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 .

I also suffer with endometriosis and find buscopan taken alongside ibuprofen to be the most effective for me. Also a hot water bottle and trying to find the most comfortable position possible, which seems to vary! I also recommend going back to your GP and getting a referral - I believe that if you have bowel and bladder involvement that you should be entitled to treatment in a BSGE centre, but might be wrong.

You poor thing. Your GP is an idiot and way behind the times. I knew you were going to say rural and isolated. You need a referral.

I was once embarrassingly ambulanced to A&E for awful endo pain - DH had called GP and when they heard me in the background they said no one should be left in that much pain, sent an ambulance and I got some lovely morphine. I was really embarrassed but the paramedics, doctors etc all agreed it was warranted.

Natural and short term - camomile tea. Avoid caffeine. TENS machine - can get them at Boots, I found really useful. Heat (hot water bottle on front + back + between thighs). Breathing exercises might help, think into letting those muscles go. I think Adriene on YouTube has some period ones and you could just do the breathing bits, can't imagine you're feeling up to full yoga.

Pharmaceutical - GP could prescribe, if they're resistant, a consultant probably would. Standard would be prescription strength codeine or co-codamol, mefenamic acid, non-stop contraceptive pill, tranexamic acid for bleeding. With the NSAIDs (whether that's prescription mefenamic acid, or your ibuprofen) take them a couple of days before your period is due as well as during your period, as that is supposed to stop your prostaglandins kicking off, thus reducing the cramps.

I got lucky and my endo pretty much disappeared after two pregnancies. It was so weird to have a relatively pain free period and see what a 'normal' period felt like. I'd never really had one before.

Yes, cocodamol and buscopan if they help, but also try a shot of brandy, whisky or sherry. The trick is to get your short muscles to relax.
I'm sorry for you - I used to wish I would faint when the pain was so bad.

Oh FFS. I didn't mean the biscuit! Tired fingers at this time of night - sorry.

Go back to the doctor and demand a referral to a gynaecologist. In the meantime ask the gp for a prescription of diplofenac suppositories. I have endometriosis 100mg and it’s the only drug that relieves all pain it’s magic. You can also get nurofen plus over the counter it contains codeine and is strongest I could get. It’s so horrible please don’t suffer please demand help.

Your doctor is a knobhead! See someone else. I had mine treated with lasers through keyhole surgery. Still get bad pain but it is better than it was.

Codine and paracetamol (cocodomol) is available over the counter at the pharmacy, it's the only thing that takes the edge off for me. When it's really bad, take the meds then curl up with a hot water bottle on the pain.

This is ridiculous. If you had broken your leg would the GP just say you have to put up with it? Hope you get some proper treatment soon.

Naproxen, cocodomol and heat for now whilst you're waiting for 111. As others have said though, longer term, your GP needs to pull their finger out and help you, it makes me so cross!

Really hope it passes soon and you manage to get some relief.

I used to have to sit in a boiling hot bath, with a hot water bottle, panting, just horrific. The Mirena almost cured it. The progesterone only pill has been better by a long way, no period at all, zero pain, bliss. I think it’s trial and error, tbh.

You can get co-codamol over the counter but its 8mg of codeine per tablet. If that doesn't work the GP can prescribe much stronger.

Obviously be careful not to double up on paracetamol.

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

Why on earth are you allowing a GP to fob you off - he is not an endo expert. insist on a referral.

Starflower thing was the only thing that really helped. Had to take it every day of the month to reap the benefits though.
I wish I'd known about it years ago though.

I found pain killers only worked if I managed to get on them before the period arrived and nothing that would irritate my tummy.

I have a coil now hence the past tense.

Finally spoke to a GP about 11.30pm, they arranged for me to pick up dihydrocodeine and buscopan . Two dihydrocodeine tonight, plus two buscopan and two paracetomal before bed, then same in about eight hours time (plus ibuprofen) . They’re wanting me to get tranexamic acid tomorrow if possible too . I’ve a hospital review next week so will talk to the consultant, it’s urology but will ask if can be referred onwards for more support and advice - I can’t manage this every month at all . Practice nurse actually said ‘it’s only periods’ ... no it isn’t ...

I have endometriosis. Had depo injection for 2 years as i became anaemic. Now on gabapentin us dihydrocodeine.

Like others say your GP is talking crap. Ideally push for a gynae review.

Naproxen and a referral, you poor thing, what an idiot your GP is.

The nurse saying "it's only periods" would fill me with rage. I think if someone has never experienced a truly painful period they just cant imagine how much pain someone is in. Some of my periods were far more painful than contractions but without the fun gas and air. I wouldnt dream of telling a labouring women "it's only contractions"
I'm glad to hear you are planning to be referred on. In the meantime keep up with your pain relief, set a timer and take it whether you feel you need it or not until your period is over. Like a PP said sitting on the toilet helps me, I think it helps muscles relax and often that's when I pass clots. Have a hot shower, I once stayed in my shower for 3 hours,both the environment and my electricity bill cried but I was desperate.
Hope you feel better soon. You shouldn't have to live like this,its not acceptable. There is a view that women should just accept suffering as part of their womanly duties - bullshit! If men had periods this would never happen. That is a discussion for another thread!

Oh OP I totally feel your pain.
I have stage 3, my pelvis is frozen too.

I find codeine 30mg (prescription only), interspersed with paracetamol and ibuprofen helps get me through either a work day in care, or takes the edge of so I can get a bit of sleep at night.
Also scalding baths, hot water bottles.

That nurse could do with standing in your shoes for a month or two and then try saying it's just a bad period, fucking asshole. When people have hot water bottle burn marks, because the pain from that numbs the Endo pain, that's not a normal level of period pain!

I'm also a firm believer that if this disease affected men as well as women, there would be far more done about it other than throwing birth control at us

I agree Pink. I’ve got a form of endo apparently because I’ve got a chocolate cyst on the left. I think somethings adhered to my left side nerve too because every period I started getting the most awful leg pain on that side. Like toothache down the front to the knee.

I’m very lucky that I can just take ibuprofen 600mg 3 x a day a few days before I’m due on and get through it. Also got pcos.

Shame on that nurse saying it’s only periods.

@professoryaffel Try magnesium citrate. Take it every day to help with the cramps, hardworking muscles need magnesium or they cramp. It won’t take it all away but if you try it for a month and see what happens.

OP, there are Gynae consultants specialised in endometriosis. There are option but I don't know your situation.

You can think about:
Pain management plan
HRT
Surgery to remove the endometriosis tissue
Hysterectomy
Your gynaecologist will be able to walk you through all the options.
Have you had an MRI? Do you know how sever it is?
Try Dr Ertan Saridogan at the Portland Hospital.
Good luck 💐

Thank you all so much; I’ve had an MRI a few years ago which is when they discovered the majority of it, and ultrasounds since that showed other stuff going on . Always been told they won’t do a full lap as they’ve said it’s not worth doing for diagnostic purposes . GP says better to learn to breathe through pain or stretch or something . Easier said than done - I’m thirty now and have felt this way once a month since age 13, been admitted to hospital countless times once a month for morphine, anti sickness and IV fluids . Absolute hell .

I have previously been seen by a specialist pain team by a doctor who specialised in pelvic pain - but moved house unfortunately which meant discharged, and new GP refused to refer me back .

I’m not getting any joy with my GP surgery as they’re still refusing to do non emergency appointments - said to ask pharmacist for advice on simple OTC pain relief . But I do have a telephone number for outpatient gynaecology from previous appointments and seeing urology on Tuesday too, so will write a list of questions - I am finding I’m living in fear of next month already and that’s no use at all !

What they have offered before is an ablation but that seems very final to me, I don’t want to write off my chances of having a baby totally but maybe that’s the best thing to do .

I'm not in the UK so can't tell you how to go about getting a new GP or consultant but PLEASE don't consider anything that would damage your fertility without getting a second opinion. A lap is not just diagnostic, they can remove adhesions while they are doing it. A GP that tells you to breathe and stretch through pain that is severe enough to result in hospital admissions and morphine is not taking this seriously. I hope the outpatient gynecologist can help, best of luck.

I can't tell you what to do, but personally I wouldn't do the ablation.

They did my lap intending to cut out anything they found, including a cyst that showed up on a scan (it's 10cm x 4cm x 2cm, so big to me, but he reckons he's seen way bigger). Turned out that they couldn't even get to the cyst behind my pelvic organs are stuck together and there's so much scar tissue in there, because like you, it's been ignored by doctors for so long. I'll need an open surgery with a colorectal surgeon involved as well as gynae. Full bowel prep else there's risk of perforation and a stoma. Apparently I've had infections in my appendix as well because there was all scar tissue in it and I had a lot of free fluid from infection, so woke up with a drain. But I couldn't tell the pain was from that and not Endo.
I first went to a doctor at 16, I'm now 33. They couldn't even see my reproductive organs and said ivf was our only hope, which has failed.

I still wouldn't do ablation yet. Try and find someone who specialises in excision, that's my plan next.

I only have period pain (and poonamis), so nowhere near in the same boat as you.

I found that cold and 'flu remedy works quite well. Maybe it's the decongestant that helps. Anyway, I found them especially effective if taken before the pain starts, or when it's on the ebb.

Hope it all stops for you very soon.

Op don't go for ablation. It's horrible and the pain will not go away as the endometriosis is not just in the womb. In fact, endometriosis is outside the womb so I don't get how ablation will help you anyway. It can also cause many other complications. PM me if you want to know more.
Your GP is useless. Can you afford private consultant? I am so sorry to hear you are struggling from such a young age. It's not a way to live. I am too familiar with the pain you are experiencing, I had the paramedics in too..
I am now talking hormones that eliminated the pain completely!
I understand that in your age the idea of hysterectomy is upsetting but is there a way to freeze eggs? I don't know.. but you are still years away from menopause when it will eventually go away but you may lose your sanity way sooner.