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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Doctor said period pains likely due to bad takeaway

67 replies

Latenightpharma · 24/07/2021 16:43

AIBU to be a bit miffed?

My period started this morning. After a few hours I start getting the most horrendous pain which comes in waves and feels like I'm in labour, accompanied by vomiting and diarrhea. This is the third time this has happened (previous time was a few years ago) on the first day of my period, and this time was the worst out of the three. DH and DM both wanted me to get checked out so I used the 111 website after the pain had subsided a bit, and they arranged a call back as the website said it needed investigating.

Call came back from a male doctor about an hour later. After I described the issue, his first question is whether I'd had any takeaways recently, and he then proceeds to tell me that I probably just have a stomach bug, and that my being on my period is a coincidence. I was a bit baffled by that assessment, so just accepted the pain meds he prescribed and hung up. I told him that this isn't the first time this has happened and described how painful it was (couldn't walk, talk etc), but he wasn't taking me seriously at all. I know I don't have a stomach bug, but I wonder whether I'm unreasonable to be a bit angry about my experience or whether I'm just being dramatic.

OP posts:

ShadowInVain · 24/07/2021 16:52

YANBU. It's shocking the way painful periods are dismissed by doctors. This needs to be investigated - there are any number of possible causes that should be either ruled out or treated, and if it's just left, it's not going to get any better. It took over 10 years for my endometriosis to be diagnosed - I basically 'lost' the whole of my 30s to pain. It may not be endo in your case but don't let them fob you off with painkillers - they need to find out what's wrong.

Comtesse · 24/07/2021 16:53

UGGGGH what a load of rubbish - hope you are feeling better soon.

Original poster

Latenightpharma · 24/07/2021 17:00

@Comtesse

UGGGGH what a load of rubbish - hope you are feeling better soon.

Thanks! I'm feeling pretty darn lightheaded at the moment, but I'm in a lot less pain than before, so that is something. I can eat and drink as normal, which would be pretty unlikely if I had food poisoning you'd think.

OP posts:

ChessieFL · 24/07/2021 17:02

Can you make an appointment on Monday at your surgery to speak to a female doctor?

Ohdeariedear · 24/07/2021 17:12

That’s infuriating! I noticed when my kids were wee that doctors tended to take notice of ‘mothers intuition’ when you would see them and say your child was just not quite right - I wish they would listen to women talking about their own bodies the same way. We’re the ones who know what’s normal for us and we certainly know what is not. Argh!

Hope you feel better soon.

Rizzoli123 · 24/07/2021 17:32

That's not very nude by the doctor. Period pain has nothing to do with a takeaway. Certain foods are said to make pain worse but as far as I know not drastically. If i would go to my local walk in centre or see the gp Monday morning if you can get in. Ours are all phone appointments.

If this is happening regularly then I would ask gp for further investigation as it could be endometriosis or another cause.

Rizzoli123 · 24/07/2021 17:32

Feel better soon x

Bluntness100 · 24/07/2021 17:34

I think the issue here is this has only happened three times in your life, you don’t habe regular bad periods. So he was looking for another reason that could be causing the issue.

DamnUserName21 · 24/07/2021 17:34

Out of hours GPs don't tend to initiate investigations for chronic problems.

I'd make an appointment to see your regular GP on Monday.

Write down all your symptoms, when they occurred and surrounding circumstances (what you've eaten, period coming on-heavy, light, etc)

MatildaTheCat · 24/07/2021 17:36

@DamnUserName21

Out of hours GPs don't tend to initiate investigations for chronic problems.

I'd make an appointment to see your regular GP on Monday.

Write down all your symptoms, when they occurred and surrounding circumstances (what you've eaten, period coming on-heavy, light, etc)

I agree with this. Unfortunately other than prescribe meds to help your immediate symptoms an on call doctor can’t offer much.

I’m glad you are feeling better.

Starjammer · 24/07/2021 17:38

Sadly this is par for the course. I had kidney stones recently and the pain was unreal, worse than labour. My husband dialled 999 and they insisted on speaking to me, even though I could barely talk, and then the chap on the phone said it was probably just a stomach bug or related to my menstrual cycle and to wait it out and call my GP the next day (it was a weekend). Thankfully I was able to pass the stone myself an hour or so later and then I realised what had happened, but my husband was in bits as I was literally screaming in pain on the floor and vomiting and he didn't know how to get help.

romany4 · 24/07/2021 17:39

Yanbu.
Most Drs don't give a shit about period pain.
I get stabbing pains that make me bend double. I can't have hormonal contraception due to medical history so just dose up with ibuprofen and codeine when it gets really bad.
Hope it eases for you soon...

knittingaddict · 24/07/2021 17:41

Did your stomach feel very tense, bloated and crampy?

Could be IBS.

I get all of that, with diarrhea and sometimes nausea.

Terrible service from your GP whatever it was.

Starjammer · 24/07/2021 17:42

Speaking of kidney stones, it could be that? The pain for me was quite similar to labour, waves of pain radiating around my pelvis and going into my back. I was honestly shocked by the level of pain and left very shaken afterwards. I haven't been sick in 20-odd years but I was shaking and vomiting because the pain was so intense.

Original poster

Latenightpharma · 24/07/2021 18:01

@Starjammer

I don't think so, as it's followed the same pattern as the last two times, just for a longer period. I feel intense cramp/contractions that come and go, and have an urge to push everything out of my body. I then also start vomiting violently. Usually it subsides after an hour or so. The first time it happened I was only 14. It's always on the first day of my period. At first I thought maybe I'm having a reaction to codeine or other otcs I take for period cramps, but then why is it only happening infrequently. I still feel super lightheaded at the moment and cannot stay upright comfortably, so I'm stuck in bed for now.

It's my family who insisted I call someone, but whilst I wasn't expecting to be told I needed an ambulance, I wasn't exactly expecting to be dismissed like that either.

OP posts:

LuaDipa · 24/07/2021 18:15

I can never understand why doctors think that women can’t differentiate between period pain and other pains. Period cramps are certainly distinctly different to a stomach bug. I’m afraid I have no advice but I sympathise.

Jammysod · 24/07/2021 18:27

I'd go to your GP, ideally a female. You don't have to just put up with it & be dismissed.
If men had periods & had to cope with the pain, discomfort & bleeding every month it would be taken more seriously.

Soontobe60 · 24/07/2021 18:31

I think you need to keep a diary of symptoms, then after a couple more periods, if this is still happening, make an appointment with a female GP.

Bumblenums1234 · 24/07/2021 18:35

@Starjammer

If I was screaming in pain on the floor and vomiting, I would be going to A&E.

Starjammer · 24/07/2021 18:44

Unfortunately we are over an hour away from a hospital and also have a young DD, so it wasn't as simple as just drop everything and go. This was during Covid lockdown the first time too and we have no family nearby, plus I didn't really feel able to get in and sit in the car

The pain did ease about 10-15 mins after the call to a more manageable level, although still horrible, till I peed it out. Then sweet relief! Af least I know what it is if it happens again and have stronger painkillers. But I'm still annoyed that me telling them I was in pain worse than labour and that I wasn't able to speak properly didn't elicit more of a response. My husband was quite upset and worried on the phone and had never dialled an ambulance before, so I think he just felt a bit lost when he didn't really get any help. Hopefully it was just a one-off and maybe Covid-related.

Original poster

Latenightpharma · 24/07/2021 18:46

@Bumblenums1234 that's what DH told me, but then I'd be screaming in A&E for likely a few hours, and that sounds even worse.

OP posts:

Bathroombogey · 24/07/2021 18:51

It is a bit crappy of the doctors.

I get similar just before my period. Had it every time for the last two years. No idea what causes it, and I'll be honest I have no desire to investigate it either. I've had various issues with my cycle since I had my DS six years ago. It's becoming clearer with time I'm perimenopausal. But the only solutions I'm offered are the pill or antidepressants.

EvenRosesHaveThorns · 24/07/2021 19:13

If your doctor is crap, I'd recommend getting a private ultrasound scan, no referral needed. There's a few companies that do it, my local one had an Ultrasound Direct branch. Cost £135 for a wellwoman scan of pelvis and I found out I had endometriomas, which is a fairly advanced stage of endo, and got to keep the pictures etc. Of course, I have been going to the GP about pain for years and had no response!! I found it useful for me and to be more informed, although I wish the doctors were good enough that I didn't have to resort to privatisation. It's good peace of mind for pelvic type issues

NewFlav · 24/07/2021 19:13

I could have written this myself. I've always had pretty painful periods but the past few years they have been exactly as you have described.

Day 1 of the period is like full blown contractions followed by projectile vomiting and diarrhoea. Sometimes the pain is so intense I black out! I don't remember my labour being this bad!

I've been to the GP multiple times and told its normal and to take paracetamol and a hot water bottle I've actually visited A&E twice because I was convinced I was having some kind of ectopic pregnancy and they treated me like a drug addict trying to score a hit!

Absolutely no one will investigate the cause of the pain and so I'm left Absolutely immobile every month now and try to work my way through it with over the counter cocodamol.

I don't have any advice for you but want you to know you are not alone

diddl · 24/07/2021 19:16

Is vomiting and diarrhea an unusual effect of period pain?

If so I can understand that he might try to ascertain another reason for it.

That said, he obviously wasn't listening as when he ws told no to a takeaway & stomach bug he still prescribed for that!

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