In tears in the restaurant bathroom.. TW: Periods

[mygodd]

I know this is probably stupid but here goes.

come out this afternoon for a really special celebratory meal with my DH and his family.

I am currently on my period, however when I woke up this morning I woke up in a pool of blood. My underwear, pyjamas, bed linen - all of it was ruined. I’m sorry this is probably TMI. I didn’t have much pain, just surprised me.

Anyway - I am currently in said restaurant and I’m really struggling. My stomach is cramping beyond belief, literally one wave after the other and I can feel ‘gushes’ (I’m sorry )

I excused myself to come to the bathroom and literally cannot get off the toilet. I’ve been in here over half an hour and have text. DH to please explain to his parents I’m not feeling well.

My stomach is literally agony and I feel like I could pass out from the waves of cramps. Literally one after the other and the bleeding has gotten really heavy again.

I am on the implant so whilst I do get ‘periods’ they can sometimes be irregular / I skip them.

I am sorry this is probably TMI but I’m in so much pain I’m just doubled over and can barely move. I don’t know if this is normal or not. 😩

OP I hope they are keeping you comfortable on the ward 🤞🏻 don’t wait on them for pain relief ASK ASK ASK it’s easier to manage if you are ahead of the pain curve than chasing it. Also ask them for buscopan too as it helps relieve cramps / pain - my gynae consultant prescribed it for me to help with the pain I get with stage 4 endo. It’s off piste but does help! 💐 💖

Get well soon x

wether this is usual for you or not it is extremely excessive for a period, please demand to be checked out at some point - could be endo or PCOS and I’d see if they can change the contraception or get rid and see what your cycle is like off it x

It would be - if it was just a period. The OP has provided updates. She is in hospital.

This is why painful periods are so normalised. I spent years being told painful periods were normal until I ended up on morphine and gas and air with them

funnily your bowel being folded in half with stage 4 endo everywhere isn’t normal and if I had been operated on sooner it wouldn’t have taken 8hrs to fix it all

ibuprofen? Don’t make me laugh. I may as well have taken a tic tac

I have endometriosis and this sounds very textbook. A&E have never helped me but I’d definitely get in with your GP.

OP’s currently in hospital. The cysts are causing the bleeding.

Endo can cause endometriomas which are also referred to as ‘chocolate cysts’ as they are blood filled. I wouldn’t discount endo or PCOS or a combo of both. The only way to diagnose endometriosis is with a diagnostic lapraoscopy and it takes the average women 7yrs for diagnosis as it is so hard to be taken seriously.

Good idea. 👏

OP went to hospital.

I have PCOS and have had cysts burst before that hurt so bad I couldn’t even walk. The pain was unbearable and the bleeding would follow. Never as much as you’ve experienced though, that doesn’t sound right at all. But honestly sometimes they hurt more just existing because at least when they burst, the pain goes away! Whereas they grumble along for ages sometimes, make me feel like I’ve been stabbed suddenly and so sharply that it makes me cry out. They can burst with such force that they cause ovarian torsion, so it’s ALWAYS worth getting checked out when your pain is bad, especially when it’s not going away. I’m glad you’re being taken care of now; hopefully it’ll be a simple resolution for you. 🤞🏼

Poor you! I'm glad you're in the right place and getting help, and it seems like you didn't have to wait too long, thank goodness.

I also have my own stories of menstrual flooding, mine being menopause related - just awful, and I had to call an ambulance on one occasion.

You'll get through it. X

I know someone who is a medical professional who had a similar problem and on going symptoms. She was hospitalised several times and had to eventually have surgery because it was so bad. She didn't think she was wasting anyone's time. She's had a significant amount of time off work because of it. No one around her thought she was wasting anyone's time.

You have a legitimate medical problem. Don't think differently.

Many years ago I had such periods. I had to go privately to have it treated. I would never go to A&E as its like a war zone.

Get the hormonal could

OP… I’m way too old now, and when I was younger I was fortunate to not have such terrible problems with menstruation.

I’m just posting to wish you all the best, and I hope you are soon out of pain, and that you can get the cause sorted out, rather than just relieve the symptoms.

Like others have said, never minimise a pain just because it’s exclusively a females experience.

It’s only guys that have a prostate, I don’t ever see those related problems being minimised, or a guy feeling bad about it, well certainly not to the degree that us ladies can be shouted down and made to feel either miserable, or a freak.

Big hugs 🤗 and stay brave and focussed.

Thank you all for your comments. Sorry I haven’t been back to update sooner.

For those asking, I’ve been unable to take ibuprofen since I had stomach surgery 7 years ago, so paracetamol is the only over-counter pain killer I usually take.

I am waiting now to be given an iron infusion.

Gynae issues are under taught at medical school I believe. Endometriosis PCOS etc I read once. Seeing the right consultant is the luck of the draw.

I was in my forties before a GP reading my notes casually said oh you have PCOS. Well I then educated myself on something I'd never heard of.

So sorry you’ve been through this OP and glad this has been treated seriously in hospital. Too often we brush aside period pain because it is “just” period pain in a way we wouldn’t with any other agonising pain! I hope they’re able to treat you and help with pain management to make you comfortable.

I was on the implant and period could be unpredictably, I would contact your GP

Sounds awful - glad you are being seen.

Edited as I read updates.

I had similar in December, think I had 4 or 5 days spread out over the month when I wasn't bleeding, the rest of the time I was. I'm have the implant so I just figured its something to do with that, but very unpleasant and annoying.

There is no way I would share any personal info like this with my in laws !

Sad for you that you aren’t that close to your in-laws. My lovely DIL would and does tell me. I’ve insisted on taking her to A&E twice in the past when she has told me how ill she felt but was trying to cope because she has a young child. Both times medical help was necessary.

And she was going to get more moral support from strangers than the family she was with? Bollocks mate

WEll seemingly they didn't bother with her for half an hour...