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

Originally posted by thedoctorswife
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.

I can sympathize greatly. I'm extremely light and was hoping my daughter would be as well. My husband's family is very, very, very heavy. (You see where I'm going here.) When she's starting her flow we have to put she liners up the back of the underwear one next to the other otherwise she'll stain her back, plus we have to put a poise underwear pad otherwise she'll stain the sheets or her clothing. (She sometimes even goes through that!) Even worse, because she's autistic, she feels she must call you each time to change her pads, and SHOW you whats on them. I keep trying to remind her, I'll change them, but I really, REALLY don't need to see the presents you leave me. That's fine, I'll go just this once without seeing it. In fact, tell you what, just this once, surprise me. LOL Before I could take her to a OB/GYN to see what could be done, transfer of custody was done and now she is with her dad, but I did tell him this MUST be done to find out what could be done to ease her discomfort. When she starts, so won't go anywhere, do anything, etc... She'll say, I need to go to the ER, I'm on my period. I'll tell her take some midol. That won't work she'll say I need to go to the er. So we'll go to the er, wait 6-24 hours, what to they tell her, take some midol. Grrrrrr. Now she'll either take it because the doctor told her, or she won't because that wasn't the doctor they didn't have a white coat. (Yes it was, just didn't wear the coat.)

Originally posted by thedoctorswife

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.

Now see, with my daughter we can't do any birth control, including the pill. Blood clots run in the family so no OB/GYN will try any form to help her excessive bleeding.

I used to have endemetriosis and I got tired of running out of my prescription, which was expensive, so it didn't always get refilled.

About a week before her period, or best guess, eat less food, avoid hard to digest foods, like red meats. She shouldn't eat more than one serving of red meat a week anyways, it's not good for women's hormones, and this is a hormonal problem. The intestines need to not be all stuffed up with food - that contributes to the pain. Lots of salads is good, with a bit of lean meat like chicken or turkey. No nitrates.
Cut back on caffeine a bit. Also minimal salt if she goes for the oily fish, they have enough salt for the day in them.

Mild exercise, like an easy yoga, stretches, toe touches, walking, is all good.

Omega 3 type foods, will help with the internal inflammation ( a big part of the pain). Sardines (or other oily fish), flax seed oil, walnuts.
Ginger is good for pain, I boiled slices in sugar water for about an hour, and then stored in the fridge. Don't have too much, ginger in high quantities can make your heart race. Just a slice now and then through the day. It's good to cook with ginger in stir fries, chicken meals.

Other than the sugar in the ginger, cut back on sugary stuff - it's inflammatory.

See a doctor, but also incorporate this. Doctors seem to overprescribe, and know very little about nutrition.
The above did more for me than the prescription from the doctor ever did.
Make sure the doctor checks her iron levels, because of the blood loss. If he puts her on iron pills, occasionally get her levels checked by a different doctor (if possible) - too much iron in the body is also really bad. Don't let the doctor overload her.

As I'm sure some have said she could have endometriosis.

I have it and so does my twin sister. It is very painful. I'm 33 and still get painful ones. I do not wish it on anyone. It has caused me many problems esp in employment. They don't consider bad cramps a real reason not to come into work. What they dont realize is that you are doubled over in pain white as a ghost and throwing up. I get very sick because of the pain and it isn't fun. I can definitely feel your daughters pain. *hugs* to her.

Hope she finds comfort

I forgot to mention. My friend gets cramps like I do and she uses Tylenol Arthritis. I was shocked because I never would have tried that. I haven't found anything that I can mention on here that really works. I read the bottle of Tylenol Arthritis and it mentions menstrual cramps. I will try them myself next go round of aunt flo. I know she gets very sick as well so knowing these help her I'm hoping they help me some.

Another thing that helps me is a hot bath. I know for many that doesn't help all that much but for me a bath or hot shower has always helped me when I felt sick no matter if it was cramps or not.

reply to post by SaturnFX



As a female with painful crippling cramps I will agree 100%

Another disorder which can cause extremely heavy periods and outrageously painful cramps is PCOS: Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. It is treatable with medicine and diet. The diet is similar to what a diabetic would require - low/controlled carbohydrates. (~ Is she diabetic? The disorders can sometimes go hand in hand). The medical treatment for PCOS sometimes includes birth control pills, but there are other medical approaches and the dosages may be different than plain old birth control because it's a different use of the hormones. In other words, she may tolerate treatment for PCOS better than the birth control pills which made her moody.

Polycystic Ovarian syndrome is diagnosed by performing an ultrasound of the ovaries.

reply to post by orbitbaby


I'm sure she meant everyone on ATS with guys, not just the males.
I will also use the word guys when speaking to a group of both sexes.

reply to post by thedoctorswife


If she is certain she does not want kids for several years you could try the IUD. This worked for my 16 year old daughter. She would not only have painful periods but they were irregular and she had them more often than normal.

reply to post by thedoctorswife


Some great advice here already, I went through all sorts of tests, got prodded, poked and scanned, both for endometriosis and PCOS, and it was neither, I just have extremely heavy periods, other than that, there is nothing wrong with me. I was told it would get better once I was older, it didn't. I was told it would get better after I had had a child, it didn't. It is just one of those things that I have learnt to live with. Most of the time I took the combined pill continuously, just cutting out the period altogether. Which is what I would recommend as the most effective solution if it works. None of the other forms worked, with the injections or implants, I just had continuous bleeding, which though lighter, was no solution because I still had the painful cramps, equally continuously.

To cope with the hormone fluctuations, which are, if she's anything like me, quite severe (generally causing vomiting and mood swings), the best thing I found was using a combination of Evening Primrose Oil, I take three a day in the run up to my period, and a high starch diet in the week preceding when I usually get PMS (which is the week preceding my period starting).

I kept for many months a diary, detailing pains, aches, PMS symptoms etc, which eventually showed me that there was a pattern and enabled me to predict certain aspects and try various things to see how they helped, or for that matter made it worse. Stress and depression alone can have a massive effect on your flow, and although you cannot always prevent such things, you can be prepared. The diary also revealed to me that I have a four monthly cycle, and also I have an extremely heavy period at the Vernal equinox, I call it my 'Spring Tide'. Again, none of this really changes the periods, but I do feel in control and I know what to expect, and that does reduce the stress element, not to mention the potential embarassment of flooding in public. I know to keep a low profile on those days and carry a change of 'bottoms', just in case.

I do recommend though that your daughter gets a referral to a good gynacologist, just to make sure that everything is as it should be, as I said, stress can often make matters much worse than they need to be, but more than anything, the diary is a good place to start, so that she can take control of her cycle and not allow it to affect her any more than it has to.

I believe your first instinct is correct: ACUPUNCTURE!

Chinese medicine is VERY good at this sort of thing. It will also balance her general health at the same time.

There is also a Chinese herb called BAI YAO. It greatly reduces bleeding in the body, whether a wound or heavy menstruation. It is made from completely natural Chinese herbs. Any Chinese pharmacy will have it.

If you want to take something natural which will greatly decrease the flow of blood and make it stop much sooner, please try BAI YAO every day during the next menstruation.

I'm surprised at how many have suggested "solutions" from the pharmaceutical industry. These "remedies" will always have negative side-effects and can create other problems and diseases. Do yourself and your daughter a favor: please steer clear!

have some tests done, endometriosis, polysystic overy syndrome, fibroid tumor,clottingt disorder She could very well be anemic if she is bleeding that heavy.

molasses is a simple thing to try in the meantime,and doesn't it have iron as well?, if she is anemic the symptoms are
unusually pale skin , tired, shortness of breathe.

I also thought when the poster said "guys", she was just usuing that as a general term for everyone!

Hope your daughter feels better.... try a heating pad, or they have those pads you stick to the front of your underwear and the front of it heats up against that area, so you get the heat but not teathered to a plug in heating pad.

I heard that if you take pain meds, take them about 3 days before the period starts, the prostagladins form before the period starts so if you take the pain med early you stop them from forming in the first place.

reply to post by thedoctorswife


First off, I am so sorry to hear that your daughter is suffering through this! From the moment I got my first period(around the time I was 15) I've dealt with such symptoms. I would start to feel faint and very, very warm. The perspiration and pain would begin soon after. The pain would be SO incredibly bad that I could not speak, walk or function altogether. I would find myself confined to bathroom, vomiting excessively while writhing in pain until I eventually passed out. I would always wake up hours later and would feel much better, although the pain would ebb on occasion throughout the duration of my period. My periods last 7-9 days and would be VERY heavy. I would be having to change my tampon(tmi, I know) at LEAST every 20-30 minutes. I missed countless days of school and work because of my condition for the last ~9 years. It is very hard to explain to people that you can handle pain well, but to be unable to describe how bad the pain is. It felt like I was dying a horrible death every month. I was prescribed painkillers specific for uterine cramping and they had NO effect whatsoever. I was also given birth control and had to stop taking them because I was starting to have negative psychological effects(my guess is from the hormones). I was never given a laparoscopy and eventually gave up trying to discover what was wrong with me, though I had always suspected endometriosis.

I am 7 months pregnant at the moment so I have been fortunate to have a break from the pain. Here is how I've learned to cope with the pain over the years:

-Lots of water every day. Stay away from caffeine. Keep a healthy diet. Just these few things can decrease the pain significantly(although for the sufferer it is not close to enough).
-Exercise, exercise, exercise. I cannot stress enough how much of a difference stretching and staying active has helped.
-Practice your breathing and meditation. THIS IS THE KEY. Being in tune with your body can help to shut out the pain. I would have never subscribed to such a theory when I was younger, but the past few years have been a godsend because of my practicing these.
-The only medication that ever did a single thing for me was of an herbal kind and I am forbidden from going any further into detail on this site, but I will swear on my mother's grave to the effectiveness of usage(even just sparingly).

I have no idea what is wrong with myself or your daughter as I am not a Doctor; however, I would urge you to try these things. I am 23 now and have learned to better control my monthly symptoms. As a side note, it is said being pregnant and having a child lessens the severity of endometriosis. My daughter is due in July, so I will keep my fingers crossed that it has helped!!!

Good luck!

reply to post by thedoctorswife


Getting regular adjustments from a chiropractor helped my cycle to finally be regular and less painful. This or massage therapy could help her a lot. I personally would NOT NOT NOT recommend any prescription drugs, especially birth control pills. "The Pill" seriously messes with women's emotional state and sex drive - it's a silent weapon. Wishing you all the best of health.

Originally posted by antoinemarionette
I'm surprised at how many have suggested "solutions" from the pharmaceutical industry. These "remedies" will always have negative side-effects and can create other problems and diseases. Do yourself and your daughter a favor: please steer clear!

I am in TOTAL agreement. You should not be taking ANY pharmaceuticals. These will only negatively impact other parts of your body even if they do seem to provide temporary comfort. I know because I've been there. I can't stress enough how much practicing deep-breathing and meditation techniques have helped me through the pain and at no cost to my health! Instead, a healthier mind and an intimacy with own body.

Originally posted by DisasterButton
I have no idea what is wrong with myself or your daughter as I am not a Doctor; however, I would urge you to try these things. I am 23 now and have learned to better control my monthly symptoms. As a side note, it is said being pregnant and having a child lessens the severity of endometriosis. My daughter is due in July, so I will keep my fingers crossed that it has helped!!!

I definately recommend breatfeeding, I did for 14 months, and then it was another 6 months before my periods started again after that. Bliss! But, they did go back to normal after that unfortunately.

Have you thought about sending her to do some accupuncture? it has worked wonders with my with and also essential fatty acids will help too. Hope that helps apart from saying just go to a DR and get those big pharma drugs that don't treat the reason for the symptoms but merely just the symptoms then adding more due to the side effects of those drugs.

Originally posted by DisasterButton
I am in TOTAL agreement. You should not be taking ANY pharmaceuticals. These will only negatively impact other parts of your body even if they do seem to provide temporary comfort. I know because I've been there. I can't stress enough how much practicing deep-breathing and meditation techniques have helped me through the pain and at no cost to my health! Instead, a healthier mind and an intimacy with own body.

While I agree, and stopped using the combined pill many years ago now, at the time, it was the lesser of two evils and allowed me to have a relatively 'normal' life. Plus I suffered no adverse side-effects. It is very much down to the individual, we all have our own unique chemistry and what works for some, doesn't work for others.

Not all progress is bad, and not all pharmaceuticals are either. It is ultimately a matter of understanding yourself, and finding the solution that works for you, and sometimes that is the mainstream, and at others it is homeopathic. Sometimes it is a combination of both. Besides, in the UK, the homeopathic route is not always the easiest option due to the prohibitive costs involved, those on low incomes cannot often afford it, or can only do so on occasion. And an additional benefit of the combined pill, in the long term, is that it arrests ovulation which has been proven to prolong life. Ovulation is a traumatic event, few realise this, and it is often that process that is causing many of the problems associated with painful periods. So if the combined pill works, and doesn't cause side effects, then surely it shouldn't be dismissed just because it wasn't right for you.

First and foremost, it is essential that she gets checked out by a gynacologist to see if there is an underlying problems, and then she can be better prepared to find a solution to her particular problems and one that suits her own chemistry. At this stage, telling her that any of those possible 'solutions' is wrong, or bad for her, just because it was for you, isn't necessarily the most helpful thing to do. All medicine whether natural or chemical based, was once new, and even natural remedies can have harmful side effects, so she should also take expert advice and go to a qualified practioner before she takes any of those too. We can all, if we take the time, listen to what our bodies are saying to us, but it does take trial and error, and sometimes a short-term quick fix, helps us to give us a break, and give us the peace to do that. So don't knock it, it may not have suited you, but that shouldn't put her off if it has the potential to work for her until she can find a long-term solution. Laying on too much guilt doesn't help anyone.

Well, depravera (sp) shots might help, it is only once every 3 to 6 months, and pretty much eliminated my x's heavy flow/pms cramps.

I can understand not wanting to do them, but I saw how effective it was, so that might be something to look into at least.

*face palms himself for even looking in this thread*

reply to post by thedoctorswife


I am a female who has also experienced some of the symptoms you have described. I truly understand and fell for you. Everyone has a different body and experiences different sensations; however, here are some things that work for me.
I use Boiron’s medicine called Sabina for heavy menstruations. Boiron has a wide variety of natural and homeopathic medicine that is really effective. Follow the directions. The effects may not be immediately visible, but it WILL help eventually. Check out their website:
www.boironusa.com...

I don’t know if your daughter also experiences any vomiting or nausea during the first day of her period. If she does, I recommend the following:
• Stay away from acidic substances a few days prior to menstruation and through your period. This includes alcohol, honey, lemon, chocolate, and coffee etc...
• get plenty of sleep and water
• exercise: yoga, physio ball exercises and even just basic stretching are great
• Take care of your digestion. Taking a probiotic can be really helpful as well.
• There are a variety of teas that can also help. Look them up online. I find that Rosemary helps me. Once you have done your research, purchase of few herbs. Ask your daughter to smell them. The one that smells most appealing to her is more likely to contain something she needs. Make her a tea using that herb (or combination of herbs).
• DO NOT take Tylenol or any other prescribed medicine. This will only hurt and damage her intestines and stomach.
• Long-term changes: I would recommend a detox after she finishes her period. There’s obviously in imbalance in her body. There’s no need to panic or become dramatic. I would also recommend beginning a physio ball program.
• Pain is psychological. I don’t know what kind of attitude she has towards her period, but I image it’s no entirely positive. She should at least try to view it more positively and with less dread. It’s not good to set oneself up for the worst.