Putting DD on the pill to stop heavy periods?

[EveSix]

Is anybody's DD on oral contraceptive pill to subdue or cease really heavy periods?

We've been recommended by GP to put DD (14) on the pill as she bleeds heavily for weeks on end and it impacts everything (frequent flooding, passing large clots, waking up in pools of blood, terrified of going places in case doubled-up sanpro fails suddenly etc). She'll literally bleed full on for 4 weeks, get a week to ten days 'off' and then it'll start again. It's been going on for 18 months and doesn't seem to be settling.

She's terrified she'll suffer low moods or swings, get problem skin and put on weight (she already has a tendency toward low moods and gains weight easily).

I'd love for her not to suffer the consequences of these excessive periods anymore and feel confident her body won't let her down. Has anyone got any reassurance or experience (such as which pill worked for their DD) to share?

She should be referred to a gynaecologist.

This.

This is a medical issue, a serious one. It is not acceptable to just be put on the pill

My daughter wason the pill at 14 because of debilitating periods and terrible pains. She was minutes away from getting her appendix out because her pain was severe. It helped enormously.

DD went on the pill for heavy periods at 16, I wish I'd done it sooner. However, perhaps the recommendation for a gyne referral is a good idea, sounds like she's really suffering xx

I think she should be referred to gynaecology for them to rule anything more sinister such as endometriosis/adno/psos. Going on the pill is just going to mask what is causing the her symptoms.

All 3 of my children take the pill back to back to avoid periods, then have a break every few months to allow a bleed.

In time I would get her to take it back to back like @Lougle suggets.
Now I would ask for a second opinion. This is awful for anyone, but for a 14 year old it’s totally unacceptable.

Sounds like it could be endometriosis

Ask about tranexamic acid also, don't let the GP fob you off with "women's problems"

Unlikely Gynaecology would accept the referral on the NHS until a few things have been tried, one of which is the pill.

Plus even if accepted the wait would be long and she still has the problem in the meantime.

Back when I was at school everyone was on the pill for either periods, contraception or both.

Was brilliant option for me.

Even if there is a wait, get on the list now.

If men bled every month and it stopped them from day to day activities, sure as day there would be investigation.

I can only offer reassurance from my own experience. I was similar to your DD at her age, I had very irregular, heavy periods that made me faint at times. I went on the pill at 15, and had absolutely no side effects. I have depression anyway and have since before I went on the pill so I don't think it made it any worse. Weight gain for me was limited to a couple of pounds, but that could also have been the chocolate I was eating!!

It has made such a difference that I am still on the same pill (microgynon) years later. My periods are now very regular, so light they're hardly worth bothering with, I do still get a bit of pain but nothing an ibuprofen doesn't fix. It was absolutely life changing for me.

It's always worth a try IMO, if it doesn't work she can always come off it straight away

I should add that she should definitely also be referred to a gynaecologist as this does sound like more of a medical issue. The pill was great for me, but it's always worth getting investigated (I wish I had but I think I've just stuck a plaster over the problem as it were).

Thanks all, that's exactly what I was hoping for. I don't know anyone else whose DD is in a similar predicament ‐not really something I'd bring up. I went on the pill early with no real side effects, but DD and I are constitutionally quite different so I understand that she feels she has grounds to be worried.

Interesting that many of you felt a gynae referral or a second opinion would be in order; I'll look into it as endo runs in my family, although I don't have it.

Thanks again.

The pill was a game changer for me! I could fit my period around my life, gone were the two days lost each month to agonising cramps and nausea that painkillers didn’t help as the pain made me vomit. No more 10-12 days of bleeding. My mum had to push as they keot fobbing me off with bloody ponstan, you have to be able to keep them down so they work. My exams were that year so she went down the line of how much time I was missing I also almost passed out during my maths prelim. Jo mood changes or weight gain (the depo jag made me gain a lot of weight). Plus when I started to have sex if the condom failed I had the back up contraception.

Christ, 4 week bleeds need more investigation surely? She must be quite anaemic too.

Dd did at about the same age, but nothing like as bad as your dd.
I could tell immediately I saw her when her period had started because she was white as a sheet. It's made a huge difference to her.

I'd give it a go. I had embarrassingly heavy periods (gushing so it would leak down the side of a super tampon I put in 5 min earlier and up to 2 weeks at a time). The GP offered to put me on the pill at 13 and my mother just said, "She's a bit young". Nothing happened. I struggled all through high school (until I worked out that, if I didn't really eat, my periods stopped). Far from ideal.

I went on the pill at 18 for heavy painful periods & horrific PMT, where I turned into a monster & was suicidal. I wish I had done it earlier, I took it back to back & only had a withdrawal bleed when it was convenient for me.

My DD started on the pill at 16 due to horrendous period pain. Hers were quite heavy but nothing like you describe, and regular.

It worked really well and her skin was amazing and no weight gain. She had some low moods but there were things happening in her life at the same time so it was hard to know what caused it.

She has since had to switch from a combined pill to progesterone only and her mood has improved but her skin is bad. Still no period pain though so she’s sticking with it for a few months to get through her last year of school before trying some other options.

I would probably give the pill a go to try to ease her symptoms, which sound awful. I would also request a gynaecologist consult, particularly with a family history of endometriosis. My best friend had horrendous periods for years and avoided the pill because she didn’t want to take anything ‘unnatural’. She had terrible scarring and ultimately needed multiple surgeries and fertility treatment.

I'm

I can understand your DD fear I'm on the contraceptive implant and the fear I had before getting it in incase it changed my moods n thought but honestly I don't think it's changed my atall just that my skin had gotten spotty and I never used to be

Both my DD's had similar to what you've described. Both tried ponstan, tranexamic acid, then the pill. Oldest (20) got the Mirena a year or so ago and is very happy with it. Youngest (16) was diagnosed with endometriosis, tried a couple of different pills, and is now booked to get the Mirena, hoping it works well for her.

Dd was referred for a scan to rule out endometriosis without a referral to a gynaecologist, so perhaps you could mask for both to be arranged separately? Her scan cam through quickly(this was a few years ago). She went on the pill due to sever pain/vomiting and it made a huge difference

Does the GP know that endometriosis runs in your family? And has your daughter been checked for anaemia?