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Original poster

If you had heavy or painful periods as a teen

70 replies

BresciaBike · 14/03/2024 22:08

did they ease as you got older? My interpretation of heavy is changing sanitary products in a couple of hours and painful as in prescription pain relief + heat (+ exercise ha!) barely relieving the pain, struggling to function or concentrate on simple tasks.

Have issues with my IUS and don't fancy continuing hormone-based contraception. Considering going without and hoping my periods aren't awful.

I'm sure some well-meaning people will want to offer pain relief advice but honestly I tried so so many things. Really, I'd love to know if anyone's periods lightened with age? Is that just a myth?

OP posts:
OhForGoodnessSake1 · 14/03/2024 23:06

Sadly, another no here, due to endometriosis. Mirena was a god send for me as it basically stopped periods. Pregnancy didn't help and perimenopause made it worse. At least breast-feeding kept them away for a decent period after the kids were born, but the times when I was trying to get pregnant were horrible.

toomuchlikemyusername · 14/03/2024 23:08

No for me. They were a bit better for about a year after pregnancy. Also better for a short while after coming off the pill. But ultimately as awful as ever, with vomiting and horrific pains. Opted for a Mirena coil and despite a few months of settling in, I've never looked back.

WeightoftheWorld · 14/03/2024 23:10

Not painful, but heavy. I'm in my 30s now and no they are just as heavy if I'm not on the combined pill. And also starting getting some pain and ovulation pan in my mid-twenties too on top.

Apart from when ttc I usually stay on the combined pill as it makes them much lighter and therefore manageable.

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Shiveringinthecountry · 14/03/2024 23:15

Thanks for explaining, @Purplecatshopaholic. I'm so glad they sorted it out for you Flowers

NC03 · 14/03/2024 23:21

Can I recommend these? I have endo and these are an absolute saviour
Some days I don't even need painkillers and that's a miracle given the strongest ones don't touch the pain

amzn.eu/d/caDzRAg

WhenIsTheGeneralElection · 14/03/2024 23:24

I had extremely painful periods as a teen but solpadine was enough to fix them. After my pregnancy I couldn't take pain killers any more but the pain was gone. The periods got much much lighter when I was about 45.

GrumpySock · 14/03/2024 23:24

They got better. Don't remember when. Perhaps in my twenties. Pre having the first child. I remember being on a pill at some point but don't remember it helping much. Perhaps just with time.
My teen years were horrific. And so many embarrassing situations. Awful.

GrumpySock · 14/03/2024 23:26

My cycle was 21-23 days and the period lasted for 6-7 days. I hated my life.
Much easier now.

FunnysInLaJardin · 14/03/2024 23:29

have been on oral contraception since I was 15 and am now 53. Very rarely have had a period happily

KenAdams · 14/03/2024 23:30

Nope. I have stage 4 endo now.

Secondstart1001 · 14/03/2024 23:32

My have lightened with age … this started to happen when I was 42. I’m 46 now and still have regular periods; some last a few days the others about 5. Only have 1-2 heavy days then it fades away. Good luck, heavy periods are horrible!

SophiaElise · 14/03/2024 23:37

The only thing that stopped my menorrhagia was menopause...

Bbq1 · 14/03/2024 23:44

Resolved for me after pregnancy. I had horrendous pains and would be rolling around the bed in absolute agony while mum rushed out to buy Feminax. I used to flood and needed to change pads hourly. Also had some terrible incidents with stained clothing where mum and dad would come and pick me up. I don't know why it resolves after pregnancy (stretching?) but it does for most women.

willowstar · 14/03/2024 23:46

Similar to lots on here, mine only eased after pregnancy at 35. I breast fed both of my children for ages which helped keep the periods away for a while which was a relief. But yes, pregnancy was the only thing which eased the awful pain. Now in peri menopause I have very occasional cramps.

ClemmyTine · 14/03/2024 23:48

Very painful and heavy as a teen,, went on the pill when I got married at 19.. all ok. Came off the pill at 42 ish,, gradually got worse until hysterectomy at 49. However I did have fibroids so that could have made it all worse.

CherryBlossom321 · 14/03/2024 23:58

Aged 12, I used to get sent home from school as I was bleeding so heavily and regularly passed out in awful pain.

I’m now 40, have two children, and have just come to the end of my period. I wear two night time pads throughout the day and change hourly to two-hourly. I leaked the first night in bed, despite every effort. I take strong painkillers every four hours and have a heat pad permanently attached to me, otherwise I don’t function.

I was offered tranaxemic acid, but didn’t like the idea of my body “reabsorbing” my periods, or the potential side effects. I have intense reactions to any hormonal contraceptives, so I’m stuck until the menopause does its thing. I’ve accepted it.

Nail123 · 15/03/2024 00:44

Mine helped as soon as I went on the pill. Lighter and a lot less painful. Moved to a different pill last year and they completely stopped. No monthly rage…nothing! Amazing!

Original poster
BresciaBike · 15/03/2024 01:05

Nail123 · 15/03/2024 00:44

Mine helped as soon as I went on the pill. Lighter and a lot less painful. Moved to a different pill last year and they completely stopped. No monthly rage…nothing! Amazing!

It is very individual ofc but which pill are you taking now?

OP posts:
ViciousCurrentBun · 15/03/2024 02:14

Mine improved loads when I changed to using pads only.

Delphina17 · 15/03/2024 02:17

I had horrific periods, sometimes threw up from the agony, could barely walk. I was on the pill for many years which made them manageable. I don't know what I would have done without the pill as they were so, so bad.

I had my first child at 26 and my periods are still painful but manageable now (worse than when I was on the pill, but don't compare at all to my teenage years).

Tiddlywinks63 · 15/03/2024 02:20

Apart from when I was on the pill my periods were always horrendous, very heavy and painful (I remember curling up over the radiator at school 🤢). Only a hysterectomy at 33 solved it. Having children did nothing, neither did taking any medication my GP prescribed.

Tiddlywinks63 · 15/03/2024 02:23

CherryBlossom321 · 14/03/2024 23:58

Aged 12, I used to get sent home from school as I was bleeding so heavily and regularly passed out in awful pain.

I’m now 40, have two children, and have just come to the end of my period. I wear two night time pads throughout the day and change hourly to two-hourly. I leaked the first night in bed, despite every effort. I take strong painkillers every four hours and have a heat pad permanently attached to me, otherwise I don’t function.

I was offered tranaxemic acid, but didn’t like the idea of my body “reabsorbing” my periods, or the potential side effects. I have intense reactions to any hormonal contraceptives, so I’m stuck until the menopause does its thing. I’ve accepted it.

I completely sympathise, I actually tried not to leave the house for the first 3 days of every period because of the flooding and clots. I think the pain was worse than labour, little seemed to ease it other than laying very still with a hot water bottle (hardly practical with children and a career!)

Lostsadandconfused · 15/03/2024 02:43

Not really, controlled a little by being on the pill. Then in my early 40’s it got much worse. Fibroids, ovarian cysts, endo apparently. I had a hysterectomy.

Spirael · 15/03/2024 06:59

No, they got steadily worse. I tried everything offered - various pills, coils and endo ablation. Only a hysterectomy solved it. Turned out I had adenomyosis, and my womb was twice the size it should have been.

lifebeginsaftercoffee · 15/03/2024 07:13

Mine improved in my twenties when I started doing more regular exercise. I'm mid thirties now and they're much better than they were. I'm a dog walker and walk 4-5 hours a day, Monday to Friday.

I've never had children so it's nothing pregnancy related.