14 y/o with heavy periods (and goes to boarding school)

[MidLifeCrisis007]

My DD is really struggling with erratic and heavy periods. She had her first period around 18 months ago, and as yet, no regular pattern has been established. She's flooding super plus tampons in under an hour and last night she couldn't sleep due to cramps.

I realise this is a common problem but was just wondering how school GPs normally react when young teenage girls present with these symptoms? Do they routinely prescribe the pill for kids as young as 14? My DD is at boarding school and I'm wondering how the pill is administered at boarding schools. Do any other parents have experience of this?

Of course DD is mortified about having to go and speak to her school doctor about this but I keep reassuring her that he must be very used to it... (or will he be?!).

Any advice, gratefully received.

[Lonecatwithkitten]

Several things Lilets do Super plus plus tampons and Ultra tampons that are even more absorbent than super plus plus. They are only in the non-applicator tampons, but can be helpful. You can't get them everywhere I found them in Boots and larger Sainsbury's.
I have had heavy with flooding periods at various times in my life and 30 years ago I was your daughter. The GP at boarding school was very sympathetic I was put on the pill, it changed my life for the better. I had predictable, controllable periods. The nurse in the san kept the unopened packets and I had my open packet and then went and saw her when I needed a new pack.
Alternatively take her as a temporary patient to your own GP before the start of term and discuss it with them.
Being a teenage girl is tough without awful periods. My own daughter has reasonably heavy periods, but they are predictable at the moment. If they get heavier or less predictable I would not hesitate to take her to the doctor.

[Turquoisesea]

My friends DD has very heavy periods with flooding & her Dr prescribed Tranexamic acid and it has really helped her

[SinkGirl]

This sounds like me although I was 12 when it started. I was put on the pill at 13, and eventually diagnosed with endometriosis at 22. If it is something like endometriosis, getting on to the pill early and limiting the number of periods she has (they usually recommend tricycling which is taking 3 packs back to back before having a withdrawal week) is the best thing she can do at this age. Personally I don’t believe that what your daughter is experiencing is normal - it’s common, but it’s not normal to have so much bleeding and pain.

[ShreddedFeet]

My dd had similar at bs. I went earlt onr exest Fruday and took her to school GP myself. Pull prescribed. Pill was kept with school nurse in Dan/Med Centre. The San opened every morning for all regular meds to be issued to relevant kids. By year 10 she/other teens were allowed to self medicate with certain meds but bulk of medication kept licked away in med ctr.

[SinkGirl]

And yes, they may try transexamic acid to reduce the bleeding and mefanamic acid for pain, neither did much for me.

The reason I said that, if it’s endo the pill is the best thing, is because it can get worse and spread with each period - controlling / limiting the periods won’t cure it but it can stop it from progressing. I was on some hormone or other from 13 to 33, and when I stopped I was able to conceive easily - it’s likely more damage would have been done if I’d had an unregulated period every month.

Also, I couldn’t concentrate at school and I missed a lot because of the pain. The pill enabled me to function.

I took it myself, no one had to administer it, but maybe it’s different in a boarding school setting and they administer medications normally?

[Andro]

When I was at boarding school, I think Matron and the school doctor had seen every variation of period issue you could think of. Any doctor who's worked within a boarding school for any length of time will have seen this before, just tell her to very explicit about both the cramps and the severity of the flooding.

Meds were managed as Lonecatwithkitten described, Matron would offer more assistance/oversight if the person needed it at first and until they were more confident.

[MidLifeCrisis007]

Thanks ladies. Really helpful. I shall ensure that she sees the school doctor on her first week back.

Thinking on a practical level, I guess the worse thing that can happen if she forgets a tablet on an exeat weekend is a bit of spotting. But she's so desperate to resolve this problem, I've every confidence in her to self medicate daily without the intervention of house staff at school.

[Cracker1970]

I was also your daughter and never said a word to anyone. Not my mother, not the school, despite there being a 'period' book held by the matron where you had to tick when you had your period. I just used to tick 5 days every 28. But the reality was sometimes a 9 day period, then a 5 day 'rest' then another period. I used to manage swimming lessons by using 2 super plus tampons at once (!!) before the lesson. Mostly I used super plus tampons with pads. Pads back then were not exactly leak proof!! Today's ones are so much better.

If my dd suffers like I did, I will not hesitate in getting the pill prescribed.

[SoupDragon]

Several things Lilets do Super plus plus tampons and Ultra tampons that are even more absorbent than super plus plus. They are only in the non-applicator tampons

Ultra are available in an applicator version and I think you can get them from Amazon although I get them from Ocado.

[Lonecatwithkitten]

Thank you @SoupDragon I have not used then for a couple of years since I got the Mirena coil - wish someone had told me about that sooner. Though I wouldn't suggest it for a teenager.

[SinkGirl]

Also, if her bleeding is that heavy she might want to consider towels instead - I found tampons excruciatingly painful and my endo specialist advised me not to wear tampons or cups as they can exacerbate pain. If she does want to try towels, Always Infinity are absolutely amazing.

[katycb]

I was like this O.P and whilst I wasn't at boarding school I did do a hobby that involved lots of weekends away in dorms etc. I went on the pill at 13 and took 3 packs back to back. I still had fairly bad cramps but not so much that I couldn't move which was what it was like before. I did eventually grown out of it at about 17/18 and was fine until I had the kids in my 30s! As a grown up I use a cup + a pad which seems to hold more than super plus tampons .. dunno if this would be an option she would consider. Might be tricky for a young teen though.