Period pain coping tips

[professoryaffel]

I’m in agony . Been bent double since noon . Have taken ibuprofen and paracetomal to no avail . Can’t move if I do I’ll cry .

I’ve got endometriosis with bladder and bowel involvement, adhesions and PCOS . GP is adamant there’s no treatment for any of that and just have to get used to it . Using maternity towels I’m that heavy .

I know it will get better next few days but I am really, struggling and almost banging head off floor I’m that sore . Would I be stupid to ring 111 , double they can do a thing? Not pregnant definitely , just a period .

Have you tried chamomile tea I find this helps

I get strong cocodamol prescribed by the doctor. That's the only painkiller that helps me.

Have you tried Buscopan? I find it helps with my period cramps. Also tens machine helps me.

Oh bless you OP.

Long term: Your GP is an idiot. Call the EndometriosisUK helpline and get yourself a good gyne consultant.

Short term: get an out of hours appointment and get some proper pain relief.

Paracetamol & codeine was the painkiller that worked for me - that's sold over the counter.

See if your GP will prescribe with mefenamic acid.

Agree with PP and try Buscopan, it's an OTC anti spasmodic and really helps with cramps. Used for IBS.

Go back to your GP or change doctors - that’s not right.
In the meantime how about a hot water bottle?Co-codomol is good but can make you constipated. Ibuprofen 400mg is also good. Obviously don’t take loads of tablets, read the labels some can be taken together- not all.
Look at endometriosis-U.K.org too.

Painkillers with codeine help me - I alternate nurofen plus with paracetamol.

I also have endo and the related bowel issues, I'm sure this sounds ridiculous but when period pain is very severe I find sitting on the toilet helps a little. I don't know if it's something to do with the position or why it helps, but it definitely helps somewhat.

I would also push for more from your GP, you shouldn't be told there's nothing they can do. Have you seen a consultant or anyone other than your GP?

In the short term, hot water bottle on your back and if someone is with you jamming their thumbs really hard into the small of your back either side of your spine for a few minutes. Does the same job as a tens machine.

Also, I used to find a meditative process helpful. You try to calm down and think your mind into the pain. Try to locate exactly where the pain is and push your mind into that area, while breathing steadily. Works in the short term.

I'm sorry you're in pain.
You need to get a referral to one of the specialist centres on the BSGE accredited list. It may be that they can help you, but you need a skilled and specialist surgeon. The GP is talking out his/ her arse.

It would probably also be worth getting a referral to a specialist pain clinic. They can help with drugs and there are also pain management courses where you learn techniques to lessen the pain.

Liverpool1981, seriously, do you have bad endometriosis yourself? This is high-level pain not normal period pain and camomile tea isn't a helpful suggestion.

I hope you find relief. Surgery has been the best thing for me. Other people I know find some types of opiates are effective if taken rectally.

Google "tranexamic acid". Life changing stuff. Available on prescription.

Soluble solpadeine - can anyone get you some? Works for me when I can’t take the pain and nurofen isn’t working.

Is someone with you that can work out the paracetamol in anything you’ve had/will take? When I’m in pain I can’t think straight and it is easy to overdose.

If not put on here what you had/when and I’m sure someone will guide you.

Poor you, so sorry you are in this pain.

Having been sent away by numerous GPs and hospital doctors, it turned out I had stage 4 endometriosis (it was everywhere ) and adenomyosis (& pcos).

Can you ask for stronger painkillers - codeine? Cocodamol over the counter I think. Heat- hot water Bottle and tens machine.

Get a gynaecologist with endo specialism. Do you have any bowel or bladder symptoms? If you do you can ask GP to refer to a BSGE centre.

I had all my endo removed by a brilliant surgeon- it really helped me.

Also, Uk endo Facebook group and Nancy’s nook on Facebook

Good luck xxx

Just read you have bowel and bladder involvement. Outrageous the GP says nothing can be done-total rubbish. Find a new GP and ask for referral to a BSGE centre (it’s in the NICE guidelines for treatment of endometriosis so take a copy and show them).

Change your dr. You can just leave and register with someone who covers your area.

www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng73/chapter/Recommendations#pharmacological-pain-management. NICE guidelines of what should be happening.

Take the maximum pain killers you can. Stick heat pads on your stomach and back And see if you can get someone to agree to press on your stomach with a decent amount of pressure. It seems to help me a little.

The other thing that once helped me was when I had a back problem. I was given a series of stretching exercises to do twice each day and that month I had very little period pain - which was remarkable for me. Not saying do it today but might be worth looking into.

Buscopan really helps abc a hot water bottle. I also take 600mg of ibuprofen (the label says 400mg max but GP said 600mg is fine as long as it’s short term)

Thank you all so so much . Yes have seen a consultant as a teenager/very early twenties, but not for a long time . At that time I was given a mirena and decapeptyl . I continued to bleed with the decapeptyl so they deduced it wasn’t helpful but I’m not even sure it was administered correctly - was given subcut rather than IM if I remember right . The mirena they realised was twisted on an angle somehow so whipped it out - and then told me after they were changing guidelines for insertion, that everyone had to attempt two insertions without anesthesia first, so ended up not going for it again .

I’ll ask GP re consultant again; we are out in the countryside so only that one surgery accepts patients from our postcode . Nearest town has a bigger health centre but they won’t take patients that live outwith a certain boundary line .

Will ring 111 as well, it’s very slightly eased off but it’s coming back slowly and thinking it’ll be easier to sort at this time of day than waiting til later . Hopefully OOH centre would prescribe codeine . I can take more ibuprofen soon and paracetomal before bed too thankfully .

I have endometriosis with bowel and ureter involvement and wasn't taken seriously by the GP for many years. Eventually I was prescribed Mefenamic Acid for the pain and Tranexamic Acid for the heavy bleeding and they were life-changing so strongly advise you to be pushy with your GP. You also ought to push for monitoring of the endo as well if they know there's bladder and bowel involvement to ensure it doesn't cause too much damage. The extent of mine was discovered too late and I've lost a kidney to it. Surgery is available and should be discussed at least as one of your options. Hope you get the help you need really soon.

Ibuprofen Lycine helps me no end. Basically feminax, but migrane relief tablets are the same but £2 cheaper! (check the PL number, and if they are the same, the formulation is the same)

Intersperse 2 hrly paracetamol with 3 hrly Ibuprofen.

Clary Sage essential oil is great for cramps.

Hot water bottles, lots of fluids and little and often snacks.

Hope you feel better soon. Period pain sucks.

@BlueSlice

Oh bless you OP.

Long term: Your GP is an idiot. Call the EndometriosisUK helpline and get yourself a good gyne consultant.

Short term: get an out of hours appointment and get some proper pain relief.

This.

You shouldn't have to suffer.

I also find heat helps - the stick on patches are good.

It’s not just bad period pain, it’s a serious condition, hope you get rest tonight but please get a referral. You shouldn’t be suffering this badly.

I take both mefenamic acid (for pain) and tranexamic acid (for heaviness) its worked brilliantly for me, go to a new gp and ask for them directly, hope it feels better soon, it's horrible