Teenage Daughter suffering with periods

[kittenfun]

She feels sick a few days before
She started at midnight the other day and was in agony with tummy pain and was sick
Can the dr give her something to take?
She has missed school this week

Our DD has ASD and found it very difficult to cope with her periods. She was in agony for a couple of days before and her periods were quite heavy too. She used to refuse to go to school whilst on her period as she wouldn't use the school toilets. We decided to ask for a contraceptive for her and she now takes one that she only has a period once every three months. Much better and much better for her moods too. She is 14 and quite immature so we have told her that it's medication for helping with her periods not that she is now on a contraceptive.

Yes take her to the GP. I was exactly the same and was given something for pain and to reduce flow, when I got older I went onto a contraceptive. It is great ! In my teens I was missing about half a day of school a month due to awful pain and cramps in the night and not sleeping.

Get her to the GP - it is a miserable thing to have to deal with.

Yes they can, but what have you tried? How old is she?

Another one here who went on contraceptive pill because of horrific periods, it helped enormously

I went on the pill at 13 after 2 years of suffering from heavy periods/horrendous period pain. The difference was phenomenal

My daughter has a chronic illness and her periods were really knocking her for 4/5 days every month - literally bedbound unable to get up (she does have M.E)
Our consultant suggested the pill and since aged 14 she had been taking it for 9 weeks then a weeks break. So she only has a period every 10th week and it now only lasts 2-3 days and are definitely more manageable for her. My eldest daughter is the other way round and has PCOS and saw a consultant who gave her medication to take every if she doesn’t have a period for 3 months - said as long as a woman has 3-4 periods a year then it’s safe

I was the same. I couldn't even go to school during my period. Severe backache, tummy ache, diarrhoea and cramping. Some days I would vomit and have the worst headaches known to man.
My mum took me to the GP eventually and he put me on the pill. Best thing she could have done, lightened my periods and all of my awful symptoms practically disappeared with it.
I've now changed contraception many moons on and have been on the implant for 9 years running and never had a period since I had my first one put in.

You ca actually take the pill with no breaks at all these days. She might get some breakthrough bleeding though. There is no need to have a period at all unless the breakthrough bleeding doesn't settle (this was the advice of my gynae - treatment for endometriosis).

They might try her on tranexamic acid and mefanemic acid first to lessen the pain and bleeding.

God yes take her to the GP.

I think the pill would likely be a very good option for her, as others have said, but there are other things the Dr can offer such as tranexamic acid if there are concerns about being on the pill.

I would personally try naproxen sodium (naprogesic) before the pill, not for any moral reason but because I found it more effective and it caused fewer side effects. It needs to be taken with food.

Your poor daughter. I get very sick on the first day of my period. Vomiting until I have nothing but bright blue bile, diarrhoea, massive temperature fluctuations, near fainting, the worst pain I’ve ever experienced in my back, pelvis and legs (sometimes even going up my arms). I can’t understand what causes it at all.

Unfortunately, I’ve never been taken seriously by any medical practitioner and have been told it’s completely normal despite the lack of publicity. If it’s normal then women definitely need the right to more unpaid leave!

Take her to see your GP, I wish my mum had taken me when I started my periods at 9, I was in agony every month with heavy periods, mine started regularly from day 1, the toilets at junior & comprehensive school were awful, I was embarrassed as I was the first girl in our year to start, I had terrible PMS every month from day 14 plus the awful pain & heavy bleeding but then nobody would suggest going on the pill, it was just something you had to put up with, I wasn't even given any painkillers by my mum, when I was a bit older I used to buy them in secret & had to hide them in my bag. No girl or woman should have to suffer every month.

You don't say how old your DD is, but DSD suffered terribly after starting at 10.

Headaches, horrible cramps, backache etc, paracetamol helped along with hot water bottles but that only helped in the home environment.

She'd started just before the summer holidays so it was sort of manageable to begin with at home, but once back at school it quickly got to the point she was missing class a few days every month - it was awful to see how miserable it made her :-(

She struggled at school wrt embarrassment and facilities (and the fact non of her friends had started yet so it was quite alienating for her).

Upshot is after a chat with the GP DH and her DM agreed for her to go on the pill.

As per pp's it made a huge difference and equally it (at the time) was described as medicine for period pain (obviously it was explained properly as she got older).

I'd definitely see your GP and don't be put off if they talk about the pill as an option. It made a huge difference to DSD, not just physically but emotionally as well.

It's amazing how often women (including me) still get told that horrendous period pain and other symptoms is completely normal. It is common, but that doesn't make it normal. Having to put up with suffering appallingly like this every month is not 'normal' and we shouldn't have to put up with it.

I'm really glad you started this thread OP. It's good to hear that other parents have done the same as us and put our DDs on the pill. Obviously it's not something you talk about so wondered if we were on our own.

Hi.. I am a gp and also went on pill aged 12 myself for horrendous periods.
Please take your dd to the gp or your local sexual health clinic. I know that might sound odd but they can provide the pill too and often less wait for appt and very well trained nurses and doctors who do this stuff all the time and won't bat an eyelid at the request, especially if you go with her,
I am always hugely sympathetic to teens and younger patients with period problems.
No young woman needs to suffer, miss school, be embarrassed.
And yes advice now is 9 weeks of pill, 1week break.

Oh and a good gp will explain to her this will work for contraception at the point she needs it but won't protect her from sti.
I always make that clear, not to the 11-12yrs olds but teens upwards.
And empathise with parents about the mixed emotions taking your dd to get the pill evokes

I am booking my dd an app for the pill for this very reason, alot of my friends think I'm mad and don't agree but she woke up again last night with headaches and feeling shite and I'm not having her suffer anymore. It's not settling if anything it's hitting her worse each month.

My poor dd has really horrendous periods and started taking the pill which works well. She was maybe 15 at the time.
She did try GP prescribed painkillers but the pill is much better. She takes it back to back for 3 months then has a bleed, which is still bad but not as bad as it would be if she wasn't on the pill.

My dd (16) has been on the pill since the age of 13 because of horrific periods. It's helped a little, but we're still trying to find the best pill....we're on the 6th or 7th different one. Apart from getting pregnant, the pill is really the only option. Assuming that she doesn't have other more serious issues going on, like cysts etc. She should get checked for everything.

Thanks ladies 😆
Very reassuring I am going to make an appointment for next week
Sorry she is 13 years od

My dd suffers horrendously we have been to the gp twice about it, they won't put her on the pill as there worried she's too young (just 13) they have given other tablets to help but so far there not doing a lot.
I think I might take her back again.

Morningcuppa.. She is not too young. That's nonsense and says more about your GPS views than your daughter's well being.

My niece has other medical issues, but has been given a Mirena coil to make her periods almost non existent. I think she was 13 when it was put in, she is 14.