Awful Period Cramps?

Yeah, I don't have high hopes for it either, but I'm hoping the hormonal treatments that I'll try afterwards will be more successful.

Which other treatments have you tried so far, or are you planning to try?

I’ve tired the mini pill, the hormonal coil which I still have (IUD), tranexamic (?) acid, paracetamol, super strong paracetamol and nothing seems to help.

What's super strong paracetamol? Isn't the maximum dose 2 tablets 4 times a day?

Hey,

I'm a 17 y/o girl and for the past few years my period cramps have been getting steadily worse. For the last year or two, they have been agonising - to the point where I can barely walk during spasms and am crying in pain.

At first I used medications like paracetamol, ibuprofen, aspirin, etc.
Then I started using over-the-counter codeine products. That worked for a while and it would dull the pain enough to be able to go to school and study through it. I've also now been using naproxen too, which is like stronger ibuprofen on prescription (which I get for something else) but that doesn't really help either.

It's got to the point where even codeine doesn't make a difference and now I'm in so much pain and I don't know what to do...

I know I should go the Doctor's but whenever I'm not on my period, I convince myself it isn't that bad - but then the pain restarts and I'm stuck.

I have a GP appointment booked for a months time anyway so I'll talk about it then. Until then, does anyone have any advice for medications or products which can ease cramps?

Thanks

I think if you get the right diagnosis of your condition from the specialist at the hospital then hopefully for you they can get it under control by medications but do take advice and get the test done as nothing to worry about having the test because it could virtually help with a clear diagnosis for you.

I used to suffer from unbearable period pain, which was so heavy I kept becoming iron deficient anaemic. I went on the continuous pill for around 2 years, but then it stopped working. I now have the depo injection every 3 months and it works miracles. I’ve been on it nearly a year and I haven’t had one period!

Thanks everyone for the advice and support

As a note, I should mention that as well as the cramps below my belly button (in the normal area), I also get pain around my rectum. It's quite TMI so I haven't mentioned it before, but that was one of the symptoms that made my doctor start considering endometriosis (ofc it could just be caused by the cramping but...)
I was just wondering if anyone else has experienced this?


I'm completely fine with having the operation to diagnose endometriosis; it's my doctor who isn't.
She wants me to try some treatments that are used for both endometriosis and general period pain, and see if that works - because if one of those treatments works, then it doesn't make much difference whether I have endometriosis or not, because it will be treated.
If, after trying trying Mefenamic Acid and then some hormonal treatments, the pain still won't go away, I assume she'll refer me to a specialist to have the test.


I'm iron deficient as well, but I think that due to a problem with how I absorb iron rather than my periods.
I've been looking into depo injections so I'm glad to hear it worked so well for you.
I hope it continues to work for you

It seems you have low platelet levels with your iron situation as well.

Update 8/1/2020:
I've been trying Mefenamic Acid (with Omeprazole) for a few months now. It helps very slightly, so I'm still in a lot of pain but I can walk etc. However, I'm meant to take up to 3 doses a day and in order to keep the pain 'under control', I have to take about 5-6 doses. Sometimes it does nothing at all and there's nothing I can do.

Since my previous updates, I have stopped my daily medications for other reasons. Now I only have Mefenamic Acid and Omeprazole during my period, and Sumatriptan (and 900mg Aspirin) for migraines, so I'm going to go back to my GP and ask to be put on hormonal contraception to help with the pain (and hopefully also the heaviness of bleeding).

I know having Chronic Migraines (without Aura) can limit my options. I would really like to try the Patch, if my GP thinks it's appropriate; if that fails, the Progestogen-Only Pill.
I am still wary of weight gain side effects but I think at this point the pain is a worse concern, and if I do have bad side effects, I can always stop using it again.

Has anyone got any experience with the Evra Patch?




How can you tell?

Hey,

I'm a 17 y/o girl and for the past few years my period cramps have been getting steadily worse. For the last year or two, they have been agonising - to the point where I can barely walk during spasms and am crying in pain.

At first I used medications like paracetamol, ibuprofen, aspirin, etc.
Then I started using over-the-counter codeine products. That worked for a while and it would dull the pain enough to be able to go to school and study through it. I've also now been using naproxen too, which is like stronger ibuprofen on prescription (which I get for something else) but that doesn't really help either.

It's got to the point where even codeine doesn't make a difference and now I'm in so much pain and I don't know what to do...

I know I should go the Doctor's but whenever I'm not on my period, I convince myself it isn't that bad - but then the pain restarts and I'm stuck.

I have a GP appointment booked for a months time anyway so I'll talk about it then. Until then, does anyone have any advice for medications or products which can ease cramps?

Thanks

Hey,

I'm a 17 y/o girl and for the past few years my period cramps have been getting steadily worse. For the last year or two, they have been agonising - to the point where I can barely walk during spasms and am crying in pain.

At first I used medications like paracetamol, ibuprofen, aspirin, etc.
Then I started using over-the-counter codeine products. That worked for a while and it would dull the pain enough to be able to go to school and study through it. I've also now been using naproxen too, which is like stronger ibuprofen on prescription (which I get for something else) but that doesn't really help either.

It's got to the point where even codeine doesn't make a difference and now I'm in so much pain and I don't know what to do...

I know I should go the Doctor's but whenever I'm not on my period, I convince myself it isn't that bad - but then the pain restarts and I'm stuck.

I have a GP appointment booked for a months time anyway so I'll talk about it then. Until then, does anyone have any advice for medications or products which can ease cramps?

Thanks

Try going on the pill? I found it really helps with cramps! Also when you next have cramps, you should maybe write down exactly how it makes you feel, either during the cramps or after, and by honest! Then when you are talking to the doctor you can tell them exactly how you feel with out tryin to remember or wording that you are exaggerating

I've always had terrible cramps and the pill saved me. I could barely stand up before, the period was irregular, etc... now it's a lot easier. I would take the maximum amount of painkillers possible, every pill designed specifically to battle menstrual cramps, nothing helped like the pill. Hope you'll do better after the visit

No personal experience of using this patch, but since it it contains oestrogen, you might not be able to use it because of your migraines. Definitely speak to your GP about your options.

Which pill are you on? The combined-oral or the progestegon-only?
I feel your pain! I'm glad you found something that helped though Have you had any side-effects on the pill e.g. acne, weight gain?

I'm on the combined-oral and I've never had problems, in fact it helped clear up some residual hormonal acne

You might have endometriosis, if you do you might want to watch a couple videos about how people cope with endo. One lady mentions she became vegan and her symptoms (cramps, vomiting, Nausea) are all gone. But that doesn’t mean it will work for you, some people found they only needed to eliminate dairy products from their diet etc.