Period symptoms no one talks about

Another random one. My cervix drops so low that my coil razor wires strings irritate (understatement) my vaginal entrance.

Ouch!

To be serious, I think it's actually contractions or cramps in your womb area. We just feel them in our bottom.

I get nausea beforehand and dizzy spells during my period.
And I get really clumsy.

Not wind, thunder. Or a pile of javelins caught in a twister.

Is "javelin arse" wind up your back passage? If so, I get that too. Not fun when you are driving. Fortunately it does not happen that often.

Posted too soon

The bloating makes me feel like a novelty hot air balloon, and the pain in the lower back. Then throughout everything DH then asks "you ok?"

Feeling like your uterus is being twisted, squeezed and then gone 12 rounds with Rocky!

The bloating, has

I am thankfully past the menopause, and it went just fine, periods started to be just a bit of blood and every 3 months then stopped.

But as a teenager I have had clots, projectile vomiting, javelin arse, sore fanjo from being wet for a week+.

Diarrhea, particularly day one, cramps that made me feel my insides were being wrung out. Putting on half a stone the week before.

Also painful breasts and more randy the week before.

I also used to 'nest' when I was due on, I shared a flat with 2 men in my 20s, they found it highly amusing that one week in four the flat was spotless.

I also once accused a male friend of, being a man, repeatedly and viciously" it seemed sensible at the time.

This should be printed out and sent to all teachers.

I always knew mine was due when my vaccination sites started throbbing in my arm and also the site where i had shingles.

Dishydrotic eczema flair ups

Boobs doubled in size and were so sore

Javelin arse and period poo

Sciatica flare ups

Also for a while endometrial cysts

I love the menopause in comparison

Excellent posts, Graphista.

I know my period will be in 2 days time when my sense of smell becomes incredibly sensitive.

Period poo is horrific
Sweats

Not do much a javelin but more like pineapple arse.
Crippling cramps. Doubling over breathing through contraction type cramps.
Clots that overflow the mooncup. They really bloody hurt coming out.
Having to carry a change of clothes around, like a toddler.
Hip pain
Hot flushes and night sweats
Diarrhoea
Fuzzy head, forgetful, anxious
Not being able to wear anything except black for 2 out of every 3 weeks just in case of overflow.

Then just when you think it’s all settled the mid cycle ovary pain kicks in for a couple more days. With associated bowel pain. But this is more constipation than the runs.

And a full goaty beard.

Heavy bleeds and can’t go out for days. Ruining clothes and bedding. Doctors not listening and saying “get over it, it’s normal” (no it’s not). Blood clots. All the pains mentioned here already. Contractions across my belly - frickin hurts and feels like everything inside is going to fall out or be pushed out. Losing a day or two of your life every month. And then the peri menopause hits - sleepless nights, hot flashes, night sweats, aches and pains up and down legs, brain fog, cannot remember simple crappy words, looking like a bloody imbecile, cannot string words and sentences together , tiredness no it’s exhaustion, symptoms like depression but it’s because your body is so messed up, it’s just a stage of life oh dear and then pimples all over again...That’s all month long symptoms, not one week a month. Peri is a non stop nightmare. Not always bleeding but the symptoms, oh god. Why, why?

Constipation for a couple of days before hand then period poo.
Clumsiness
Tired
Migraine
My ability to tolerate goes right down.

Period poo is the worst. When you sit on the loo for a quick wee and one just...falls out

I get awful headaches for the 2 days before it starts. They make me useless because painkillers don’t work on them - I just have to go to bed and try to sleep them off.

Feeling like your vulva is surely going to fall off because it feels like it’s packed with weights.

Achy breasts the week before that you have to physically hold when you go upstairs.

I often get a sore throat just before too but I don’t know why.

OP, you said you wanted this thread to be supportive. It is! It really is. So many women describing similar symptoms and maybe not feeling alone with them. And we can offer solutions that worked for us. I think this thread represents the best of MN.

I didn't know other women got crippling headaches before they were due on. Now I know, it helps. Ditto period poo and aching vulva after having children. I knew about cramps leaving you curled up in agony and rage and wanting to hide away. I can also relate to not being able to take hormonal birth control. The pill gave me suicidal ideation.

For headaches, after the pain has gone, I have found that drinking Purdey's Rejuvenate does, well, rejuvenate me. No idea if that will help anyone else but putting it out there in case.

So many familiar symptoms here!

I get migraines and I noticed quite a few of you listing symptoms which are characteristic of the pro-drome stage for me - the build up before the headache starts. I get these regardless of whether my period is due.
My pro-drome symptoms include: raging thirst, struggling to get words out, feeling really tired, super sensitive to noise and smell and more irritable. It’s how I know a migraine is on its way.

Sometimes I get a migraine the day before my period so these symptoms could be confused for PMT - it took me years to figure out they were migraine related.

WOW. Sending a hug and hot water-bottle to every single poster here.

I think I can add one that hasn’t been mentioned? My fingernails inevitably get soft and flake or break off in the days before my period. It’s so strange. They’re strong, then they’re not. Exacerbated by the loss of coordination that comes with it. If there’s a way to nick, stub, knock or scrape myself, I’ll find it. Trip over my own feet.

I thought the achey vulva feeling was just me! It feels like a prolapse, except nothing is falling out (except piles that suddenly appear). I can't stay on my feet long at all as it just gets too intense, and certainly can't walk the school for day 1 or 2 of my period. Even picking up anything heavy and I feel like my insides and bits are being tugged out of me. Thankfully dh is very understanding and does anything that involves walking/standing/lifting until I'm over the worst.

It's only since having kids that I've had this but it really gets in the way of life for those few days.

shinny yep that's happened to me. Utterly mortifying and you think 'why on earth did someone not say?'

Hate period poos, it can happen quite suddenly and then you have two things to clear up.

Build up to period you can feel quite emotional or feel like you have stomach ache then feel relieved when you find out it's just your period

Mine have been appalling since forever. Passed out at work (client was right behind me at the time) and paramedics called. Subsequent laparoscopy showed nothing.

Ive been medicated off and on for years and recently started seeing a new gynae as Im fed up of it all.

Mine lasts 10 days and I have acute noise sensitivity for first few days, plus raging at people getting in my way in street, drivers getting in my way, my family annoying met etc etc.
Intensely weak feeling for first 3 days when I feel like I will faint (blood pressure normal) and can't exercise at all
Loss of appetite
Very sweaty and stinky
The gushing is an awful feeling - like the blood is pouring out of you and when you get to the loo you try to remove knickers and pad so carefully without making a horrible mess but its impossible.

I recently had a period that lasted 6 days and then stopped. Great I thought and put on white shorts. Had a gush while out (didn't notice for about 4 hours) and came home to the shock of white shorts with a lovely red mark on crotch for all to see.

I hate it. Roll on menopause