Severe Period Cramps and Bad Period Pains? Why You Should See Your Doctor!
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Before you read this article, firstly you should read my more recent article called "How can I reduce severe period pains and cramps?" This could well stop you worrying unnecessarily and taking up your Doctors valuable time without good reason.
For many years I suffered with the most terrible period pains. Every month I needed to take four days off work simply to curl up in a corner and wait for the pains to subside. It seemed conventional painkillers such as Paracetamol didn't make a lot of difference, and in any case they tended to make me feel sick, plus being really hard to swallow.
Numerous times I went to various Doctors and explained the suffering I was going through, only to be told to go home and take, yes, you guessed it, a Paracetamol! I suspect that as most of them were men they simply took it as simply another female dealing with a few cramps each month and making too big a deal out of it.
It took over ten years for the real reason behind my agonising period pains to come to light, and this was when I first went to a Doctor to find out why I was failing to get pregnant with my first Husband who already had children of his own from a former marriage.
By this time I was about 26, and had been going through this pain since the age of 16 when my periods had first started.
The fertility specialist did an internal ultrasound, and then informed me that I had a 3" ovarian cyst on my right ovary, plus distinct signs of endometriosis. He arranged for me to go into the hospital to have the cyst, and as much of the endometriosis as possible removed in the hope of improving my chances of conceiving. He also determined that I wasn't ovulating after taking various blood tests in the time leading up to the operation.
I looked into exactly what endometriosis was, and discovered it it when uterine tissue forms outside of the uterus for no reason that Doctors can explain. This tissue follows the same cycle as the tissue within the uterus, so each month it builds up a fleshy blood filled lining, before breaking down at the end of the cycle. The problem with endometriosis, is that outside of the uterus there is nowhere for the blood and tissue to escape, hence the agonising cramps during the menstruation week.
This tissue has been found in all kinds of bizarre places in the body, including in the brain, rectum and various organs etc.
The ovarian cyst too could be potentially dangerous if it grew too large and then burst, so it was important that this was removed as soon as possible. Cysts form naturally on the ovaries each month and usually burst to release an egg, but in certain cases they fail to burst, and simply keep on growing larger and larger, and adding to the severity of the period pains each month.
There are various kinds of cysts that can also form on the ovaries such as:
Follicular Cysts. These cysts form when the sac doesn't break open to release the egg. Then the sac keeps growing. This type of cyst most often goes away in 1 to 3 months.
Corpus Luteum Cysts. These cysts form if the sac doesn't dissolve. Instead, the sac seals off after the egg is released. Then fluid builds up inside. Most of these cysts go away after a few weeks. They can grow to almost 4 inches. They may bleed or twist the ovary and cause pain. They are rarely cancerous. Some drugs used to cause ovulation, such as Clomid® or Serophene®, can raise the risk of getting these cysts.
Endometriomas.These cysts form in women who have endometriosis. This problem occurs when tissue that looks and acts like the lining of the uterus grows outside the uterus. The tissue may attach to the ovary and form a growth. These cysts can be painful during sex and during your period
Cystadenomas. These cysts form from cells on the outer surface of the ovary. They are often filled with a watery fluid or thick, sticky gel. They can become large and cause pain.
Dermoid Cysts. These cysts contain many types of cells. They may be filled with hair, teeth, and other tissues that become part of the cyst. They can become large and cause pain.
Polycistic Ovaries. These cysts are caused when eggs mature within the sacs but are not released. The cycle then repeats. The sacs continue to grow and many cysts form.
Ovarian Cyst
Endometriosis
To say I felt angry was an understatement. I had gone through years of suffering that largely could have been avoided by much of the endometriosis being removed, or at least being placed on prescription strength painkillers. Who knows how long the cyst had been there, but what I did know was I had been, and still was, experiencing all the classic symptoms of both problems, yet until I needed fertility treatment no Doctor had even suggested this a possibility.
The classic symptoms of both these conditions are as follows:
Ovarian Cysts.
Pressure, swelling, or pain in the abdomen.
Pelvic pain.
Dull ache in the lower back and thighs.
Problems passing urine completely.
Pain during sex.
Weight gain pain during your period.
Abnormal bleeding.
Nausea or vomiting.
Breast tenderness
***
Endometriosis
Pain before and during periods.
Pain with intercourse.
General, chronic pelvic pain throughout the month.
Low back pain.
Heavy and/or irregular periods.
Painful bowel movements, especially during menstruation.
Painful urination during menstruation.
Fatigue.
Infertility.
Diarrhoea or constipation.
Headaches.
Low grade fevers.
Depression.
Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar).
Anxiety.
Susceptibility to infections.
Allergies
Adhesion Being Cut
Well I did go into hospital for a week, and had both the cyst, and some of the endometriosis removed, but it left me with a four inch scar across my bikini line, (over which I later had a tattoo done to cover up).
Some years later (after my first Husband sadly died before we could pursue fertility treatment further), I was again told I had an ovarian cyst by a fertility specialist, only this time it was on my left ovary. He could also see signs of endometriosis on the ultrasound, so booked me in to remove the cyst, and run a dye test to see if my fallopian tubes were blocked.
By now the technique was far simpler and could be done as keyhole surgery and as a day patient. Hoping against hope that this time my problems would be solved, I went in for the operation.
I had to wait seven weeks for my follow up appointment, during which time I had no idea what the findings had been or what had been done.
Upon attending the second appointment the Specialist didn't waste any time in telling me it was not good news. Apparently I had now developed severe adhesions within the whole reproductive system, and in places my other organs had even fused with my reproductive organs. He explained that these adhesions could have been caused by the endometriosis itself, or by an infection following previous surgery. Unfortunately they had been unable to find my ovaries through all the scar tissue, so could not tell if the dye passed successfully through the fallopian tubes or not. I don't even know if they found the cyst to remove it as I was left too stunned by what he said next to think to ask the question.
He now felt it was extremely unlikely I would ever get pregnant without IVF, which is something my current Husband Richard and I simply couldn't, and still can't, afford, (not a good position to be in when you are already about to turn 39 years old).
Mefenamic Acid Tablets
Ectopic Pregnancy
On the plus side, I no longer get the severe period pains at all, mainly because an element of the endometriosis was removed when I had the first operation, plus I can now obtain some fantastic tablets from my current Doctor on prescription called 'Mefenamic Acid Tablets 500mg'. These tablets are specifically geared towards period pains and prevent the production of the irritant chemicals that cause much of the pain and inflammation in the body.
I urge anyone reading this who suffers with severe period pains to insist their Doctor look into the possibility of either endometriosis, or ovarian cysts. Although even after removal these problems can tend to return eventually, the suffering will largely be removed, and what is left can be helped with such tablets as I have suggested.
Most ovarian cysts are not life threatening, but there are some potential dangers in the event one ruptures, so don't delay getting any suspiciously severe pain investigated thoroughly.
In the event you are experiencing severe pains in your pelvis, abdomen, or sometimes even in your shoulder and neck, there may also be a risk of an ectopic pregnancy which truly is life threatening and should never be ignored.
In the event you suspect any of the above please contact your doctor immediately.
Disclaimer: As with any online advice, this article is not meant to replace a consultation with a professional Doctor, and if you are concerned about your period pains then my advice would always be to make an appointment with a Doctor as soon as you can.
My Article on How to Reduce Period Pains and Period Cramps.
- How can I reduce period pains and cramps?
If you have suffered with severe period pains or severe period cramps and have no idea what to do to take away the pain, then this is the article you need to read. If nothing in this article helps, then there is another optional article linked to her
Useful Link Regarding Ovarian Cysts
- Signs and Symptoms of Ovarian Cysts
I realize the picture could be graphic but it is reality as I am only able to define what it really is by presenting what it looks like. You have to first define what an Ovarian Cyst is, to better...
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Good Luck Suiiki, I am horrified you were never checked for this as a hysterectomy is a drastic measure to take unless all other possibilities have been ruled out first. Go to see a new Doctor as soon as you can, and if needs be print off this article to show them, or at least quote the names of the various problems such as Endometriosis and Adhesions etc.
Thanks for sharing. My period cramps are regular and I normally brush it off. The symptoms listed quite scared the hell out of me.
Hi Vivienne, my advice would be to get yourself checked out. I don't know your age, but if you want children etc then this can be a major sign of potential problems. If your Doctor tells you not to worry and brushes you off, find another Doctor who will take you seriously, preferably one who has extra qualifications in gynaecology.
Hi, ive recently had my gallbladder removed as had two gallstones that we thought were causing my pain. However now ive had it out there is no change of symptoms, i have excruciating period pain always down my right side, leg, stomach and back and the rest of the month the pain is still in my lower right back and pelvic area. I am also very 'windy' and having alot of pain in my right neck and shoulder. Why would i get period pain just on the one side? I dont know what to do and my doctor just seems to have given up on me, im in so much pain constantly.
Well I am no Doctor, but I would go for a second opinion. Endometriosis is one possibility as these cells can appear all over the body, and in theory therefore they could appear just down one side of the body and bleed during your period, therefore causing you pain. A worse concern I would have would be a possibility of a stroke, so that is why I would definitely seek a 2nd opinion. You could also start by contacting a Doctor on one of those websites where actual Doctors answer your questions.
You could also look into Fybromyalgia as a possibility, as your symptoms of constant pain sound similar (my Mother has this).
Symptoms of fibromyalgia include:
Chronic muscle pain, muscle spasms or tightness, weakness in the limbs, and leg cramps
Moderate or severe fatigue and decreased energy
Insomnia or waking up feeling just as tired as when you went to sleep
Stiffness upon waking or after staying in one position for too long
Difficulty remembering, concentrating, and performing simple mental tasks
Abdominal pain, bloating, nausea, and constipation alternating with diarrhea (irritable bowel syndrome)
Tension or migraine headaches
Jaw and facial tenderness
Sensitivity to one or more of the following: odors, noise, bright lights, medications, certain foods, and cold
Feeling anxious or depressed
Numbness or tingling in the face, arms, hands, legs, or feet
Increase in urinary urgency or frequency (irritable bladder)
Reduced tolerance for exercise and muscle pain after exercise
A feeling of swelling (without actual swelling) in the hands and feet
Painful menstrual periods
Dizziness
Try looking here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fibromyalgia for more information.
Good Luck.
when i was just 15 i was send in to have Endometriosis removed and when they opened me up they found nothing. The doctor put me on the pill which has saved my life, now i can attend school and sport. previously the pain would be so bad that my body would resort to stoping me walking and therefore crawling to the toilet to get sick. now after being on the pill the pain is still sever but with the appropiate medication i can write exams and play team sport. i would still like to know what caused this extreamity and if any one knows the information would be greatly appreciated.
Hi 17, I am so sorry you have been through this pain and still don't know what caused it. I am not an expert other than from my own experiences, but have you considered the Fibromyalgia possibility or even fibroids or ovarian cysts ( latter two, assuming your surgeon didn't look for these)?
If you only get these pains during your period try to get hold of some Mefenamic Acid Tablets 500mg, as these are lifesavers for period pains and stop the cramps. They are designed for period pains and are not just like taking a normal painkiller. Really, do try them. Your Doctor should be able to prescribe them for you, and trust me, they are fabulous.
I started when i was 15. I was on my first period for 18 days straight. And woke up every night with blood up and down my back and sometimes in my hair. I had to go home from school every day. I can not eat for the first three days of my period, because the pain is so bad I vomit(with or without food). I never know when i will start. I cramp badly for 3-4 days before my period. I am going to ask the doctor about these Mefenamic Acid Tablets. I am so happy to read this information. I am making an appointment today to go see a doctor. I really hope things get taken care of while I'm still young. :)
Good Luck Samantha, I really hope you are on the mend soon and your Doctor takes you seriously. If he won't, then insist on a second opinion and make sure they pay attention. Mefenamic Acid tablets are a Godsend, and I wouldn't want to be without them.
I'm 14 (I started when I was 13) and last month my period pain was so bad that I vomitted 3 times, I couldn't walk and just rolled aroun in bed all day moaning, my mum just thinks it's a stomach ache but she's wrong. I'm on my period now and I have took 2 Paracetamols but I can still feel the pain easing through but I'm better than last month, oh god, I hope there's nothing wrong with my ovaries :O
Don't panic Amelia, lots of people get seriously bad period pains, but do see your Doctor and ask the questions about Mefenamic Acid tablets, possibilities of endometriosis etc. It is too easy for people to just assume you are having a bad period and that is why it is painful, but once conventional painkillers are ineffective you should tell your Doctor and insist they investigate further. Get your Mum to read this hub too as you will feel better if she backs you up on this and agrees it should be pursued medically.
Just last night i suffered a horrible cramp around 2am. I woke up with excruciating pains in my abdomen and pretty much the whole stomach area. This is not the first time. For the past two years it happens on the 2nd day of my flow and leaves me in pain for about an hour. The pain lingers for the next few days and when my flow is over I forget about it until the next time of the month. I've been to my doctor about 4 times and he hasn't stated the above diagnosis. Thank you for sharing. I'll be able to ask more about this in my next visit.
Thanks Meri, I really hope he listens, but if not please seek a second opinion. You may also find a woman Doctor will take you more seriously as male Doctors have no idea how bad the pain really is. Good luck.
i really have very bad period pains .. my stomach starts paining so bad .. i jus can't tolerate that .. i keep having pain even before my periods start.went to the doctor and had a scan too .. everything was fine .. now i am taking some painkiller , that initailly used to work .. now nothing seems to work .. that pain killer causes a lot a lot of acidity ..
Try the Mefenamic Acid tablets vanitha, they never caused me any acidity and work like a charm. They are totally designed for period cramps and are NOT just another conventional painkiller. You didn't specify what kind of scan you had, if things are really bad a camera sent internally through the area below the belly button for a proper look is best and is performed under a general anaesthetic. An ultrasound scan should show any cysts on ovaries and possibly severe endometriosis too. however, my adhesions and the severity of my endometriosis only became apparent when I had the laparoscopy (the camera below the belly button operation). Perhaps you should consider a 2nd opinion from a new doctor!
i am suffering from most/if all the symptons of endometriosis. I have the most horrendous periods i have to take time off from work nearly every month as the pain is so bad i cant concentrate on anything and throw up with the pain, nothing seems to help it. I have been trying for a baby for a year and a half and am 23 years old. nothing has happend so far. I have been to the doctors who have not really helped me, they refferd me to a fertility clinic but they made me feel awful and like i shouldnt be there because of my age so i never went back. after reading this i am going back to the doctor again tomorrow. thanks.
Good luck Katy, please don't take 'no' for an answer. male doctors don't always understand, female Doctors are better, (although not always). Please post back here to let us know how you get on.
I'm 18 and started my period when I was 11. I've had a regular cycle since then, the only difference every month would be by 2-3 days or so. I have very bad pains only the first day of my period, and my period lasts for 5 days. The pains make me groan and lay in bed for a few hours and not want to ever get up. I've taken a low mg ibuprofen and it barely helps, but when I take a higher dose I feel too dizzy and get bad anxiety. Anyway, is this pain something I should be worried about, if it's only for the first day?
Hi Just Me, This actually sounds pretty normal to me, but you might want to get it checked out if it gets worse in years to come. Again you could ask your Doctor to prescribe you Mefenamic Acid tablets as they are specifically geared towards period pains and work brilliantly.
My doc says i might have endometriosis but i'm too scared to go to the hospital :( i dont want to be operated on. is there any other way? will having a child help? i'm 26 and dont mind having a child. pains are so severe.
Hi GLAM, having a baby will not help at all, and that is if the endometriosis allows you to get pregnant! I strongly recommend you do go to the hospital, as assuming they are going to give you a general anaesthetic to have a look at your ovaries via a small camera inserted just below your navel, then believe me, I have been through this and it is a walk in the park. You simply go in, have a small injection in the back of your hand to put you to sleep, and the next thing you know you are waking up, pain free, and the investigation has been done. It really is so easy and nothing to be scared of at all.Even if they do any surgical removal of the endometriosis on you under an anaesthetic, you won't be in pain when you wake up, and they give you painkillers that work, to be sure of this.
I urge you to listen to your Doctor and go into the hospital, you won't regret it and it really isn't as scary as you think by a long stretch.
Hi, i had an abortion about 7 months ago and ever since ive had the worst period pains and i never got them before well maybe the slight twinge but that was about it. It hurts to pee when im on my period now i feel more bloated alot and it hurts around my belly button area. this months was by far the worst though i couldnt move and the pain spread down into my leg and not only did i have cramps my stomach felt sore as if id of just done sit ups. i am going to doctors but i wanted to know if anyone knew if abortions can cause worse periods pains? or just any info i dont my doctor to just fob me off when i know something isnt right
Personally not sure on this Charlie, perhaps some infection got in during the abortion, (I had this and similar symptoms after several years ago when by a fluke I got pregnant at a time my Husband and I were unable to afford a baby due to loads of debt etc). Maybe some damage was done. I would definitely get several professional opinions if your normal doctor tries to "fob you off".
Here's my story. I started my period when i was about 11 or 12 years of age which lasted 7 days. I never suffer from excruciating pain until i was in high school at age 15. The first time i felt this type of pain was when i was at home on a Sunday morning. I got up and went to the bathroom and i noticed i was feeling very dizzy and weak. I went inside the bathroom as as soon as i sat down to pee a lot of blood came out and out of no where my whole body started to hurt. It hurt's so bad i started to cry at the same time i started having fever like symptoms.I heard back then that it was good to sit in a tube full of hot water to ease the pain so i plug my tub and got in it. As soon as i jumped in the pain became worse. I then crawled out of the tub and sat back on the toilet and finally gave up and cried for help. At this time i was crying and screaming because of how painful it became. My mother came in the bathroom and i was butt naked and crying to her how much it hurts. She quickly dress me and took me to my room before i could reach the bed i fell to the ground and screamed some more. By this time the period pain was just unbearable i just want to die. My father came to my room and panic and told my mom to make me soup and put Chinese rubbing oil on my back. The Oil is suppose to help heat your body from the inside out when you get a cold or flu. My mother basically held me up while she fed me and she gave me really hot tea. About an hour later the pain lessen. And i went to sleep and woke up okay. I forgot to mention that i get my period every month sometimes once a month sometimes twice a month. Then i soon realize that i would get the excruciating pain ever once in a while. This caused me to miss so many days of school and early departure from school. I researched and found nothing that could help me during these years. All i did to take the pain away was take 650 mg pills about 4 or 6 pills a day while on my period and drink really hot tea or hot water. Nobody i know has this type of problem. I just didn't understand what was wrong with me. Now and then i looked on the internet to see and all i came across was take pills or go see the doctor. I don't have any insurance so i never went to see a doctor. When i was 17 I became pregnant and i was only 2 months preggo before i bleed and had a miscarriage. When i went to the hospital because of the pain. They took me in and put me to sleep and did surgery on me. They gave me 4 months of free insurance i believe. I had a gynecologist doctor who did only 2 check ups on my and he gave me birth control pills and told me i might have Endometriosis. Told me to come back six month later for a checkup and i told them i had no money and they helped me that once and i never been back again. I supposedly had ab normal cells and that's all i know. Before i knew it my 3 month free health insurance was no longer there and ever since then i still have the same problem. I tried applying for insurance but got rejected and currently I'm trying to apply to other health insurance.
Yesterday i had pain in my back and stomach and today it gotten worse. I woke up at 5 in the morning because it was painful yet again. I cried for help and my mother came to the rescue again. She made me food and hot tea and gave pills. The only problem is it hurts but there no blood coming out. So its been two days that I've been in pain and there's not blood at all. This issue is really bothering me. My father doesn't understand it and my boyfriend keeps telling me that he has never seen anyone else with this pain and that its all in my head. I really hope i get health benefits soon so that i can fix this problem.
Wow, this sounds awful and I still don't understand the blood in the pee as being connected to the period as they are different areas of the body, (although endometriosis can be present in any area of the body). I am shocked your boyfriend thinks it is "in your mind", how selfish is that attitude? I bet it would be different if he had the pain. sounds as if he is fed up dealing with the problem and the easiest thing to say is you are imagining it, I repeat... how selfish!
I really hope you do get medical insurance soon as there is not much else I can suggest other than the Mefenamic acid tablets that are specifically geared to dealing with the pain caused by period cramps. Surgery may be your only other option and I certainly doubt hot teas, Chinese rubbing oil and soup would help even slightly, with the pains you get from endometriosis or similar.
I sincerely wish you good luck.
It really is painful. I try to deal with the pain but sometimes the pain is just too much to handle. I'm afraid to stay at home alone when my period is about to come because i fear that if i cant get myself some food because of how weak i am im afraid i might pass out or die. Looking at the two different list. I most likely have endometriosis. And yes my boyfriend just doesn't understand this. maybe i need to show him this page. so he can see for himself. Im glad you posted this up. I am currently 19 years old and ive been like this since 15 . Thanks again for posting this up. And i will try getting me some Mefenamic acid tablets. This was really helpful to me. =)
Do let me know how you get on Liz. The Mefenamic acid tablets are prescription only so you will need to get the prescription from a Doctor, but they do work better than anything else I have ever tried before. You should show your boyfriend this page, it might open his eyes up a little to how common these kind of pains really are. Good luck
Hi, i have also and still am suffering really bad period pains sice i was 13 and i am now 31. i have been to the doctor for many years and it is only now i am getting checked for endometriosis. I have an appointment next month and i am just praying that everything will work out fine as i am with my partner 12 yrs now and we have been trying for a child over a year now. I suffer every month and suffer from the following: Pain before and during periods, Pain with intercourse, Low back pain, irregular periods, Painful bowel movements, especially during menstruation, Painful urination during menstruation, constipation, Headaches and Depression. i seem to have most of the symptoms for endometriosis and i really wish anyone suffering from this all the best and i hope it all works out for you. fingers crossed.
Thanks for sharing your experiences Pamela. I really wish you the best of luck with your tests and hope you do manage to resolve your problems and have a baby in the future.
Hi,
This ha left me both , shocked and sacred .I go on my oeriod for 7 day and the first two days are hell , nothing goes in as i vommit half the time.
Just last night i tossed and turned ....i have tried all the pain killers u can think off but nothing works.
me an my baby are trying to have a baby but have not beeing succesful, have booked a date with my doctor for Monday so that he can check to see what the problem might be.I am scared he is going to tell me that my tubes are blocked as i once suffered from reoccuring thrush but got it treated.The weird thing though is everytime after sex i feel like something wants to come out at times i will have discharge but it goes away after three days and with that comes discomfort.
what could be the cause of this..and yes thank you for sharing your information.
I hope your Doctor can check this out for you, and belive me, you ARE doing the right thing going to him now.
Sounds like you are still young, so at least if there is a problem you have time on your side to do something about it. Please ask for the Mefenamic Acid tablets from your GP. At the very least they are a Godsend for period pains and are specifically geared towards period cramps rather than just a general painkiller.
I can't answer your other questions as I have not experienced these exact symptoms, but I hope your Doctor/GP can. I sincerely wish you well and hope you will let us all know how you get on in order to help others who may be experiencing what you have been through and are equally scared.
Thanks for posting.
PS, on the plus side I don't think Thrush will be an issue in your tubes. Thrush is usually in the more external regions, not in the tubes, so a blockage in the tubes will usually be a completely separate issue, don't panic, I am sure your Doctor will confirm this.
I've been suffering intense period pain for the past 6 years (since i got my period) and pretty much suffer all symptoms of cysts and endometreosis, although i've had ultrasounds to show that i don't have any cysts and just had surgery 3 days ago which also cleared me of endometreosis.. what else could it possibly be? there is no way i could be suffering from so much pain during ovulation, my periods, sex and even when i skip my periods (due to the pill) i still have pain when i SHOULD be having my period, there must be another explanation..
In fairness some people do suffer from severe period pains regardless of whether they have any problems or not. This is due to severe cramping and is best dealt with by using the Mefenamic Acid tablets I describe earlier. They were the best things I ever tried to relieve the pain, and I DID have problems as you know. A friend put me on to them in the first place and I was so impressed I went to my own GP and got him to prescribe me more of them. Other than that I can't answer your other points about when you experience the pain, perhaps someone else on here can offer some further ideas. I know that if your vagina is not in the same direction as normal, i.e. it points to the right, left etc etc, it can cause pain during sex, especiallly in certain positions. Perhaps you could get this checked out as a manual examinaton should answer this question if you see your specialist or doctor.
IVE NEVER HAD IRRGULAR PERIODS NOW I DO BECAUSE THE FIRST PERIOD IS REGULAR THE SECOUND ONE IS ALWAYS 11 DADYS LONG CAN THIS BE A CYST ?? IM SCARED
WHY DO I GET MY PERIOD TWICE A MONTH ??? NEVER HAD BEFORE BUT EVER SINCE LAST YEAR WHY IS THIS HAPPEING IM SCARED
Hi Help, I would mention this to your GP/Doctor, but wouldn't panic too much. Many women go through phases of irregular periods and quite often it is just hormones playing up. I haven't heard of this being a symptom for cysts so hopefully it is nothing to be too concerned about.
Hi, I dred the day of my period every month, the pain that I have us unbearable, I get stomach cramps in the lower part of my stomach, I go light headed and feel sick or feel like I need to go to the toilet, the tops of my legs hurt so much that I can't walk and if I doy legs shake and i feel like I'm going to faint, I go ded hot and sweaty it Is awful I have suffered from this for about the last year or so but I have always had bad periods since I started when I was thirteen .. Did u have any of these symptoms?
Well, I only had the severe cramps, not the other symptoms, but that is not to sat no-one else has experienced them. Have you spoken to your Doctor about this yet Nicola?
hi..i am 21 i get really bad cramps too i have to take days off work lay in bed rollin around in tears..i had bad cells removed at 16..get smears every 6months..if i had any of these thing could they no from the smears..i seem to have all the signs?
No the smears would not show up endometriosis, adhesions or ovarian cysts I am afraid. Usually an ultrasound will be done to detect cysts, and a laparoscopy (small telescope inserted through an incision below the belly button under General Anaesthetic), will be used to determine adhesions and endometriosis. This is not as bad as it sounds really and once they establish the problem the efforts to reduce it such as removing the endometriosis or cysts etc as much as possible are also done with very small incisions that heal quickly. Bad news is that cysts often recur in certain people and endometriosis and adhesions do tend to return in a relatively short space of time. Mostly the best option seems to be getting the right kind of pain relief such as the Mefenamic Acid tablets. Of course if your problem was more serious such as an ectopic pregnancy this operation would save your life.
In your case I don't know what the cause is, as I too have had "bad cells" in my past, but feel this is coincidence and unlikely to be related to your period pains. It is most likely to be endometriois I would think.
thanks for your reply..i went into hopsital last year wit the pains and they did a ultra sound but could not see my ovarys as i was bleeding so never got a answer for my pain..would you advice goin to see my doc and try and get another ultra sound
thanks for your reply..i went into hopsital last year wit the pains and they did a ultra sound but could not see my ovarys as i was bleeding so never got a answer for my pain..would you advice goin to see my doc and try and get another ultra sound
I would definitely ask your Doctor to follow this up and tell him what you are concerned could be causing these pains based on what you have read here. Your Doctor will know all about endometriosis etc and will know what needs to happen next.
i will do that..thanks for your help
You are welcome Laura. Do let us know how it turns out.
Hi, I am 22yrs old and I started my periods when I was 12 yrs old and always had painful periods with heavy bleeding and tried lost of different forms of contraception to try and help but they did not work they made it worse. Then January this year I starting getting constant severe stomach cramps all the time, and pain during sex, I had a Lap done in May which found endometroisis and adhesions which they left and did nothing with. 12 weeks later I saw my consulatnat gain that offered me the Zoladex Implant to be injected every 4 weeks for 6 months or to have children. So I went for the injection in my stomach every 4 weeks, but I only had one as the side affects were so horrible as it tricks your body into fake menopause and it had not help the pain neither. I am in constant severe pain everyday, I cannot do any pyhsical activity not even walking and i am bleeding heavy everyday which makes me very dizzy and sick and at the moment the hospital or the doctors are doing nothing and I am being left like this. I take co-codamel 30/500 every four hours and Mefenamic Acid tablets 3 times a day and I also constantly have a heated bag on my stomach all the time but still in pain. Somebody please help?
This is a tough one to answer unless you get a second opinion. I did have some of my endometriosis removed surgically, and it did help for quite a while, but it does come back eventually, and unless you are willing to keep going through these operations I am not sure what else to suggest.
Hi! Your post was extremely helpful to me, seeing as I have many of the symptoms related to Endometriosis. I'm 20 years old and I don't have health care. My mom does not want me to see a doctor about my cramp pains (it's complicated), but I'm going to see the doctor on my own, when I get the money. These cramps have begun to interfere with my daily life and of course, my schooling. Some of my female teachers know of my pain, so they understand when I miss class, however, my major is video production and digital filmmaking. There's not much room or time for me to be sick in this field, so I definitely need to see a doctor about some medication that will work. Ibuprofen takes far to long to work and over the counter drugs don't really work. I'm so envious of these women and young girls who can swim, eat, and have fun on their period days and I have to stay at home and curl up, feeling like death. Again, thank you for this information. It's uplifting to know that there's help for this, and it actually works.
Hi Gabrielle, well do let me know how you get on once you have seen a Doctor as I hope he will be able to accurately diagnose the cause of the cramps in your case and refer you to a specialist for the correct treatment. At the very least if he prescribes you the Mefenamic Acid tablets they should help you a great deal.
It might also be worth you considering getting private health cover before seeing a doctor, as if you see the Doctor on a "pay per appointment" basis, and he finds a problem. you will be forced to pay for all further treatment as well, and if you only take out the medical cover after the problem has been determined, you will find they exclude it from being covered. At least if you have medical cover in place when you first see the Doctor all further necessary treatment would also be covered by the insurance too.
Good Luck
Hi,
After 2 years of fairly regular periods (they started when I was 14) I started to get my period every 2 weeks. This continued for about 3-4 months, so I decided to go onto the pill to regulate them. I was on the pill for a year. And then I got sick of it (as I wasn't sexually active) so I stopped it. My periods returned to regular ones. Horay!
But then 6 months later, I started to get horrific period pains for 3 days at the start of my period. I was admitted to hospital once because it just felt like someone was stabbing me constantly, I was in sheer agony. After this I went to a specialist to see wether there is something wrong - I got a ultra scan, but everything seemed fine.
Then the pain seemed to subside for about another 6 months, but recently, for my last 4 cycles I am a wreck when my period comes.
I have huge hot flushes - even in the middle of winter I am constantly hot right before my period. I have to take days off work and just lie in bed because I have that much pain. I started the pill again a month ago, and now my period is comming, and I am off work again with pain. I don't know what I should do!!
Hi Harriet, well I am glad you are back on the pill, as it is so much more than just "birth control" for sure.
Right now I would recommend you see your Doctor again and get a prescription for the Mefenamic Acid tablets and see if they help. If they don't work I would urge you to get a further investigation done by your Doctor and a specialist in case you do have endometriosis that has now developed to a more easily detectable level.
thanx men diz really hlp out wxplaining my girlfriend why she has a severe pain......
You are welcome Ali, I hope it helps her.
Yeah that is very true about it being at a more developed level now possibly. Thanks heaps.
You are welcome Harriet, good luck.
ive had anxiety since i can remember and very heavy painful periods, but now something new...pain before the period for about two weeks so much so i have to keep checking if i have started.I have two children, so i am very lucky, but why do i have this sudden change? i also need to pee more, sometimes making me feel as if i were pregnant (but with pain) although it turns out that im not and also a very painful bowel.But i can deal with the pain and the emotions, but the worst thing is the extreme anxiety throughout the month.my doc gave me some mef acid yesterday which ive had before and taken during the period, so i took some (although i dont have my period yet) but it didnt seem to make any difference although when im on its excellent.sorry about my punctuation but there we are. what do you think?
This is tricky Floss, about two weeks before your period you are likely to be ovulating, and some women do experience pain during ovulation. What isn't clear is why this has only just started happening to you when it didn't before. I guess it could be hormonal too, and possibly some form of HRT might help balance out your hormone levels so that the anxiety goes away. You don't say how old you are, but I did wonder about possible early menopause being a factor, or perimenopause. Are you periods still regular and do you ever miss any?
Mef Acid works to stop cramps which are the cause of period pain. If you are in between periods and you are in pain then I would doubt it is caused by cramps and this would explain why the Mef Acid would not work.
I am not a Doctor and can only go on my own experiences when advising you, but in your situation I would go back for a second opinion and get other possibilities looked at such Endometriois which could have developed over time and only just begun causing you problems because it has reached that level. As Endometriosis can appear in virtually any part of the body you could get it in your bowel area etc too. Adhesions might also cause problems similar to those you describe, so make sure they check you out for them too.
The anxiety is something I too suffer from, but I have found the prescription drug Amitryptiline (hopefully spelt correctly as I haven't got my packet handy), very helpful with this, so you could ask your Doctor about that. It relaxes you without making you feel groggy, and really helps you to get a good night's sleep as well.
hii, i am bryttnie i have had my period since i was 9. i am now 14. i have been on the depo shot for almost a year but the doctors took me off it...i am having such bad pain and i juss want to cry...not to mention i also have cyst's on my overies...this pain i am having is so great i cant even concentrait in school...i need to know how to help it. otherwise its going to drive me crazy!!!
Hi Bryttnie, cysts are removable with surgery so you should ask your Dr about this option. A scan would help determine the size and quantity of the cysts, and if they are bad it is worth getting them removed in case they get really large and burst. Do try the Mefenamic Acid tablets as they were a Godsend to me with my pain. Also, speak to your Dr about having the laparoscopy, (a small camera inserted in a tiny incision below your navel under General Anaesthetic to see what is going on in and around your reproductive organs). This minor operation might show up Endometriosis as being a part of the problem also.
Nice hub. Thanks for the info.
You are very welcome dynamag :)
Hi , ive had my period from the age of 13. im now 17 and ive severe pain every month. I feel faint, dizzy, head aches, lower back pain and breast tenderness. this pain often stops me from going to school, and in some cases if my period comes while in school i have to go home because the pain is so intense. Paracetamol is total rubbish. the doctor put me on the pill, ive been on it for approximately a year. it worked quite well when i started taking it but lately the pain is back and severe again.
Again I highly recommend the Mefenamic Acid tablets your Doctor can prescribe to you. They will target the cramps that period pain is usually caused by, as opposed to simply being a painkiller. These actively stop cramping. I actually had symptoms as bad as yours for many years, often having to take four days off work each month. It was years later that investigations found that the cause was largely endometriosis and my Doctor had simply assumed it was 'normal' period pains that could be solved by 'taking a paracetamol'. I found their attitude really annoying, I mean, if a Paracetamol was going to work I wouldn't have been paying out for a Doctors appointment as I would already have tried the 'painkiller' route and found it helped. These kinds of problems are often taken more seriously if you see a woman Doctor as many male Doctors don't really seem to 'get it'.
Hi,
But are there any tablets that can just finish this pain. I'm tired of this pain sometimes its there for all days until I finish.
Hi Zee, well no, there are no tablets that can just 'finish this pain' as you don't know the actual cause of it unless you get it thoroughly checked out by a Doctor. If the problem was endometriosis for instance, surgery might be a solution that would last a few years at least. It is like someone with a brain tumour saying "well isn't there a tablet I can take that will just get rid of this headache?"
The Mefenamic Acid can be taken for the duration of your period and will control the problem well if it is just cramps as a cause, but if not then you need to check out the other possibilities and know that there are no permanent 'cures' in a pill form.
Thank you so much mistyhorizon2003. I am using the Mefenamic Acid and they work for me but I will take your advise to consult the Doctor becuase sometime the pain starts 3 days before I go to periods. May be there is something wrong.
Thanks again
Good Luck Zee, I hope they do find a solution for you, but in the meantime stick with the Mefenamic Acid. The fact they are working indicates you might only have the cramps to worry about rather than anything more serious.
I have a regular 26-28 day cycle and my periods are usually pretty heavy, but for the most part normal. I suffer from bad cramps but none like the ones I had today. I couldn't walk, i was dizzy, and I felt like I was going to vomit,the cramps made my legs numb. This has happened 1 year and a half ago and I was sent to the er, but it has never happened again until today to this degree.I am curious as what is going on because I have such regular periods and i hope this horrible pain doesn't hit me again. why would this happen so sporatically?
I do not know why this would happen so rarely Dee Dee, but I would most definitely go to your Doctor asap in case it is indicative of something far more serious. e.g. an ectopic pregnancy. I know it went away last time, but that could have been more through good luck than anything else, and this time, or next time you might be less fortunate. Don't take no for an answer, demand more detailed tests and scans if necessary.
I have been told that I have a fibroid,have had bad piriod pains since I was 14, I am curently 27 and still surffering every month, I have problems with anemia and feel pain during sex particularly days before my periods. My Dr insists the fibroids can be responsible for the pain but I should not worry unless I have problems falling pregnat,after what I read here i am feeling a bit worried, is it mandatory for the fibroids to be removed? will renmovi it stop the pain? which by the way are unbearable and giving me problems at work as I have to take time off every time i am on my petiods.
I wish I could help you on this one Bmaa, but fibroids are unfamiliar territory to me and it would be wrong for me to give you advice on this basis. I would suggest you do seek a second opinion though, preferably from a gynaecologist rather than just a regular Doctor. I hope you do manage to resolve these awful problems/symptoms. Good Luck
AWESOME HUB! I think every woman should read this hub!-- thanks
Cheers ss sneh, I hope it helps many women.
I suffered since I was 18 with endometriosis - when to see several Specialists before one suspected I had endometriosis. I then had a laparoscopy and was told that 95% has been removed and they needed to do a laporotamy (very painful operation) to get the rest.
This one done when I was 33. I am now 46 - I still get pain but only when I start menstruating for a day or so(no longer a week or two before menstruating) and take special anti-flammatory medication for it. What I have found that the endometriosis must have spread to other parts of my body - because not only do I bleed via my vagina, I also bleed via my anus - which is a bit of a worry. I know its related to the endometriosis because this ONLY happens during menstruation.
The op helps but no gaurentee its gone for good.
This is so true Dizzy, usually endometriosis does come back even after surgery to remove it. Sadly the removal tends to only act as reprieve for a year or two, but it is better than nothing, and can, maybe, give a couple the chance to conceive in that short space of time, (with a bit of luck).
i have such pain i feel weak
Hi aysha, the Mefenamic Acid tablets would more than likely solve this so do ask your Doctor for some. Meanwhile try lying down with a hot water bottle on your abdomen and this will ease the pain. If this pain becomes a regular occurrence you should ask your Doctor to investigate further.
hi there, just yesterday my period came and lord i could not move i was weak, everytime id wee id see blood in the toilet and clots of blood would just slip out. I feel scared everytime im due to come. Iv noticed my breasts get very sore a week before my period comes. My breasts would hurt that i wouldnt wanna wear a bra, i cant feel them coz they are sore and if i stand up it feels like they are heavy, it only happens when am due to come on my period. I end up taking 4 to 5 tablets in the 1st 2 days (paracetamols) but they dont help i still feel the cramps durin and before my period comes. Im 20 years old now but the 2 years has been painful that id have to drag myself to do things. I woudnt wanna eat coz the pains there. My body feels hot and i bleed heavily 4 2 3 days then it weakens. My breast stop hurting when my periods come. But what i hate is the pain, i get i am always dreading coming on. But after 2 days i feel less, i feel like oh god somethings happening inside me. I get use to it but then the same thing happens each month. I just hate it so much, id even moan groan scream cry crawl cant even stand up straight or get ready to go out it just makes me feel weak and upset. How do you think you can help me ease this pain?
please help me give me advice i been reading this whole page its helped me to not think of the cramps
Hi Cara1/aysha, the painful breasts etc that you describe are typical of period pain symptoms, and are not unique. Paracetamol will not work on cramps like Mefenamic Acid does, so forget them, and go to your Doctor for Mefenamic Acid tablets on prescription instead. I can't really give you any more advice based on your longest comment, as I have already covered it in the hub article itself, (essentially endometriosis, cysts etc should be investigated for by your GP referring you to a specialist for ultrasounds and/or laparoscopy). Please book in to see him asap and ask him to look further.
PS. clots of blood when you urinate are not connected, as the clots (consisting of a small amount of blood and a larger amount of mucous and uterine tissue naturally passed during menstruation) will be coming from your vagina and the urine from your urethra.
Hi, your story has really got me thinking .. I suffer from anaemia & I've blamed my severe agonising period symptoms on it. Now that I've read some of the symptoms on here a majority of them apply to me. I too have been constantly told to pop in a pill to relax the pain but they never workk. I think I should get myself checked out
Hi, your story has really got me thinking .. I suffer from anaemia & I've blamed my severe agonising period symptoms on it. Now that I've read some of the symptoms on here a majority of them apply to me. I too have been constantly told to pop in a pill to relax the pain but they never workk. I think I should get myself checked out
Please do PrincessND, and at the very least try the Mefenamic Acid tablets to see if they help. It is always worth ruling out more complex problems such as the endometriosis or adhesions first though.
I'm having very bad period heavy bleeding also a lot of pain like contractions. When I has pregnanti know I had a cyst do u think this could still be there and now causing me pain?
The cyst could still be there Shah, or you could even have developed a new one after the original one burst. I have had two in my life so far, one on each ovary at different times. Well worth getting yourself scanned just in case. This would also explain the pain, but then so would many of the things I list in this article, e.g. endometriosis, so do get a check up based on all possibilities. Good Luck
Thank u mistyhorizon2003 hpimg on tuesady will let u know what happens take care bye. Ps keep up the good work very good info u have. Bye
Do let me know Shah, that is great. At least you will know then and can get treated accordingly. I am glad this has been of help.
i started my period just as or before i started high school. normally my period only lasts about 3 or so days - it rarely goes longer than 5, and i do get cramps but normally paracetamol and a peppermint takes care of it. but recently i have noticed that each month the pain seems to be getting worse. i have tried almost everything i can think of and have read to do, to reduce the pain. even if i have a shower the pain doesn't seem to lesser or go away. im starting yr 10 soon and really don't need to miss any days at school because of period pain. i just want it to go away :( !
Hi Beth, have you tried the Mefenamic Acid though, as they work in a completely different way to a painkiller, so they might just do the trick. Certainly I would advise you to go to your Doctor and ask for further investigations into the possibility of Endometriosis and/or Ovarian Cysts, especially as the pain is getting worse. Good Luck
PS. The Mefenamic Acid work as an anti-cramp medication rather than a painkiller, which is why they work so well for period cramps.
thanks; i'll try that next time, the severe pain turned out to be the last day of bleeding.
how ever i have never heard of Nefenamic Acid.
Hi again Beth, it is Mefenamic Acid, not Nefenamic Acid, and please talk to your Doctor about it as it works brilliantly.
In my experience the pains have normally gone before the last day of bleeding, so you might still want to ask your Doctor about Endometriosis or Ovarian Cysts.
Good Luck
I am so happy you posted this!!! I have been asking myself "Why can't i get pregnant after 6 yrs of unprotected sex?, Why are my cramps getting worse with each month?" This may have answered alot for me, i luckily just got health insurance so "to the doctor i go!". Again thanks alot :)
I so hope this answers your question ms.kansascity. Do let me know how you get on, and I am really pleased you have got medical insurance as it could have got expensive otherwise. Good Luck
I have had very very sever cramps sice I was about 15 years old. Iv been to the doctor time and time again and all they do is put me on birth controll. Iv tried the pill (which made my cramps and vomiting worse) depo shot(made me have a period well over six months and irregular periods) and now the patch(getting ready to start) My periods are so bad I miss school, I vomit from all the pain and can barly have sex(anytime it seems) No painkillers seem to help. It seems the doctors act like I'm lying about my symptoms cause there only cure seems to be birth controll. After reading this I may go back and talk to them again cause all of my symptoms sound similar to a few things I have read in this article.
Please do emahlee, or go to a different Doctor and tell him what you have said here about being ignored. Birth control never helped my period pains at all either, and I am shocked they haven't considered the possibility by now that there may be a problem like Endometriosis or Ovarian Cysts etc.
Hi I also have unbearable period pains,heavy flow,big clots,pain during sex.my periods last 8 days! Can't have a baby.
Sounds possible you have the same problems Phumlile, you should look into it if you haven't already.
Hello. I'm 15 I started my periods when I was 13, throughout the two years I've suffered with some period pain but it's not terrible it was bareable, for the last 8-9months my periods have been terrible! Awfully painfull too! In October 2009 I didn't come on until the February the next year! We just thought this was a phase! I'm currently on my period now the pains are excrutiating some of my friends suffer with some of the same symptoms too, so I thought this was just the 'growing up period' but yet seem to e getting worse, I can't walk somedays and even struggle to move and breath cause the pain occurs mostly then. I have been considering wether to go on the pill to see if this may help but my mother doesn't understand and believes that the only reason for my action is due to sexual intercourse when it's not! No one understands how much pain I'm in! Somedays I feel a's of I am to faint! Anyway! I'm off to the local family planning tomorrow to sort it out, all of this information has been very helpful! Thanks all:) xxxxx,
I do wish you well with this. Initially the Mefenamic Acid might help you a lot, and then if the problem persists over time you should start thinking about getting further investigations done in case it is something else. Good Luck.
I just had endometriosis removed about 3 weeks ago. I had HORRID cramping every month and would have to cancel all my plans (school, work, etc.) just because of the pain. They found endometriosis and removed it but i am still having bad pain? Why is this?
Hi Carly, well you are still no doubt sore inside and healing, plus it is rare for them to be able to remove ALL the endometriosis without risking damaging your ovaries etc. Another word of warning, is that endometriosis does tend to return over time, so you might well need further operations in the future for the same thing. Adhesions can form inside the reproductive area too, often around the same areas endometriosis has been removed. These too could cause you pain. I would give it a couple of months and if you still have pain go back to your specialist to discuss it further.
I had severe issues that were very similar to the list for endo. However, during hysterectomy at age 32 it was diagnosed as Endo and Adenomyosis. Upon recovery of surgery and returning to the hospital room from hysterectomy i felt 100X's better than i had in the prior 2 years. Up to surgery day i laid in bed the week before to the week of cycle. 6 years later i am having problems in my colon, they mentioned colon cancer - in doing research i come across intestinal endometriosis, i have now asked for testing of this....scares me, but not as bad as colon cancer does and the symptoms match!
Thanks for sharing this Tracie. I lost a Husband to Colon Cancer, (it was found too late) so I sincerely hope it isn't that. Endometriosis can be anywhere in the body, even the brain, so it could very well be that this is your colon problem, especially as Endometriosis grows, and spreads, so it would explain why it took so long for you to start to suffer. I really hope you will come back here and let us know what the results are and how the treatment pans out.
Good Luck
Hi am 18 started my period at 11 the were fine a couple of months then the got real bad sumtimes a get them 1 or 2 times a months they last 4 or six days and when a get my period a cant eat a get sore heads and my left leg a get shooting pains in them and the pains in stomac and lower back are horrendis every pain killers av tryed dident work my mum took me to the doctors and he gave me the mefenamic acid 500mg 2 every 4 hours but they dont work even them with feminax ultra a went back to my doctor he said it was just normal period pains a dread every month with the herrendose pains am scaird that a over dose on pain killers just to get the pain to ease do u know anything that could help me plz a just whant it to go away please help xx :(
Hi Maggie, I think the key here is that you have tried Mefenamic Acid and it didn't work. This virtually rules out period cramps as a cause for your pain. I strongly suggest you return to your Doctor (or get a second opinion from a new Doctor), and insist on further tests, i.e. ultrasound scans, laparoscopy etc to check if you might have Endometriosis or Ovarian Cysts. Might even be worth trying to see a female Doctor as they often have more sympathy towards period pains than male Doctors who have never experienced them.
Thanks alot whair a come from thair are no female doctors a wish thair were a could talk to them better than a male doctor a feel nervos when a talk to him and embarest compleatly help x
Why don't you try writing to your Doctor in advance of your appointment Maggie. This way you can say exactly what you want to say and they have time to consider it before your appointment. Make sure you describe in detail all the symptoms, and how it has changed from how you used to be. Also explain that you find it awkward to talk about this in person, which is why you are putting the problem in writing in advance. You could add that you don't feel the problem is being taken seriously enough, and that you feel it is essential further investigations are made.
I hope this helps.
Thanks this will rely help thanks again
Thank you for posting your story AND for responding to so many women's questions!
I do have afew of my own - if you wouldn't mind sharing your thoughts.
May of 2008 I ended up in the ER for severe cramping. They did an in-utero ultrasound and didn't see anything. Since then {nearly 3 years} cramps have just gotten worse to the point that acetaminophen/codeine doesn't get rid of all the pain.
1 - do you know how long it take endo to grow/occur? Is there a chance that within the last 2 1/2 years I could have developed endo?
2 - if it takes longer than that, should I do see my Doctor anyways? I just can't tell if my cramps are really that bad, or if I have a low pain tollerance. {But I have broken 9 bones in my 25 years so far, so I feel like I know pain!}
Thank you!
Hi kberd, firstly thanks for posting your situation here.
My first question would have to be have you tried the Mefenamic Acid tablets at all? The reason I ask is that Codeine is a painkiller, whereas Mefenamic Acid is an anti-cramp medication, and therefore works in a completely different way. This may work when painkillers won't.
Secondly, yes, there is a chance Endo could develop over two and a half years, (less in lot of cases), so I would suggest returning to your Doctors. Also get them to check for ovarian cysts, which they can do with an ultrasound scan performed using a probe during a routine appointment with a specialist.
Finally I would definitely return to your Doctor, even if only to get the Mefenamic Acid tablets in order to try them out. If they don't work ask for further investigations to be done to rule out endo, cysts or adhesions.
I wish you all the luck in the world, this is not a nice thing to be experiencing every month.
PS. the ER scan you did, was it done through an incision below the navel, or was it done through the vagina? The reason I ask is that you really need the one involving the incision and the camera being fed inside to take a look (General Anaesthetic so don't worry). The latter would not be sufficient on its own if you had endo alone.
PPS kberd. Ultrasound may well not pick up on endo, you need the camera (laparoscopy) to have a proper look inside. You are only in as a day patient, so it is well worth doing. I should have said above that the 'former' (as in the ultrasound) would not be sufficient on its own, and you need the 'latter' to check for endo, adhesions etc. A laparoscopy can also allow the endo etc to be removed that the same time.
This was a very useful link..I jes read in todays paper bout Endometriosis...N it scared da hell outta me...I wanted to cross check on da net n found tis link...I live in India..N wen eva i have visited a gynec they often said to come back if da pain persisits after marriage n tat it is normal to have severe pain durin those few days.But my periods have been excruciatingly painful for da past ten years.I have been poppin in so many pain killers n jes love to be left alone..(da only time i even cry are during those 3 days)Do ye really think i need to check this out cz they say this pain is heriditary..Mom n granma have also had pain...
Hi avesta, I would be inclined to get yourself checked out if the pain is as bad as you say. I don't know how easy this is for you to do where you are, and if you can be prescribed drugs such as Mefenamic Acid. For a lot of women it is normal to get pain during their periods, but if it is excessive then it should be investigated. Period cramps can run in families, true, but did your family have such severe pain as you are experiencing?
My advice is to ask your Doctor to look into endometriosis or ovarian cysts as possible explanations for your extreme levels of pain.
Good Luck
ive had really bad periods for about 10 years now and im only 26 ive been to the docs so many times with this and got fobbed off with stress related ibs for which they gave me medication for im thankful i have 2 children but dread when my period comes round as i have so much pain and i bloat right out to the point i look heavily pregnant i get back ache and it hurts to walk i cant play with my kids whilst im like this and it also affects my job i am so fed up that im going to try the doctors again even tho i have very little faith and see if i can end this nightmare once and for all so i never have to tell my kids again that mummy is in to much pain to do anything with them
Hi Alisia, I recommend you quote some examples from this article and force them to investigate these as possibilities.
Good Luck
hi, I've had extremely painful periods for 7 years - I'm 19. Doctors just kept putting me on birth control pills to see if would help, I've been on 5 and none of them worked. The pain just gets worse and worse with each period, plus back pain, nausea. My period lasts for 7 days and the whole time it's heavy and painful! Finally the doctor listened to me and I had an ultrasound the other day turns out I have a bicornuate uterus not sure if this is causing the pain but I see the specialist late june.
Hi Nicole, the 'bicornuate uterus' is a new term to me I have to say, but at least they have finally found a cause of your pain. I am glad you mentioned this in the comments section as it may benefit someone else too. Thanks and good luck with the specialist.
Bicornuate uterus isn't a rare thing but it isn't very common, easiest way to describe it is that the uterus is in the shape of a heart. My mum actually has the same condition, not sure if it is just a coincidence I have it or if it was just a fluke. But I always knew something wasn't right, chances are if you feel there's something different about your body, you're probably right that something of some description is going on! You know your body best, you know? When I found out I felt like saying SEE I KNEW!
I must admit I can see why you felt like saying 'SEE I knew' to your Dr. You suffered needlessly because they made assumptions without actually investigating other possibilities.
well i got fobbed off again they want to fit me with and iud coil and they want to do more blood tests to make sure its not to do with the bowel im so so so frustrated and feel like crying to know ive still got to suffer pain ive been given tranexamic acid to take when im on my period but can only take it 4 days at a time has anyone ever taken ths does it work i just wanna scream right now 15 days and counting till im nxt in agony
It sounds like Tranexamic Acid might be the same as Mefenamic Acid, in which case it is usually very effective as it works as an anti-cramp medication, rather than a painkiller.
You must remember that your Doctors work for you, not the other way round. You pay medical insurance, and this pays their wages. This means you have the right to demand they look at the possibility of endometriosis, ovarian cysts etc, and if you insist and they still refuse, change Doctors/get a second opinion. I really cannot see how an IUD Coil will make any difference at all to your pain, and I would have thought they would have investigated the bowel as a last resort, not a first one. I would suggest writing to your Doctor voicing the fact you are not at all satisfied with their chosen course of action, and you want to insist on the investigations being done into Endometriosis and Ovarian Cysts. Tell them to contact you with an appointment date for these investigations to begin. Above all, DO NOT back down and hold your ground. Keep reminding yourself, they work for you, not the other way around.
Good Luck Alisia, let me know if you get any news.
I'm 25 and started my period when I was 13. I've had a regular cycle since then,and i have got 3days flow every month . I have very bad pains only the first day of my period, and my period lasts for 3 days. The pains make me groan and lay in bed for a few hours and not want to ever get up and since few years back i am feel vomiting sensation too. I've taken a painkillers and it barely helps. Anyway, is this pain something I should be worried about, if it's only for the first day?
Hi Me, That doesn't sound too much to worry about, and for many people this is perfectly normal. You may well find this level of painful cramps diminishes as the years go on. I would just say to try the Mefenamic Acid tablets to solve this, as they are totally geared towards period cramps, and act as an anti-cramp, rather than a painkiller. I never found painkillers helped, but Mefenamic Acid was like a miracle cure. You will need to get your Doctor to prescribe it to you, but they normally give you several boxes of it on one prescription, so enough for a number of months of painless periods.
Good Luck.
Just wanted to say I've have very severe period pains for years, I've just tried 'Biocduticals ultra muscleze - nutritious powder with magnesium' I find it helps A LOT! the pain isn't gone but it isn't near as bad
it's spelt Bioceuticals* sorry
I haven't heard of this Lauren. Thanks for sharing the information here :)
Thank you for sharing your story. I'm 26 and have had severe periods since I was 12. For some years now, (I'm not sure how long) every month I have excruciating periods where I get unbearable pain along with getting dizzy like I"m going to pass out, headache, weak, my face turns white, sweaty-which is followed by chills. My last period was like this but so bad I could barely make it from the truck to our bathroom where I almost vomited. It took all my strength to stand up and walk to our bed where I curled up in a ball and cried. It was so bad it felt like my insides were being cut up. My husband and I have been together for 5 years without any contraceptions and I have not been able to get pregnant. If Endometriosis can cause infertility, this may explain why I have not been able to get pregnant, for which my husband had a sperm count done and he is fine. Its stressful researching online for possible reasons why I am in so much pain every month cuz there are so many different diagnosis's out there. I will definitely make an appt with my gyno to talk with them about Endometriosis, if thats what it is I want to take care of it now so it doesn't affect me more in the future.
I sincerely wish you the very best of luck Amanda. It sounds like a distinct possibility that endometriosis could be the root cause of your problem. Do NOT let your Doctor/Gyno tell you otherwise unless they have investigated thoroughly. I am still childless as a result of mine, and if diagnosed earlier I may have been in with a chance of having children if most of it had been removed (although it does tend to come back again, removing it can provide a 'window of opportunity').
Hiyya.x, im 12 and ma periods starting recently and i have reeeaaaly bad period pains, i went to the doctor and she said that there's nothing to worry about, that its just normal, but, when my stomach hurts it affects my back aswell and i have a sharp pain in the side of my tummy :(
Hi Deborah, your Doctor is most likely correct, and what you describe sounds pretty normal, i.e. lower backache, sharp pains in the side of your tummy etc. You really only want to be concerned if the pain becomes so severe it is unbearable and you are unable to function for days at a time due to being doubled up in agony. What you describe sound like normal period pains/cramps, although you could still benefit from Mefenamic Acid tablets if standard painkillers prove to be ineffective.
Ok, fanx.x
:)
i am 13 years old & i have always had a small period NEVER to large , my freinds invite me out . . . Lets go here and there . . . I am turninq down beacause just now ive gotten EXTREME SEVERE !!!!! Pain all over my whatever its called :P & it hurts too where i cryy . . Idk if its pee or what but its seems to bee that everytimee i pass a small amount of pee i literally grabb a towel & rip it with my teeth , or i would punch my self in the face till that pain fades & i would feel the pain of the puches , idk what else to do nomore im goinq to the doctor tomarrow luckily shes a woman , -_- all i know is its unbearable pain its 5:37 am. & i CANNOT sleep , with whatever it is im prepared wish me luckk :D
I used to get the whole 'agony when I pee' thing too Elisabeth. It was if by peeing the full bladder had been supporting 'something', e.g the uterus, and that by emptying the bladder it took away the support and allowed the uterus to return to a position where the pain was caused. I don't know if that is what is actually happening though, but it sure felt like it. Do try to get your Doctor to put you on the Mefenamic Acid tablets as they really do work miracles for period pain, so so much superior to normal painkillers that don't seem to touch it. If they don't do the trick then she will most likely want to loo further into other possibilities.
If it's any other consolation, both mine and my Sister's periods were incredibly painful at your age, and whilst in my case other problems appeared in later years, my Sister does not have such problems, yet her period pains are very manageable now, and seem to have dulled a lot over the years.
Since I was 16 I have been getting really extreme period pains every month I have to take 4 days off of work as I'm throwing up, unable to walk, blurry vision. So il just be in bed all day crying and moaning. Went to the doctors and got an internal ultrasound done and they advised I had alot of fluid. They advised that it could be one of two things a pregnancy that tried to get through or an ovary cyst that had burst. So now I have an appointment with the hospital for a deeper check. I don't know much about what this all mean but me and my husband are very concerned as we are trying to conceive! does anyone have any advise or experienced this type of thing. As I am only 20 and am trying for a baby?
Hi Cait03, I have only had experience of the Ovarian Cysts (which were removed before they burst thankfully), and I used to go through the whole 4 days off work thing too. We have been unable to conceive as a result of Endometriosis for the most part, but I do know Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome can affect fertility too. This is far from determined in your case though, so my advice would be not to worry too much and wait and see what the hospital say. There are so many ways to conceive even if you do have a problem, surgeries to remove problems, IVF etc. In your case there is every hope you will be able to have a baby.
Good Luck
I'm 16 and have had my period since I was 11...the first 5 years I would get slight cramps if any at all...the last year or so everythig has gotten so much worse! The cramps are so bad I can't walk or move. Nothing helps! I almost fainted a couple of months ago. I don't know what changed! It's really freaking me out! Plus I start getting really bad cramps 3-4 days before my period and then the first day of it they are just the most awful thing!
Hi Sara, this is an awful time in your young life, but period pains do tend to get better as you get older. I have been through all you describe including the nearly fainting in my past. Please try the Mefenamic Acid tablets, your Doctor will have to prescribe them for you, but they work brilliantly for most people unless there is a more serious underlying problem.
Good Luck
This article describes exactly what I've been going through. I didn't realise I wasn't alone. I had surgery when I was 20yrs to remove an ovarian cyst and had another one removed when I was 26yrs. Now I'm married and trying for a baby, my doctor tells me I have to do ivf because I have so much adhesion. He would not even do the dye test because he said it doesn't make sense. This is so depressing.
I know exactly how you feel Sher, and I just hope you have a happier ending than mine. Every time my period is late I get my hopes up that I am pregnant, yet I never am. It increasingly looks like I am now going through premature menopause, and I am only 41!! May never have a baby of my own now. This month for example I had a weird two day period which was simply brown (old) blood. Yet again I got my hopes up thinking this might be implantation bleeding as it stopped after two days. That was on the 9th and 10th of July. Then yesterday I began to get brown bleeding again (the 29th July). This was heavier, but still brown in colour, and this time I have cramps as well. Looks like my period could be here in its early stages. Fed up, depressed, and feel like hope (as well as my libido) is gone. Why have a libido if the end result will be zero children regardless?
You really do have my sympathies, and I hope your luck is better than mine.
Hi, I am 15. And I started my periods about 8 months ago, the past few months I have had unbearable pains. I can't stand up and I bleed really heavy. I've been to the doctors but they have just gave me paracetamol and told me to have rest. Its like nobody understands, I've had 'normal' periods, but this pain is excruciating. I really don't no what to do, but going to the doctors is not on the cards!
P.s I think this page is really helpful, and I think you are an amazing person for giving advice about your previous experiences, thank you :-).
Soph x
Hi Soph,
Your experience is typical of what my Sister went through when her periods first started, initially normal, then later on the severe pains etc. I know you say going to the Doctors is not on the cards, but really there is little else I can suggest other than the Mefenamic Acid right now, and you can only get them through a Doctors prescription. With pains as bad as yours paracetamol are generally useless, and warm baths, hot water bottles on your abdomen etc are also unlikely to make much difference. You need to either see a different Doctor, or return to your own Doctor and tell him the Paracetamol do not work and that you want to try Mefenamic Acid instead because you know it works as an anti-cramp medication, NOT a painkiller, therefore is very successful for period pains. As you get older period pains do seem to get less, and you are at one of the worst ages for the pains from my experience. I would suggest you don't worry too much that anything else is wrong unless the very severe pain like this goes on into your 20's, in which case get further investigations done. The heavy bleeding is most likely all part of your young body maturing, which is why it started off light, and now comes through heavy.
Just remember, Mefenamic Acid can be your best friend with period pains, so do whatever it takes to get some, even if it does mean another trip to your Doctor.
Good Luck.
ok so my question is this:
I have children so infertility is definetly not an issue, I got my first period when i was 8 and now i'm 24. ever since the first time i was in so much pain i could not move for like two days. i tried hormone therapy (depo shot and various birth control methods) as well as natural remedies with no success it usually ended up with me bleeding for anywhere between 45-60 days straight. with my current period it was bad the first two days but now after 4 days the bleeding is getting heavier and cramps more painful. my doctor won't do anything about it just tells me to wait it out, should i go to the hospital? my goal is to get a hysterectomy and end all this but they say there is no medical reason.
In your position I would seriously look at going to either the hospital, or a different Doctor (to get a second opinion). It is rare they will do a hysterectomy on someone so young who may later regret it, but if there is something else going on they may find it with further investigation. 45-60 days for a period sounds dangerous to me, and I am amazed you have not been referred to a specialist by now. Mefenamic Acid tablets would probably help with the cramps but the root cause and possible solution still needs to be established.
Yeah, this sounds like me. I started my period at 11, and It's been going on for about two years now. Every month it gets worse. I can barely move sometimes, and I puked at school a few times. In fact, I puked two days ago because of my horrible cramps. I even have to stay home from school sometimes. It's just so bad, and I don't feel comfortable talking to my dad about getting something like a heating pad or something (Young age of embarrassment, I'm really shy so I don't like talking about awkward things like that)Pills never work for me (I usually try to take Advil or something similar) but it never helps. When I'm in school and have my period, I can't run or do anything. And most of the time I get sent home from the nurse's office just because I feel so...horrible. What should I do..?
Hi I'm 16 and I get really servere cramps! They hurt so much and I am always in such agony. I've had my periods for about 3 years now and they are always everytime, unbelievably heavy. It is horrible as it always leaks and I have to wear two night pads everyday until i finish which is really embarassing. I've tried taking tablets and I just can't swallow them. I have a horrible gag reflex and they just come back up again. I've been to A&E a few time from choking on them! I've tried all the other things, like heating pads, hot showers etc, but they don't work at all for me. I've been to the doctors many times but always come out with prescriptions for Ibuprofen and that never works..Also, when I was 12, I went to the Gyne from a refferal and I had to have multiple ultrasounds and they found i had many, many cysts on both of my ovaries. They said i needed surgery as one was really big. However, the night before, i was in extreme discomfort, and when i went to the Gyne urgently the next day they found it had ruptured and they said there was nothing they could do for me. However, in the last year or so, at lease every week i keep getting this really bad pain on both sides of my lower abddomen and it would hurt for a couple of hours. I have no idea what it is. is it just pelvic pain? Also, when i'm on my period, i've noticed that i get this sudden sharp knife-like pain that shoots up my vagina and i can't move or practically breathe until it is gone...Is that normal?
What can i do for the bad cramps? The doctors are no use! I really need help! What should I do? Thanks
Hi Veronica, like I have said before in this thread, painkillers may well not help. You need to go to your Doctor and get Mefenamic Acid, which is NOT a painkiller (or 'just a pill'), but IS an anti-cramp medication geared directly towards period pains. Heat pads probably won't help in extreme cases like yours either.
Don't be afraid to talk to your Dad, he will know all about periods etc by now. After all, he had you with your Mum, impossible without having some knowledge of periods. You might well be pleasantly surprised at how understanding he is.
If you really don't want to pursue the whole 'talking to your Dad' thing, them Mefenamic Acid is your best bet, and you need a Doctor to get it.
Hi Katie,
First of all I would get the pains you are getting in between periods investigated further by your Doctor. If it was once every few weeks I would say it might be a sign of ovulation, but every week!! It could be further cysts or endometriosis.
I understand the difficulty of swallowing tablets, (I struggle with it too). I am sure if you got the Mefenamic Acid tablets you might be able to either grind them up and mix them in with food, or use a pill cutter to cut them up into tiny pieces to swallow them. They work really well, not as a painkiller, but as an anti-cramp medication, which is what you need to kill the pain at the cause, not smother it or hide it using a painkiller.
The shooting pain in your vagina sounds similar to some of the pains both my sister and myself experienced during our periods. Probably normal therefore! You may well find the Mefenamic Acid will solve this too.
Please get these, they made all the difference to me, and stopped the cramps completely.
Hey,
First of all, thank you for sharing your experience, I hope you are well, and you're really brave for going through all of that.
I came across this post when looking for infomation of why i get such bad periods. Im 22 years old, and since i started my periods they have just been getting worse!. For years Im always have cramps even when im not bleeding, having stomach problems, but when my period starts, i find it very difficult to cope, i vomit, have an upset stomach, i keep getting bladder infections, i always feel nausea, the cramps are getting unreal, i have been taking femanix ultra aswell as paracetamol, which hasnt even touched the pain. I got given menafemic acid 500mg aswell, but even they arnt taking the pain away. The problem is when im not even bleeding im in agony, and when i am on, i just get really poorly. Im going back to see my doctor next week, I just hope they do something.
All the best,
Taylor.
Hi Taylor, firstly thanks for commenting here. I can't answer your problem as you may have guessed, that is a Doctor's job as you are off the scale in terms of your symptoms. I really hope your Doctor can help you, and I am glad you are following up on this with professionally.
Good Luck and I hope they can help you. :)
Thank you for sharing your story.
I have an in-depth knowledge of endometriosis as it's common in my family and the doctor mentioned it several years ago.
Unfortunately- another victim of a male doctor- he doesn't seem to understand the pain and suffering that I go through not just physically but emotionally (I have been with my boyfriend for four years and although he is supportive, it's straining at times).
I'm on the birth control (about the 10th pill that I've tried and I'm finally not spotting all month)...My period started when I was nine and got worse and worse. I would get it for a month at a time, especially if I got sick (like a cold or something).
When I was sixteen, I went on the pill (I'm almost 22 now)... and now, ten pills later I'm still experiencing problems. While my 21 days are nice... those 7 days in between are hell. I ache from my lower back and into my leg. I feel nauseous and sometimes vomit... my breasts are so sore that you'd think they were going to fall off... I get diarrhea and my lactose-intolerance even worsens. And the depression. I'm not even joking... I had my period this past week-- I had two mental breakdowns and quit my job even though a week prior I felt confident and capable. It's like this all the time! You can guarantee an argument in my relationship when it's coming because I get severely depressed... and in general, I just ache.
I've been to see the doctor so many times and been rushed out the door on a different birth control pill or with another ultrasound paper and nothing! I don't even bother going anymore... just suffer this stupid agonizing pain until eventually I walk myself into the hospital.
Again thank you for sharing your story... more people need to know about these things. I went on for so many years thinking what I go through is normal.
Take care,
Kim
Thanks so much for sharing your story here Kim, as it may well help others to know they are far from alone.
I really hope you force them to act on your problem, as it is operable, and whilst with Endometriosis it may not be a long term solution (because it does tend to return), it may still alleviate your distress for a year or few!
This page was extremely helpful. I actually went through some severe cramps last night an after I took 2 pills I decided 2 research severe cramps. When my period is on my pain is excruciating. It feels like someone is stabbing me a knife in my vagina and my belly. My flow is regular though,and my pain goes away for a few hours once I take a pain killer. Sometimes I have to take pills 3-4 times a day. I'm gonna schedule a gyn visit asap thnx 2 u. I'm tired of being in constant pain. Hope its nopthing serious. :)
Hi Di@mond, I am really glad this helped you, and I hope that perhaps all you need is to try Mefenamic Acid, but if there is something else going on at least your gynecologist can look into it further and hopefully solve the problem for you.
Good Luck :)
Hi there, i am already taking mefenamic acid and they dont seem to be making much difference, i still end up taking paracetamol too and even then i am still in pain. I am 21 and have had my period since i was 9 years old. I started getting painful periods around the age of 11 and they just seem to get worse as i get older. Ive tried pretty much all contaceptive options that my doctor has suggested with no luck and actually resulting in being better off without them as they were causing me huge mood swings and emotional breakdowns. My periods are now completely irregular and i get horrific clotting, vomitting and cramping along with hot and cold sweats. I have been told by the doctor that it is primary dysmennoreah however no tests have been done to rule out secondary and a cause for this. What else can i do to try and get my doctors help? I was told by a previos doctor (who is now retired) that my pain could be caused due to the neck of my womb being too small and that minor surgery colud be done to help this however i have mentioned this to my new doctor and he just dismisses it. I am fed up of living like this and of everything in my life revolving around the pain what else can i do to get the national health service to actually help me??
Hi Amy, if the Mefenamic Acid are not helping I am guessing there may be something else going on. If your Doctor is a man, he may be like many Doctors (although not all), who don't really understand or take it seriously, (not least because they have never been through the level of pain themselves, or because they see a range of female patients, all complaining of the same problems, but fail to realise that the levels of pain do vary considerably). I would try to get a woman Doctor for a second opinion, as a woman may understand the nature of the pain and take it more seriously.
Good Luck :)
When I was in the 8th grade, I would have to leave school beacuse I would vomit and become very pale and almost pass out from my periods... The pains eventually went away about six months later. I am now starting my 10th grade year and the pains are starting again. The pains are like nothing I have ever felt. When I have normal period cramps, they are dull ones on my lower back. When I have these "extreme" pains, I have the pains in my back AS WELL as my stomach. I also vomit, become weak, have splotchy vision and almost pass out. I just can't miss two days of school every time this happens. Please help! :(
Hi Rebecca, try the Mefenamic Acid tablets by going to your Doctor and asking him to prescribe them for you. They will normally do the trick, but if they don't you might want to look at having further investigations done by getting yourself referred to a gynecologist.
Good Luck.
i have this difficulty that my periods donnot stop naturaly i have to take regestrone and cycloset to stop them. m thinking to revisita gynocaelogist will also tell her about this endometeroisis because my continues troughtout the month minor or major untill and unless i dont take the medecines. this article helped me
can you
can you suggest me anything why it is caused is it due to over secretion of hormone or anything else because i never had this before only since 2 months that its bleeding continuously. i really want to hear from you.
Hi Anirita, I am not an expert on periods not stopping, but have heard of a disease called 'Von Willebrand's Disease' that can cause elongated periods. Another possibility is that it is a side affect of the 'Depo' shot if you are on it and a further possibility is that you could have fibroids in your uterus. I would suggest you Google all three of these to find out more about them, and then possibly ask your Doctor to investigate them as possible reasons for your problem (if he hasn't already done so).
Ok, thankyou a lot. m afraid now. i m now 15 and don't want any surgery. i googled down them. can you tell me the causes behind uterine fibroid.
tomorrow m visiting the doc hope for the best. thankyou a lot ma'am.:)
I am afraid I don't know the answer to that one, and my own research seems to indicate that no-one really does for sure. It seems to be mostly in people over 30 though, so is unlikely to be your problem.
You are unlikely to need surgery unless your problem ended up being something like Ovarian Cysts, or Endometriosis. What I can tell you from my own experience is that surgery is not nearly as scary as you think. It is like the lights going off, and then immediately on again, but somewhere in the millisecond in between the op was done. The pain relief they give you is so effective after the op that you don't feel any pain unless you try to do cartwheels or something like that. Personally I have had several General Anesthetics in my life now, all of them for surgery, and I am completely relaxed about the whole thing now.
Good luck at your Doctors, and I hope they can help you further.
i have read through and im having the same symptoms too.. my son is now 13 months old.. i used to have really bad pain after sex and around periods but had ultrasounds and was told it was just period pain… but since my son the pains have got worse and since march ive been admitted to hosp 3 times with unbearable pain the day of or day before my period is due.. it actually feels so painful and i get a pressure as if im in labour and need to push (sorry if tmi).. ive had more scans and im finally being referred to gynae but have to wait another 5 weeks… last night i had this pain again and the only pain relief that seems to help is voltarol suppoitories but the dr will not perscribe these ( my sister is nurse and gave me them) .. ive now been perscribed buscopan (which is for ibs) so i dont know how this will help but im willing to try as i have a period like pain all through the month and severe pain after walking for a long while or when period is due .. so bad i have to call a family member to look after my son… id like to hear if anyone else has any views whether this could be endo or not thanks
i am 14 i started my period when i was 11 it has never been normal sometimes i only have one for 3 days or up to a week and twice a month if i am lucky ill get 18 days of a break but it dont matter how long it is i still hurt servely bad to the point i am either laid up on the couch all day on my side or in my bed rocking back and forth nonstop and nothing i seem to take helps it i try takeing asprin to thin my blood hopeing it makes the cramps go away but it dosnt help.
Firstly Anmarie101896, aspirin will thin your blood, but why do you think this will result in no cramps?? The two things are completely separate issues, thin blood is nothing to do with cramps! Sounds totally like you need to Mefenamic Acid, which IS an anti-cramp medication, NOT a blood thinner. Painkillers, blood thinners etc do not help in severe cases, only an anti-cramp medication such as Mefenamic Acid will work in such instances (unless something more serious is going on). Please ask your Doctor to prescribe you Mefenamic Acid and forget the aspirin.
Good Luck
Hi April, I hope it is not endometriosis for your sake, but if it is you can have much of it removed, although it can (and usually does) come back within a few years. The thing I found with endometriosis was that my problems only happened when my period was due or current, as it still follows the hormonal cycle, so the bleeding isn't constant, only at 'that time of the month'.
Sounds like Ovarian Cysts could potentially be an issue based on your symptoms, but I would wait for the gynecologist to perform relevant scans, ultrasounds etc before you worry too much.
I hope your gynae can find the real cause of your problems for you and then solve them.
Good Luck
hey, i am 31 years old with two kids. i started my period when i was 12 and the pain in my back and down my legs was horrendous. i couldnt move for the whole 1st day of my period i was literally screaming and throwing up constantly for the day. i was told it was only my 1st period and the next one would be grand, but this happened every month and it was only when i went on the pill at 16 that it got better. Im now 31 and the pain is a lot better but i had abnormal cells that i had to get removed about a year ago and in the las few months im bleeding every time i have sex in the week before my period. i realy dont want to go back to the doc as im sick of being proded at so would anyone have any ideas if this is normal or should i be worried?
Hi Linda, what you describe could well be symptomatic of Endometriosis, so I am afraid my advice would be to go back to the Doctor and get it checked out. The Mefenamic Acid could help with the pain too, but if trapped blood (Endometriosis) in the wrong parts of the body is your problem, then surgery is your best bet to solve the problem, although it is not a long term solution.
Since my first period at 10 I've been suffering with agonising period cramps and now 9 years on they are getting worse. The week before I get cramps and more recently lower back pelvic pain. On the first day I get hours where it is excruciatingly bad; It's a ripping slicing pain, tearing pain in my back and my legs cramp badly too. Also I tend to get dizzy, faint and nauseous. They are also very heavy with lots of clotting. I was out once when It started and I ended up laying on the street, passing out and by the time I got home my lips had turned blue as I screamed in pain. Nothing comes close to touching the pain; full dose painkillers plus buscopan, heatpads, mefenamic acid too.
Iv'e been to the doctors in the past and she makes me feel like I'm making it up, as though it's not that bad. Last time I spoke to her said she doesn't think there's anything wrong and I'm just unlucky because if I had something like PCOS or Endo I would be in pain all month and not just before and during my period. She suggested the pill but I'm really not keen as it increases chances of cancer. I also have dizziness, faintness and swollen lymph nodes for the last year which she said was anxiety though I genuinely believe it isn't. It's ruining my life I missed the first week of college due to this.
So here I need some advise. I have never been examined or seen a Gyno. Do you think I should go back and ask to be referred ot at least checked? I honestly don't think I can deal with this much longer :(
Hi Louise, I most definitely think you should go and see a Gyno, and I am shocked your Doctor has not suggested it herself before. I had endometriosis for many years and still do although less of it since surgery. The pain does NOT come all month, because like your uterus tissue the endometriosis only 'bleeds' during your period, and because it is not in the correct part of the body for the blood to escape, you get the pain during your period, not at other times of the month.
Also Google 'Ovarian Cysts' because your symptoms sound consistent with those too. You might find this link useful as a a starting point:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/ovarian-cysts/DS0
Even if you can't get your current Doctor to refer you to a Gyno, get another Doctor to see you who will!
I should also add that I have had two ovarian cysts over the years, one of which was surgically removed. Again I only ever had pain at the time of my period, not for the entire month.
Good Luck
Thankyou so much for your reply,it means alot. I'll make an appointment with another doctor and hopefully get checked :)
You are very welcome Louise. Too many women suffer for years with terrible period pains and keep being told it is just bad cramps, or that they are making a big deal out of normal period pains. Many of those women (like me) find out in later life that they had been suffering from conditions like Endometriosis or cysts that could have been treated, and at least the pain drastically reduced. I was really angry when I found out I had endured years of pain that could have largely been avoided if the Doctors had thought to investigate further.
I hope your next Doctor is more professional and I sincerely wish you the best of luck.
Hello,
I was diagnosed with PCOS when I was 18. I've never had regular periods.
Last year I started having chronic pain, before I came on my periods.
The pain lasted for about a week and it got worst as time went on.
During this time sex was painful,the only to get relief from the pain was going to the toilet.
A ultrasound showed I had a very large cyst on my ovary, which needed to be removed.
The surgery went well and the cyst was removed, but the pain occasionally comes back.
Am pretty sure I have endometriosis and i'm considering getting a second opinion on the matter as my doctors says that there is nothing else that they can do for me.
I don't think its fair I have to put up with this pain for the rest of my life (am 25).
It's shocking too see women being ignored by there doctors.
My advice is too go and get a second opinion and don't give up until you get satisfaction.
Best of luck to all of you.
Thanks for your feedback Kate. It is important you do get a second opinion regarding the endometriosis. It can't be cured, but it can be periodically removed, and whilst it does tend to return, for a few years (approx) in between surgeries you should find the pain considerably reduced, and your chances of conceiving (if you are having problems), increased.
Too many Doctors dismiss this pain as 'normal' and don't bother to look further. Did you know it takes more training for a Veterinary Surgeon than it does for a human Doctor/GP. Perhaps we would be better off going to our local vets for treatment/advice LOL.
i started my period when i was 13 and i am now 23.. well 24 tomorrow. *party* Yesterday was the first day of my period, which i usually always dread. I have been hospitalized for the extreme pain off and on since i was 15, and yesterday was no exception. Everything felt fine so two of my co-workers and myself went out to lunch and then i started feeling light headed so i laid down at the table and instantly felt as though i had to go to the bathroom so i carefully made my way there and felt worse, on the way back i started seeing tunnel vision and felt as if my whole body was in a vice and trobbing in pain. as i inched my way closer to the table i fainted, threw up and instantly my hands started to cramp up and get locked in a claw position. I began to sweat profusely, and moan from being in extreme pain, no position was comfortable... It felt as though my stomach area was in a vice, being run over by a combine tractor and twisted as it was beaten with a spiked bat... Since my face was stone cold white, my speech was non existent, and i was just in no good of shaped they rushed me to the hospital, i had to be carried to the car and carried from the car to the hospital, were even sitting in a ball in the wheelchair was painful... and meanwhile this was still in front of my co-workers/boss...
i have been diagnosed with endometriosis in the past but didn't have anything removed. on top of the fainting, not being able to move, sweating, hand cramping, shortness of breath, and losing the ability to speak (too much pain) I also have pelvic pain, constantly going to the bathroom, heavy bleeding (sometimes not).
this horrendous thing happens almost every month, every year where its completely unbearable that i have to leave work (i can't drive with the fear of hands cramping and blacking out at the wheel.. also sitting hurts like a bitch). i am hospitalized (usually by force) once a year (at the most). Most of the time i pray that i get cramps/start my period on a weekend so i don't have to suffer at work... if i do i either get picked up or pass out in the handicapped bathroom and suffer on the cold tile there (usually getting there by crawling on hands and knees).
i am scared that it may be something else... they didn't run any tests besides urine and blood.. and gave me a high dose of morphine, anti-nausia medicine, another pain killer and an IV... i am taking the day off from work today as i have a throbbing headache and my stomach/cramps are still not back to nothinghess.
what else can it be? i honestly do not wish this pain on anyone.
Get the Endometriosis checked out again, and ask for surgery to remove it. It will most likely return every few years, but the pain will be massively reduced in between times. You can also check out Ovarian Cysts as a possible cause. Painkillers only mask the problem rather than dealing with it. You need to insist on proper investigations being done via ultrasounds, coloscopies etc.
Good Luck
Hello
Im 18 yrs old & i was only 11 when I first got my menenstrual period, but it was irregular, so I went to my doctor and they did an ultrasound too see what was, but they never found anything wrong with me, so my doctor have me a 7day pill that helped me regulate my per, ever since it did I would get my per ever month, but after I started getting my regular per ever month it was always the first day of my per I would and still do intill this day get crucial pains in my lower back and my stomach area I get low fever, I get dizzy weak, my thighs ache, I start to vomite and I won't eat for hours because of the pain, I start to cry it's just a horrible pain, and this has been happening for about 6yrs now I've always had this pain since I was 12, Ive also have tried conciving a baby for about 6 months and my husband and i are concerned about why i havent been able to get pregnant if we're sexually active when im fertilized and ovulating i havent seen a doctor for that, but i sure will, thought it normal, intill I did research I'm worried I might have an cyst, and the changes of not being able to have a baby.
I also forgot to mention I've always had a heavy period as well.
2 year without period make me sick every day ..help me what should i do??
Hi Roxana, well fertility problems are associated with Endometriosis and Cysts, so my advice would be to go to your Doctor and get further tests done because you do sound like a potential case based on your symptoms. I have still never conceived as a result of this, and now I am in my early forties I doubt it will happen. I just wish I had known what I found out about my condition earlier so I could have started trying for a baby sooner, and before my insides got all scarred up with adhesions, endometriosis etc.
Good Luck.
Hi mhariecriz,
I am afraid I cannot explain why you have not had a period for two years as this is not an area I have any experience of. I would strongly urge you to see your Doctor and get this investigated.
Good Luck
Before and during my period I have pain in my lower abdomin that makes me cry. I also have major headaches. I'm 13 an it's felt like this for about 3 months could it just be pms?
This could just be normal period pains Alana, and you might well find Mefenamic Acid would help in your situation. I would ask your Doctor to prescribe some for you as they get rid of most period pains very effectively.
I got my period when I was thirteen. my first period was normal and I didn't gave any cramps
every month now since then I feel like my cramps are becoming more and more painfultoday I took six midols within eight hours and it didn't help at all. my mom has had cervical cancer and My grandma had severe bleeding. my cramps are excruciating. am I at risk of having a serious problem? what should I do
First of all don't worry. Many girls new to periods do suffer a lot of very bad cramps, and I would suggest you go to your Doctor and try the Mefenamic Acid tablets to reduce these cramps (painkillers just don't put a dent in really bad cramps). If the pain is still awful you can ask your Doctor to make further investigations to see if anything else is going on.
Do you get the injection that prevents cervical Cancer where you are yet? In the UK they have started adding it to the list of inoculations they give to school children. To be honest I don't know much about it, but you could Google it to find out more. It might be an option that would at least put your mind at rest about the risk of getting cervical Cancer in later life.
Good Luck
I'm sixteen now so its been three tears since the first period. and yeah I had the shots. I'm going to the doctor to see if I can get the mefenamic acid. thank you so much for your help. I really appreciate it
Glad you have had the shots dianam, that should be one less thing to concern you.I am fairly sure the Mefenamic Acid will be a great help to your pain, but if you still have the severe pain even with Mefenamic Acid you can get your Doctors to look into the possibility of Endometriosis or Ovarian cysts etc.
Good Luck :)
Hello,
Since i was 14 i have suffered from severe period pain in the first 3 days of my period, my periods have also always been very heavy to the point where i feel dizzy and sick and have to take a day off work.
My stomach also gets extremely bloated about a week before my period and my breasts are very sore.
As a result I went to the doctors last year and as I was getting worried there was something not right, I was recommended the contraceptive pill, but even with this my periods are still heavy but less painful.
My boyfriend and I want to start a family over the next year or 2 so I dont want to continue to be on the pill.
Do you think there is anything more to my symptoms? as I am worried about whether or not I can conceive etc.
I also forgot to add that I get quite large clots during the first 3 days of my period and the severe pain is always on the left side of my body and my right side is minimal
Hi Stacey,
I really think you should try Mefenamic Acid before you assume anything major is going on as your symptoms sound fairly normal (sore breasts, bloating etc). If you begin trying for a baby and have no success within 12 months I would go back to your Doctor and ask for further investigations to be done, (in the UK you have to try to conceive for 12 months before they will treat you as an infertile couple who need help). It goes without saying that if you are suffering from unbearable period pains even after Mefenamic Acid tablets then your Doctor needs to look further into the causes, regardless of infertility or not.
Good Luck
Hi. I started my periods when I was 15 and never experienced any form of pain till in the past 4 years. Am now 24 and normally would have extreme period pain on the 2nd day. Thing is though this pain tends to happen from time to time, one month may have pains and the next two, might experience none. Is this normal? Am worried
Well I also had/have some months with pain, and some months with none. I think this is fairly common, but as you had no pain for the first 5 years, and then began getting pain, I do think it might be worth further investigation, even if only to ask your Doctor for an opinion on as to if this could be a sign of ovarian cysts or Endometriosis.
Hi I started my period when I was 12 now I'm 14. When I started it was little painful but irregular with clots so I and my mom consulted a doctor who told me it's normal because it takes times for getting normal in the beginning. She have me some Ayurvedic medicine to mix in milk and drink everyday. And sure it worked. So when I was 13 my periods became very normal, they would hurt quite less and would come on an exact date, i.e., after 28 days. They would still have some clots, but my mom told that's ok. But I started experiencing a kind of migraine, and my head would pain a lot two days every week. I didn't think it's related to periods, though. But when I turned 14 (I had stop taking that dose) things worsened than when I was 12. I start experiencing pain 1 one day before periods and when they come, the pain is severe and I feel nausea and feel like fainting. I cannot do daily things or concentrate on studies. I cry for stupid reasons and become like a mental patient. I become very weak and depressed. I experience pain in my lower back, waist, lower abdomen and sometimes it goes down through my butt till my knees !!! Also, I can actually feel blood circulation going on in my limbs. Blood flow is heavy, I use up to 4 sanitary pads a day for first 3 days and also it's very clotty. I feel like killing someone or dieing myself. I was also becoming very pale and weaker and weaker and vein were showing through my skin in the wrist. S I consulted a physician she told me I could have migraine due to too much stress (I have some family problems) which can get severe due to menstrual trouble and in return increase the trouble too !!! She first told me to have a blood test because my mom had less B12 and hemoglobin and I could have that too. So I did that test and sure enough these things were less. I was recommended to have a lot of milk and its products and food with iron to increase B12 and hemoglobin. (I'm a vegetarian) So started having this diet. But this ain't helping my menstrual pain. I wish I weren't a girl. What IS wrong with my system or lifestyle ??? Please help.
I wish I could help you but this really requires a Doctor to refer you to a gynaecologist to do further investigations as to what else might be going on here. You might also want to see a dietician who can confirm if you are eating a properly balanced diet. Only when you have tried a proper diet for a month or two will you know if that is the cause of the problems you are experiencing.
I do wish you the best of luck though.
Im 16 and i have this bad pain in my lower stomach i am on my peroid today but it has never hurt ths bad i now understand what it might be. Im really afriad therea really something wrong):
Don't panic Kimberly, it could just be a one off, and all could be back to normal next month. If you are really concerned it is worth taking a trip to your Doctor to be on the safe side, only you can judge just how bad the pain is compared to normal. Good Luck
Hi am 25 year old never had sex and never taking suger pill but only activy pill and I got my period what to do?
I've always had regular symptoms during my period. At least till I was 15. I woke up one morning and it felt like someone had stabbed me with a hot knife on the left side of my lower abdomin. I passed out. My mom said I walked to her door and when she opened it I collapsed. I was in a cold sweat and my eyes were so dilated there was no white showing at all. She rushed me to the er but they drug tested me and sent me home. I was still deadlining with the pain for almost a week, so she took me to her normal gp. She ran tests and said it was most likely a cyst ruptured. But ever sense then I get really heavy periods and sever pain and migraines to go along with them. And it seems like after having sex in-between cycles it makes it that much worse. I haven't been able to talk to my gp about this because how religious my family is and the "no sex before marriage" stuff... So I've just delt with it as best I can. I'm 22 now and no longer live with my parents but I'm scared to find out what could be wrong. I have a very supportive boyfriend of 3 years who said he would go with me if I decided to get it looked into... But he already worrys about my health, with even a cold... Is there anything that could be causing such a change?
Wow reading this was like you told my story! I have the exact same thing happening to me at the moment I am now 26 and have been having these unbearable pains for about 10 years. I have right this moment decided to go see a doc about them I really want to have kids, and so glad I found this!! You really opened my eyes to what could be causing this. It thought these pains were normal! Thanks and good luck on everything!
Good Luck Cindi, and thanks for commenting here. Let me know how you get on :)
Hi Berenice25, I am not sure I understand your question as I don't know what an 'activy' pill is or why you would be taking a 'sugar' pill. If you are concerned about having a period and you don't normally get them, I would suggest you speak to your Doctor as I wouldn't want to give you bad advice. The 'never having had sex' thing should not be relevant unless just possibly you have ruptured your Hymen and that is the cause of the blood, not an actual period (the hymen is normally ruptured when you lose your virginity and causes bleeding briefly). Sometimes virgins rupture their Hymen doing other activities such as horse riding though.
Hi Jessy,
What you are describing could well be caused by cysts or Endometriosis or a combination of both. The migraines are not uncommon in cases of Endometriosis because sometimes that same tissue ends up growing in the brain, so when your period is on, the tissue bleeds, and with nowhere for the blood to drain to it causes migraines, of course the migraines may also be caused by hormonal factors during your period too. What I seriously would advise is you go to your Doctor and get referred to a gyno for further investigations.There are things that can be done to reduce the pain levels and operations that can be done to remove cysts and Endometriosis. These days most of those operations are done using keyhole surgery and in my case I have been in and out again within 24 hours. There is a good chance the problem will return, but this takes time, and gives you time without severe pain. The operation can always be repeated at a later time.
Good Luck
Hey Im 16 and have had really bad stomach camps for 4 days and also fell bloated easily. I am late getting my period as it has been 2 weeks since i should have started. when i first started my period i was about 2 weeks late, but for the last 6 months have been on time, i have never had pains like this for 4 days and am worried. My mum couldnt have children so had ivf to have me and my twin, could it be that i may not be able to have children?
It is really too early to tell Ash. Just because your Mum couldn't have children without IVF does not necessarily mean you won't be able to, and it all depends on why your Mum had problems. Every now and again you may have a period that is really late, many women experience this even if normally regular, so don't panic. The bloating could well be as a result of this delay, and will no doubt go away when your period arrives. Some women miss the occasional period altogether, and it may just turn up the following month as per normal. You are still young and your body is developing. Do not worry unless this becomes extremely painful or you are trying (ultimately) and failing, to get pregnant.
Hi. I first got my period in the spring of seventh grade, and it seemed fairly normal, until it didn't show up again the next month, or the month after that. In fact, i didn't get my next period until almost exactly a year later in the spring of eigth grade. I was going through some other medical problems at the time and my parents were taking me to all types of doctors, including an endochrinologist (a hormone doctor), since my blood tests hsowedincredibly high levels of testosterone and very low levels of estrogen. Eventually, I had an ultrasound done an I was officially diagnosed with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, or PCOS, which, as your very helpful article explained, is when the ovaries are covered in lots of little cysts. The doctor put me on the pill to regulate my cycle and balence out my hormone levels, and I am continuing to take the pill today, and things are going very well. PCOS affects tons of women all over the world, and if not diagnosed early on, like mine was, it can lead to all sorts of medical issues, including infertillity. PCOS awareness is incredibly low today, despite the number of women affected by it, and I am on a quest to raise awareness for this condition. Thank you so much for this very helpful post!
Thanks sincerely Annabelle for your post. I really appreciate this and am glad you shared your experience here. I really hope you continue on your quest to make sure awareness of PCOS is greater, as between us we can help loads of other women to solve the mystery of why they are having the problems they do not understand the reason for.
when i was 14 i experience my menstrual cycle for my very first time my tommy star to pain i went to the doctor they could not help they always say wrongs things
hi, i had a abortion an year ago. after some time i started having some discomfort on the abdomen i usually have pains when i sit down for long and a few days to my periods i usually experience pain on the ovaries. could i be having cancer of the abdomen or any thing? and should i be worried of anything since the procedure was carried out by a professional gynecologist? please help
worried gal.
thanks.
Hi Madonna, it is quite normal to have some level of cramping pain during your period, so probably your Doctor thought because it was new to you you were overreacting. Basically if the pain is just uncomfortable I would ignore it, but if it is really bad get the Dr to prescribe you the Mefenamic Acid tablets. If they don't work, then you might want to get your Doctor to refer you for further investigations. It is important not to confuse normal period pains with anything more sinister though, so don't worry.
Hi Eve,
This is a new one to me I am afraid. I cannot see the association between an abortion and you getting pain on your ovaries and in your abdomen, but then I am not a gynecologist, and can only speak from my own experiences and level of knowledge. I would have to recommend you see your Doctor about this and ask them for their opinion. It is always best to be on the safe side. Sorry I can't offer more.
When I get my period I feel very nauseous, light-headed, sore, and feverish. I will often vomit, pass out, or curl up on my bed, unable to move with pain, unless it's to the toilet to vomit. Is there something seriously wrong with me? My mom thinks it's not a big deal and that I need to suck it up and deal with it, but I can't "suck it up" if I can't even think straight with pain, can I? The monthly terror causes me to miss school, and if my momm tells me I have to go, then i can hardly concentrate with all of the pain I feel. Please help me...What is wrong with my body?
Hi Sadie, the trouble is so many people including Mothers, don't realise just how bad the pain can be for some women. Maybe she had cramps, but never as bad as the ones you are getting, and she thinks you are overreacting and exaggerating what she 'knows' to be bearable. You really need to point out to your Mum that not all women are the same, and that it is not helping your schoolwork to be trying to concentrate when in excruciating agony. You should go to your Doctor and ask for Mefenamic Acid tablets. If they still don't solve the problem (and trust me, they are VERY effective), then you might want to get your Doctor to make further investigations in case you have cysts or Endometriosis. The odds are the Mefenamic Acid will solve your problem though, and period pains do seem to diminish as you get older.
Good Luck
Hi,
I really need some advice. I am 28 yrs. old, and last year I had a cyst removed that was so large they could not save the left ovary. I continued to have pain after that surgery, only to find out that my right ovary was developing cysts (by the time I had even had my post op). My birth control was changed from the type that I had been taking for ten years, and I switched MD's. I am continually having pelvic pain and right flank pain, which they send me for an ultrasound and it is always another cysts. This past July I had exploratory surgery just to make sure it wasn't endometriosis, and it was unofficially diagnosed as adenomyosis. This is where the inner lining of the uterus mixes with the muscle wall and grows together, (because she saw uterus enlargement, so much so my right ovary was smashed to the back, instead of free flowing to the side). Well I recently felt the same pain and got an ultrasound and had approximately six cysts on the ovary. My doctor informs me that she thought my ultrasound looked "pretty good" to her and she thinks that I should see a physical therapist, because maybe I have a pulled muscle! Because the OTC naproxen and ibuprofen isn't doing it. After all the ultrasounds and the surgery she doesn't think that this is due to a gynecological problem. Would you see another OB/GYN? Does this sound like a muscle pull to you?! Oh by the way I am a registered nurse so I do have a little bit of medical knowledge. Thanks for your time.
Thanks for understanding. It's nice to talk to someone who knows what I'm going through. I really appreciate all that you're doing through this website - you are helping a lot of people (including myself) out. Thank you so very much.
Hi Sadie,
You are very welcome, I am glad this website is helping other people out as it is so frustrating when no-one seems to understand the level of pain period pains can reach, and that often tend to indicate another underlying problem as yet undiagnosed.
Hi JAJ123, well I can't say I am a nurse, but with your history and what you describe it doesn't sound like a pulled muscle to me. Personally if I were in your situation and with so much at stake, I would definitely get a second opinion from another independent Gyn/Ob. If you don't do this and it later transpires that something was missed and your diagnosis of a 'pulled muscle' was incorrect you will never forgive yourself for not having got that second opinion. If the pulled muscle (unlikely as it sounds) proves to be a correct diagnosis at least you can relax a little and start working towards solving the problem with that knowledge in mind.
I really do wish you the best of luck as your luck has not been good so far and you really don't want to lose your remaining ovary if it is avoidable.
Hi I Was reading this article because i have bad pain when i get my period i vomit eveytime i have my period. This months i have not had my period and am worried i know am not pregnate because i have not had sex can you please help me i don't really know what to do thankyou :]
Don't worry too much Jennifer, most women miss the occasional period for no apparent reason. Sometimes you might be a but 'run down' or stressed, very underweight or very overweight, and sometimes there just isn't an obvious reason. It will probably turn up either very late, or as per normal next month. If it doesn't have a chat with your Doctor in case they want to take some blood tests to check your hormone levels etc. When it does return try the Mefenamic Acid tablets for the pain. Your Doctor can prescribe these for you.
I am 16 years old and this article influenced me so much. I started my period at age 11 and have had severe cramps and a heavy flow ever since. My cramps are so bad that I curl up into a ball and cry. I am unable to walk because of it. My lower back also hurts really bad. The best way I can describe the pain is that it feels like my ovaries are being twisted.
I am hypoglycemic.
I have high anxiety.
I get headaches.
I get major breast pain.
....the list goes on.
I went into a clinic for help and they didnt even look at me down there. I was just immediately prescribed birth control pills and my body totally shut down because of them. I think withing the next week I am going to get tested for Endometriosis and Ovarian Cysts.
Thank you so much,
Alisha
Im currently speechless, iv been having problems like you since i started my monthly at 15yrs old.Iv been fighting with doctors and hospitals with this as they too just brush me off saying its just normal monthly pains go home!etc..
mine are just getting worse im now 21yrs old and just didn't know where else to look other than to have a hysterectomy which my family would advise i didn't but that's easy for someone who isn't going through the pain to say...
I just wanted to say thank you really for sharing your story, hope your feeling better now..
will let you know how i get on at the doctors. :)
Hi Alisha,
I would imagine at 16 it is fairly unlikely to be Endometriosis or Cysts, but not impossible. I do think the Mefenamic Acid tablets could solve your problems though, and if they don't then possibly something else is going on. Either way you do need to go to a Doctor and insist on them looking further into the problem and do not allow them to fob you off with birth control pills as a solution.
Hi Jaime x Lou,
The more I hear of Doctors and hospitals telling women with severe period pains that it is 'normal' and to 'go home', the more angry I get that problems like Endometriosis and Ovarian Cysts are not only going undiagnosed but potentially destroying women's quality of life, fertility and even putting them in potential danger (in the case of very large cysts bursting). To assume that every case is just another woman complaining over a few period cramps is irresponsible at best, and every case should be treated as serious until proven otherwise.
It is unlikely they would give you a hysterectomy because of your age. It would have to be life threatening before they would do that.
Go back to your Doctors and insist on further investigations. Also it is worth you trying the Mefenamic Acid tablets too. They did wonders for me even though I also had a cyst and Endometriosis. I still use them to this day when I need them, although largely my period pains have gone since my last surgery to remove Endometriosis and a Cyst.
Let me know how you get on, and remember, don't take no for an answer, if necessary change Doctors until you find one who will refer you for further investigations with a gyno.
Hi, I wrote here about 3 weeks ago and thought I'd update.
... I returned to a different doctor as my pain is getting more unbearable every month and was told it’s 'normal' and just me because they’ve always been bad. She didn't want to do an internal as I've never been sexually active. So she prescribed 500mg mefenamic acid to be taken the week before aswell as solpadol 30/500 for the pain. Despite them not working years ago I thought I'd give them a try. Well my period is here and this morning I ended up in A&E for the first time worse than ever. Tablets didn't touch it. I literally thought I was going to die with the searing pain and my blood pressure dropped. I was soaked with sweat, my skin scorching hot and I screamed for help. I cannot put into words how agonizing it was. By the time I arrived at A&E it had eased off so I was sent to a GP. He recommended going back to my own GP to try the pill. I’ve always been against it but I’m so desperate I’m reconsidering it. He said it could be endo and I could ask to be referred to a specialist but it is usually treated by the pill anyway.I've also heard laparoscopy can spread it and make it worse. Do you think I should just try the pill or do you think It’s important to find out the cause?
Thank you very much, I have printed this page and plan to take this up with my Doctor on Monday and will not take NO for an answer, :o).
Thank you again,
I will let you know how I get on...
Well at this point I would suggest you give the pill a try and see if it helps. I would say in my case that the pill didn't really make any difference, but your experience might be different. Having Endometriosis removed usually is only a temporary measure anyway, as it does tend to return over time and the operation has to be repeated. I haven't heard of a laparoscopy spreading it though. I have also never heard of Endo being 'treated by the pill', although this is not to say it isn't. Normally as much as possible is removed so that it can no longer 'bleed' when it is your menstruation week. Remember the pain is essentially caused by the blood having no-where to drain away to when this tissue is growing in the wrong places, so taking the pill would not stop this problem. You could always try the pill for a few months, and then come off it to see if the pain returns (assuming it solves the extreme pains you are going through right now).
Ultimately if it was me, I would want to know if I had endo and have a proper explanation for why my pain was so extreme, but of course the final decision on what to do next has to be yours.
Good Luck with whatever you decide and do let me know how you get on.
You are welcome Jaime x Lou, and I wish you luck. Do let me know how it goes :)
Iv ben having my body's version of periods since i was 13, im almost 23 now. i randomly get periods, at one point before i was sexually active i went 10months without a period. when i did get them i thought id die, the pain was horriable and i bled like crazy sometime for 2 or3 weeks. i went to the doctor about them an they couldnt find anything that was causing it but the put me on birth control to try to help regulate them. BC did nothing and i got pregnant a few years later.
i had a little boy 11 months ago and i recently had 3 periods less than 16 days aparts. the first 2 where only 3-4 days long but very painful, the third was almost 11 days long and even more painful and im still having pains. im waiting to see my doctor and im worried.
Hi Nicki,
That sounds like a nightmare to endure. I am sure you will find it is nothing dangerous though, and it may even come down to being hormonal imbalances that the pill was insufficient to compensate for. Clearly things are working to some degree as they should because you have successfully conceived. I am not sure what this could be if not hormonal, unless it was a combination of say hormones and endometriosis, i.e. the hormones causing you to have periods and random times, and the endometriosis causing the heavy bleeding and excessive pain. Hopefully your Doctor will test you for all these possibilities.
I would love to hear how you got on if you get a chance to pop back here and update us. It could answer the question for anyone else reading this who is experiencing the same thing.
Good Luck
Hi all this is a great page , looking for some advice as i have been having lower pelvic pain and lower back pain all month and when my period comes for about 5 days before i get the most serious pain that does not go away when period comes , had ultrasound done and they just said i have enlarged womb . Was to have larporoscopy done 3 months ago and the surgen took ill so was cancelled and im still waiting and the pain is getting worse any advice would be appriciated thanks .
Hi tulips36, well I would definitely push for that laparoscopy asap, as this will tell them a lot more information and they can often remove other problems at the same time e.g. cysts, endo etc. You could try the Mefenamic Acid tablets 500mg as a stop gap, but its effectiveness all depends on if it is actual cramps that are causing the pain, as Mefenamic Acid is an anti-cramp medication rather than a painkiller. Other than that I can't offer much in the way of other suggestions I am afraid. Is there not another surgeon they could refer you to sooner if the one who should have done the procedure is still ill, or way behind on his cases?
Thanxs mistyhorizon , just back from doc as couldnt bare the pain any longer , she has perscribed me Mefenamic acid 500g and Tramadol , so heres hoping i get some relief, as im about to go mad ! She was very good and had phoned to see if the surgon is back at work and she is but will not be performing surgery until dec , which made me cry as i really cannot stick this pain any longer , my doctor is going to have a word with her on Thursday to see if there is any thing else that can be done which hopefully is promising because if they refer me to another surgon it could take months . Thank you so much for listening to my rant and i hope all on here get their answers real soon , keep up the good work Misty xx
Good luck tulips36, I am glad they are trying to help you at least, which is more than many Doctors seem to do when confronted by women with severe period pains. Here's hoping the Mefenamic Acid and Tramadol help in the meantime. Do come back if you have any updates on your situation :)
thank you so much for this! i'm 15 and i have pains that are so unbearable i have to skip school for a week. theyre so bad sometimes i can't even stand up or i get dizzy when i stand up. i am definitely going to the doctor!
Good luck Michaela. You might want to try the Mefenamic Acid 500mg before you worry too much. It will solve most severe period pains unless something else is the underlying problem. Your Doctor should have no problem prescribing these for you. As you get older you will usually find the period pains do reduce naturally, but if there is any underlying problem it is important to get it treated rather than being fobbed off by Doctors who believe it is just someone with a low pain threshold who is making a big deal out of 'normal' period cramps.
Hi all just a wee update , i have had news today from my doctor that i will be getting a review appiontment in the next week or two with my gyno doctor , as i am still in a lot of discomfort even tho i have been on Mefenamic Acid and tramadol . The pelvic pain has eased a slight bit but still have a lot of lower back pain . Was wondering if you have to be on Mefenamic Acid for a wile for them to work ??
Hi tulips36, glad you are getting a review appointment with your gyno doctor, that is progress. Regarding your question on the Mefenamic Acid, I know some Doctors say to take them in the days immediately prior to your period as well as during your period, but in my case I found they worked just as well if I took them when the pains started. I am guessing each person may be different. Why not try taking them prior to your period as well and see if there is a 'build up' effect.
Do let me know how you get on with your follow up appointment too.
For several months now every time I have my monthly period it’s a killer!!! so painful that I can't even stand from bed. Last Thursday after gotten off from work, I really can't bear the pain anymore we went to the hospital and was rushed to the emergency room. The nurses and doctors were so incompetent that I already told them that it was a severe dysmenorrhea that in the count of 1 to 10..it was 11; they suspected it was just an appendicitis???? they gave me tramadol IV without even checking if I had allergy on it. The pain did not subside and the worse was I had the adverse effect of it. I suffered chest pain, difficult painful urination,excessive sweating almost fainted fast irregular heartbeat to name a few.We walked out of the hospital and they let me sign a waiver that they are not liable to anything that may happen to me because I refused to do the test that they were about to give me. Later in the afternoon, we went to another hospital because I can no longer move even my body which I was scared thought of having been suffered from a stroke. They gave me Ibuprofen to ease the pain,because Mefenamic acid no longer works for me. I had my transvaginal ultrasound. The result was I have multiple hypoechoic structures of varying sizes in the region of the cervix,my uterus is thickened and heterogenous endometrium with endometrial polyp, and my right ovary is missing. I also had whole abdomen ultrasound because my stomach is also been aching so bad they test my liver, spleen, gallbladder, kidneys,urinary bladder which are all normal. I have to wait for another TVS and see the result. My OB told me that the best way to eliminate the pain is to get pregnant???? well we have been trying so hard since my only daughter is now 15 years old,but what if I don't get pregnant, I will have to suffer the pain each month. I'm so confused.. my family advised me to have an operation if it's needed. Please let me know what you think about my case.
Hi Jamsworld, I hardly know what to say as your case is so severe and it seems like you really should not be advised to 'Get Pregnant' as a cure if it isn't happening for you anyway, and for that matter, what if you didn't even want another baby?. This is honestly beyond my level of experience, but in your position I would be inclined to think you need to get a second opinion to be on the safe side. Perhaps a different OB might have a different perspective and alternative suggestions you might want to consider.
I really wish you the best of luck.
mistyhorizon, thank you so much for the quick response, i am going to see another OB today, hopefully things will work out fine I still have menstrual pain till now. I'll keep you updated :)
I would seriously love to hear how you get on jamsworld, I hope a second opinion will come up with other suggestions. Stay positive, I felt hopeless for so long, and whilst I cannot have children as a result of my issues, I no longer suffer from severe period pains. Good luck again :)
so i have been having irregular periods ranging from a week late or early to three weeks early. I don't know what is going on. My mom says its nothing but someday's my period is so bad that i could crawl up and im to the point of crying. plus i have so much naucea that i can to eat idk whats wrong.
This sounds like a hormonal problem most likely, as many girls (especially if they are fairly new to periods) do have them very irregularly for the first year or two. The best way to get your period regular is to go on to the pill, even if you aren't sexually active. Your pain levels sound fairly typical too, just erring towards the more severe type of period pains. The Mefenamic Acid would probably solve this for you, and without the pain you probably won't have the nausea either. Go and have a chat with your Doctor about the pill and the Mefenamic Acid tablets.
Good Luck.
Hi I am 14 years old and when i get my period i get such bad cramps that i feel like i am going to die. When ever i get my period my first day is brutal it kills i have to crawl up into a ball and hold my stomach. During my period i lose weight and then i gain it back after and i also dont feel like eating. For the first time i actually threw up because of my period. I dont know weather this is serious or not but all i know is that it kills.I dont think most people would as much pain as i get.
You might be surprised how bad pain gets for a lot of girls Sharan. My Sister used to be literally screaming in pain, doubled up in agony and unable to get out of bed. I strongly suggest you try the Mefenamic Acid as it works very effectively even on serious period pains. At your young age it is unlikely to be anything serious, and it sounds like pretty normal period pains leaning towards the more painful end of the scale.
hi today i collapsed from my period pain. i have all the symptoms for both things including pain in my neck. i have had irregular periods since i was 13, and they are always really heavy so doctors just gave me the contraceptive pill, which i came off over a year ago ( im 22 )thats when all the above symptoms where noticed. i have seen 7 different doctors and been in 2 hospitals, and even had a smear test which was normal. they said i had a cyst and it will do away when my period ends and they never once mentioned any of the above to me. i hevent been back to the doctors since november last year and have just lived with as they told me im just 'hyper-sensitive' to pain. ill be going back to the doctors with all this information so thanks for posting this it has made things much clearer for me.
I really hope it helps you find a solution 'gem' and that they now look further into the pain you are experiencing. Good Luck and feel free to come back and let us know how you got on.
hi mistyhorizon, i went to see another OB and did some test and I am due to do hysterectomy, bit anxious about it but if its the only way to ease the pain and agony each month I should take the risk, its not an easy feeling though knowing that I can no longer have another child,I already have a daughter anyway. My family has been very supportive and it helps me to be stronger. Menstrual pain shouldn't be taken for granted cause it can lead to different factors affecting woman's reproductive health. More power and I will get you updated.
If it helps at all jamsworld, I also have a half Sister who only has one child (now adult). She had to have hysterectomy a good number of years back now, but she is in perfect health and I am certain has no regrets. Good luck to you and do let me know how you get on :)
I have been having severe cramps since i was eleven, I never went to see a doctor to check it out , monthly I would just get my painkillers handy and gear up for the pain. I am now 25 a few months bad the pain got so bad while I was at work in felt like it went down into my womb and I could hardly walk I headed straight to the E.R of course the doctor payed
Attention to me because I no insurance when he finally came around to me after going over my symptoms he told me I had ovarian cyst he still sent me for an ultrasound and sure there it was a cyst ,he gave me info for a local doc to follow up, but after they hit me with that $3000.00. Dollar bill I can't afford to see another doctor well I'm still living in pain monthly even to it gets so bad I feel it would be better if I was dead.
Will you not get treatment at a hospital nickeisha, especially if it potentially could be life threatening if a large cyst burst on you? Other options, what about if you could pay back the Doctors for the treatment in instalments, or take out a loan and pay that back in instalments. Can family not help out? I don't know what else to suggest otherwise.
heey, i am currently 14 years old and every time I'm on my period. I get cramps and severely stomach pain on the bottom of my stomach. I can't stand the pain. sometimes I feel like staying in bed and not doing anything. I get cramps on and off throught the 5 to 6 days that I'm on my period. would you recommend me the pills for the pain? usually my mom gives me a hot tea called 'manzanilla' to ease the pain, it doesn't always help. I sometimess get my period twice a month but that's rare. I am currently on my oeriod and about a hour ago I was crying because I couldn't stand the pain. I started getting this pain when I entered high school the pain is on and off. I usually just let the pain go away by itself, but if I do this it sometimes just doesn't go away.
Hi josefina, I would definitely recommend the Mefenamic Acid tablets for you, and I am pretty sure they will solve the problem. Go and see your Doctor and ask him or her to prescribe them for you. Good Luck :)
hi
i play soccer and i fell and iaam bleeding alot like almost the whole napkin but i always have my period 4 to 4 months and i nver bleded alot before and i want to know if it is that i just have my period or something about if i fell?
I can't really answer that one 'worried'. It could be that your period was due and it was going to be a heavy one anyway, and the trauma of the fall brought it on quicker, but if you are concerned you may have injured yourself with a rupture or similar, I would suggest a visit to your Doctor for an examination to be on the safe side.
Good Luck
Hi everyone,
Just reading the posts and wanted to add my 2 cents. I've had endo for about 6 years now. After constantly being in pain an tylenol/advil not working I went to my gyno and i was diagnosed with endo. I had my first laparoscopy done to remove it but as mentioned in the posts here i was warned that it can come back and problems that it causes with infertility. It worked for a while but about 2 years later the excruciating pain came back and my doc told me he didnt want to do another laporospy (I cant remember why but he said its not a good idea to do it often) and suggested that I go on psudo menopause ( I forgot the name of the drug). He said my endo was moderate to severe and didn't understand why I didn't want to go on the drug (it basically tricks your body that you're in menopause so your period stops for about 6 months). I really did not feel comfortable with suppressing my period because I'm not sure what the side effects are of such a dramatic change in my body, and ive read that it changes your emotions, hot flashes etc. and couldn't be bothered. Has anyone been on the drug that suppresses your period? In the meantime I've continued taking anaprox and raspberry leaf tea which only helps a little. But Im in law school and can't afford to miss class or take time off from studying because of this.
hi 'so tired of it', I personally haven't tried the drugs you have been recommended, but hopefully someone will post here who has tried them and will let you know what their experiences were of such treatments. I really hope there is a solution for you. You could always consider getting a second opinion and see if another Doctor feels differently about a second laparoscopy (I had two over a number of years and am now virtually pain free and in my early forties, although also still unable to have babies due to excessive adhesions internally).
I am only 16 years old ive had my period since i was 8. before my periods were not to bad bt in the past 3 or four years they have gotten very bad. i buy the thickest and longest pads uou could think of but they don'thelp. i can bleed threw the thickest pad in less then ten minutes. i know it is not normal for me to be bleeding this much. I feel like something is wrong with me because they are very painful periods that last from a week to two weeks with a heavy flow untill the last day. I take ibiprofin the 600mg and they do not do anything for me i still feel like im dieing. i always end up bleeding and sometimes even blood. i have gone from many different doctors to many different specialists. They always tell me to just drink pills, sleep, not shower,eat warm soups, and to go to school. i need advice on what to do next because doctors here in colorado are just not helping me.
Well I would try the Mefenamic Acid tablets Dalia, mainly because they are an anti-cramp medication and not a painkiller, so they are frequently successful when other pills are not.
Your bleeding is clearly very heavy, and above average, but if you have been to loads of specialists and none of them are helping you I am not sure what else to suggest. Your only solution is to keep on going to specialists and insist they do something more, like investigating why you are bleeding so heavily. There really is nothing more I can suggest, as if the experts won't help you, and second opinions are not helping the matter, your only other course of action is to go to another state to get an opinion and treatment.
I have had severe cramping and heavy bleeding to the point i would spend 3 days vomiting and fainting right from day one. I had all types of symptoms right from fever to dirorea (if that’s how u spell it) all consistent with endo. My doc always brushed me off as being normal bla bla when i was 17 i finally was referred to a specialist and had an lapo the next day which i was told everything looked normal. i have been on every birth control pill, pills to help bleeding everything under the sun. I also had a 2nd lapo when I was 19 just to check everything out properly and it seamed fine and again 6 months after when I had my appendix out. Im 21 now and have been told my last option before removing all the bits is a medically induced menopause with pills to fight symptoms like hot flushes. its an injection every 3 weeks. i was wondering if you or anyone has experienced this injection because i cant find a lot about it on the web. Or another suggestions would be hugely appreciated!!
I haven't experienced a 'medically induced menopause' myself wendz, but with a bit of luck someone else will post here who has.
You could go for a second opinion first though, as it sounds more like endo, and not all specialists get it right.
I got my first period when I was 13, and im almost 15 now. At first I never really had any problems. I never missed a period only once. Then this year weird things started happening. Firstly I had an irregular period and missed my period for about 2-3 months. Is that normal? Then I started getting my periods like 2-1 week before they were meant to come. Now my periods have started to come about every 20-25 days.. is that even normal? I have no one to ask about this, because I only live with my dad and im to scared to ask him. Also I have honestly never really had really bad period pains and never had period pains during a period session, until yesterday when all of a sudden I experienced this really painful feeling just about the vagina and below the belly button, it hurt so much I had to sit down. Then when I stood up this pain traveled not only above the vagina but right up to under my breast and behind the ribs.. please help. I dont understand if this is normal or not? :(
Also, is it normal to release more then one egg every month? ..
Hello,
I have been reading the comments above and I am a little worried as I seem to have some of the symtoms mentioned. I stopped taking birth control pills about 4 months ago after my periods started to become irregular, i thought it best to gve my body a break and let nature runs its course, but for the last 3 months my period pains have became so painfull it is unbearable. It always seems to be in the right side of my lower abdomen and when the pain comes im doubled over. I have tried strong painkillers and they dont work. It gets to the point where hold my breath and tense up because of the pain. I sometimes get a twinge of pain in my left side and the middle of my abdomen but 99% of the time its always my right side, Does this mean there is something wrong with me?
@Dani08, not necessarily something wrong with you, this is very likely just normal cramps erring on the severe side. Try the Mefenamic Acid tablets for the cramps (not painkillers, anti cramp medications). If the pain is still severe then I would suggest speaking to your Doctor about the possibility of further investigations being made. You don't say how old you are, but certainly it seem to me younger girls get more severe period pains that diminish more as they grow older.
Hi Nikaa, I wouldn't worry too much as many young women find their periods are not consistent in how far apart they come (and even missing them for several months is not unusual in the early years as the hormones settle down). It is perfectly normal for them to take a couple of years or more to settle down in terms of how often they appear. Some women go through their entire lives with this problem. Most periods are every 28 days, essentially 21 days of no period followed by 7 days of period, but again, loads of women have a completely different timescale and may have a regular 25 day cycle, 30 day cycle etc. This is not a problem.
The pain you describe could well just be a severe period pain, and I would get some Mefenamic Acid tablets from your Doctor if this begins to become a problem. You should also take some painkillers when you need them.
To answer your last question, occasionally women will release two eggs in one month, and this is what causes non-identical twins if the woman becomes pregnant. Identical twins are when one egg divides into two embryos.
I hope this has put your mind at ease :)
Thanks for the advice. I would like to take the advice in getting the medicine, but thing is i have a problem with swallowing tablets, i tend to chock on them and stop breathing.. do you know of any medicine that is liquidy?
Sorry Nikaa, I don't know of any such medicine for this problem. Perhaps you could check with your Doctor to see if you could grind them up in food or something instead. They are capsule shaped, so fairly easy to swallow compared to round tablets if that helps at all.
HELLO DOCTOR!
MY PERIOD TIME HAS GONE THIS MONTH.BUT MY STOMACH ACHE EVERYDAY AND ITS BEEN A WEEK.MY BREAST AND WHOLE BODY ALSO ACHE DAY AND NIGHT.I FEEL TIRED. FOR YOUR INFROMATION I AM MARRIED GIRL AND I DO WORK IN BANK 7 DAYS A WEEK FROM 9 TO 7. LAST MONTH WE HAD SEX IN MY 4TH DAY OF MY PERIOD WITHOUT CONDOM. IS IT POSSIBLE TO GET PREGNENT WHILE BLEEDING IN MY PERIOD TIME? WELL I DONT WANT TO HAVE BABY NOW. AND I AM AFRAID OF MY REGULAR STOMACH ACHE. DO I REALLY NEED TO CHECK UP OR WHAT?
Golly Curious girl, first pleeeease stop shouting (all capital letters is shouting online). Secondly, I am not a Doctor and am only answering questions here based on my own experiences and on research. The symptoms you describe could indicate pregnancy, and even if you are bleeding regularly you can already be pregnant, (some women bleed throughout their pregnancies and assume they are still having periods). It is possible to get pregnant during a period depending on the length of your cycle, although it is very unlikely. My advice right now would be to take a pregnancy test and then go from there.
Good Luck
Hi,
Thanks for sharing your story. I have almost had the exact same thing happen to me. However, it was last year and I was only 25 and it was my 3rd laparascopic surgery for endometriosis since I was 21. They found out that I had it during my first surgery when they went in to remove an ovarian cyst that twisted, which was the size of a grapefruit= painful!!! I have had paralyzing pain since I was in college along with trouble using the bathroom and throwing up all of the time. It wasn't just during my peroid, but that's when it was worst. My OBGYN insisted that I have a hysterectomy. I'm really happy that I declined, because I hope to have kids one day. Before my surgery, she asked whether it was ok for her to remove anything. I let her know that I trusted what she needed to do. She removed one of my ovaries and put me on a medicine called Lupron Depot, which put me into menopause, (at 25), because it shuts down your reproductive system. This is probably one of the worst things that I have ever experienced. I went to another doctor for a second opinion and took the pictures from my surgery for evaluation- because endometriosis can't be detected through xrays or ultrasounds, only surgery. I was told that the ovary should have never been removed. I'm still experiencing terrible pain, even where my ovary used to be. It must be the scar tissue. If anyone is told that they may have endometriosis, be sure that you really trust your doctor and get other opinions if you are able to. I have so many scars on my stomach and I was told that my terrible pain could have been increased by all of the scar tissue from the surgeries. Also, if your doctor wants to put you on Lupron Depot, be sure that you get a second opinion. I've heard that it works very well for some people, but mine was a terrible experience. I gained about 55lbs from that coupled with hormones that they put me on to attempt to balance the menopause and help with night sweats, fatigue, nausea, hot flashes and everything else that goes with it. Stretch marks now almost cover my entire stomach, and it's disgusting. I've been thinking of getting tattooed, but it would be huge and expensive. So like I said, PLEASE be sure that you get a second opinion or have an extremely thorough doctor before you let anyone cut you open.
Thanks for sharing your story here Lita. It is important people hear of others experiences and what symptoms they had, what treatment they were given etc. I really hope you do manage to have a child one day, as it looks likely now I never will.
Hey,
Have not started period yet but u have severe pains in my lower stomach. Don't know what to do. Help please!
Hope everything is great for you.
Your story was helpful and great.
i am just 21 and i had unsafe sex. my period has stop. i am sure i m pregnent but i dont want to have baby now. is there any kind of medicine to take or i need to do abortion? which one is safe? is there any side effect of this? i heard that after abortion girls fertility is finished. is this true? can i have baby later or not?
Hi Tkk, well what you describe happened to me just before I got my first period. I just knew it was coming and even told my Mum I knew it would be that weekend. I was correct. However, if this is not the case, you might want to get checked out in case you have a grumbling appendix. If the pain becomes severe act on this quickly and do not wait. Don't panic though, depending on your age this could just be your first ever period cramps, in which case, welcome to adulthood :)
Hi Rosie,
Firstly can I tell you that for sure you can still have babies after abortions assuming they are carried out by professional Doctors, so you have no worries on that score. You haven't really given me enough details to answer your question otherwise though, i.e. you don't say how late your period is. If your period has stopped, I would recommend you go to a chemist and buy a pregnancy test and take it to see if you are pregnant. If you are, then think very carefully before you have an abortion. I made that mistake myself, and never forgave myself for that decision. It was wrong on so many levels, and I look back now with deep regrets.
Hi, I'm 14 I started my period last year a week b4 school started in august. Tonight I am sitting here reading this and I'm lost, I am in the fetal position I feel like I'm going to throw up. I took pain relievers about an hour ago and it's not working. My period lasts for 2 weeks but comes about every 2-4 months is their something wrOng. I can't lay down or stand or sit without it hurting. It's in my right side and goes from my knee to my lower ribs and it's ssoooooo painful help
Hi Renee, it often takes a year or two for your periods cycle to settle down when you first start them, so missing them, or getting two very close together is very common. It sounds like right now you are having severe period cramps, but painkillers will not really help much for this on their own. I would strongly suggest that you get your Doctor to put you up a prescription for Mefenamic Acid 500mg as this acts to stop the cramps, not as a painkiller. You can take Mefenamic Acid in conjunction with painkillers though. As you are suffering right now, I suggest a warm bath to ease the pain and possibly a hot water bottle held against your tummy when you get out of the bath. You might be able to phone your Doctor and them put up the prescription for the Mefenamic Acid so that someone else can go and collect it for you.
If all else fails you could try the pill to regulate your periods as this might ease the severity of the cramps.
ok so ive been reading nd looking and no1 seems to have the same symptoms as me nd i was wondering if ne1 knew if they were normal i have a basicly normal period except time to time the itll switch when it comes nd stay that way then switch my doc said as long as i get it once a month its ok ne way i get really heavy on the third day always and after like 3 or 4 hrs of wearing a tampon it starts to leak its not only awk cause i never expect it cause it randomly gets heavy but its annoying cause normally happens at work when i cnt keep running to the ladys room also i get really bad cramps and when i pee alot of clots of blood come out only when i have cramps though on the on the 2nd or third day depending on if its heavy on the 3rd day it sometimes just stops and then comes back the next day and i get really bad cramps and thats when the clots come i dont know if this is normal so i figured ide get an opinion
Hi trexx, the pain when peeing sounds normal as I used to get that too and have heard plenty of other people describe the same thing. Sounds like you are probably one of the occasional people who literally have very unpredictable periods, so I wouldn't worry too much if your Doctor isn't concerned, although you can always go to a different Doctor if you want a second opinion.
i am 23 years old and have always had heavy, painful, periods. I've never missed one either unless I was pregnant. Well, now I havn't had a period in almost 8 months, severly swelled stomach, constant pain in my lower abdoman, andI'm not pregnant. Can anyone give me a clue to what could be bothering me and the severity of it?
Hi jj23, assuming you are absolutely 100% certain you are not pregnant (bear in mind you can have light 'periods' all the way through a pregnancy and still be pregnant and you can have negative pregnancy tests virtually all the way through a pregnancy and still be pregnant), then I would strongly advise you see a Doctor and don't rely on any online websites to tell you what might be wrong. I wouldn't want to hazard guesses at what kind of things could cause your symptoms for fear of being wrong and scaring you unnecessarily. Please see your Doctor to be on the safe side.
High
Hi, I'm 23 I hav had devilish period cramps since I was 12 when I started. The cramps were so bad I would ball up on the floor n cry. I always got my period RIGHT on time until I turned 19 I stared skipping a month. If I got it April I knew I wasn't goin to get it in May. I was ok with that becuz I got use to the schedule. But this year, well this year is realy threw me for a loop I'm goin crazy!!!! This year ONLY I hav whent 3 months with out a period NOTHING at all for 3 months. I also hav gotin it 2-3-4 months in a row (I havnt gotin a period evn 2 months in a row since I was 19) it use to be the 2nd and 3rd days were invariable... now when I get a period its the 1st and 2nd days.
IDK it rely switched around on me I don't evr no wat to expect.
I can't go to the doc. until I'm married becuz in my culture I have to be a virgin and I have had sex 3 times. Twice when I was 21 and the third time was the end of July so I can't go to the doctor..
I forgot to mention, BEFORE I started having irregular periods the flow was so heavy I would have to set on the toilet n "drain" for like half n hour becuz its was to heavy... then when I got "irregular" the flow is different with each period. Theast few times jst the 1st and 2nd days are like medium flow n the last 3 days are real light.
Pleas tell me what you think. Frm all ur advice I saw u giv on this hub u no wat ur tlkn about
Hi Help Needed 911,
This could be hormonal, but it is hard to know what else unless you go to a Doctor. I am still confused as to why you can't go to a Doctor and discuss this. He doesn't need to know if you are a virgin or not surely, and even if you told him, he is sworn to keep it confidential. He would most likely put you on the pill or some other hormonal treatment to try and regulate your periods, and if that failed they may then wish to investigate further with actual examinations. The first thing I would do in your case is speak to your Doctor and see what he suggests, as your exact problem is not one I have experienced myself, so I am second guessing what they will probably try.
Good Luck
Hello I was finally told after years of pain that I had endo I had a laproscopy in april dr found scarring, adhesions, and endo. She assured me she had gotten it all but years down the road it can come back. Well it's only been 6 months and I believe it's back the pain in my lower back and on the left side of my pelvic area are horrible!!! I am in tears half the time I have three children which I can't do anything with during this time. I am thinking about a hysterectomy so I don't have to go through this anymore but I'm only 28 :( idk what to do I did want one more child but I have tried for 2 years and nothing I don't believe I'm able to but I am happy I was blessed with the three I have :) just confused on what I should do. Any opinions would be appreciated! Thank you!
Well Jennifer, for what it is worth, I would suggest you go back to your Doctor and have a second surgery to make sure none was missed in spite of what she said. You should also consider a second opinion. A hysterectomy is an absolute last resort at your age, and I would explore all surgical alternatives first. Don't assume you are completely infertile, even I surprisingly got pregnant once after years of endo, cysts, adhesions, no contraception etc. Sadly it never happened again, and as we did not keep the first pregnancy due to various factors at the time it looks like I will remain childless.
I really hope all goes well for you.
Well I was scared to go to the doctor and my mom finding out I'm not a virgin, I'm not evn really sure if the doctor could tell I have had sex becuz it was so long ago n it wasn't really successfull but anywayss...
Thank you so much you have no idea how much of the fear you have tookin away frm me about, goin n my ma finding out. Now I will go n jst hav my ma set out of the room and tlk to my doctor and tell him not to tell her.
I know that but I still had fear and anxieties. You have rely taimed both my fears and anxieties thank you so much.
I come frm such a strict old fashion culture. I know what you hav told me was simple but sometimes we need to hear things frm other ppl. I hav nobody I can tlk about periods and sex with. Again thank you!!
You are welcome 'Help Needed 911'. I am sure all will be fine once you speak to your Doctor, and he may not even ask about your virginity anyway, as the irregular periods are not as a result of sexual intercourse.
I am 35 and never been able to get pregnant. Last year had abnormal pap positive for hpv and abnormal cells on cervix. My periods never been normal. Nothing helps my pain. Any suggestions
I can only suggest what I have already here Nicole, i.e. Mefenamic Acid tablets as an anti-cramp medication, and getting further investigations done by your Doctor for the possibility of Endometriosis and/or Ovarian Cysts.
I have had two lots of laser surgery in the past for abnormal cells on the cervix, but was never given the impression that this in any way would be connected to infertility or abnormal periods, so I don't think the two are likely to be connected in your case either.
I hope you will try the Mefenamic Acid for cramps as it is not a painkiller, but an anti-cramp medication, therefore rather than hiding the pain, it deals with the cause of the pain. You really should get your Doctor to look into Endo and Ovarian Cysts too.
Good Luck
Hi,
I started my period at 13 and for the first year I didn't really have any cramps, I am 19 now and have really bad cramps since almost every other period.. My regular cycle is 31 days, when I have cramps I have to leave school, college now, because I can't pay attention.. Last time I had to leave college because I got really cold and sweaty, felt extremely nuasous, my back and lower abdomen hurt so bad and was shaking all over... I could barely make it home because i couldn't pay attention to the road because of the pain.. I was crying and felt so tired.. When I made it home I just layer on the floor and rocked back and forth until tha pain dulled somewhat. Then slept the rest of the day.. This is usually what happens when I get cramps... Then today, I'm not supposed to have my period for another 2 weeks, my ovaries just started feeling like they were swollen an hurt really bad... I tried to poop but I couldn't because it was hurting my ovaries... Please help
The pain in your ovaries could be you ovulating Grace, as the timing is about right, and many women report pain on one side or the other around the time they ovulate.
Many women also feel really exhausted when they have the first day or two of their period (me too).
I also only get pains every other period, so this is fairly standard too.
Have you tried Mefenamic Acid? If not then you need to (in conjunction with painkillers) before you try anything else. See your Doctor for a prescription for these. If they don't work go back to your Doctor and ask for further investigations to be started, or at least for other suggestions such as the pill etc.
Short term, warm baths, hot water bottles on the abdomen and lavender the essential oil applied can all help ease the pain a little.
I get terrible cramps in my lower stomach and back and they normally last 3 to 4 days. I am in college and recently had to skip classes I was in so much pain. and as this is not high school anymore skipping class means missing a lot of important info! I cant keep doing this but I cant see my doctor until Thanksgiving or Christmas...:/
I don't know what to suggest then Mimi. Clearly your best bet would be Mefenamic Acid, but you say you cannot see your Doctor until Thanksgiving or Christmas. Can you not go to a local Doctor instead (I am assuming you are not at school near your regular Doctors)? If not you could try the local hospital and see if they can help. Your own Doctor back home might even put up a prescription that can be posted or faxed over to a chemist where you are located so that you can get these tablets. They are truly a lifesaver for so many women with agonising period cramps.
Thanks so much! Your info is a big help too!
Glad to be of help Mimi :)
Hi, I'm 26 n have a 7 year old son. I've always been regular with my periods, never more than a day off or a day b4, but b4 I had him my periods lasted 5 or so days. Since I've had him my periods last between 8 n 11 days. Don't suffer with any pain, the only discomfort I do have is when I ovulate, nothin too bad just the odd twinge n it's not every month I get that. About 4 months ago I started to feel pain durin intercourse, only when my partner was on top, had pretty bad abdominal pains so I went to my local family planning clinic. Had a smear, sti tests, etc n was all ok. I then had to b takin to hospital cause the one day I passed out in pain. I then pregnancy tests done, incase of an eptopic, n a few other tests n again all ok. I was told it could b cysts n that I would need a scan, but asked me to come back...don't recommend my local hospital to anyone!!! I left with the advice to chance my pill, in the mean time, cause it could of also been a hormone imbalance, hense my long periods. Since that day I've had no pain, either in abdomen or durin intercourse. Prob silly of me but because of that I didn't go back! I'm still havin long periods, some heavy n some not so but to me there normal. I'm just wondering is it abnormal to have periods for that long? Could all of that be connected? As I've said I have no other problems so could it just be that we are all different n maybe this is me or is it the sign of somethin? Would appreciate a reply as I'm a Lil baffled! Thank you x
I posted a comment about an hour ago but it's not showin up anymore :(
Hi Nichol, don't worry, no-one's comments will show on the site until they are approved by me. This is why you could not see your comment until now.
I don't think it sounds as if you have anything too much to worry about. The pill is probably the reason your periods are now not the same duration as they used to be, although lots of women have changes in the lengths of their periods at various times in their lives. Also if you did have a cyst on your ovary originally it may have burst on its own and solved the problem. If you are free of pain now I really would relax and stop worrying unless it comes back, in which case I would recommend the scan to check for cysts.
Thanx for the reply, yeah lol I realised that when I sent my second comment...silly me! That really has put my mind at rest, thank you! I have told myself if the pain comes back I'd be straight back at the clinic but at the moment I feel gd :) xx I've read through all the questions etc on this page n I have found it very useful...keep up the gd work :D xx
Will do Nichol, and I am sure you will be fine :)
I started my period about 3 years ago and I am now almost 15 but my periods are still really irregular and I have no way to predict when they will come.
I get REALLY bad period pains to the point where I have to curl up into a ball, and I always feel like vomiting and really dizzy. I have been to a few different doctors, one of them a female but they all seemed to think that I was over reacting. I have been on Ponstan and when that didn't work, Naprogesiac, but they don't do anything. At home though I don't want to raise too much of a fuss about it though because my Mum has just gone through chemo. I don't know what to do and none of my friends understand how much pain I am in.:(
Hi Emily, all I can say is 'Mefenamic Acid 500mg'. Get this from your Doctor via a prescription. This really is most likely to solve your problems unless something else is going on. Your level of pain is not unusual, but painkillers will not solve the cause, only mask the pain. An anti-cramp medication like Mefenamic Acid will stop the cramps, in other words the cause of the pain. If this does not work, and nor does going on the pill, then I will be surprised. Give it a few years if not, and see if it settles down naturally. If it doesn't you might want to insist on further investigations taking place.
I must say im going threw the same thing right now.I have had three surgery since 2009 and the adhension and cyst cont.to come back no matter what.im 26 no kid and married,i start having pain in 2005 and it get worse each year..;(
I HAVE THE SAME SITUATION DID TWO SURGERIES BUT THE PAINS AND HEAVY FLOW CONTINUES MEDICATIONS ARE REFUSING TO WORK. I THINK I AM JUST ON THE VERGE OF USING HERBAL MEDICINES.
Hi Chris, this is a horrible situation to be in. The cysts and the endo do tend to return, and the repeated surgeries make the adhesions worse. I am in the same situation, although my severe pains have stopped. The trouble is children for me are very unlikely now due to adhesions combined with very low ovarian reserve. I am pretty much resigned to it now as it seems there is nothing left that can be done, and adoption or egg donors would be my only options.
Hi Natalie, did you ever try the Mefenamic Acid for the pains at least, as if not I reckon you should? You might also want to ask for a second opinion from a different Gyno to put your mind at rest that there is nothing being 'missed' by your current Gyno. You could certainly try herbal medicines, but I have to say I would not personally hold out a great deal of faith in them helping unless used in conjunction with surgery.
Good luck and I hope things get better for you soon.
im 18 and i have had severe pain since i was 10 and started my period. here lately it has gotten worse and they said i had cists but that they werent bad enough to do anything they were normal size. but im in so much pain for a week in a half that i can not move at all. ive went in servral times and they wont do anything for me at all except tell me to go home cause there isnt anything they can do. and it agrivates me cause i know there something wrong they just dont want to test me because im on medical card. i dont know what to do because no docoter hear in my town will do anything. And i dont know what to do because i cant seem to have children either. i got married young and weve tried for two years now. when i was 11 my aunt that i lived with had me on the birth controll shot then to 16 and i dont know if thats the cause of all this or not. could someone help me on what to do?
This is frustrating chelsea as I really don't know how you can 'force' them to do anything if you have already tried all the Doctors in your town and they have refused to do anything for you. Is there not a local politician you could write to, or even a local newspaper. Sometimes these kinds of actions force their hand. Do try the Mefenamic Acid tablets in the short term as they may well still ease the worst of the pain. Try reading my other article on easing severe period pains and cramps too, as it has some excellent suggestions that may help you until you get some help.
If you are only 18 and you only came off birth control two years ago, I wouldn't worry too much yet about your not getting pregnant. It takes some months for the hormones to get out of your system, then you may just not be hitting the right times to get pregnant. Give it another six months before you start to get concerned, and then maybe your Doctors will be more helpful with your cyst problem as it could be affecting your fertility.
I’m 22 and recently this past year my cycle has become gradually worse. I’ve always been moderately heavy but lately I’ve been turning white as a ghost when I’m in pain. But this last period I’ve never experienced such pain. I was dry heaving, curled up in a ball crying, shivering, and having fever. (All before the period even started) The cramping was absolutely horrendous even with taking an over the counter pain pill called Tramacet. I also had a lot of bloating.
By the second day, I got off my 12 hour night shift I could barely walk. I had no more cramping but had felt completely bruised. It was so bad I could barely turn over in bed, or put my socks and shoes on. I tried to go to work but had to come home as I was so fatigued. My fever was at 100.1. My stomach was upset from the Tramacet and Advil extra strength as I couldn’t stomach food due to nausea for 2 days.
On the 3rd day I had no more cramping and fever had broken around 3am. I was feeling better in the morning, less sore. I could actually roll over in bed. Just very tired. Slept much of the day and woke up in the middle of the night with fever again around 99.4. No cramping just hurts a lot if I cough or sneeze. Ive continually been drinking water and juice and had about 3 bites of dinner.
Does this sound like endometriosis? My mother had that apparently. What I don’t understand is why some periods I’m fine and others are so horrendous? I don’t wish this upon my worst enemy.
That could be symptomatic of Endometriosis based on my experience Chels, although I would routinely try the Mefenamic Acid before panicking because many people do have severe period pains and don't have endo or cysts as an explanation. I have to keep reminding people that Mefenamic Acid is not a painkiller and works in a completely different way, i.e. as an anti-cramp medication, therefore it is far more effective than any strength of painkillers most of the time. Your pain could also be a cyst, or worse a burst cyst, so I would be inclined to get your Doctor to check this out further as soon as you can just in case something serious is going on.
Good Luck.
Wow. This is really scary. I am only 16 and yesterday I had the worse cramps ever! About 2-3 days before I had this cramp, I was spotting. The blood was not red. It was thick brown. And then yesterday, I started to bleed really bad and it was really thick. My stomach started to cramp up really bad for about a good 2 hours while I was at work. I rushed home and took Ibuprofen and my stomach settled about an hour after that. This morning when I woke up, I found 2 large thick tissue that had came out of my vagina. I was scared. I don't know what it was. I am planning to go into the doctor later today after school to find out what had happened. I am pretty scared.
Hi Sue,
I would be interested if you can post back here as to what the Doctor says caused this. I am most curious because of the 'tissue' you mention. The wall of the uterus does break down during a period, so it is not impossible to see pieces of tissue on occasion during a period, but yours does sound large. Is there any way you could have been pregnant and this be a miscarriage? I ask this because some women do continue to have light 'periods' or more accurately light bleeding, even when pregnant, thus not realising they are pregnant at all. It happened to my Mum many years ago, and she only found out she had been pregnant when she had a miscarriage.
It is most likely though that this is simply a very heavy period, and young women do often have a wide variety of 'flow rates' during their early years of having periods.
Good Luck at the Doctors.
Hi, I am 31...severe cramps, fever, vomitting, fainting, and acute pain especially over my right period, since 21 years old, always doctors telling me that it is PMS and not anything pathological to worry about.. on the ultrasound scan my right ovary appears double size than my left, but no doctor based on clinical/ultrasound exams told me that there might be a large cyst on my ovary or endometriosis causing all this horrible pain... They were referring to it as PMS, caused by my polycystic ovaries syndrome (alhtough the mildest type) and prescribing me to drugs, sometimes though drugs were not able to stop the cramps.... sometimes they worked..
But something very strange has happened since March, I had a cyst rupture, which caused severe painful ache on my right ovary with fever for 24 hours, feeling that I cant walk, it was such a sharp pain I could not breathe( but I didnt went to the doctor, thats what the doctor explained me afterwars) since then and thereafter my right ovary doesnt cramp at all during my periods, its as if its not there!!! And my periods have turned light and short (3 days to 6).. However I dont take this as a good sign, doctors tell me that I should be happy... but I was used to having terrible cramps as something normal (according to the doctors).. I also feel my hormones since this is out of track, I have no desire for sex, and I dont think that I am ovulating normally!!!! I dont know what further exams should I do, is the endometrial biopsy a good diagnostic tool, I am afraid that my tubes are blocked, I am afraid that I am infertile, everything comes to my mind..... by the way my period comes 3 days earlier sometimes, or 3 days later than normal (29 days)....and one year ago I had taken the morning after pill, but I dont think that this has caused all this... please please please tell me what you think. thanks, celia
Hi Celia, well it is possible that the cyst having burst has removed your pain, and this would be a good thing, especially as you did not end up in hospital as a result of the cyst bursting (really big ones can be quite nasty). I would be asking them to check out the ovary that the cyst burst on, as if the result has damaged it, or quite possibly contributed to, or caused, a hormone imbalance I would want some tests carried out. The good thing is that you would still have one ovary that should be okay, although if you do suffer from polycystic ovarian syndrome it can effect your fertility.
I would not worry too much about the change in timings of your periods as many women have this (including me). Also 3 to 6 days in length is normal too.
You can ask to have your tubes checked to see if they are blocked, and they do this by flushing a dye through them and seeing if it emerges at the other end. I had this under a GA, and assume this is the only way it can be done. I am not familiar with what an endometrial biopsy consists of, as I have not heard the term before. It could be a US term and I am in the UK, or I just didn't hear the term used in my case. I suspect it is where they put a camera through an incision under the navel and look for endometriosis, in which case I would say it is a good idea as this is how they found mine.
I would certainly try to have your hormone levels checked at the very least, but all of what I have suggested I would discuss with your Doctor at length.
PS. I should have said the laparoscopy (the incision under the navel) was how they confirmed the extent of, and removed my endometriosis on both occasions.
thank you for your reply, tomorrow i m going for the hormonological testing, is it possible that a cyst rupture caused this? shouldnt the doctor have found a damaged ovary (they didnt see anything abnormal really) on the ultrasonography? I am so worried that a cyst might have damaged my ovary! the doctor said no when I asked him, that the cyst made my right ovary numb, is that possible????well the endometrial biopsy is something like what you re describing and will hav it done too....
The ovary is very small, but I would have thought they would see if it was damaged on an ultrasound, but of course the picture is not perfect on those things. I really can't give you definitive answers on whether or not the cyst could have caused this or not, but know a large cyst bursting can be dangerous. I also can't answer if the cyst bursting could have made your right ovary numb, but it does seem quite a coincidence don't you think? I would want a second opinion on that. The camera through the incision below the navel (laparoscopy) should be able to see any damage if it is there.
Even if one ovary is damaged ultimately, you still have a second ovary to fall back on. If you were worried about a cyst damaging that one in the future too, I would look into the possibility of having some of your eggs harvested and frozen. This way you could use them in future IVF even without any ovaries, in the rare event this is the situation you found yourself in.
Good Luck
hey i have hd no period since august i have had severe bleeding last nyt woke up at 4 and my bed was covered. but when i woke this mprning it had gone again. i have bad cramps in my stomach and feel a bit sick. what is wrong? thanxs
I am not sure I understand you naomid. Are you saying you have had no period since August until last night, and that last night you had bleeding that covered your bedding, but that your bleeding had stopped again by this morning, leaving you with just cramps and nausea?
If this is what you are describing I would struggle to give you an answer. If you were having a really heavy period due to a long break between periods, I would say that does happen, but for it to have stopped again by this morning would sound rather strange. I would ask if you could possibly have been pregnant since August and if this could therefore have been an early miscarriage, but that wouldn't explain the bleeding being gone within hours.
Honestly the best advice I can give you is to go and speak with your Doctor about this. Sorry I can't be of more help. Good Luck.
Great article. I've been having severe menstrual cramps since having a baby nearly 7 years ago. The pain is so terrible that I've had to go to the ER to get a shot of toradol. I've done this 3 times this year & its quite embarassing but feel I had no other option. I saw my gyno 3 weeks ago and he put me on depo provera . He said he was treating me as if I had endometreosis for now. So far I'm on my period (which was almost 2 weeks late) and still experiencing the horrible cramps and bleeding. I've heard nothing but bad things about this shot but am at my wits end with the pain. it interferes with my life and causes me the worst pain imaginable. I want to get off tthis shot and find some other alternatives. I've even considered having a hysterectomy and I'm only 26. Any help or advice would be appeciated
Hi am 30 yrs and I have had severe pain since I was 12 yrs old my cycle use to be 7days then 10days now 14days I have had 5 ultrasounds and 4 doctors tell me am fine and then I went to a Chinese doctor and then she told me about the possibility of endometriosis she sent me for another ultrasound and said they found nothing but the pain is still there and it has gotten worse I vomit get fever headaches and I even pass like a grey tissue something in the form of clots and no one Sims to think it’s serious even gone to the hospital a couple times and they send my home and tell me go to my private doctor and I have had it with the doctors telling me am fine cause am not fine the pain has been so bad I have almost overdosed on painkillers don’t get me wrong I love my life but I hate this pain every month and its 14days and I have pain for 10 days that’s allot to deal with and not having a solution
Hi Ashleigh, other than what I covered in this article already, I have the follow up article I link to in both the first paragraph and at the end of the article. This has a comprehensive list of ways to deal with severe period pains which you should find helpful. If you do have endo then having much of it removed is the best solution to the pain.
Good Luck :)
Hi Tamie,
Much like in my previous comment I would refer you to the article I wrote about dealing with severe period pains. There are many very effective ways to ease the pain listed there. Mefenamic Acid is always one of my favourites though, and I wish more Doctors would offer this instead of suggesting painkillers. If all else fails you need to go back to your Doctors and INSIST they investigate for endo properly, with ultrasounds and then if required, a laparoscopy to check further and remove as much of it as they can. The hospital is correct in as much as they cannot do this for you, you need to be referred to a specialist by a Doctor, who will then perform the necessary treatment/surgery. Right now it sounds like your Doctors are failing you by not referring you for further investigations.
Good Luck :)
I'm so glad to see other women trying to raise awareness for problems like these. I myself have a uterine fibroid. I've had it for close to 10 years now, and I'm only 21. They hesitated to remove it due to the complications it could have later on when I try to get pregnant. Now it's far too big for them to remove it (It's 15cm x 11cm x 15cm). In July, I was hospitalized for loss of blood. I had been in the bathroom for about an hour and a half bleeding nonstop. I got dizzy and crawled to my moms room and collapsed and she had to call 911. My hemoglobin was at 68 (another 8 points and I would have needed a transfusion. Regular is about 120). And my iron levels were at 3. Regular is between 13 and 300. I used up all the iron my body ever stored and had to go for IV iron treatments. Because of how life threatening it's become, I have to have a full blown hysterectomy.
Hopefully women will wake up and do some research to prevent this from happening to them, or to their kids.
Thanks ever so much for sharing your story here Sara. Clearly you have had a terrible time and to now have to have a hysterectomy at such a young age is tragic. Can you not have some of your eggs frozen in case you can find a surrogate Mother at a later date who can carry your foetus?
Alright , I'm really scared to go to the doctor because I know I have a high chance of edmosises because my mum has had it , I'm 13 and the pains have gotten that bad were I can't not get out of bed the pain is from my navel down to my toes and I can't walk at all , my friends think they know what I'm going though but they periods only last up too 3 days were mine last 10! I can't describe the pain but I'm going through it now ; anyways I just wanted to know when they put the camera In you does it hurt and how so they do it ?
I have been under before so I know I won't feel a thing :)
Can you please let me know ASAP :) Also do you have to go to the doctors while you period is on ?
Hi Monique,
Firstly try not to worry. You are rather young to have endometriosis already, and at your age severe period pains are more common than you might realise. My Sister had pains at the level you describe, and she has never been diagnosed with Endo or had invasive treatments for her pain, and she has no problems with her period pains any more.
A normal period is 5 - 7 days, so to think 3 days is normal is wrong. Women all vary in the length of periods they experience, and some are longer than 5 days, and can be 7 days or even up to 14 days in some cases.
Before a Doctor will put a camera in you (laparoscopy), they will normally do an ultrasound with an internal probe inserted much like a tampon would be. This is something they may avoid doing at your age, especially if you are still a virgin. It is more likely they will try other things first, e.g. putting you on the pill. Certainly ask your Doctor for Mefenamic Acid tablets before you decide your period pains have no other solution than surgery for endo (which you may not have even if your Mother has had it). Read my other article linked to in this one on how to reduce severe period pains as well.
To answer your next question, the camera is inserted in a small incision just below the navel. This is done under a General Anaesthetic and you will know nothing about it, nor does it hurt, and I didn't even have any pain afterwards and needed no painkillers at all. Honestly, the wound is miniscule.
Lastly, no, you don't need to go to the Doctors when your period is on, usually any time during your cycle will do from what I recall, although if they suspected a cyst on an ovary and were doing an ultrasound, they might want it to be at a certain point in time between periods possibly.
I am sure you will be fine and they probably won't want to perform any invasive procedures on you at this stage in your life. Definitely ask for the Mefenamic Acid tablets though, and read my other article.
Good Luck :)
I've had episodes of absolutely horrible lower back pain to the point where I have to lay down, plus I get pain in my pelvic area and abdomen from time to time ever since 7th grade, and I'm now in 10th. Also, before my period they become more intense and it really sucks. I also get MAJOR cramps in my one left leg. Thigh, foot, and toes. The pain is so bad I start freaking out and yeah xD I'm only 15 so I don't know if it's growing pains or if there's an actual problem? assuming this is just a teen going through her period?
More than likely Marisa, sounds fairly typical. Try asking your Doctor for the Mefenamic Acid tablets, as this will reduce your pain a lot. Also read my other article on reducing severe period pains, (link in article above). Hopefully these will be all you need to make the monthly pains more bearable.
I used to be in track about 9 months ago. One day when I was training over spring break I had almost finished when on the last lap I began to get mild cramps. I thought nothing of it and kept running, assuming that they'd go away when I stopped. But as soon as I stopped running, they worsened to the point where I couldn't stand... And I was in so much pain my mom thought I was giving birth (I'm not sexually active, so no chance of that). While in the car on the way to the hospital the pain got worse and worse. It came in waves. And then after about 20-30 minutes it just sort of faded away. Was not on my period at the time, but started a few days after. I'm 13 and have had a period since I was 10. The exact same thing happened about 4 months later. Any thoughts?
Well this would sound unusual to me, but what might be a slight possibility is that you were ovulating. Many women report sharp pains on one side or the other when they ovulate (the ovary releases an egg). Most women release an egg on approx day 14 of their cycle, (counting the first day of your period as day 1), however not all women are the same or no-one trying to get pregnant would need ovulation kits in order to tell when they are ovulating. As you were young at the time you might have been ovulating irregularly as your body settled down. Also some women report only getting pain when they ovulate from one ovary, and as we mostly ovulate from a different ovary each month it is possible that you ovulated from one, had pain, ovulated from the other the following month and had no pain, didn't ovulate from either ovary the month after that so no pain, and then ovulated from the ovary that caused pain the following month. This sounds a stretch I know, but it could be any similar combination of factors as at a young age our bodies are still developing even after we begin our periods.
If this happens again I would consult a Doctor about this just in case they can suggest anything I have not thought of.
hi. i recently have been having bad cramps in my pelvic lower back up between my ribs since last saturday my period has been going for 9 days now it has been getting to the point where i dont want to eat meat only like crackers ceral and apples. its been feeling like i want to vomit but cant. my period was very brown n thick this whole last week and these last few days is turning into blood. i sometimes pee out blood. i am on the pill to regulate my period but hasnt been working for the last month or two. im 15 and i go to the dr wednesday my mom doesnt think its bad but everyone i talk to thinks i shouldnt wait till wednesday ive been reading stuff with gall stones n the symtoms also this and its makes sense cus i have a lot of what the symtoms are like depression. im going through major pain and getting hot like a fever. idk what todo. do u think wednesday is a little late for a dr appt? my pains have gotten bad i can barely sleep. i dont know what i should do.
ive also called my mom crying at school telling her i cant eat n it hurts all the time i try. do u think i would need to go to the er or just wait till my dr appt? any suggestions?
Well Brooke, if it as bad as that Wednesday seems a very long way off to me. I am not sure what ER can or will do, but if it was me, I would probably go to them in the hope they could at least give me some extra strong pain relief or check nothing else major is going on. Peeing out blood is not normal, but check that it is the actual pee that has blood in it, and that it isn't just blood from your period being mixed in with the pee as it exits the body, (after all, the two exits are very close together).
If you do go to the hospital this also might make your Doctor take you more seriously when you get to see him on Wednesday.
Good Luck
ok thank you! :) i love this page thank u so much for it its amazing!
Let me know how you get on Brooke. Good luck :)
Dear Author,
Iam glad to read this site and all the related problems.
Well, i would like to share mine and ask few questions.
Last year i got Severe pain during my periods, where in taking a strong painkiller also dint work for me, then landed to Emergency as the pain was unbearable. Doctor gave me some pain killers and after scanning and also they confirmed its stone in my Kidney.
Second month periods also i got the same pain, unfortunately again landed to emergency. Same story they said me that kidney stone. I was like why the hell i get pain only during periods?? then again some scanning and all tests went on... they dint confirm anything..
Third month same story repeated, then one of the doctor said its was cyst, so she will remove thru laproscopy after 2 months, as she was busy..
I requested her to give me some medicine as i get pain during periods and i dont want to land up in emergency again for 2 times till i get operated.
She said cleary, cant do, you need to go thru...
After 2 months she operated me, and in the middle of the operation, she called my husband and said, this case looks complicated and experts needs to do that and closed my case...
I dint find any solution to my chronic pain..
Then i went to my home country, he saw all the reports and said its endometricis, as already laprosocpy is done, he said he wanted to preform surgery..
He did surgery immediately next day, by 1st week i was all set.
Now its been almost one year... i used to get my periods perfecly and no pain..
But this time i got severe right leg pain, iam like in shock thinking what this pain effects would be ?
Did i get again endometricis, or any other problems ??
Hi JK, well I can't offer much in terms of suggestions on this, but Endometriosis can come back even after surgery, and then of course you can still be experiencing further problems like adhesions or even cysts. It varies from person to person as to how long this takes. I am not a medical expert on this subject, and can only truly speak from my own experiences with any degree of authority. For this reason I would suggest a visit back to a Doctor would be in order to be on the safe side.
Good luck in solving this.
Hi, I need help!
I Am 18 and started my periods at 9, at 14 I was put on dianette to clear up my skin and also control my irregular periods however dianette gave me depression and I was moved onto microgynon 30. For the last few years I have had excruciating periods pains, I double over, I throw up, I collapse, I faint, I have days off work, someone always has to stay home with me.
I has visited the doctors numerous times over the years and seen all of the doctors jn there, each tell me to take pain killers and rest telling me 'it's rare but it does happen'. I have taken every pain killer going and none seem to take away the pain.
I was referred to a gynocologist to have a scan but such heavy snow meant I couldn't make it, I phoned to rearrange and shortly received a letter to say that I wasn't a high importance and I'd have to wait. That was a year ago and still after nagging and trying to book, no one has contacted back. I have been tested to see if I am anemic and that came back negative, I'm now due on again and I'm so scared! I don't know what to do with myself but cry & be sick. Please someone help!!!
Hi Emily,
This is an awful position to be in, and I am assuming you have already visited my other article linked to in the first paragraph of this one to have got this far. Honestly I think you need to try the Mefenamic Acid, ideally in conjunction with painkillers, although in your case I truly feel you need to 'kick ass' and keep phoning the gynecologist daily until you get an appointment. Do not take no for an answer, and threaten them with legal action if as a result of their failure to give you a new appointment anything happens to you. This should get results, but whatever their reaction do not let this go. You need the scan if for no other reason than to put your mind at rest, but if there is a problem it may well change your life for the better.
Thank you, I have a doctors appointment again today to try and get referred properly again. I'm going to try all your ways of reducing pain. I was prescribed mefenamic acid before and it didn't do a lot but I'll give it another go! Thank you so much, it's lovely that you take time to reply to all these people still after all these years x
I am glad you are going back to the doctors to get referred properly again. If the Mefenamic Acid didn't do much, and based on your description of the pains, and that you were referred once already, I am not totally surprised to hear that 'it didn't do a lot'. It would be great if you could post back here once you have the scan and find out the results.
Good Luck
Hi Mistyhorizon, I am back.after months of finding the right doctor,prognosis finally I had my total abdomen hysterectomy last Oct 25. I stayed 4 days in the hospital for the pre and post operation procedure. Now im recuperating fast, the pain is still there I am advised by my Gyn that it will take about 8-12 weeks to heal the wound inside but will take about a year to be back on my old routines since they took out my uterus and cervix. I don't have much pain i was given Arcoxia for my pain medication and took antibiotics for 7days. I had spotting/bleeding for over a week and vaginal discharged which was pretty normal. I took vaginal suppositories Albothyl..now my discharge is not that heavy anymore. I am in my 3rd week of healing after the operation, its not really funny staying at home 24/7, its a major operation and you can't do much of the task. the most that I could lift is a coffee mug..its a healing process..but I know all the pain and anxieties were all far behind me. I know for a fact that I will not be able to have any baby since I also developed secondary infertility I am ok with it, most important is my health and my well being. I an planning to adopt a baby soon..it depends on my maturity on how will I take it..its a process that I have to consider anyway my daughter is now 15 years old. It was a process that I had to bear for more than 8 months. Finding the right doctors really helped.More power to you !!
Hi jamsworld, I am sorry you had to have such extreme measures taken, but I am glad your terrible period pains are now behind you. I really do wish you well for the adoption though, and I am glad you are being so positive about this. It just shows to others too how important finding the right Doctors is, and making sure they listen!
Good Luck for the future :)
I am having sharp pains in my lower stomach and it hurts to lay on my stomach, every time im on my period the same thing happened and also I get very sharp and horrible cramps in my chest. What should I do, I'm 14.
Hi Melina, This sounds fairly normal to me, although the pains in your chest are not something I have heard very often before. I suggest you read my other article on dealing with severe period pains, and definitely talk to your Doctor about getting some Mefenamic Acid tablets to take in conjunction with painkillers. The link to my other article is http://mistyhorizon2003.hubpages.com/hub/How-can-I
of recently i have had severe pains in my periods but now am having a sharp pain on right pelvic and backache its one week to my period but i normally get cervical mucus in all its stages but this time i did not see the slippery egg like and am getting all these and i don't know what's happening to me am worried pliz advice me.
Hi Pretty,
This could simply be you ovulating, as the timing varies from person to person as to when you ovulate. Backache shortly prior to and during periods is fairly standard as are sharp shooting pains (I used to describe it as being like being stabbed with red hot knitting needles). I don't know how young or old you are, but if you are quite young, as in a teenager, then your body is going through lots of changes right now, and your periods will probably go through a fair few changes as well, duration, side effects, length of cycle, discomfort etc.
Take a look at my article about reducing severe period pains (I link to it within this one). If you are still concerned I would suggest a trip to your Doctor for further reassurance and to put your mind at ease.
I've had my period since July, I had it for four days, then August for 3 days, then skipped in September, then two days in October, and all of it has been really light, now Its really heavy and I never had cramps until now, and I was playing sports in those months, and I haven't this month, do you think that's the reason it's so heavy this time? I'm 15
I would suggest your body is still adapting to having periods at all, and this can take a good year or more. The cramps don't always start immediately, and may take some months to appear. The fact your period is heavy this month is probably just another symptom of your maturing body. The sport may have sped up the process to some small degree, but it would probably have happened anyway in time. If the cramps start to really cause you a problem I would talk to your Doctor and get a prescription for Mefenamic Acid tablets and use them in conjunction with painkillers.
Hi, im 15 years old and ive been having a period since i was 8 . there always irregular so i never know when im going to be on . ive skipped six months before, but each time i do get on i have severe abdomen pain, i cant poop or pee properly my lower back starts getting numb i get weak, i throw up and for the last two weeks this bump has been getting bigger on my vaginal area . im on my period now it is the 24th of november and ive been on my period since the 4th thats 20 days :( i'm so scared to tell my mom whats going on because i dont know if somethings wrong with me or if its bad to be on your period that long.
I have heard of cases like yours 'unknown', although I am unsure what the 'bump' could be as that is new to me. I would advise you do talk to your Mum and arrange an appointment to see your Doctor. It could just be that your hormones are all over the place and you need to regulate your periods by going on to the pill. I am sure it won't be anything too serious, but you need to see your Doctor to get it resolved.
Good Luck
I am 26 years, had an ectopic pregnancy in Apr 2011 and one of my fallopian tube was removed. After 3 months rest, we are TTC but no result yet. I even resigned my job b'coz my last period got extended due to stress and travel, who usually have regular 28 days period. But this month, I have pain on my both sides of abdomen and back pain during ovulation, Is there any chance of pregnancy...?? Please help me....!!
Hi Tensed,
I am not really able to help you much on this one as what you are asking is not specifically to do with period pains, and is more about pregnancy symptoms or possibilities. I just can't answer you in detail as I don't have the knowledge on what you describe. There are articles far more useful to you that you can ask this question on and get responses from those aware of the symptoms associated with what you are asking.
All I can say, which might be of some comfort, is that if you have one ovary you are still very capable of conceiving, and that having abdominal pains and back pain during ovulation, or during a period, are very common, so you should certainly not think you cannot conceive. You might also want to look at getting some of your eggs harvested and frozen in case of any future problems, as that way if for any unfortunate reason you ever lost your remaining ovary, it would still not rule out your having children, even though it would take IVF using your partners semen. The storage of your eggs does cost a fee, but is worth it for peace of mind.
Hi there,
I went to the gynaecologist on the 23rd of November and I have a cyst on my left ovary as well as a very thick lining of the uterus. They are going to re-do the ultrasound in January to see if the cyst managed to go away by its self, if not they want to operate and they are also doing a D&C in January. My periods are very irregular. When he did the ultrasound on Wednesday he touched the cyst all the way around as I had bleeding around as well as inside the cyst, when he was done it was bleeding a bit everytime I went to the loo and then eventually stopped. Today I'm in so much pain and no pills are taking the pain away, the pain is so bad I can barely walk and wen I went to the loo Its bleeding again. I would like to know if it is the cyst bleeding again or if I am having my period? If I am having my period does it mean that the cyst is gone?
Please help me,
Thank you
Hi Jenks, the cyst could very well still be there even if you are having your period so don't assume it has gone. I can't answer if this is your period or not, as only you know if it was due yet. In your situation I would be inclined to call the Gynaecologist back again and tell him about the pain you are in and the return of the bleeding. If you can't get hold of him I would call your regular Doctor, and if it gets worse I would go to the ER and tell them what is going on. I don't know how big your cyst was, but it can be dangerous if they are very big and they burst, but I am assuming this was not too big because your Gynae opted to see if it went away (burst) before attempting a surgical removal. The main thing is that if your period is not due and you are in severe pain and bleeding, it should be checked out (although it may just be that your cyst has burst on its own). Whatever the cause, I don't believe it is worth leaving it to chance!
Good Luck
Hi
I am 43 & had a sterilisation op 9mths ago my children are in their early 20s & decided I didn't want any more children. My periods have become very heavy & irregular & very painful since the op also I'm having feverish sweats which I didn't have before. I think my age doesn't help matters & a bit unsure what to do because I will probably just get fobbed off at the docs have you any suggestions??
I am wondering if this could be hormonal imbalances and that could be rectified by simple HRT pills. I would definitely talk to your Doctor about this and see what they can give you. For now you might find Evening Primrose Oil can help, and you could read my other article on reducing severe period pains and see if any of those ideas help with your pain levels.
I hope this helps.
Good Luck
Hi. I just wanted to ask. I have been having pain in my left side under my kidneys for a while now. Today it has been really bad. I have been having my period about 4 times in November alone, it lasts about 5-7 days, and starts again after 2 or 3. I have been on countless amounts of contraceptive, and all of them makes me ill. I eventually got the Copper T inserted, and had it removed a week later, and since then this bleeding has started. I am in a lot of pain today, but the bleeding has also started. I have the pain with or without bleeding. What can this be?
I have been on period for 2 weeks and i have bad pains in my stomach and in in lower back and sides and ect. I dont know what is going on please help
So i have been bleeding alot for like 2 weeks or more. and when i have sex it hurts some and i bleed,. n i have alot of pain in my stomach,down there a little, and my back. amd my neck hurts. n I have alot more
Hi Jason Wilma Gray, I honestly don't know what could be causing your general problem other than hormones, and if the pill makes you ill then it is hard to use the pill to regulate the problem.
What you are experiencing right now could also be an infection as a result of the Copper T so I would go back to your Doctor to get this checked out asap.
I would also be inclined to ask your Doctor to refer you to a gynecologist, or at least get a second opinion from a different Doctor. Sorry I can't suggest anything else.
Good Luck
Hi Kelly/Amanda, this may well be a one off, and it is not uncommon for women to have periods that go on for a couple of weeks, especially young girls still relatively new to having periods as it takes time for the body to adjust and regulate itself. The pains you describe could merely be period pain related, and I would check out my other article on dealing with severe period pains for ideas on how to control these. A trip to the doctor will allow him to put you on the pill, which should regulate your periods to a normal duration.
Good Luck
I am 16 years old and for about the past 2 years or so I get this horrid pains right before my period or the first 2 days. I get to the point were I almost pass out and I throw up. It has came to the point of me taking my Step mothers endemetriosas pain medicine, and even with that I have to take 2. And they are highly strong.
Should I get this checked out?
Hi Caitlin, well first I would look at getting the Mefenamic Acid tablets from your Doctor as they are excellent even for really severe period cramps. I would also read my other article (linked to in this one), on ways to reduce severe period pain, many of which you may not have tried before. If after all of this you still are no better, then I suggest talking to your Doctor about getting further investigations done, but I warn you, Doctors seem to be really stubborn about acting on this, especially in girls your age when severe, agonising period pains before and during periods are not all that unusual, (even to the levels you describe). Hopefully the Mefenamic Acid anti-cramp medication used in conjunction with pain killers will be enough though.
Hey, I just want to say I'm going through a lot of stuff and I really think you should put a disclaimed or something at the top cause you keep telling people to take mefenamic acid but trust it doesn't suit everyone. I tried it and tried it again and one) it didn't solve the pain or the cramping and two) i spent the next week throwing up, So just be careful you constantly saying about it and saying to ask your doctor for it. It doesn't suit everyone and in some extreme cases especially endo it actually doesn't help. Its more of a general drug.
Hi Surgeon, thank you for pointing out I had neglected to add a disclaimer to this article. I don't know how I missed it as I add them where relevant to articles as standard practice.
To address your points, any tablet will not 'suit everyone', but we can only find this out once we have tried it, and then naturally we don't try it again if there is a problem. Some people are allergic to penicillin, some to Paracetamol, but they only find out after they take it for the first time.
The people who generally come to this article are desperate, and before they go rushing off to be checked out for Endometriosis and Cysts, they may well find that the Mefenamic Acid solves their problem and therefore rules out the need to go to a gynecologist. I have been through two surgeries for Endo and cysts, and I DID find the Mefenamic Acid helped with the pain, probably because as I stated in the article "These tablets are specifically geared towards period pains and prevent the production of the irritant chemicals that cause much of the pain and inflammation in the body". Also remember that to get Mefenamic Acid the person needs to see their Doctor to get a prescription, and if it wasn't 'suitable' the Doctor would refuse to prescribe it for them.
All I have done is suggest Mefenamic Acid as probably the most effective solution to control the 'majority' of people's severe period pains (especially if used in conjunction with painkillers), along with providing a link to another article that suggests many other ways to control severe period pains that people can also try before resorting to more invasive investigations.
Thank you so much! This has made me realise that I need to go and find out whats going on. When I get my period, it's the worst pain in the world. I have panic attacks and I vomit. I go sheet White and can't walk for the whole first day. The second day is nearly as bad. It's so horrible :( also, I get pretty bad pains when I have sex and when i am ovulating. I'm especially concerned about pain during ovulation! I made the appointment a few minutes ago. Thanks (:
Good luck Rosie, I hope they solve our problem. Bear in mind with ovulation that many women do experience pain, although not usually severe. If you are having this you should not worry too much, although a Doctor's opinion is always worth getting. I am glad you are getting your extraordinary level of period pains investigated though.
Good Luck.
this shocked me, i didnt know any of this could be symptoms to anything serious just a normal period. Before i was sexually active i had terrible periods but i thought they were normal, ive only had sex one time and i wish to forget it ever happened, about a couple days after i started getting really bad pain and went to the doctors and was told i had pid. but lately my periods have been getting worse and worse. so worse that i actually fell from the pain, and sometimes am too weak to walk. im kind of scared. i have a doctors appointment tomorow and im hoping its good news.
Good Luck Angelica, and I hope this is nothing serious in your case. I am pleased you are getting it checked out by a Doctor though as the sooner you know why this is happening the better.
hi im 21 and hae been suffering through some pretty weird symtoms for a while but juss recently got weirder.
I have had my period for SIX months straight constant and it has been nothing but black and gooey (disgusting i know)
and have had the worst cramping i have eer experinced i thought it was bad before but nothing compared to this,
it actually brings me to my knee's when im standing
and ive tried talking to my doctor and she prescribed birth control pills to stop my period i started them 4 months ago n it still hasnt stopped, also idk if its related but i have been experiencing bloody stools when i get my period so you see what fun im having the past six months have been the hardest and could really use some advice on what you think this could be, please your a life saver!!
Hi Chantell21, firstly I would recommend you go back to your Doctor and tell her that you are still bleeding even on the birth control pills, and also having blood in your stools during your period. If she seems unwilling to do anything else to investigate this further I would try to get a second opinion from a different Doctor. The blood in your stools during a period could be as a result of endometriosis, as it can be found in all different places throughout the body, and it will bleed during 'period' times wherever it is located. The severe period pains you describe can also be as a result of endometriosis. This is all I can suggest right now, because I have never been unfortunate enough to have a period which lasted as long as you have described.
You might also find my articles on stools helpful in regards to your blood in stools problem.
http://mistyhorizon2003.hubpages.com/hub/Have-you-
http://mistyhorizon2003.hubpages.com/hub/What-caus
I hope this has been of some help and wish you luck.
Me and my bf have sex all th time without using a condom and I have yet to get pregnant I have horrible periods should I see i doctor?
Hi Valleygirl234. If you are concerned I would suggest speaking to your Doctor. You don't say how old you are or how long you have been trying for a baby or why your periods are 'horrible'. Generally Doctors expect you to 'try' for a baby for at least a year before they will investigate further into infertility possibilities, and during that time you should make sure you live healthily, e.g. cut right down (or out) on alcohol and stop smoking or taking recreational drugs etc. If you have been having the kind of extreme period pains and symptoms as described in the article, then you probably should ask your Doctor to look into this further anyway, even without thinking about the infertility aspect of things.
Good Luck.
Thank you mistyhorizon2003 i found that very helpful, i am only hoping it is nothing serious and it will clear up soon, i see my doctor tomorow and will bring this up with her again.
Good Luck Chantell21 :)
Hi, ive been having very bad period pain to the point that i have to drop everything i am doing and go home and cuddle into my bed where i force my self to go to sleep. The pain is intefering into my life badly and i am quite not sure what it is... i usually feel it in my right side next to my pelvic area, do you think there could be a cyst on the right side of my ovaries and thats why i am feeling this pain?
i also get very bad diarihia when i get my period which usually lasts about one or two days and also can feel pain before one or two weeks before my period. Nurofeen seems to help a lttle with the pain but not the diarehia. I get stomache aches often and get sick easily and feel week often aswell.
It is possible what you describe pain-wise could be as a result of either a cyst or endometriosis. I am not a Doctor however, and would always recommend a proper examination be carried out, including an ultrasound before suggesting that as a definite cause of your pain. The diarrhea is not uncommon in people who have a period, and you may also find you 'go' more frequently in the first day or so, (I certainly did, and still do). I also find I feel really exhausted for the first day or so of the period, but I am assuming that is normal too as I have no longer got severe period pains since the last two lots of surgery for Endo and cysts, (a good few years back now).
I wouldn't panic about this, but you might want to request further investigations take place in case you do have Endo or Cysts.
Good Luck
Hi, I'm 16 years old and had my period ever since I was 12. For two years I had a regular period with mild cramps, but once I entered high school, my period was just horrible. My first year of high school, I would get hives before and during my period. My body would instantly heat up and I couldn't wear certain material during my period due to my sensitive skin. Last year, I would endure such horrible cramps. On my 15th birthday, I ended up lying on my mom's lap because I would be faint and dizzy. My skin was ice cold and the pain wouldn't lessen even after taking pills. I ended up going to the emergency room during school hours due to my period. This year, I ended up throwing up in school, I had a migraine and put me head down, and next thing I knew, I vomitted. I had to take the train home with a vomit bag while mentally praying to stop the pain. My mom claims that she had similar problems when she was younger, but none of my friends have had severe cramps. I'm currently going through severe cramps and decided not to take any pills (I've already taken so much, I don't want to damage my liver even more).
Hi Jill,
I agree it is not wise to go too mad on the pills, especially things like Paracetamol, and even recently there have been newsworthy cases of people who have accidentally overdosed on these because they took too many not realising the damage they were doing. You might still find the Mefenamic Acid an option though, as they are not a pain killer, they are an anti cramp medication, and even with the terrible cramps I used to get I only ever needed a couple of them a day for the first two days of the period. You might also find some non-tablet suggestions on my other article helpful (linked to within this article).
Remember one thing though, the liver can repair itself, and as a period is not going on constantly you will have times when you are not taking any tablets in between periods. During this time the liver is regenerating constantly. So long as you don't exceed the recommended dosage of any pills during your period, your liver should really be fine, but if you are worried a blood test can tell you if there is any damage to it.
Good Luck
Hi, i had an abortion, but after 7 months i started experiencing severe pain during ma periods, the pain comes and goes for some months, but what is worrying me is that two years now down the road, i have failed to conceive. I went to a gynecologist and advised me to go an HSG, and the results showed no problem at all my tubes were flowing normally. what could be the problem now?
Hi Precious, honestly this I can't really answer and can only guess. Firstly have you had an AMH blood test to determine your egg reserves, as this can determine if you have few or low quality eggs (another problem I now have)? An FSH test is similar to an AMH test, but not as accurate. Have you been checked for PCOS, do you have thyroid problems, (all of these can effect your fertility)? Has your partner been tested for his semen quality, because any negative changes in lifestyle will take 3 months to undo before his body is releasing healthy sperm again? Likewise hot showers, laptop computers, tight underwear etc etc can effect his fertility. If your specialist rules these things out he may decide to try you on Clomid to stimulate your ovaries into producing more eggs.
I hope this helps.
Hello,
So umm I'm 15 years old and until these last six months I have had fairly normal periods with a slightest cramp that'll go away after taking two Ibuprofen. Now, my cramos have gotten 10 times worse and I'm now having to take almost eight Ibuprofen a day and it still leaves me curling in a ball in agonizing pain and ever month it seems to get worse. The cramps are in the lower part of my back of back and stomach. I've talked to my mom about it and said I should go to the doctor to get perscribed on the pill. I should have my appointment in the next few days.
Should I be perscribed on the pill or should the doctor look at it more seriously? I'm really concerened about this.
Hi There Em,
At your age I would try the pill first as it is rather early in your life for you to have had time to develop anything more serious. Your body is still young and developing, which can explain why your pain levels have changed so much in a matter of months. I would also ask your Doctor about Mefenamic Acid as I wish they had been prescribed for me when I was your age and in agony, but I am not sure they existed then. Certainly taking 8 Ibuprofen a day during your period is not good for you and is best avoided if at all possible. A couple taken in conjunction with Mefenamic Acid should be okay, and in fact you might not even need the Ibuprofen if you are on Mefenamic Acid because the Mefenamic Acid stop the cramping that causes the period pains, and they prevent the production of the irritant chemicals that cause much of the pain and inflammation in the body.
I hope this helps and I also suggest you read my other article for more ideas that help reduce period pains, (link within first paragraph of this article).
I have suffered from extremely painful and irregular periods since the first time I got my period at 12 yrs old. The doctors always told me it was because I was Young. I get severe cramps and I throw up all day during the first day of the cycle, when I get my period I have to take off work and school. Every doctor ive been too just told me it was because I was young and would give me birth control pills. Finally years later at 22 years old I got a doctor doctor who ran tests including blood work and ultrasound and I now jnow that I have polycystic ovaries and a hormonal imbalance, there are two cysts on my ovaries, maybe if the many doctors ive been to sinxe I was about 14 yrs old would have bothered to run those tests I would have found out sooner. The doc told me when I decide I want to have kids it will be difficult but not impossible because I dont ovulate regularly (my periods come randomly instead of monthly). :(
Thanks for sharing your experience here Rachel, it may well help others to insist their Doctors don't just 'assume' it is because they are 'Young'. I hope the young people who read this also make sure their parents read this too, as even the parents are frequently guilty of assuming their daughter is just unaware that periods often do come with severe pains, and that this is normal.
MY DAUGHTER IS 15. SHE HAS ALWAYS STRUGGLED WITH NOT KNOWING WHEN OR HOW LONG WITH HER PERIODS. I DID THE SAME FOR YEARS. iT RUNS IN THE FAM. SHE HAS STARTED HER PERIOD FOR THE 3RD TIME IN A ROW WITH THE FOLLOWING SYMPTOMS: NAUSEA,DIARRHEA,CHEST PAIN,SHORTNESS OF BREATH, BODY ACHING,SEVERE CRAMPS, BLOATING. I TOOK TO THE ER THE FIRST TIME FEELING LIKE THERE WAS SOMETHING SEVERELY WRONG FOR THE DOCS TO FIND NOTHING WITH BLOOD TESTS OR XRAYS OF CHEST. IM BEGINNING TO WONDER IF ITS SOMETHING IN YOUR REALM OF ISSUES. ILL DEF BE TAKING HER TO THE GYNO ASAP WITH THIS INFO. THANKS.
Glad you are at least going to look into this further Davina, although she is still young to have such major problems as I describe here. I do find many Doctors are ignorant of things like Endometriosis though. My own Sister who is now 46 was told by our Doctor recently that she couldn't have Endometriosis because she didn't 'get pain all month'. I was shocked, as I know from other Doctors and from extensive research, that the pain from Endometriosis is caused by the fact that during your menstrual period this tissue external to the uterus also bleeds, problem being the blood has no-where to go, hence the pain. I was shocked that a doctor of all people would be ignorant of the fact that endometriosis pain occurs during your period, and NOT all month long. If you get no results with the Docs you go to, please get second opinions from other Doctors before you assume the first ones are correct.
Good Luck
Hello Misty!
I am sooooooooooo very glad that I read your this article.
Believe me your this article came as a savior to me!
Since the age of 12,I've been suffering from severe period pains but as in India its believed that the pain subsides once you get married or you deliver a baby.
Well I did get married before 5 years but it did not affect much to my severe period pains but still I was okay with it but since last couple of years we've been trying for family expansion but with no results. Had done all the routine check ups but all the reports were normal.
Then one day I was totally tired by the sucking pain i get in periods and I just typed " why does it pain so much in periods" in Google and I got to read your article.
With the reference of this article I then concerned my family and changed my Gynaec to some Obstetrician and she said that I have to undergo Laproscopic surgery and I'll be cured of this painful periods.
Let's see I have the surgery on Wednesday so hoping for the best.
Once again thank you so much for sharing your knowledge with all.
God Bless You.
Hi Nirali,
I am delighted this article has helped you so much. The amount of women like yourself who suffer needlessly every month because Doctors/family think this level of pain is 'normal' is phenomenal. If by finding this article your problems are solved, either completely or mostly, then I will be a very happy woman too :)
Good Luck
I have normal periods that are on time every month. I live with my boyfriend and we use condoms only. We've been using them for a year and everything seems to be working just fine. But for the last 8 days I have had severe cramping in my gut. Doesn't feel like a period cramp. Mostly like gas or a stomach bug. But it has continued and hurt so much the other day that I thought I was having appendicitis! (The pain moved to the lower right abdomen). I went to the hospital and they found nothing abnormal. They thought it may just be constipation. The pregnancy test and all other tests were negative. Could this be cysts? I've had pain during sex in the past but not any more. I wouldn't be worried if was just a few days of hurting but this seems too long. Any suggestions?? P.s. I got my last period on the 10th of Dec. and am expecting it the 10th of Jan.
It could possibly be as a result of cysts, but it also be any number of other things, including constipation. I wouldn't worry too much about it unless it continues to be a regular occurrence. If it does continue I would go to your Doctor for a second opinion.
Good Luck
Thanks for the article.
I am 18 and my fiancé and I have been trying for a baby for 7 months now and nothing has happened. In the past 8 weeks I have had 2 surgeries to deflate a cyst on my left ovary. But I am writing this in incredible pain right now I have figured out that every 4 weeks this pain is coming back and the past 2 surgeries showed that the cyst gets inflamed with blood so I don't understand why they can't jut remove it. It is extremely painful durin and after sex and I constantly get severe back and left abdominal pains. I have a very high pain threshold but I often faint because of the pain. The doctors have now come to the decision there is nothing else they can do for me and this has destroyed me. It's horrible knowing that the only place that can help you, actually can't. My periods are extremely heavy and painful and I can't even watch an hour programme without having to change. I can't afford to go private but this is distorting my life and I fear I cannot have kids. I have been to many doctors and hospitals now and come to a dead end. Do you have any advice? Thank you in advance x
I am afraid I don't have any really great advice Ellie. I can't understand why they don't remove your cyst either. Problem is we naturally produce cysts on our ovaries every month which burst as they are meant to normally. The major problem is caused when for some reason they don't burst, and keep on growing larger and larger. These cysts are frequently removed surgically. I am not your Doctor, so can't say why they are not removing your cyst the same way. I would have expected them to explain to you why they were not removing it altogether. My only advice would be to find a way to get a second opinion from a different Doctor, surely you are entitled to this? It is unfortunate you cannot afford to go private, but perhaps you could at least afford a consultation privately to discuss your situation and get the second opinion that way so you can go back to your original Doctors with the information.
Having cysts won't necessarily rule out you having a baby, but it can make it make getting pregnant much more difficult, and you might even need to consider options like IVF if all else fails. At least you are young and have time on your side.
Good Luck.
Your article kinda has me freaked. I've had horrendous period pains my whole life. It's so bad that it wakes me up in the middle of the night and I subsequently end up spending the remainder of the night in the bathroom evacuating from both ends if you know what I mean. I also get pains so bad that I've passed out. Then there's the blinding headaches & fevers. It definitely puts me out of commission for a few days every month, which is why I am so grateful that I work from home. I think after reading your article, I might just pay a visit to my doc.
Hi C, sorry if this freaked you out a bit, but I am glad you found this article if it helps you to finally find out why you have been having such painful periods for so many years. Perhaps now you can have more investigations performed and possibly remove most of the cause of the problem depending on what they do or don't discover.
Good Luck.
lk;lkk
having sex in the time of abnormal menstruation? am i pregnancy?
I can't answer that prelz, you would need to take a pregnancy test to see if you are pregnant. You can bleed and still be pregnant, and with regards to getting pregnant, different people ovulate at different times so I can't say if you are pregnant. If your 'bleed' was an unusual time for you to be menstruating, then maybe it was only an 'in between periods' bleed, Which do sometimes happen, and theoretically you could get pregnant if it wasn't a true period, or it could even be that you were ovulating (usually around day 14 of your cycle) as this sometimes produces a small amount of blood and mucus and is your most fertile time of the month to have sex if you are trying for a baby.
Hi i am 13 and i started my periods when i was 11-12 and i have really bad peroids i have been to the doctors about it and its not just heavey periods its bad cramps!
:( its unbarible! my sanatry towels are lasting an hour or less! i have tryed the tablets you have suggseted and they do not work on me at all i went to the doctors yesterday beacuse they dont work and they gave me some other tablets beacuse they thorught if i went on the pill i will be on it for ages and beacuse of how young i am, so they have put me on this co-codimall with parcitimall and codine in it and they kindaa work these ones that i am using now are 500mg. any sugggestons why i am sooooooo heavey and having very bad cramps?
I just found out that I have fibroidal cysts. An now my stepmom is convinced because her friend had them and never cramped this badly that I just can't tolerate pain. I just want to scream that it f-ing hurts. I have spasms that wrap around and my left side keeps shooting pain from my ovary to my vaginal area. I'm pretty sure I have endo but every Time I say that it's either " you're too young thats the twenties " or "your just being a hypochondriac.". So tired of hearing this. I know life is hard but come on. Being told you're wrong doesn't help when you know it's he truth. I just got the depo shot and hopefully it helps. I'm switching to implanon when I get off for spring break.
Hi Meg, I am sorry to hear you are in so much pain, and I am surprised the Mefenamic Acid did not work. I am afraid I don't hold out a lot of hope for Co-codamol either based on my experiences. Did you read my other article on the ways to reduce severe period pains (linked to in this article)? If you do it will no doubt give you some other ideas for things you can try like magnesium tablets (available from the Internet or health food shops). Magnesium is amazing for period pains apparently, but this is just one of many things you can try that are listed on that article. I should add 'Very' hot baths are not required. A warm bath will be enough if it is going to work, and it is not one of those cases where the hotter you make it, the more effective it will be!
Your period pains are probably fairly normal for your age (although your pain level is on the more extreme end of the scale), and the pain should diminish as you get a little older. It is unlikely to be anything too serious at your age, but if it continues into your late teens and early twenties you might want to get further investigations done by a gynecologist.
Good Luck
Hi '19 and still in pain', ouch, I am sorry to hear you are in such pain. Your Step-Mum needs to realise that there are different pain thresholds for different people, and that depending on each case and the extremity of it, the pain may be worse or not so bad. Basically there is no 'blanket level of pain' that applies to all such cases. You 'could' have endo at 19 years old, although it is less likely than if you were in your twenties. Bearing in mind you already have fibroidal cysts I see no reason why you shouldn't be capable of having developed Endometriosis though. My advice would be to see how it goes over the next few months, and if you are still having severe pains each month then go to your Doctor and insist on being checked out for Endo, but also see what they intend to do about your cysts, e.g. removal etc. You are an adult at 19, so you don't need to defer to your parents regardless of their opinions. Look after your own body and make sure that you get this checked out thoroughly.
Good Luck
Ok thank you for the help i will try and get some. many thanks meg
You are welcome Meg, good luck :)
Hi i am 13 i just got my period in Jan 5 th since that day i bleed normal but no pain like cramps
I. Just whant to know if it will hurt the next month
Everyone varies marie, so you may or may not get period cramps. Don't worry about it, for most girls it is normal and not unbearable, (even if uncomfortable). It is more like a nasty stomach ache for most women who experience them, only lower down.
Hi, I must say reading this has made me realise to stop being scared of what doctors may tell you, I started my period when I was 15, I'm now 21 but they seem to be getting worse! The pains last for 2 days from when I come on, I have to take time off work, I find myself sometimes screaming in pain,crying its absolutely awful, I am going to stop putting it off and go to the doctors, just worried incase I hear something I don't like :( I'm an on my period now and had a bad moment this morning lasting 2 hours... Thanks so much x
You are very welcome Freya, good luck at the doctors.
hi,
I am going to be 45 next month and since i started my period i have had heavy flow,extreme pain and large clots all of which i was always told was normal with cysts monthly and bloating. I started at 14 with my period they are always 5-9 long. I get headaches and muscle pain,anxiety and panic. the clots are almost the size of oranges. I have 3 girls and 9 years apart even though we never used protection and had sex daily. Sex is now painful and hurts for days later and i am at end wits. I have been total this is normal but bull cocky i am tired alot and gained weight
Sounds to me like you need a second opinion from a different gynecologist Tina, as this does not sound at all 'normal' to me.
does sound normal to me either but 3 gyns all say normal so i suffer :(
Have they not done anything about removing your cysts Tina, they did mine and it did help, and at the same time they removed loads of Endometriosis, (have they checked you for that too, and have you had any laparoscopies to investigate internally through minor surgery?).
hi,
never removed the cysts my doctors says they go away and recur monthly. Never had a laparoscopy but two c-sections with lots of scar tissue I just live with it every month for 8-10 days i feel like i am dying and the pressure and pain is terrible..tina
Cysts usually do come and go monthly, the problem is that occasionally they don't, and continue to grow larger and larger until surgery becomes necessary to remove them. They are usually discovered by a vaginal ultrasound first, and are then surgically removed at a later date. The laparoscopy is useful to determine problems like Endometriosis, and also much of it can be removed at the same time. Because the surgery is keyhole, you are usually only in the hospital for one night and then you can go home.
Your scar tissue could be effecting your pain levels,and you may well have adhesions as a result of surgery (I know I do). I am pretty sure they can remove some of the adhesions or scar tissue with surgery though.
I can't help feeling if you keep at it sooner or later you will find a Gyno willing to do something to investigate further or to try harder to help you.
I'm 16... Are these still possible and should I see a doctor? The pain gets worse each month and it's becoming unbearable.
Hi Megan, it is less likely to be endometriosis or cysts at 16, although not impossible. I would try Mefenamic Acid tablets and some of the suggestions on my other article before assuming that you have anything more serious than severe period pains though.
You can find the link to my other article in the first paragraph of this one.
Good Luck
hi misty,
well ended up in the er this monthly cycle and was told nothing was wrong ..ahh but they found the same small cyst on my right ovary that has been there for over 9 years now...but they said it is too small to cause all this pain..i am so mad
That is bad news Tina. I never asked you if your doctors have been male or female. The reason I ask is that I think women are more likely to empathise and take the problem seriously, whereas male doctors can brush it off a little as they have never experienced any level of period pains for obvious reasons. I would still be looking to speak to other Doctors until you get one who is willing to investigate for Endo, do a laparoscopy, get rid of that small cyst in case it IS responsible for the pain, remove some scar tissue and any adhesions that may be there if possible etc.
he is a male yeah i think after 13 years of severe pain i am going to look for a female hard in this little city but i am tired of the pain as now it even hurts in my lower back when i stand to long not good. thanks tina
Well I hope you do Tina, and good luck, a woman should understand the nature of the pain and the extreme nature of it better :)
Let me know how you get on :)
hi my name is mindy and im 31. i have been having a problem it feel like its my left overie the pain didnt start till i lost my second child in 2005 but like alot of people i dont have the money to go to the docter but this problem scared me and this info was very helpful and the pain is only when i have my monthys
Hi Mindy,
This could be as a result of a cyst, or possibly endo etc. I hope that at some point you will be able to afford to get it checked out at a doctors, they may be able to remove the problem.
Good Luck
this article was so helpful im so scared to go to the doctor becoz in the past ive had nothing but bad experiences and ive even been tested for ovarian cysts and came back clear but everymonth without a doubdt im back to not being able to sleep feeling sick and can barely move with the sevre period pains i thought i just had a low pain tolerance but now im 21 yrs old and i can feel it inside that this pain is not normal and there has to be something wrong. all i do in cringe at the thort of getting my period as i no that for the next week i will be in excruating pain. all you wonderful ladies out there suffering the same as me i feel so sorry for u all becoz sometimes i feeel as death wud be a much less painful way to go. all i need is help and the courage to get checked out but i dnt want to no if i cant have babies is scaes me becoz its all i want.
I hope you do take this further missyK, as you could have Endometriosis, and the sooner you get this looked into the better your chances of being treated and increasing your chances of future pregnancies when you want them. Trust me, I have been through all the checks, from the ultrasound scans, through to the laparoscopies (camera through the area below the navel) and proper surgery. I never had any significant discomfort from any of these, and definitely nothing even close to the pain I was having during my periods. It is far better to find out the cause of the problem and get it dealt with (as far as it can be), rather than stay in ignorance, suffering and worrying.
Good Luck.
Hello I'm Detrana I'm 18 and for the past 3 days I have had really bad cramping and I've been bleeding a lot. I'm on birth control and I have been since May of last year. My question is why am I having so much pain and why am I bleeding so much. Can anyone help me out? It would be greatly appreciated.
Hi Detrana, I think you should see your Doctor about this. You could even be having a miscarriage as it is not impossible to get pregnant on birth control, and not impossible to have monthly bleeding/periods when pregnant. The continued use of the pill could contribute to the miscarriage for obvious reasons. Even if this is not the case, to suddenly have a lot more pain than usual combined with excessive bleeding, could indicate another problem, e.g. an infection, and one worth getting checked out.
Hi I've had periods for 2 years now and every time it's agony, they are irregular and I can feel when I ovulate ( I think that's the word!! ) when I have periods I can't move, I want to scream and
Scream. I have just started the pill, but it is giving me no constilation at the moment. Is this normal?
Well, no it isn't 'normal' but it isn't uncommon. I strongly suggest you have a read of my other article too, but if that doesn't help, have a proper chat with your Doctor about Mefenamic Acid tablets and look at getting further investigations done in case it is endo or cysts causing the problem.
Hi there
Since the age of 12 iv suffered really bad with my periods at 12 i had to be put on the pill to stop my heavy periods, coming up to my periods i suffer the normal symptoms,, hot flushes, night sweats, mood swings, bloated etc but iv never been regular and im now 24 years old, my periods have got worse has i have got older, now when i come on i get terrible abdominal pain to a point i feel like im going to pass out, i start to vomit, can't get off the toilet, and use a big box of super plus tampax within 3 days, all this time i have been crying out for help i have visited my doctor on numerous occasions and have been made to feel its normal, i asked to be refured to a gynaecologist but unfortunately was told it wasnt necessary and prescribed all sorts of pain killers which i haven't taken, I dont want to have to take pain killers for the rest of my life every month, also me and my husband have been trying for a baby for some time now and its just not happening.. could this be due to anything? neither me or my husband smoke and only consume alcohol moderately, I was wondering if you could give me any ideas why this is or some advise on how to help, i would be ever so greatfull.
kind regards
Nikki
Hi Nikki,
Well it certainly could be as a result of endometriosis or cysts, and these can effect fertility. The fact your Doctor has refused to refer you to a gynecologist is disgraceful, especially as you have requested it. I don't know if your Doctor is a male or a female, but I am betting he is a male as they often fail to take extreme period pain seriously. In your shoes I would immediately get a second opinion from a different Doctor. If any Doctor tries to tell you this is normal, look them straight in the eye and ask them how they can be so sure it isn't endometriosis or cysts without any further investigation having taken place? Ultimately I would refuse to take no for an answer, and refuse to accept anything other than a referral to a gynecologist. At least this way you will know for sure what else is going on inside you, even if it isn't endo or cysts.
Good Luck
Thank u for ur informative and thoughtful articles! I have been suffering from extreme cramps since i was about 14, i am now 30. Birth control was the only treatment that was ever completely effective for me, but i am also a migraine sufferer with vision loss, so i am no longer an eligible candidate for the pill due to health risks. Currently, i have a triplicate prescri tion for percs. The problem is getting them in me fast enough to have any efficacy! Yesterday was a frightening reminder of tis fact. The onset of my pain is soooo fast and my pill supply is so small that i need to be sure its the real thing before i medicate. My routine for as long as i can recall has been as follows...cramps start at any time of day and begin as a heavy feeling in my lower abs, like needing to poop. This is accompanied by sharp and dull pain, sharp in my vagina, dull in my abdomen. This pain starts at a 4 and increases very rapidly. I have an intense fever develop in tis time which is accompanied by loosing consciousness(even when lying with my feet above my head). I sweat profusely and am super weak. I often, butdon,t always throw up at this piont. The thought of anything hot is terrifying! Hot makes everything more intense and causes nausea for me. I want cold! I am unconscious for the entire derration of the episode, blue lips, clammy skin and pale complexion. The pain comes in waves, like the tide. I would rate the most extreme pain at a 9/10. I cannot cry, cannot move to a comfortable position, cannot function at all! This is dangerous i know, but even picking up the phone to call for help is impossible in that state. Plus being moved by others to a hospital feels like it would exasterbate the symptoms. I am looking forward to asking my doc about mefenamic acid...hopefully avail in canada? I know what it is like to have doctors not take u seriously....keep on them! The most effective thing i have managed to do was to document my pain minute by minute on my phones voice recorder (going back to fill in the parts where i was too weak to speak). This helped my doc to understand the serriousness of my pain. I am still searching for a better solutuion than pain killers, so wish me luck!
Good Luck for sure melinpain, that sounds truly awful. I am sure you will be able to get Mefenamic Acid tablets in Canada, as you can get them in Britain and the US, although it may be under a different name. You could also try magnesium tablets which you can buy in the health food shops, chemists or online, as apparently these are amazing for period pains. Have a read of my other article for some more ideas. It is linked to in the first paragraph of this one.
Do let me know how you get on re-Mefenamic Acid. I swear by them :)
Thank you for ur empathy! I have read the other article and look forward to sharing ur insights with my doctor! Keep up the good fight! Thank you!
You are welcome melinpain, good luck with your Doctor :)
Hi, I've had irregular and short periods since I started (aged 13) and now I'm 18. I sometimes miss out one or two months, have no pain and it lasts for 4-7 days. Should I get checked up? Thank you and god bless you :D
It might be worth mentioning it to your Doctor Vanessa as if this is being caused by hormonal imbalances they can put you on to the pill in order to regulate your periods so you get them monthly. Four to seven days is a normal length for a period. Having irregular periods is a common problem for many women.
Good Luck.
hi, I always had painful cramp but thankfully only the first day is hell. I used to vomit and was not able to eat anything with a constant urge of going to the toilet. My back hurts and I felt so weak. The doctor gave me some medicine (Not available in the USA as im from IVOry COast)... Later on, I had brown discharge and huge pain in my lower stomach... went back to see the doctor and he found out I had an ovarian cyst... he put me on birth control hoping the cyst will reduce on its own.. It did but got another cyst on my right ovary and this one was very big. I got it removed and moved to the US.
The Cramps hurt less than before the operation but I still have to take ibuprofen when I feel the first pain, it does not take the pain away completely but I am able to work on the first day now.. But I have daily discharge, white and odorless, pain in intercourse, does not know what an orgasm feel like. The last time I check the doctor say one cyst on the left, came back but it was benign and that I should come back. right now does not have health insurance so can't go back... can the cyst cause the pain in sex? I am scared I won't be able to have a baby
A cyst can definitely cause pain during sex, but usually mainly in certain positions, like rear entry, so best to avoid those. Orgasm problems are different altogether, and many women never have them even if perfectly healthy, so don't feel you are 'odd' for not having them, it could only be connected to your other problems if you psychologically believe it is, as physically the two things are very different.
Ibuprofen is not really going to help with severe period pains, (better saved for headaches or mild toothache). Get some Mefenamic Acid from a Doctor on prescription, (it will only cost you one consultation fee). If this is too much to pay for, read my other article about dealing with period pains, (link in this one) and try something that is very effective on a non-prescription basis, e.g. magnesium tablets from a chemist or health food shop etc.
Good Luck
Edit, I should add "daily discharge white and odourless" is perfectly normal for virtually every woman, so no problems there :)
Hi, I'm 18 and im home from school today (senior) cause of terrible cramps. I've always gotten them really bad but it seems even worse today. My friends invited me to go sledding and i reallly wanted to try and push past the pain because this is our first snow (and probably our only snow this year) I usually can but while I was getting ready it was just too much. I threw off most of my clothes (way toooo hot) and started bawling. It keeps subsiding for a little bit and i think the worst is over but then it returns even more intense. Ive been taking painkillers and have been lying down with a heating pad. Its alright now, but its returned 3 times after periods like this. usually after about an hour or so.
2 years ago I had appendicitis over winter break, I had it remove and afterwards they also told me I had a cyst on the right ovary that would go away on its own. That was the end of that... but It just worries me cause since then my periods have been getting farther apart and heavier. I have bad pain the day prior to and the first day. I pass huge clots too (is that normal?). I also went to the doctor once for urinary problems and mentioned the cyst... they told me I should get a pelvic exam... but I never went back cause I reallllllllllly dont wanna do that. (I had just turned 17 then) and the idea of it still traumatizes me. He also seemed set on the idea of an std which isnt possible, but whatever! I have really bad anxiety about doctors, and eveerytime I go (not very often for something (related or unrelated to this, they do nothing). I dont even know if my cramps are bad enough that theyre considered abnormal. Ive never mentioned period stuff though, the thought of sharing about it with a doctor freaks me out even though its comletely normal.
Hi Abigailyyy, all I can say is that you need to get over this fear of doctors and go back to one and insist on further investigations being done, it was because I didn't 'insist' I suffered years of pain that could have been avoided. A cyst can be detected with a simple internal ultrasound probe, it doesn't hurt and can verify if the cyst is still there and if it is large enough that it needs to be removed. If you are embarrassed, and this is why you don't like discussing 'period' stuff with doctors, then you should ask for a female doctor as this will most likely be easier for you.
Your description of your level of pain does sound extreme, and if you still have a cyst it could be causing a lot of the problem.
I have heard other people with problems report the heavy clots you describe, but I never experienced these myself. It is best to talk to your doctor about the cause of them. Ask her to look into the possibility of Endometriosis too, as I had both together, (cyst as well), and the Endo was a large part of the cause of my high level of pain.
If your cyst has grown and does need removing, (and if you have Endometriosis by any chance that also needs removal), then the operation these days is very minor and you will be under a GA for it anyway. Within a matter of days you are pretty much back to normal. It really isn't scary at all, and the pain after for me was minimal and quickly gone.
It is important you do get this checked out in case the cyst has not gone and has grown large enough to need surgical removal.
Meanwhile, try to get some Mefenamic Acid tablets to take some of the pain away from the cramping, and read my other article linked to in this one about ways to reduce period pains. Anything you can do that helps right now has got to be a good thing.
Please do return to a Doctor though. It isn't worth years of suffering for something that can be treated with minimal discomfort to you or your body.
Good Luck
Thanks so much, its really nice that you take the time to read about so many different peoples concerns and respond to all of them. Right now My cramps are mostly nonexistent. Unfortunately I think Ill probably end up taking the day off tomorrow too as I have a fever, and Im feeling vomity and light-headed. I think I have the stomach flu or something on top it all. I feel so guilty cause Ive missed school too much already just for senioritis. Its super stressful... Its hard to get myself up everyday and sit through it! I should have graduated early lol.
I remembering wanting to ask about an ultrasound last time but being too chicken. My biggest fear is coming across is coming across a hypocondriach (my mom is one) or feeling bad for coming in cause nothings actually wrong. Ive been in a few times cause I thought I broke that bones... Only once was that the case and it didnt even show up untill I saw a specialist. It always seems like doctors dont take things seriously unless there is proof (fever, vomiting, ect.) I will try and work up the courage... who cares what they think. :)
You must always trust your instincts Abigailyyy, and never worry that a doctor won't believe you have a problem. They get paid either way, it is their job to check you out if you ask them to. As I said to you before, I spent years in pain every month because my doctors just kept telling me my level of period pains were normal and I should take Paracetamol for the pain. Needless to say this didn't work, and it was many years later when I began investigations into why I was not getting pregnant, that it came to light I had severe Endometriosis and a cyst on one ovary that both needed removing. If I had been diagnosed with this years earlier I might have been able to have a baby with my Husband, but sadly he died within 6 months of the surgery to remove the worst of it.
To give you an example you might relate better to right now. I had a fall a few years back and landed on my elbow. I was sure I had broken something as I was in excruciating pain the next day. X-Rays showed nothing, and so I put up with it clicking and crunching for some months afterwards. It was only when I mentioned it to my normal doctor he referred me to a specialist, 2 MRI scans still showed nothing, so I was sent for a CT scan where dye was injected into the elbow joint. Hey Presto, a large shard of bone was loose in the joint, but because of how difficult elbows are to X-Ray it had been hard to find before. A few months later and surgery was performed to remove the loose piece of bone, and now I have no problems with the elbow joint anymore. If I hadn't pursued it I could still have a dodgy elbow now, several years later.
The ultrasound if you have it is a doddle, although I doubt it will detect Endometriosis, but it will show up cysts. The ultrasound is just a small probe that is inserted into the vagina, and you can see on the monitor next to you exactly what the ultrasound is detecting. It is no worse than having a tampon inside you and the scan only lasts a few minutes. For Endo a laparoscopy is normally performed under a GA. This involves a really small camera being inserted through a tiny incision below your navel, and it allows the specialist to see the level of the problem. If it isn't too bad they can often resolve much of it at the same time. A couple of stitches later and you are good to go home, although you might have to repeat the procedure in the future as Endo and cysts often come back.
I hope this helps and do make sure they listen to you and look into this further. If at all possible get a woman doctor so you will feel less stressed by talking about your problems, plus women seem to understand better the nature of what you are describing.
Good Luck, and hope your tummy bug is better soon too.
Hi I first started my period when I was about nine or ten years old.I get horrible cramps and bled so heavy I have to wear two pads.I got my period today and have horrible
cramps I stayed home I'm not bleeding heavy now and I took pamprin and alive early and it only helped a little not much.Should I go to the doctor.Please give your opinion.Thank you
Hi Brigit, it is impossible for me to answer this based on the minimal info you have given me. What you describe could just as easily be normal (but severe) cramps, especially if you are quite young still. In the short term I would suggest getting your Doctor to prescribe you the Mefenamic Acid tablets, and you could also benefit from reading my other hub on how to reduce severe period pains, (it is linked to in the first paragraph of this one). Anything more serious is not likely to be investigated until you get to your 20's or older, as period pains tend to be more extreme in young people even if there are no underlying problems.
Hii, I'm 16 and I got my period when I was 13. I've always had horrible cramps that cause me to stay at home and they last 5 or 6 days, but they seem to be getting worse and more painful. I don't vomit but I stay in bed all day an sleep. I take alot of pain killers and I heat my stomach area but sometimes they don't work. The pain usually lasts for a few hours then goes away for an hour and it come back again. My mom knows about my pain but she just thinks its normal period cramps. I told her I want to see a doctor " where I live u don't go to a gyno until ur married" she said ok I know it's probably nothing but Id like to have a doctor opinion and be sure that in fine. Thank you for posting this :) I'm sure u helped many women including me.
Good Luck, hopefully something simple like Mefenamic Acid or Magnesium Tablets can solve your problem, but you need to go to a normal doctor for Mefenamic Acid, (a gyno is not necessary to get these). Read my other hub too, on the ways to ease the pain, (linked to in this article).
Good Luck.
hey :) im 19, i startd my period when i was 13, and the day before i started having excruciating pain, where as i sat on the toilet,clenching my tummy n crying my eyez out because i wasnt able to move or wake up coz it would just hurt more... Since then, the crampz are still the same, and last up to 3 horrible h0urs at a time, for about 5 days... My mom says its genetic coz she also used to suffer wid severe crampz, but she also had EMS. . . Usually when im having a cramp, therez dis painful numb feelin down my left leg,usually so bad that i cant even stand, and im often left feeling nauseous and weak.. And im unable to do anything except lay on my bed,with a pillow against my tummy n wait till it passes.. Even when taking any pain tablet, it takes about an h0ur until i feel any relief and i usualy fall asleep and wake up after the cramp has totaly passed.. So sleeping is the only way i can cope with the pain... I havent been to the docter yet though. .mom d0esnt seem to think its a big deal..bt after reading everything here, im a little worried.. :(
Hi Angel, well you are still young, and this could just be extreme period pains without anything else horrible going on (as my own Sister experienced). I suggest you visit my other article before drawing any conclusions, and at least try the Mefenamic Acid Tablets and/or the Magnesium Tablets before you decide you are concerned enough or convinced that something more serious is going on.
Hi, I'm 20 years old and has just been diagnosed that both my ovaries are poly cystic. I had my period earlier at the age of 9 but had never had a painful menstruation before, just a few pains. I had irregular menstruation, I have it around 3 or 4 times a year but has never caused any sort of concern for me. I got pregnant early at the age of 16 and when I gave birth at 17 everything went normal. I had my periods on a monthly basis with no pains whatsoever. But suddenly 4 months ago I suddenly stopped having my periods and I had 3 PTs which all showed negative. Getting worried I went to the doctor and got an ultrasound and found out that I have both of my ovaries poly cystic. I am now under medication to induce my period and somehow it's working but I feel a lot of side effects from it. along with this condition I have UTI (probably the 2nd or 3rd one in a year - the first one I had to be hospitalized for severe pains, vomiting, and fevers). My question would probably be "Since I am a cyst former in my ovaries, is it possible for me to be a cyst former in the kidneys too?" It's really been bugging me. I've had UTIs since I was 12.
I wouldn't have thought so, although I am not an expert. Cysts form naturally on the ovaries every month, but under normal circumstances they burst to release an egg. Cysts in the kidneys obviously do not. I can't think of any reason why you would get cysts forming in your kidneys too or why there would be any connection. You are probably best off speaking to a doctor to ask them this question to be sure.
I'm 15. i have bad periods and bleed alot. My menstrual cramps seem as if they are getting worse. I cry and need a day outta school maybe even 2 days but I just have t deal cause I don't like missing. I have considered going to the doctor these past few times about my period but I'm always worried there is something horrid going on. I have considered asking about getting on the shots cause I have heard they help but I'm scared to ask my parents. I don't want them thinking I'm having sexual intercourse. So I don't know what to do. My periods haven't always been bad they actually started getting bad back in August maybe. So yeah. Advice!
Hi Zoey,
What you are describing is not all that unusual in the early years of having periods, and I would suggest you do have read of my other article on ways to reduce severe period pains, (the link is in this one). The Mefenamic Acid and/or the Magnesium tablets (Magnesium Tablets can be bought in a chemist or health food shop over the counter) would probably help you a lot if you tried them before getting shots. I would discuss your level of pain with your Doctor and ask him to prescribe you the Mefenamic Acid tablets, and if he suggests going on the pill/getting shots he can always confirm to your parents (if you ask him to), that this was purely to help ease the period pains and not because you were sexually active.
Honestly please don't worry, at your age it is unlikely to be anything other than severe period pains (which my own Sister had with no underlying causes). Most severe period pains ease as you get older anyway. Meanwhile go to your Doctor and if you want take your Mum with you so she can see why you are speaking to the Doctor and can hear him suggest going on the contraceptive pill to you himself without any prompting from you. Make sure you do ask about Mefenamic Acid though, as they are the best thing I ever found, and I can't say I personally found the pill helped in my case much at all.
Don't forget to also read my other article as it contains a long list of ways to reduce period pains.
hi, im 21, I've never had regular periods, but when they came i was off exactly 4 days later.. but exactly 3 weeks and 3 days ago (24 days total), my period started, with regular cramps, but after the 4 days, i still bled, sometimes it would only be a little bit each day, but then yesterday, i got an excessive amount, and have been hurting really bad in my left side, like really strong cramps that lasted a few hours, hurt so bad that i couldnt even stand up, and if i did, i felt light headed, and felt like i was losing my breath. the only signs i seen of endometriosis is the bleeding and pain, but my step mom suggests a tubal pregnancy, but its been almost 3 months since i had any intercourse. im going to the doctor but would just like to get any other kind of advice before my appointment. to say im scared is an understatement. any suggestions?? thanks.
Hi Chey,
Right now I agree with your Mum's suggestion as one possibility because the symptoms would fit. The fact you are still bleeding does not rule out the possibility of being pregnant, whether ectopic or a normal pregnancy, if it is a normal pregnancy you could be having an early miscarriage. You could have a cyst and this could be endo. The best bet is to get to your doctor as soon as you can, because if, just if, this is an ectopic pregnancy that has grown to a size it is causing you this level of pain and discomfort, it can be life threatening if your tube bursts. I don't want to alarm you, but it is really important you don't delay this.
Please let me know how you get on and good luck.
thank you. and i will be back to inform what ever the doctor says. thank you again.
I’m 20. My first period started when I was 11 and they’re very irregular. They only last about 5 days and I never know when they’re coming because they doesn’t return until maybe 2, 3, or 4 months later. When I was 17 I only got my period twice the entire year. But I’m actually glad I don’t get my period often because when I do the pain is horrible! I end up crying, crawling into fetal position rolling back and forth clutching my stomach. Sometimes I feel dizzy, nauseous, or vomit and I have to crawl to various rooms because it hurts too much to stand up. Nothing seems to help. I haven't seen a doctor about it yet because I’m terrified they’ll try to regulate my periods and I do not want to have this pain every month.
I would suggest you do see a doctor Allie, as if you were having regular periods the pain would probably not be so intense. Your body is not functioning as it should right now which is quite probably the reason the pain is so bad when you do have those rare periods. It can no doubt be easily solved, and although you will probably still get some level of cramps, these can be controlled through the use of tablets like Mefenamic Acid and Magnesium.
One day you will probably want a baby, and you don't want to find out that ignoring this problem has ended up causing any kind of fertility issues.
Good Luck.
Wow this article literally explained how I feel every single month, exruciating pan that keeps me hom from school, I feel like someone is ripping my insides out of me! My periods are regular, but they are extrememly heavy (a pad isn't enough)..nothing seemes to help and the problem is I am 23 and a college student with insurance through my school, every doctor send me away and tells me to take 600 mg of motrin which does absolutely nothing! I don't know how to make them listen to me, its so frustrating to be in so much pain & discomfort, I even get headaches because of it..but its interesting to know that I'm not the only one !
Maybe the best way to get them to listen to you might be to print off this article, or at least key paragraphs of it, and either send them to your doctor in advance of your appointment along with a covering letter, or take them with you to point out areas you feel prove further investigations need to be done in your case.
Good Luck and I hope this helps :)
It does help, I've had my period since I was 10 and now at 23 the pain has gotten worse throughout the years, not better, but thanks for sharing your story !
My pains started to diminish after I hit my late twenties and early thirties, but of course during that time I had two lots of surgery for both cysts and endometriosis which probably helped to a large degree. My Sister didn't have any diagnosed problems or surgery therefore, and her period pains are very manageable these days, so I would hope yours will get easier either way. All the same, I would want to be thoroughly checked out for cysts and Endometriosis in your shoes, especially based on what I now know and how many years I needlessly suffered for as a result of doctors not looking into my problems further.
Wow, thanks for the advice !
Any time Valerey :)
I am 28 and was on Ortho-Tri-cyclon since I was 17 years old, until July 2011 when I was having side effects. I decided to go off since I was getting married in November anyway and plan on trying to have children this Summer/Fall. Well my periods are on time to the 28th day, but I only have my period for 1 full day and the second day very light to nothing at all. Two months ago I woke up with the most severe pain ever.. I felt like I was having contractions, tears were running down my face and I would have the pain subside for like 10 seconds and then return. ( I have never been pregnant before, so this is what I think contractions would feel like). My lower back also was hurting and I almost puked while having cold sweats. I take IB Profin and the pain finally subsides after an hour, but it's so awful. Last Friday morning at 3:30, I woke up with the same awful pain, my husband gave me a heating pad and seemed to help a little, but i think the IB Profin was the cure for the pain. I plan on going to the doctor next week to make sure I am ok to have children. I am scared, I hope I am ok.
Good Luck Courtney, I never found Ibuprofen helped in my case, but Mefenamic Acid did due to the fact it is an anti-cramp medication rather than painkiller. Speak to your doctor about it when you are there. Do let me know how you get on after you have seen him.
i have had the same horrible problems since i was 15 when i first started having my period an still have had no answers they just brush it off to me having bad femail cramps.... on yahoo diamondalaya22
Do read my other article alaya, you will probably find it very helpful all round. Depending on how old you are now it is probably worth you giving your doctor a load of earache until he or she looks into your pain further. I suffered for many years because my doctors kept telling me my pains were 'normal' and it still makes me so angry when I hear nothing has changed and they are still doing this to potential sufferers of cysts or endometriosis.
Hi again, i think i first wrote here about a year ago. My pain is getting worse and i finally convinced my GP to send me to a gynae after seeing 5 doctors. 6 months later and i was given a trans abdominal scan which showed nothing unusual. I then went into see a doctor who i believe wasnt even a gynae, he was just standing in and had to look up diannete which i had finally agreed to try despite breast cancer running in my family. Then my own doctor phoned the next day to verify taking the pill and it turns out as i take strong migranes the risk of stroke would be too high and i cant take it. Aargh If this had been mentioned months ago.. im desperate i dont know what to do. They just keep saying it prob isnt endo(im 19) and that a laparoscopy has risks. they have no clue about endo... and this is a gynae specialist department i was told the only symptom is painful sex and im a virgin so i cant comment except around my period i get agonising cramps when orgasming (tmi sorry). Ive been curled up all day in agony and im past the point of coping. In the UK they dont seem to have qualified people who could do a laparoscopy safely and competently but i feel ive got to find out what it is. Im unwell for 2 weeks a month, constant dizziness, pelvic pain, nausea and faint when i stand up... and the horrid pain. No anti inflammatories work or strong painkillers i tried menfamenic acid too, no difference.
What do you recommend, should i try the diet approach and forget a diagnosis or should i push to see a specialist for a lap? though im scared they wont find anything and ill look like a hypochondriac, though judging by the pain im in i know there's something wrong.
Push for the specialist for certain. A laparoscopy is easy surgery, you are in and out in 24 hours these days. I was in for a week the first time. I seem to recall my first surgery was done in Kent in the UK. This is basic stuff,I have even had it done here in Guernsey within the last five years, and we are 20 years behind the UK.
Have they even told you how they know it isn't endo when no laparoscopy has taken place? !!!!
They are misleading you hugely if they say painful sex is the only symptom (Grrrrr), this is a lie. My Sister was told that pain throughout the month was a symptom of endo (another complete inaccurate fact as pain happens during your period). What a load of idiots are practicing medicine.
Have they even done a vaginal ultrasound to check for ovarian cysts as a possible cause?
Did you know women with endo are 3 times as likely to develop ovarian Cancers?
Your biggest problem is that if it is endo there is not cure, but it can be removed to a large degree, (it will come back over time). The main thing is you get a respite from the pain for a few years (all going well), and your fertility will benefit too.
Don't take no for an answer, and go elsewhere if you have to. I am stunned that when I had a successful laparoscopy in about 1999-2000 in England in the UK, they are now unwilling to do this 12 years later. Seriously shocking and unforgivable on the NHS's part.
Hi, thankyou so much for your response. Well because im a virgin they havent done an examination on me or the trans vaginal scan, they have only quickly felt over my tummy.
Im in scotland and the gynae's only option was throwing the pill at me and now i cant even take that, they arent remotely bothered about finding the cause. I've also been told it doesnt affect you not even fertility!!!
So now im going back to my GP to ask to be referred to a different hospital for a second opinion but even then i doubt they will be able to understand and give me a lap. How can a qualified gynae ignore endo symptoms and not do a lap they just say it has more risks than benefits and it will prob come back clear... but i have sooo many of the symptoms?! The NHS is truly a joke, im still in pain with another day off college after being up all night.
Did you go through the nhs and did the doctor suggest to you endo/lap or did you ask them?
Sorry Louise, I am still choking that they told you it doesn't effect fertility... WTF, it is common knowledge it effects fertility, and is the very reason I can't get pregnant now.
I don't know if you use tampons or not, and if you have ever had a smear test, but assuming the answer to either of those questions is yes, then I can't see any reason why they can't give you the trans vaginal scan. The probe isn't much bigger than a tampon. This would only tell you about cysts of course.
When you go back to your GP ask to be referred to a different gynae, and usually they will have a consultation with you before it gets as far as the hospital. If you are concerned by the level of care and knowledge in Scotland ask if you can be referred to another part of the UK instead.
The lap is only a tiny incision, and the only risks I can see are from the GA itself. Yes it may come back clear, but at least you can rule out that concern if it does.
When I had my first surgery it was as a result of my seeing my Doctor because my late Husband and I were not having any success at having children together. He was already a Father twice over from his first marriage, so the first person to check out was naturally me. Apart from anything else I hadn't been on the pill for years, and had never got pregnant. The NHS doctor referred me to a gynaecologist who did the ultrasound which discovered the cyst. When they did the lap they discovered the endometriosis was everywhere inside me and explained to me this was probably the main reason I wasn't getting pregnant. Keyhole surgery was not so possible then, which meant I had to be booked in to hospital to have both the cyst and as much endo as possible removed, and then had to stay in there for a week. Sadly I still never got to have a baby because Hubby died soon afterwards.
Fast forward to about four years ago, and my current Husband and I wanted a baby. Here in Guernsey I went to my doctor who referred with to an excellent gynae called Mr Haskins here in Guernsey. An ultrasound showed another cyst, and as I had a history of endo he arranged for me to have a lap to go in and remove the cyst and do a dye test to make sure my tubes weren't blocked. This time I was only in overnight. Sadly when they went in the endo was back, and my reproductive system was a mass of adhesions caused by the endo. They couldn't even find my ovaries to do the dye test, so I can only assume they had to leave the cyst there too, (to be honest I forgot to ask). Bottom line, no babies going to happen without a miracle. He then referred me for IVF, but due to a low ovarian reserve this also proved an unlikely solution, so we didn't go through with it (very expensive as we would have to pay for it because we are from Guernsey and not part of the UK).
So to answer your question the doctors suggested it both times, and the first time it was through the nhs, the second time it was here on Guernsey so not through the nhs. It was also the first doctor who suggested endo to me, I had never heard of it before then.
All I can recommend you do now is spend some time online contacting medical clinics that refer to Endometriosis on their websites etc and try to get as much evidence sent to you as possible leaflets etc so that you can present this to your next gynae before they get a chance to claim such utter rubbish as 'it won't effect fertility'.
Good Luck
I know its ridiculous because from everything i have read, fertility is vastly affected. I'm sorry to hear you're unable to conceive and about your late husband but i just wanted to let you know how much i truly appreciate you taking the time to respond and for posting this blog, it has made such a difference in coping with this.
I also dont know why they havent done the internal probe i didnt object to it, they just wont touch me because 'ive never been sexually active'.I have never had a pap smear either so the mind does start to race if its something serious.. oh god is it cancer ..etc.
I will take your advise and print off as much info to take with me and also see about getting a 'qualified' consultant though im doubtful- it seems to be take what your given or lump it sort of attitude. I really am made to feel like a nuisance and a hassle like there is nothing wrong with me.
Thankyou once again,
If I have any luck I'll report back
Thanks Louise, do let me know how you get on. Just don't take no for an answer and don't let them make you feel bad for expecting them to do their jobs.
Good Luck
Hi guys, im almost 16 and got my first period at 13, ive always had irregular periods, always. But never had much period pains until i started taking Oratene, they are pills for acne. Once i went on these ive had really really bad cramps. Im too embarrassed to say anything to anyone. Is this going to be permanent or just whilst im onthe pills? Please help!
I can't answer this properly 'PLEASE HELP' because I know absolutely nothing about Oratene. What I would say is this sounds like it is most likely to be a very unfortunate coincidence and that at the age you are, you would probably have got the period pains anyway. This should not be embarrassing for you at all, and I strongly suggest you speak to your GP about this. Also read my other article (linked to in this one). If your doctor is a man consider asking for a female doctor for one appointment. Trust me, my first pap smear test was a male doctor (I was 17), now that WAS embarrassing.
Remember Mefenamic Acid tablets are a Godsend for most period cramp sufferers.
Hi i am 24 years old, i have never relly had period pains all my years until like three years ago, i Really do not know wat to make of em now, i have a regulor period, i think even though lately out two months ago it changed i would like to assume that my cycle was changing in all i could be wrong, what is worring me is that when i get my period i have this severe pain in my abdomin, My feet swell up u can literally see veins, i have these severe cramps, it get so upset every little thing seems so annoying, these cramps are in intervals one minute m okay, the next minute m all curled up and in tears my poor boyfriend has to hold my hand n just stare at me because theres absolutely nothing he can do about it, but for me this last for a day, ive been to the doctor and they told me that it was my kidneys because there was not enuf water in my body, the worste part my family dnt want this cured because they say i might fall pregnant as m still young???? They say period pains are anada form of protectionfrom getting pregnant, please help the pain is unbearable
You would probably do well to read my other hub on how to reduce severe period pains (linked to in this one).
I don't understand where on earth your family got the idea period pains act as a protection from getting pregnant, but this is a ridiculous incorrect belief. Period pains have zero impact on whether you get pregnant or not unless they are caused by one of the main reasons I list in this hub, e.g. endometriosis or cysts, in which case you might risk NEVER getting pregnant if the problem is not addressed. Can I ask what country you are from without being too patronising, as many countries are a long way behind in knowledge of modern medicine and the human body? (sorry but this is very much a fact).
I am from south africa, as much as i would hate to believe it it happens, alot of the people i know around our area have been through this , complaining bout period pains, the grandmothers in the family refusing to cure it, but immidiately after they married struggling to concieve, they go back home, seeking this cure, then before u know it coupla months down the line a person the person it Preggo, i Hope m not being a joke making myself a fool but its real, il will Most Definately Read ur article thank you
I am from South Africa m Afraid dat Belief still exists it has also been Proven to be correct, majority of teenagers and elders that have had period pains dat were unbearable, couple of months down da line they do Fall pregnant, none the less my family wont cure me, as they say period pains never killed any body. The only tym u can be cured is when u get married or Lobola has been paid for you, Lobola refers to bride Wealth, majority of women who cuddnt concieved in their marriage, suffering from period pains have been cured and they are now wid children of their own, i need help, bcoz for me this is unbearable, but any of the doctors i attend to just tell me to go home give me sum pain killers and they assume all will be well
I am sorry Vera, I hope you can find some of my ideas helpful to ease your pain, but I don't know what to say to you about your beliefs about period pains. A Grandmother or family member can't cure them unless by making suggestions like I have here and in my other article. They are definitely not some kind of bizarre contraceptive! This is something you need a doctor for, and once you understand what a period pain is, (a cramp) you will realise it has no connection to your ability to get pregnant (or not) unless it is caused by something like endometriosis or cysts on the ovaries, in which case getting pregnant is much harder anyway, and the only cure (which is not guaranteed to last) is actual surgery. What you have been told is a classic example of an 'old wives tale', in other words a belief that has been around so long people are sure it is true, even when science has shown it to be untrue. It is essentially a superstition not based on facts.
I don't know what the level of medical care is where you are, but if you can, get your doctor to give you Mefenamic Acid tablets which will usually stop the cramping and therefore the pain, but will make no difference to the chances of you getting pregnant.
If the tablets don't work and the medical care is good they should be able to investigate further for cysts or endometriosis. Both of which can stop you ever getting pregnant if left alone untreated, although women do still get pregnant sometimes with these conditions, it is just a lot harder. These problems will not go away on their own, they need medical intervention.
Good Luck
PS. I honestly cannot imagine what a senior family member could even attempt to do in order to cure you of period pains, or help a girl who has now married to get pregnant. What I do know is that if the girl (now married and struggling to conceive) truly believes her Grandmother can 'cure' the problem so she can get pregnant, then the placebo effect can kick in, and because that girl believes she is cured, she relaxes and her body takes over and she gets pregnant. The key is her absolute 'belief' in the fact she is now cured, not that her family did anything to change the cause of her problem.
I've had horrible cramps for the last few years, and I've dealt with unexplained depression and anxiety during that time as well. I just wanted to thank you for posting this, I probably never would have paired the two together before, I'll be sure to get it checked out :)
Good Luck Julia, I really hope you don't have a severe problem like endometriosis, but if you have, then at least something can be done (to a point), and you would at least know why.
I'm 16 and i've had my period since i was 14. Every month i get the worse period cramps i usually have to miss atleast one day of school because of them. My mother and sister dont get cramps so they dont know what its like. My period is always a week or more late and lasts a full week. I have a some what heavy flow and cramps usually appear anywhere from 2-3 days before till the second day in. I'm guessing i dont really have anything because when i take advil the pain goes away within an hour but if i dont take any the pain is so bad that i cant move from my bed. Do you think it could be anything?
Hi KnowName, firstly you say your period is always a week late, but that sounds to me like your body merely has a 35 day cycle instead of a 28 day cycle. Many women have cycles of differing lengths, so for you this may end up being totally normal for the years to come.
A period that lasts 4-7 days is also perfectly normal, although as you have only been having periods a couple of years you might find this changes over the next few years, (as might the length of your cycle as I described earlier).
Getting the cramps from a few days before up to the second day or so is also perfectly normal.
Basically it sounds as if all is as it should be and you have no serious grounds for concern. As the years go on you will probably find the pain reduces naturally. I still think you would have better results by using Mefenamic Acid (prescription only) in conjunction with the Advil, and as the Mefenamic Acid will stop the worst of the cramps, you might not even need the Advil, or to miss a day's school each month.
I hope this helps and puts your mind at ease.
Hi vivian
I suffer from periods cramps mostly the second day of my period ! I sweat a lot become so weak even to work up the stairsin I vomit and feel really cold. Doctors always give me painkillers no help at all . I'm 27 and been suffering since I was 15 . I had bad one today so I thought I will google a d found your article. My periods are irregular never knows when it will come in the month sometimes the first other times 16, 28 , 20.
Hi Lisa, Get your doctor to prescribe you the Mefenamic Acid and also buy yourself some magnesium tablets from the chemist or health food shop, both of these should help. You could also get some great ideas from reading my other article that I linked to in this one as it has lots of suggestions to ease period pains. If all else fails insist on your doctor referring you for further tests, and mention cysts and Endometriosis as possibilities when talking to him or her.
Good Luck
hi,i'm 16years old and frist started my period at the age of 9.over the years its gone from painful(pretty much normal for the first couple of years?)then they were okay-ish.The first day/two would be hell.however the remaining 3day were ok.However over the last year they've been awful. i've always had back&stomach ache,however i've been feeling weak,head aches,dizzyness,threwing up,ending up coming home from school,crying,being in bed for 7:30pm everynight for 5/6nights.Sometimes it was hard to walk-isn't an over reaction.and having 3days off school,which i can't really afford.i trynd atted school as it's mylast year,however i've been sick,fainted,cryed etc dto the pain,andhaving to go home.Is this normal? am i doing anything wrong?i drink plenty of water,eat health-ish.thanks.
No this is not normal, but before you try to explore endometriosis and cysts as a potential cause, I would recommend you try the Mefenamic Acid and the Magnesium tablets, as well as reading and trying the other methods I recommend in my second hub, (linked to from this article). Good Luck.
I'm 23 years old and I think I got my period when I was around 12-13. usually only have cramps on the first or second day of my period. sometimes it's bad and sometimes I hardly feel it at all. I know my mother used to have bad cramps too so I don't think it's an ovarian cyst as I don't have any of the other symptoms but this article did help and i'm glad that Im not the only one suffering from pain. Could also because because I'm useless at dealing with pain in general.
What I find really helps for me is lying down on the floor with a hot water bottle under my stomach.
You sound perfectly normal Jasmine, so I wouldn't worry. What you describe is standard for most women. The hot water bottle will work well, but as well as this suggestion there are tonnes more in my other article on how to reduce period pains, (linked to within this article). Thanks for commenting.
Thank you for sharing your story.
I am 19 and started my period when I was 10. It was always irregular and I even didn't get it for 3 months at one point. Sometimes the pain was extremely severe to the point where I would stay in bed all day. I started on the pill last year and ever since then they've been much shorter, lighter, always on schedule, and less painful. I unfortunately was diagnosed with HSV1 genitally this year. I contracted it from my boyfriend who didn't know he had it. After being diagnosed I started having frequent urination and sometimes painful urination. I was put on medication for a UTI by my general practitioner. They symptoms persisted and my urine came back bacteria free. I went to by gyno and have a pelvic ultrasound and they said everything looked good. No cysts, no anything. I went to a urologist and had a cystoscopy done and my bladder was fine. They put me on a medicine for overactive bladder and the symptoms went away. Now I have a new issue. I'm having bad, period like cramps that radiate from near my bladder, into my back, into my right hip, and down my leg. My period's not due for 13 days and I've had the cramps for five days now. They got progressively worse after stressing out about college work. The cramp like pain was subtle and would come and go throughout the day, only lasting for a few seconds at a time. Today it is bad and has been nonstop, and it's giving me a headache. I was told cysts could pop up over night. I have an appointment with the gyno again tomorrow, but I guess my question is do you think it could be a cyst or endometriosis? Those two things have crossed my mind. They didn't see any abnormal tissue in the ultrasound and that was only a month ago. Me and my boyfriend did have unprotected sex a day after my last period ended and the pain started 5 days later. He never finishes inside, but I know the rhythm method and birth control are not 100%. It seems too early to have implantation pain though. I have an IBD too and I know the intestines are all in that area, but I've had IBD all my life and have never had pain like this before. I'm just so nervous right now. I don't know if it's my bladder, the HSV, ovulation, IBD, pregnancy, or what.
Well Sam I am not a doctor, and can only speak from my own experience, but firstly I would say yes it could be a cyst or endometriosis (based on my experiences and knowledge). Secondly I would strongly advise you against any contraception that is based on withdrawal to avoid sperm getting inside the vagina as this was always well known a method that DOES NOT WORK. Sperm can get inside your vagina even from the outside area, and doctors will tell you they know hundreds of Mothers who were supposedly using withdrawal as a means of contraception. Usually men who don't want to use condoms suggest this to their girlfriends!!
Right now I would wait and see what the doctor says, but endometriosis may not show up on an ultrasound and could well only be discovered when you have a laparoscopy to check internally.
Good Luck :)
Suiiki 2 years ago
As soon as I have health care I am going to see a doctor. I've had bad cramps and pain and irregular periods since I started menstruating at 13, to the point that my periods completely stopped at age 15. So my doctor gave me progesterone supplements, which didn't help. She claimed there was nothing they could do and she didn't know anything that could be causing it. But to the best of my knowledge I was never checked for this.
Now people wonder why I think the US medical system is messed up. Hopefully someone in Canada will listen to me, now that I am armed with information (and knowledge of medical intricacies from nursing classes.)
Thank you for this hub, it may have saved me from a drastic decision (elective hysterectomy, which I was told was my only option last time I saw a doctor for this problem)