal to use super plus tampons AND pads at the same time?

lostinrates wrote: »

I have to do this for a part of my period. Its another reason (quite apart from pain) practicalities of life can be difficult for women with 'not normal' periods. At the heaviest part of my flow a tampon would not last, say, two hours, let alone four. .

leather5 wrote: »

Hi everyone, I'm jumping in on the end of this tread as it seems to have changed from painfull periods to heavy periods, of which I have much experience! I suffered for years with incredibly heavy and irregular periods which turned out to be pcos. After having 3 children they became regular but incredibly heavy to the extent of dibillitating. There were days when I couldn't leave the house as I had to be close to the toilet at all times. I couldn't use tampons as they would just get "flushed" out (nice, I know). My sister had a Mirena coil fitted and it changed her life as others have said previously so I thought brilliant I will have one too. Went to GP and was told I was an ideal candidate so had it fitted. It never had the same effect for me though and I continued to have really heavy periods which lasted over a week, by the end of which I was exhausted as had to get up several times a night to change tampon/towel. To top it all my periods were so severe that the coil came out and I didn't know! Ended up having a endometreal oblation which has been a Godsend, periods much lighter now and I can cope. Obviously only suitable if you don't want to ever get pregnant but I have my life back now.

I had an ablation which has been amazing. It took 25 years for me to get taken seriously. Only then because I got referred to a gynaecologist for something else.

I've had 4 periods in two years since, but they've been fairly painless and really light. By really light I mean just super tampons 4 hourly but I didn't flood.

I didn't realise I was abnormal either.

lushlifesaver

RazWaz wrote: »

I started yesterday and I'm now curled up on the sofa with a toblerone, 3 kittens to cuddle and a hot water bottle and I still feel awful. It feels like the pain never responds to painkillers (trust me I've tried - Paracetamol, Ibuprofen, Codeine, Tramadol, Morphine, Pethidine, Diclofenac, OxyNorm and OxyContin - nothing works).

I've been on Thyroxin for a few months which did help calm things down a lot, but my repeat prescription went in late, I missed a few doses and now I'm back to curling up crying.

Any none-medical tips to help get though the next 3 days? Or am I just stuck curled up in a ball with chocolate and netflix?

At one stage I was on 50/100 Cocodamol and diclofenac plus using mefanamic acid from the week before I was due until a few days after I was finished each month - it's a lot to remember plus I was pretty much zoned out the entire time and still unable to eat or drink properly due to the pain making me sick!

I was given three options; have a baby and hope that settles it (something to do with the stretching your body undergoes easing off the period contractions), a full hysterectomy at 20 or tri cycle the pill and have one period every three months.

I chose to tri-cycle and it was the best thing I ever did once I got the hang of remembering to keep track of everything!

I still suffered on occasion and could be found on the sofa with a bottle of ginger ale, digestive biscuits, a hot water bottle clutched to my stomach and a heat pad on my lower back plus a bucket. Never really leaving the house but eventually it did get easier.

Persevere with your GP is all I would ever advise, eventually you will find what works for you - and it may/will change every so often but those breaks where the treatment is successful are amazingly worth it!

quidsy

I used to be out for 3-4 days a month, severe bleeds & terrible pms & pain in lower back, breasts, ovaries & general aching in stomach, I then got a mirena coil & within the first month most symptoms went, no bleeding, no pms apart from a slightly shortened temper for a couple days & the pain inreduced to bareable levels.

I just wish I had got one at onset of periods, would have saved me years or pain.