To take painkillers every month?

[BeanBoozled123]

I have namechanged because I'm going to be moaning about a friend who knows my usual MN name.

I have really awful periods, need super plus tampons and get horrendous cramps for the first day or two. I usually take painkillers because that's the only way I can function on those days. Yesterday, I was out with a friend and I needed to take some painkillers because the cramps were horrible.
My friend then proceeded to say it wasn't good for me to take painkillers every month and then banged on about her own periods which are apparently amazing. She seems to think it's super bad for me to take painkillers for it. AIBU to take them anyway?

Your friend is being a twat

Heck your friend would be appalled by me. I take painkillers every day. What an odd perspective.

Max dose of ibuprofen for 3 days every month. Means I can actually leave the house! How lovely for your friend to have lovely periods, hope it never changes for her.

Not at all! I have endometriosis and have incredibly painful periods - I need to dose up on naproxen and codeine every month just to survive through a few days without screaming and passing out in pain. Painful periods are not normal so I urge you to see a doctor with your symptoms. I went for years just thinking that periods were supposed to hurt but then saw a doctor for a different issue and the conversation of painful periods came up. I was sent for scans and then an op to sort out my pain.

I'm with you.

Have my period now although rather than period pain I get thumping headaches. Just taken painkillers and will dfo so every four hours.

Ignore her.

What painkillers are we talking here? Ibuprofen/paracetamol? If yes, of course that's ok. I take them every month too, I would be rolling on the floor in pain for the first 3 days otherwise. How could I do my job if I was in so much pain, I couldn't focus? Your friend is an ignorant twat if she thinks everyone has amazing easy periods.

Your friend is being a dick.

She's ridiculous!
What do you take? I think ibuprofen is supposed to help lessen the flow.

It was ibuprofen to those who asked!

Your friend is an idiot. I often wonder what people from hundreds of years ago would think about people these days who shun safe, affordable medicine / pain relief for no proper reason. They would surely think that we're bonkers!

Your friend is very ignorant.

Every month I get bad period pain, and try to ignore it and think I don't like taking painkillers regularly. Eventually I give in, and voila, pain gone! Take the bloody painkillers and ignore her!

That is what painkillers are for, fgs. Easy for her to say you should stay in horrible pain when there is an easy fix, isn't it?

I have prescription painkillers for the worst ones, never mind your nurofen stuff!

Your friend is a dick. I take ibroufen and co codamol!!!

Have you visited the gp about your periods? Might be worth telling your go what you've told us minus the friend or not so they can check you out.

I've found my periods have changed over the years from mild pain, to horrific pain and now to officially diagnosed pms migraines. Thehe intensity of the pain subside if I take evening primrose oil tablets. I don't believe your friend for a second, she probably suffers in a different way but keeps quiet about it. People like that always do.

Friend is being an idiot. People who think painkillers are a bad idea on absolutely no medical evidence get right up my nose.

Have you spoken to the doctor though? I find diclofenac more effective than normal ibuprofen.

Also (and i know how boring it is that someone always mentions them, but...) switching to a moon cup instead of tampons really helped me. Something to do with it not wicking away all the moisture I guess.

I take morphine every day, sure she'd be horrified ibuprofen is recommended by gp's for periods, for a couple of days before too as it can help to reduce flow apparently! A few days a month really isn't going to cause problems, just make sure you're not taking them on an empty stomach. Oh and tell her congratulations on her easy periods lucky her!

Tell her to sod off - I have a friend who is funny about painkillers but I ignore her - I take them everyday - it's better than not being able to function!

Is your friend a bit simple? Painkillers are there to help you with pain. If she's not got period pains that's great for her, you do so you take painkillers. It's not such a difficult concept to grasp. As long as you don't overdose, of course.

I can empathise - sounds like your friend has been lucky.
Unfortunately, Ibuprofen can cause all sorts of additional health problems. There are ways of reducing cramps which are healthier, such as eating pure foods (homemade soups etc) for the week before, supplementing with magnesium, acupuncture, etc etc. Good luck with it!

Your friend sounds like she thinks all periods are the same. That's quite a strange thing for an adult to think.

If your friend has amazing periods, of course all women should have amazing periods too.
Your friend is a moron.

I suffer from excruciatingly painful periods and can hardly walk or even stand up straight for the first two days. It's normal apparently (so says my doctor). I don't believe it is, although that's a whole other story. The only thing that helps is taking 6-8 nurofen/ibuprofen at once as nothing else even touches it.

Ha I carry a steady supply of naproxen, ibuprofen and paracetamol every day plus ibuprofen gel (don't worry, I'm not taking them all at once). Like to pack some sudafed and strepsils as back up (I get sinus infections / sinus ache and have small children so colds are frequent here!). This covers all eventualities and yes, I regularly need painkillers, for sure with periods as they suck, and also because I have joint problems. I carry eye spray too because of my weirdly dry eyes, by opticians orders. And I'm young so this is going to continue for a long time. All my colleagues know where to go if they're in need!

My DM is a bit like your friend, thinks I'm a hypochondriac for having so many painkillers. They should just count it lucky they don't need it some people get weird about these things.