My poor DD 12 yrs old. History of bad periods, Tricycling the pill, but terrible PMS. Hope this gets more traffic herex

[piratecat]

Hoping putting this here about dd will get some responses of PMT management etc.
Hiya, dd has long history of terrible periods. Pain when not on periods, headaches before periods etc...

This has resulted in her now being allowed to 'tricycle' the pill after seeing the specialist at hospital, this was about 6 months ago. The aim, to stop the effects on her life of pain and time off school.
The stress all round gave us little choice, and planning her her periods to coincide with school holidays seemed to be the answer to a really difficult pattern.

(She was put on the pill with permission from the hosp before this, but was bi-cycling)

Only, it has turned out that whilst the periods are slightly improved, she still has PMS symptoms in the week before, this week terrible headaches.(this is month one, so is carrying on with another pack today)

Last month severe period pains in the week before, no pains during bleed. (this was at the end of month two of continuous pill taking but i wanted the bleed to happen in half term)

The time before, again terrible headaches which she had 3 days off school.

I went to the GP last night and she reluctantly changed the pill again. dd had been on the last one about 5 months, and has been on two others.

Should i go back to the specialist? Does anyone have any expereince of tri-cyling but still have PMS? What did you help it?
Can i safely say that this particular pill didn't cut it?

I have also had her on Magnesium OK vit for women, Evening Primrose.

Doc has also prescribed Ferrous fumerate, but a little worried this will give her tummy probs or bung her up. I had been giving her Spatone, but IF she is anemic then apparently this isn't strong enough.

Specialist has said it's not ENDO, and no signs of PCOS. If that helps, she said the symptoms are attributed to dd just having a small but hellish time of it.
Having periods is bad enough isn't it really, but dd has such alot more to suffer with them. She started when she was 9.10.

Really looking for help or advice thanks xx

I would think carefully about actually going to visit a Kinesiologist at all to be honest. What realistically can such a person do?. its very easy to be pushed towards alternative methods when you are seeking answers but it can also lead you into being fleeced financially as well as emotionally.

I would still push the GP into referring your DD to a proper gynae cons at hospital (certainly not the hospital dept you have seen previously because I think they have fobbed you off).

Why has your DD also been seemingly told to stop the pill after taking three packs?. I still think both you and she have been poorly advised from the very beginning.

hi Atilla, thanks for your pm. i was busy with dd yesterday.

I just don't know which way to go, i wouldn't take dd off the pill whatever kinesiologist says, i am looking for help with vits, nutrition i suppose. Can you tell i'm confused. The person who recommended me to her is someone i know quite well, so in thinking down that line well it's based on her knowing people who have benefited from this type of therapy.

Dd has never had bleeding between periods. The three pack thing, well i didn't question it, it was the bi or tri cycling, so that she only has a bleed in holidays. The headaches have started in the last three months.
Thhe Kinesiologist feels similarly that something is obviously wrong, and that the pill is just masking it, mainly hormones awry has always been my thinking.
I will ring the gynae dept today.

Could the headaches be migraines? Hormones can be a big trigger for migraines, I tend to get them the week before a period. If it is then normal painkillers won't touch them but there are special tablets for them.

Is there any possibility of the implant?

I find that because it releases a constant dose, rather than up and down I dont get headaches nearly as much.

Also, different pill brands definitely have different impacts on headaches.

hello, thankyou for your suggestions. my gp said they aren't migraines, as migraines would be on one side?

i think that's shit advice tbh.

I have rung the Gynae Consultant secretary and have an appointment next Thursday. Have told school.

I am hoping the new pill will help. I still want to know why she has had severe pain before a period and not during.

i am fed up. :( I shall reconsider the Kinesiologist, as am seeing the gynae before that.

I will push for more iyswim. What the more will be i don't know. Hormonal tests? Laparoscopy? i guess i will find out, but i am going to be adamant.x

implant, i wouldn't go for, what if it was the wrong type of hormones, i think i would prefer a pill she takes all the time iyswim.

i will ask about migraine tablets, as you're right no paracetamol, or ibuprof touches them or the period pain. nor has mefanemic acid or anything.

I think you'd be pushed to find a HCP willing to fit an implant in a 12 year old even if you wanted one.

Does she have migraine, or migraine with aura? If so then the COCP may not be the best option for her. I'm glad you have an appointment next week, hope you get some answers then. I'd be pushing for an ultrasound scan or a laparoscopy really.

(Oh and in some hospitals gynae departments are found under the umbrella of the 'Women's Health' directorate so it doesn't necessarily mean she hasn't seen a gynaecologist.)

Your poor DD. I haven't much to add of use but migraines only on one side of your head?? What??? That's total crap. Or more correctly it may be the case for many, but you can have bilateral migraines, of course you can. for you and DD.

Am very glad to read that your DD has an appointment with a consultant gynae next week, do let us know how you get on. You and she need proper answers.

I do not know a great deal about migraines but for it to be suggested to you that these occur only on one side of the head is just poor. It may well be the pills she has been taking that have led to these head pains.

All people are different but in my case at least my pains started to build up a couple of days prior to menses. This scenario was pretty much consistent. Any pain that is cyclical in nature and gets worse up to and including menses should be checked further to see if endometriosis is the root cause.

(BTW endo if it is there is not normally picked up on any internal ultrasound scan because the deposits are so small).

I wish you both well.

My mind has gone completely blank for the word I'm looking for, where you get needles put in you, that can be very good for hormonal problems. It might be an idea after the hospital if you arent totally satisfied. I have had good results from alternative therapy but I go to the same person, who is very good. I would definitely go down the hosputal route first though .

I think they are using her age against her tbh, its as if drs think you can only get period troubles when you are an adult .

Acupunture! thats the word I was looking for

My migraines can be on one side but they can also be across my forehead which makes it feel like my whole head. They are different for everyone. If the GP won't prescribe anything you can buy migraleve from the chemist and are okay from 10 years. It may not be migraines but with the way your dd is suffering its worth trying, if it doesn't work it won't make her feel worse but if it does work its one less thing for her to deal with.

I always got a headache 2 days before my period, it was like clockwork. Right in the center of my head.

I get mirgaines now due to another condition and my dr has said that taking 3 soluble Asprin is the best thing for it now. As soon as you feel the start of one. I dont know if that dose might be too high for your DD.

Buscopan is very good for cramps.
Syndol was the best pain relief but its discontinued in the UK.

Aspirin should not be given to children aged under 16 unless on the advice of a doctor.

Hi - I was going to suggest Acupuncture as well - are you in London? I know one who specialises in 'womens health' issues - she saw me during pregnancy and she is lovely. Clinics in central and North London.

Oh sorry! Thanks for pointing that out, Attila.

hello, no not anywhere near London anymore (sad face!)

acupuncture is something i have discussed with dd, but she really is very scared of needles, even though i have explained it to her (as I've had acupuncture before).

She is 100% fine today, a different child. Have told school we are back to the Hospital Thursday. I am not sure what i will say to the doctor, but i am sure it will come out the right way when we are there.x

well we have our appt on thursday morning, and I am so nervous about getting my point across. Saying that Endo word in front of dd, she is so scared of all this, of needles, of hospital.

It would mean having a laparoscopy eventually wouldn't it.?

How did you get on at the hospital?

HI thanks for asking after us.

My mind has been put to rest over the endo. We are going to see how this new pill pans out.
We looked through my diary of symptoms, and the two bleeds she has had have been ok (she doesn't have many as we are doing packs back to back, sometimes two sometimes three).

The pattern seems volatile, with the bad heads, and the one occasion of period pain in the week before one period. I asked outright and said, well i have heard that endo doesn't need to follow a specific pattern. How do you know it's not. She said that if she thought at this stage is could be, then a lap would be done. but at this stage and said the ultrasound and other scans from two yrs ago showed nothing to suggest it pointing in that direction.
Again i said but you can't be 100%? She said that if it were suspected, and it was discovered it was, then surgery can only remove lesions, that will grow back anyway? I didn't question this, on reflection i wonder if that's the NHS/more cost/y effective way to advise me?

I don't know if that's true? Yet i have been reading that ultimately endo is not curable, but it's more to do with management. Being on the pill is one way, other hormone treatment (early menopause) being another.

I don't like to be negative, but i suppose it's easy to be so when a kid is in pain.
I am happy to carry on trying new pills for now, and have an open appt to come back anytime.

I hope these new pills help the problem, its, so frustrating trying to get to the bottom of things, gynae especially.

I know I had endo because there was endo scarring showing up on an mri, but I was never diagnosed while I had it, so I dont know much about it.

Fingers crossed for your DD

Cocolepew, thankyou again for coming back.

That's what she said, scarring or something. DD had an ultrasound and an MRI when she had the ruptured ovarian cyst in 2012. She'd had terrible pain and bleeding before this in her one year of having periods. (she was only 9.10 when she began)
The consultant said the good news was the very regular periods she has had from the off. x

Oh the poor thing ! Having a ruptured cyst at such a young age

hi there, we haven't discussed a cerazette type yet, i don't want her to have an implant she's only nearly 12, and i'd hate it to go wrong.
yes she had a hemorrhaged cyst when she was 10 bless her :(. Two weeks of pain before is was discovered, me going to the gp about times to be fobbed off. I took her to a&E in the end but still had to battle for an ultrasound. One ovary was 4 times the size of the other.