Do you lose working days per month to your period?

[LouisaJG]

Just trying to get a sense of how unusual my own experience is with this. I’ve always had heavy periods with a lot of cramps on the first couple of days. I think it was always the case that, while I could make it into the office, there was usually a day a month when I knew that realistically I would be getting the bare minimum done. I’m now in my early 40s and the brain fog associated with pre-period and the first half of my period has definitely expanded I think. I can do basic tasks, but for intellectually intensive work I feel like I’m losing, realistically, maybe 4 days a month. It’s not good. I’m just wondering what experiences other people have had, and where the norm is? Are most women able to work at full capacity throughout their cycle? Or is it normal to have a few days where your productivity is significantly impaired? If so, how many?

YABU - I work at full capacity throughout my cycle

YANBU - I have 1-4 days a month where my working capacity is significantly impaired (if I’m lucky some of them fall on a weekend)

I'm similar to you, although my job is more physical than intellectual, but yes I often have a day a month (or sometimes more) where I'm operating under normal productivity levels.

I've recently, the last six months or so, started getting a terrible headache a few days before and the first two days of, this is further hampering productivity.

Never.

I barely acknowledge mine so definitely seek advice.

For me this is a signal that you need medical intervention to get your physical symptoms under some control. I understand feeling a bit rubbish and it isn’t pleasant, but I think being incapacitated is outside the norm – or if not then it’s 2025 and no one should be dealing with shit like that when they don’t have to.

In my case, I feel quite moody, sometimes have cramping but I feel like I still work at the same capacity.

I can't really tick either of those boxes.

As a teen my periods were so debilitating I'd throw up and faint from the pain, I missed a lot of school.

I don't know if they got better it I just learned to deal with them better, still painful but I take co codomol and do a little less than usual - if work is busy I find it distracts me anyway.

If I was missing days from work every month I'd have been referred to occupational health and possibly be on a performance improvement plan if it wasn't deemed to be a disability that needs reasonable adjustments.

I do think that whilst we should expect help when we are struggling due to our female biology we also need to be careful not to put progress of women in the workforce back.

I did read that in Spain women get several days off a month to deal with their periods with a go letter. That is bizarre if true - why hire a woman in that situation if you can hire a man?

Yep - but I get menstrual migraines, regardless of what contraception I'm on. So one day with the migraine, and at least another day where I'm barely hanging on.

I try to overachieve the rest of the month, a d employers this far have all been understanding. I would actively avoid working in a place that sanctioned after x amount of absences because I'd be screwed.

Sadly it’s not that simple at all @Didimum

If it’s something like endometriosis, treatment options are limited.

I get a headache before my period and am tired first couple of days. I think realistically women are impacted by their periods, our hormones and the fluctuations in them are an absolute biological fact.
I just try and plough through , I think we all do.
There are medications for heavy periods and cramps. I have used those in the past. Am also a big fan of industrial quality period pants.
I work in a hospital and work 13 hour shifts. I don't think much allowance is made for nurses / medics etc sadly .

I’m 40. Unfortunately I now get 3 days of hellish hormonal migraines, meaning I usually do have to spend 2-3 days on “lighter” tasks and only doing the real concentration type work when absolutely necessary, because it takes longer than usual and I really struggle to concentrate. It’s not good.

I can’t drive either until painkillers kick in and at least take the edge off.

I only have a two day period now so really I don't particularly notice it. That sounds awful for you and must be so restricting. Have you considered perhaps going private for a consultation with a specialist?

not normal. what investigations/treatment are you having? you should get medical held and definitely should not have to live like that.

Yes, I plan around it, I will literally thing, oh sugar that falls on the first day or my period. However mostly I can plan for it. Eating well, prioritizing sleep and having more caffeine for the exhaustion, making less outside work plans. It was horrific when kids were babies because I couldn't prioritise sleep and would be half dead. The 1&2 year old age with each of them was almost impossible

there is surgery, hormonal treatments. The challenge is to come out of the GP appointment with a referral to gynae (if possible, an endo specialist) rather than being gaslighted by the GP for years that this is normal and to just take some ibuprofen (been there :( )

I think i work under capacity for 4 days a month but i dont miss work.

Thee flip side is i think I work over capacity at a different point in the month

. I think my energy levels fluctuate quite a lot with my cycle overall From sluggish to superhuman to like a man.

Not normal as far as I’m concerned. I get one day of cramps but painkillers are enough to deal with them and, other than that, I barely notice. It definitely doesn’t impact my work and I don’t feel the need to plan around them at all. I manage a few women and I’d say every couple of months, someone asks for a day off or to WFH because of period pains.

I think I would probably miss one day of work if I didn't work from home. There are several days where I work below my normal productivity though because of brain fog and that sort of thing.

Absolutely this. I am so thoroughly sick and tired of reading women’s dismissive attitudes towards gynae problems. “That shouldn’t be happening, you should see a doctor”.

Do they think that we haven’t seen doctors repeatedly for years and years, banged on doors, cried, begged, tried every single hormone/painkiller/fucking snake oil treatment/surgery that we possibly can already?

In desperation I had my ovaries removed in my 30s, to bring on early menopause after 25 of hell with endo/adenomyosis, experiencing pain as bad as labour pain for two solid weeks each month and losing a pint of blood every period.

We know it isn’t normal. But we can’t stop it, and a lot of the time nor can the doctors.

Speak to GP . Your problems sound extreme to me . You poor thing 😔
For context I never took a day off work for any period problems throughout all my reproductive years and I work in a fairly female dominated profession and only very occasionally worked with a female who was unwell enough to go home early from work.

You need to see a dr not normal iv only ever had to ring in sick twice for my period in 20 years once was I had the period from hell after taking norethisterone to delay my period a couple of weeks for a holiday and once after my first covid jab both times I was doubled over in pain and leaking all the place. But in general no my periods where heavy and could be painful at times but where manageable with a couple of paracetamol.

Thanks for all the replies. Feeling a bit depressed so far as it’s definitely sounding like my experience is outside the norm! I don’t know if it’s relevant but I currently have a pretty intellectually demanding job (think barrister or similar). If I was doing something like office admin (which I used to do) I don’t think it would be a problem in the same way, I’d be more able to power through.

See a GP and get a referral to get checked properly. That sounds horrendous.
And no, I might need some paracetamol on one day but nothing else. Prone to flooding, though, and it tends to be quite heavy on the first two days. (Bit tricky while I'm teaching...) I used to double up with a super tampon and a really strong sanitary towel to make it through the night. Haven't had my period for nearly two years now (pregnancy and still breastfeeding), so not sure how bad it'll be when it comes back.
I didn't get my period until DC1 was 2.5 years old last time.

I don't have it to the same extent as you do, I don't feel impaired to the same extent but I definitely feel like I'm not firing on all cyclinders. I also have a job that requires a lot of thought (STEM, plus lots of regulatory work) and I have noticed since I had my last baby (at 40) the brain fog and anxiety is noticeable before my period. Sounds like what you are experiencing is more extreme but I know lots of women of similar age suffering to varying degrees. So you're not alone x

Medical intervention includes investigating of why it’s possibly so debilitating. The OP doesn’t mention any known conditions, so how would you know how simple or not simple it is?

My periods, pre peri were very light, regular and painless and caused me no aggravation whatsoever.

They are still ok, just difficult to predict and heavier. But not problematic. I do realise I am
lucky. They have never interfered with anything in my life. My only issue now is that they are months apart and so I always have to be on alert as when they start, there’s no gradual build up!

What a ridiculous and projecting comment.

Nowhere does OP mention having addressed her cycle concerns with a doctor at all. Nor what treatments or interventions she is trying or has tried in the past. So what’s your advice? Don’t see a doctor?

No, because you didn’t have any advice for OP at all. Your reply was only about you.

I did in my mid twenties, I lost a day per month as I could barely keep my eyes open for 24 hours before my period started. The GP encouraged me to go onto the Pill, and that fixed it. Two decades later I have the Mirena. No regrets at all, hormonal contraceptives have their own drawbacks but overall I'm better off.