So, what actually works to make periods less traumatic?

[JellycatElfie]

Background: I am 31, have always had heavy/painful periods. I’ve been on the pill and they did improve but due to a history of family breast cancer the geneticist recommended I avoid hormonal contraception with oestrogen in. I have two children and am not sure whether we’ll have anymore.
Gp recommended the coil or implant but I’ve heard mixed reviews about whether they make periods worse or better!
I also have higher than average fsh and although I do ovulate my periods can sometimes be a bit all over the place. So I’m hesitant to do/take anything that might take a while to get out of my system.

My actual periods are crap. I have 5 or so days beforehand where I feel horrible, panicky, teary, overwhelmed. It is hormonal because it’s always around the same point in my cycle. I argue with dh and snap at my children and generally feel like shit.
My periods are accompanied by: horrendous bloating (like 6 month pregnant bloating!) a few days before and during, nausea, cramps (these have got better post dc), trapped wind, painful bowel movements (sorry if tmi) I use both tampons and pads - tampons make the cramps worse I think? Upset tummies too.
So what does everyone suggest? At the moment I use hot water bottles, paracetamol and ibuprofen and sleep as much as possible. Nothing else works!

I got a Merina coil last year and it has really improved my life but I understand it can be scary to put something long-term into your body without knowing for sure it can help.

Would you be able to take the mini-pill and see if that helps?

I have the copper coil, so no hormones, I would say it did make my periods heavier to begin with, maybe the first 6 months but then they went back to normal.

My younger daughter had an implant to manage her periods. She was advised to try for a couple of months to see if it helped and they’d remove it if not. It was transformative.

Naproxen was better for her than Ibruprofen but still not enough without the implant.

I got a mirena coil 4 months ago and since then my periods have become far lighter and much further apart. I've just checked on my Fitbit (I track them) and I've had 2 since it was put in, I've just got my 3rd yesterday and it has been 6 weeks since my last one.
Before the coil I was bleeding for 9-10 days every 4 weeks.

I'm on the progesterone only pill, it's stopped my periods and lessened my monthly instances of severe mood swings and murderous rages by half or more. You do need to give it 3 months to settle down though I found.

I was at the point of sobbing at my GP to just do something because I felt I was becoming so unstable every month, the implant made me 100x worse, the Merina really helped my symptoms but I did fall pregnant on it.

Pre coil and post coil! I wouldn't go back

Can the coil or implant impact my fertility at all does anyone know? I just find the idea of putting something in my body quite scary.
I think I can take the mini pill as long as it’s progesterone only.. i am worried about side effects I guess too?
I just feel like every month it’s a trauma, the work up, the general feeling of being overwhelmed, I have nightmares, the shakes, I even have been on the verge of a panic attack several times..

I should say I’ve tried naproxen and feminax I think they were and they both made me vomit. I’m quite nauseous with my periods anyway and my tummy gets quite sensitive, so I’m not sure if that’s why. I forgot to mention the back pain too. Oh god, I can barely walk some days when I have my period and it’s just making me miserable!

Losing weight, regular exercise and evening primrose oil, and a generally healthy diet with lots of fruit and veggies. And they were much better after having children, but they did take a few years to settle down.

Also buscopan for the period stomach aches/guts in a vice feeling.

What are your activity levels like? I found running has really helped to shorten and contain my periods.
Also recommend the mooncup. I believe studies have shown that pads/tampons can increase bloodflow and pain (nice).

I had mefanemic acid on prescription and tranexamic acid over the counter ( femstrual I think) they took a few cycles for me to feel better. I don't use them at all now but my periods aren't as bad after having DD and now I'm older.

Mirena coil, on my third one now, I no longer have periods. GP suggested Mirena as my periods were so heavy, best thing I ever did.

The only drawback is I find insertion of the device very painful, but once it’s in place it lasts for 5 years, so worth it IMHO.

I think I read fertility is restore very quickly after removal, removal of the device is really simple and painless.

Good luck OP.

Since I've been eating low carb, high fat my periods have become lighter and barely painful at all. I'm not saying it works for everyone, but sugar is inflammatory and I've definitely noticed an improvement in how I feel when I don't eat it.

Another fan of the coil. Had one period since November ( when fitted ). Period lasted about 4 days and not heavy. Since then a couple of days of spotting. Skin much better. Moods much better. No hideous periods and pain. It has been life changing.

Definitely evening primrose oil

My cramps/bloating/bowel trouble were caused by the period causing constipation . movicol/laxido in the days before can help that ( if the exercise and healthy diet isn’t enough)

Mirena coil. I’m on my third. Had first one removed to get pregnant at and it only took six weeks (whereas it took over a year after coming off the pill, for dd1). And I haven’t had a period in over five years.

Naproxen is what works for me.

Another positive report for the Mirena here. Periods regular but extremely light, no other issues whatsoever.

Had a copper coil between DCs and it was ace, except for the very heavy periods (which settled a bit after 3 years). Conceived within 4 weeks of removal.

I think I'll have a Mirena forever now! Thoroughly recommend it and wish I'd had one decades ago now.

Nothing helped me. Suffered for decades. The 6 month pregnant bloat, pain, heavy bleeding, hormonal lunatic -awful. I was on tranexamic acid for bleeding & mefenamic acid for the pain which did help pain wise but nothing stopped the bloat/moods and I ate healthily and exercised.

Mirena coil and progesterone only pill both made me bleed endlessly despite HCP saying “it just takes time to settle down, give it another month”
Bleeding every day for 9 months with mirena-I was begging them to take it out. Bleeding was lighter but constant and I put on two stone.
Progesterone only pill 5 months of endless heavy bleeding that, despite prescription iron tablets 3x a day, left me anaemic.

After 5 years under gynae, who told me I had fibroids, I have finally had a hysterectomy I’ve been pleading for. Every time I visited gynae I used to laugh to myself about the posters in the waiting room saying ‘you don’t have to suffer heavy bleeding’
HA! Why leave me suffering for so long then?

Will you dr ref you to gynae to rule out endometriosis/fibroids?

Mirena coil- changed my life positively! I think it’s great