Help. I have an awful period and have to go to work

[Crunchytowel]

Second post partum period. First was OK so wasn't expecting this. Have endo so no stranger to bad periods.

Have spent most of the night rocking on the toilet. The pain is awful. I only have paracetamol, it takes the edge off for an hour but that's it. My entire stomach and back is cramping. I'm walking doubled over at times. Shivering and sweating.

I have just come off mat leave and started a new job. I can't take time off now. I'm about to have a shower and more paracetamol in the hope it helps. I want to curl up and die

I have endo too. Naproxen (feminax ultra) and a stick on heat pad might help you get through the day, can you call at Boots?

Can you get to Boots & buy some Cyklo F, I think that’s what it’s called, it reduces really heavy bleeding.

Ponstan, if you can get it, will take the edge off for a while.

It's prescription though. It's the only thing that works for me. Ask the pharmacist what else they would recommend if they can't give you any.

Be kind to yourself too. If you have to go home then you have to go home new job or not (I went through this in Feb and had to spend some time in hospital eventually. New job were understanding but I felt terrible). They didn't hire a robot but a human and this sort of thing happens to humans!

Seriously you need to call in sick.

What type of work do you do?

I work in a school, rural area, I won't be able to get to a chemist in time.

I usually take tranaxaemic acid, but of course I haven't got any after being pregnant and breastfeeding. Wish I'd thought ahead and kept some by me.

I'm dropping baby at my mum's today so she might have some cocodomol and a heat pack.

And thank you for the messages. DH leaves very early for work and I was feeling a bit alone.

I'm doubling up on massive pads. So worried I'm going to flood.

Oh OP, you have my sympathies. Another endo sufferer here and currently feeling like my insides are falling out. Flooded at work yesterday morning and had to make an emergency run to Next for new trousers etc, so embarrassing.

Can you take a hot water bottle to work with you? I sit with mine tucked under my desk.!

You can’t go to work like that...phone in sick and get a doctors appointment to stem the flow and decent painkillers...

Ibuprofen taken regularly slows down the cramping I was told..so 3x a day at highest dose allowed

Not helping you today but I highly recommend period pants which I add pads to, gives so much reassurance. Tena pads are also higher in absorbency.

Mixing ibuprofen and paracetamol is safe and much more effective than one alone. But agree you should really try to call in sick.

I know I should phone in, but I absolutely can't, this is only about my fifth day, and for a number of reasons it will look so bad.

I'm going to go in and I'll know within a few hours if I can manage or not, if I have to go home it will be easier after morning lessons anyway.

This is so fucking shit.

Agree with snowdrop. I take prescription cocodamol for mine and it's the only things that work. You can also be prescribed something to lighten the flow. Ask for a womb scan if this continues.

I think I have some ibuprofen in my car actually. Or mum may have some. Thanks, I hadn't thought of that.

I think I will try period pants. I used to love a moon cup plus pads, but the endo is all around my cervix and it started to hurt a lot.

Wish they could just take it all out

If you haven't got any ibuprofen, ask when you get into work. You can alternate with paracetamol and ibuprofen every two hours, ie each will have a four hour gap

Well I have made it to lunch, thanks to alternating ibuprofen and running to the bathroom as often as possible to check. I'm so tired and drained though, still very sore. Never wished so much I could be a sahm

You poor thing, hope you get through the rest of the day quickly and home to rest!

I hope it got better for you, OP.

Sometimes a slow walk on a fresh air help to ease the period cramps.

I know it's a bit late, but I find Nurofen Cold 'N' Flu works far better than plain Ibuprofen. Maybe it's the caffeine. But if you can give them a go, they might help.

My sympathy for you - I used to have bad periods, but they don;t sound half as bad as yours.

Please see your gp. I am on pill for horrible periods and it's changed my life.

I used to have very painful periods and the only thing that helped was Ponstan Forte, which I had on prescription, and which was brilliant. I did once start my period early, and I was at work a long way from home and my GP. I went into the nearest chemist, explained the problem, and the pharmacist agreed to give me 2 Ponstan Forte pills which were enough to get me through the rest of the day until I could get home (where I had my own supply). Too late now, I know, but might be worth a try in future.

Incidentally, after my first child was born, my periods were not painful and I became pregnant again while breastfeeding. However, when I stopped breastfeeding my younger child, I had one of the worst periods ever, which resulted in my fainting while on the loo. Unfortunately I had no Ponstan Forte in the house as I hadn't needed it for 5 years and my old supply had gone out of date.

I got a new prescription, but never needed it again. I think it was just my body settling down to the new routine. I hope the same is true for the OP.

Just to point out that the pain of endometriosis isn’t “cramps” and therefore won’t be eased by walking!
It’s the pain of your body getting to have a period in all the lower organs, again and again and all getting glued together.
Hideous.
See your GP op- had you thought of the pill or mirena? I have to hormonally stop mine to function. Mirena gave me anxiety so back on the pill.

Hope you're feeling better today, OP.