Help me get dr to take period pain seriously

[Belonger]

I'm 47 and have absolutely had enough of the pain and flooding I'm suffering, anything from every 3 weeks to 6 weeks. It's stopping me going out, it's making me take time off work occasionally, and I'm going to the dr again this afternoon and want - well, I don't know. Any advice about what to ask for - referral to gynae? Pain killers the size of Wales? I've been googling hysterectomy, I'm feeling so desperate today.

Any advice to help me feel more informed at my appointment would be very welcome.

For info, I take tranexamic acid which helps a bit with flow, but I'm still getting changing supplies hourly some days and sleeping on a towel. Mefanaic acid didn't seem to help with pain. I find ibuprofen with lysine helps the most, which apparently suggests I have issues with absoption. I take Spatone because the blood loss made me anaemic. I had terrible period pain as a teenager and was put on the pill for it, stayed on pill until late 30s. Since then pain and heaviness has got steadily worse.

Just really at the end of my tether. Thanks for listening.

Another endo sufferer here. Huge sympathies, OP. Sounds as though they're finally starting to take you a bit more seriously, but if you do have endo, it can be confirmed only by a laparoscopy. So, as Attila says, if they haven't done one yet, they still don't really know what they're dealing with here.

There's not much point going for the surgical treatments offered to you if you do have endo, and they don't sort the problem (I'd make an exception for the Mirena, which is worth a try ime)

Have you actually been referred to a gynae? Personally, I was endlessly fobbed off by a series of GPs, finally got referred and had a lap which revealed huge internal adhesions....that would be the endo they'd all been telling me I didn't have, then . Even then, the gynae wasn't an endo specialist and downplayed it. I eventually self-referred privately to a top endo consultant who knew what he was talking about. A Mirena was my salvation in the end. No surgery required.

Hi OP
I had exactly the same. My GP offered the acid. Then I went a second time due to the pain.
I was referred for s gyne scan. They found a polyp. I had it removed under GA.
Periods are now shorter. I still flood but for only one or two days and for those days I sleep on a towel. Much improved and so is the pain. Hope that helps. Xx

I suffered agony every month for years except for when I took the combined pill back to back, every month I lost at least a day off work with pain. I eventually went to the doctors again & was referred for an ultrasound which came back clear, I was referred to see a consultant who decided to do a laparoscopy, I was terrified & asked him to only do the looking around & to not remove anything, he found my tubes & ovaries were grey, my tubes were blocked, I had an ovarian cyst, he said I had got Pelvic Inflammatory Disease, I had another laparoscopy a month later to remove the cyst, one ovary & both my tubes, he then found Endometriosis. He told me I could either have a hysterectomy or wait to see if things settled down, he put me on Norethisterone to stop my periods. I decided to have a hysterectomy, I had a laparoscopic hysterectomy, which meant I kept my cervix, but had everything else including my remaining ovary removed, I had it done at teatime on a Friday, was back in bed by 8.00PM & was on my way home by 9.00 the next morning. I was a bit sore but only had 3 small cuts & was up & about really quickly, I started driving again by the Monday & was discharged by the hospital the following week with HRT that I could start using after a month.

Wow thanks everyone for your responses, and I'm so sorry for those of you who have suffered as well - it's so crap.

Re the endo issue - I mentioned it to my GP, only after people on here had suggested it to me - it's weird, I knew about endo, my sister has it, I know how hard it is to get a diagnosis etc - but never thought I might have it! Tbh the GP, who was very supportive in getting me a gynae referral, said if it is endo there's not much they can do except manage the pain anyway, and I thought oh well.

I have now seen two gynaecologists - when they found the cyst they put me under the fast track oncology clinic because it looked 'unusual' - but then the radiology consultant thought it was fine to watch and wait - had a follow up scan and it had gone completely, so that was great.

There's only one fibroid, 4cm apparently, which I'm told is small.

Neither of the gynaes have really talked about the possibility of endo or offered a laporoscopy. Sounds like maybe I should push for one?

Thanks so much you wonderful women, it's such a help to ahve your experience and knowledge

I had this - try maca supplements. It totally changed my life, no joke. They were bought for me. Agnus cactus is also another one. You May not have the same issue as me but worth a go. For the first period it got worse and I had intermittent bleeding that I never had before and then not totally back to normal but very manageable. I use to have to sleep with towels under me. I know they help because I ran out once and it came back. Hail maca - it is just a vegetable root from the mountains in Peru btw.

I'm wondering why you haven't gone down the Mirena route yet? Your first post was in April, if you had it fitted then, you could have been possibly pain and period free by now!
Your history sounds exactly like mine. I begged for a hysterectomy but was told no, try the coil first. It hurt like hell when I had it fitted because they also did a biopsy at the same time to rule out cancer.
6 months later I was totally pain and period free. Have one fitted, it just might be the answer you're looking for.

Hi Bezm, to be honest, I just hate the thought of it - I can't really tell you why, it's not really rational! I think it's partly the things I've heard about the pain of having it fitted (I've not had children which apparently makes it even worse!) and also I'm a bit nervous about messing with my hormones because of some mental health problems I've had in the past. I have a friend who had great success with it, but for some reason I can't bring myself to try it. I know it's frustrating when you can see a possible solution for someone but they won't try it - sorry

Hi Dandy, I see a medical herbalist who has been brilliant - she mixes me a combination of herbs which have seriously worked wonders with my perimenopausal body pains (constant pain in arms and legs, was really getting me down last year). She includes things for my painful heavy periods but it's not enough unfortunately. Thanks for the suggestion though, I'll look into it.

This is the one I get but their are loads of different brands out there. www.amazon.co.uk/Vivanta-Nutrition-Capsules-Supports-Fertility/dp/B00D4YEOK6/ref=sr_1_10_a_it?keywords=maca&tag=mumsnetforum-21&ie=UTF8&qid=1533550281&sr=8-10

I suffered the same problems for years, also have fibroids and like you didn’t fancy the idea of the Mirena so finally seriously anemic and not able to function went to the GP and got a mirena. The fitting was uncomfortable but more like intense pressure than pain (you can request local anaesthetic if you want), 30 seconds and it was done, lay on the bed for a couple of minutes and drove home. It did take 4 months to settle with random spotting but since have been 2 years period free, no pain no flooding.
My only regret is that I didn’t have one years ago, the upside is if it doesn’t suit get it removed.