Guys, im desperate, any advice for daughters' very heavy and painful periods?

Shes always had nasty periods, painful and heavy, she follows me in my younger years i guess. But things seem to be getting worse not better, shes 21 this year, so her periods are well and truly established by now. Shes training to be a teacher and this problems is affecting her day to day life.
We've been to the GP, he perscribed mefanamic acid (it helped slightly to reduce the amount of blood), and also ibuprofen (she couldnt take it as it upset her stomach), and codeine and paracetamol mix (15/500)., they help, but i dont want her to have to continue taking these because of the problems of addiction they can cause.
I saw an acupuncturist a couple of years ago for a sciatica problem, and i have to say,it cured the pain more than any morphine based analgesia.
Ive been trying to find out online if Acupuncture is available on the NHS, and the results are ropey, availability is limited apparantly. Has anyone had, or know someone who has had acupuncture paid for by the NHS? I will pay privately i think even though funds are very tight, because she needs help.
Does anyone have any other suggestions i could try. Im getting desperate now, this is no exaggeration, she just left the house to see her dad, wearing an incontinence brief and four sanitary pads (her, not her dad lol), this cant be right or acceptable surely?
Any help or advice would be so graciously appreciated. Thanks in advance my friends.

reply to post by thedoctorswife


Sorry to hear

My GF has a very similar experience - she's been diagnosed with endometriosis. The only thing that helps her out is following through on the pill (Cerozet I think it's called) and avoiding periods completely.

Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. But, for the months it does, it's an absolute godsend.

reply to post by thedoctorswife

I too as a male sorry to hear of the monthly pain some unfortunate girls seem to be confronted with. My ex also said that "The Pill" was the only thing that really helped her. There are apparently different Pills or at least with different doses from what I can remember, in not actual "ingredients".
A random google turns up this page with some suggestions and plenty of info. It's not really something I'm too familiar with myself so I'll just let you check the link out for yourself.
Linky

Personally I am a little wary of regular hormone supplements, it just seems...unnatural to me now, despite the convenience of being baby free but for medical need it's a different matter. Another link (possibly wikipedia) suggested ibuprofen and all those other weak so-called pain-killers but I don't think it is really an option either.

Good luck!

Originally posted by lizziejayne
reply to post by thedoctorswife

 

Sorry to hear

My GF has a very similar experience - she's been diagnosed with endometriosis. The only thing that helps her out is following through on the pill (Cerozet I think it's called) and avoiding periods completely.

Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. But, for the months it does, it's an absolute godsend.

Thanks, i forgot to mention, shes tried a few contraceptive pills, they affect her moods greatly, they make her severly depressed and moody, so there no good.

reply to post by thedoctorswife


maybe im wrong.. Im only replying cause you said "guys".. But my wife used to have horrible pains during her period. And she said birth control made them better, a little.. But she was always having horrible cramps. She had our child not too long ago and hasnt had cramps since.. So maybe.. Maybe... She needs to have a child..? I know thats not great advice.. Im sorry. I wish you both luck..

Unsulphered Black Strap molasses!

Try 2 tablespoons per day mixed in yogurt, a warm cup of water, or in cereal. Personally I take it right off the spoon. It does not have that great of a taste, but it works for me.

Sometimes, magnesium supplements will help with cramps too.

Make sure her doctor has checked her for anemia, Iron deficiency and b 12 (pernicious). If it's iron related she will have small blood cells in her blood test. If its b deficiency, her cells will be bigger. Being anemic will cause really heavy and painful periods. Or being deficient in other minerals.

Make sure she drinks plenty of water because dehydration contributes to these cramps.

Ibuprofen is good for the cramping and controlling the amount of blood loss. If she can take it with food, and tolerate it, it may be very helpful too.

Check out "EarthClinic" spelled just like that...... it is an online site with great info about the black strap molasses.

reply to post by LightSpeedDriver
Thanks for the link my friend, im going to take her to the doctors and push for homeopathy/acupuncture treatment, they wont like it and probably try to fob me off, because theyre always so busy, but il try. Ive checked the NHS website and it seems that homeopathy is available on the NHS, but not acupuncture, personally i think they seem to have the same merit (or lack of merit in the eye of certain orthodox practictioners).

Originally posted by Starchildren
Unsulphered Black Strap molasses!

Try 2 tablespoons per day mixed in yogurt, a warm cup of water, or in cereal. Personally I take it right off the spoon. It does not have that great of a taste, but it works for me.

Sometimes, magnesium supplements will help with cramps too.

Make sure her doctor has checked her for anemia, Iron deficiency and b 12 (pernicious). If it's iron related she will have small blood cells in her blood test. If its b deficiency, her cells will be bigger. Being anemic will cause really heavy and painful periods. Or being deficient in other minerals.

Make sure she drinks plenty of water because dehydration contributes to these cramps.

Ibuprofen is good for the cramping and controlling the amount of blood loss. If she can take it with food, and tolerate it, it may be very helpful too.

Check out "EarthClinic" spelled just like that...... it is an online site with great info about the black strap molasses.

Thankyou so much, i definitly will. Il try the molasses treatment as well, never know it might help. Funny you shoujld mention the anaemia, she does look very healthy but he tires easily, also her hair barely grows, shes had shoulder length hair for about three years now, mind you that could be due to the abuse suffered to if because of them many colours she dyed it when she was a teenager

reply to post by thedoctorswife


Like almost everything else, water. She's likely dehydrated, and dehydration during cramps can get you good. I've stopped cramping pain friends of mine were going through by having them drink a tall glass of water. See watercure.com or watercure2.com for more data on all of this, cramps included.

Many girls I spoke to said something not allowed to be discussed on ATS helps them out with cramping and stuff. I, being a man, am not sure of this claim, but they swear by it. So..meh, if your in California or something, see if you can get a medical prescription of that which must not be named...see if that helps at all.

I think it's extremely odd that you would ask the "guys" about an issue like this. Ummmm.....why?
Well, I'm not a guy so maybe you won't find my advice worthy but here goes anyways.
Someone mentioned black strap molasses. That's one of the best remedies I have found.
Also, Oil of Evening Primrose will help with cramps as well. But between the two,
black strap molasses is by far the best. It's also loaded with vitamins and minerals, is not
addictive and has no side effects.

My wife gets horrible periods as well. She always tries to keep well hydrated, that is key. Also look into heating pads, that will help loosen up the cramps, just use it on he stomach and back. Electric ones of course, the chemical heating pads will not work as well. Niacin (bananas, peanut butter) and naproxen sodium (aleve) helps a bit too. Chocolate will not cure her, but it helps.

Daily exercise and stretching, especially stretching, yoga does help. My wife's worse weeks are when she falls off the yoga wagon.

I know you don't want to hear this, but a round of orgasms the week before tends to help. I don't know if you want to bring that up though. Some birth controls will help some ladies, but it doesn't help mine,

Hope this helps.

Have they checked her for endometriosis? You can take stuff for the pain, but the growths will only get worse. My mother-in-law had it really bad, and ended up having a hysterectomy (but she was in her mid-thirties and had all the children she wanted). She said the doctors told her they had to scrape the endo off of her intestines - it had spread that far. Also, sometimes benign fibroid tumors can cause a lot of pain and heavy periods.

I think you really need to find out the source of the problem. She needs a catscan or ultrasound to see what's going on in her uterus. There is surgery for endo that doesn't involve a hysterectomy, but often times the endo will grow back. Having a baby does also help get rid of the growths, at least temporarily

I really feel for her. I had problems as well. It got better when I had a baby, but I ended up having a hysterectomy in my mid-forties (for a nasty cyst that they thought was cancer, and the fibroid tumors, and a prolapsed uterus - I was a mess).

Long story short of my personal experience. I was out of town and didn't have my usual prescription for the tranquilisers I used to take for period pain. The pharmacist I went to could not dispense them as he wasn't my usual pharmacist, despite seeing that I was in agony, and recommended I take a triple dose of Vitamin B6 immediately. Since then I take the usual dose every day, a double dose the day before, triple dose on the day and back to a normal dose the day after. Thankfully I haven't needed to take even a paracetamol since then.

I have personally never had any problems using this therapy but I will include an overdose warning.

Hope your daughter finds relief soon.

ETA: I meant to say that both my daughters also take B6 but they only take it on the day their periods start and find it really eases the pain. Some more info for you: Vitamin B & Period Pain

Full on hysterectomy.
My wife had the same problem years back, she finally got cancer and got this proceedure done.
Other than hot flashes from time to time, she is right as rain.
However at a young age this might make problems with the whole Motherhood thing and all but...
If the pain and problem are that bad, I never suggest big pharma solutions as they tend to make tenfold in problems.
Maybe just get a second or third opinion as not all doctors know how to doc.
Best of luck.

(Edit)
And speaking of which, Happy Mommies day!

Originally posted by SaturnFX
Many girls I spoke to said something not allowed to be discussed on ATS helps them out with cramping and stuff. I, being a man, am not sure of this claim, but they swear by it. So..meh, if your in California or something, see if you can get a medical prescription of that which must not be named...see if that helps at all.

Thanks, but no, she wouldnt do that, shes very square, shes gonna be a teacher, now if certain things because accepted legally for medicinal treatment, it might be a different story.

Originally posted by orbitbaby
I think it's extremely odd that you would ask the "guys" about an issue like this. Ummmm.....why?
Well, I'm not a guy so maybe you won't find my advice worthy but here goes anyways.
Someone mentioned black strap molasses. That's one of the best remedies I have found.
Also, Oil of Evening Primrose will help with cramps as well. But between the two,
black strap molasses is by far the best. It's also loaded with vitamins and minerals, is not
addictive and has no side effects.

"guys" seemed a little less formal than "people of ATS" lol. Also theyd be boys who wouldnt have liked it if i had just asked the girls, We might have some guys on ATS who may be practitioners who could give me advice. Thanks for your help, im gonna give the molasses a try for definite.

reply to post by kaylaluv
Yes, i think this i going to have to investigated further, i mean having to wear incontinence underwear cant be right can it? I have a feeling you may be right about endometriosis. I feel so sorry for her, apart from hot water bottles and hot baths, theres little i can do for her, and she may be twenty,but shes still my baby

That type of bleeding is not good at all. I would recommend that she sees a specialist. Gynecologist for this type of problem, right?