period pain so severe it makes me physically sick??

[bobbythejobby]

Just curious if anyone else has had period pain so excruciating it has made them physically sick?

I've always, since I started my periods as a teenager, had incredibly severe period pain. Some months it's worse than others but I have pain every month. On a very severe month with the pain, it's typically only when my period first starts that the pain is agonising and then it dies down to a more manageable level for the next few days. Some months though those first one to two hours when my period starts are absolutely agony. On the worst months, I'm literally bed-ridden by it (albeit only for a few hours but it then wipes me out for the rest of the day) - the pain is so overwhelming I go chalk white, even my lips go grey, I can't walk, can barely talk, my legs shake violently which I can't stop, soaked through with sweat. The last few times this has happened I've started being sick too and strangely as soon as I'm sick the pain seems to lessen. I have almost called myself an ambulance on occasion hoping they might give me some decent pain relief but I absolutely detest hospitals, would rather set my face on fire than spend even half a day there and can't bring myself to do it knowing I'll perhaps be opening myself up to ridicule at A&E when they realise it's "just period pain" so I tend to just ride it out (mostly alone as DH is often at work when it happens).

I had these bouts of agonising pain as a teenager almost every month then in my late teens/early 20s when I was on the pill constantly (for the period pain) the pain went away. Now I'm 33 and I came off the pill two years ago so currently not on any contraception and in the last year this severe pain has started again. Every four to five months I have a month like this.

Really what I'm wondering is, is this normal??? I had a laparoscopy a few years ago to see if I had endometriosis which apparently I don't (although honestly, nothing against the surgeon at all, but I'm still not convinced this pain is normal period pain). Could this really just be normal period pain not caused by any underlying condition like endo?? Does anyone else have this kind of period pain?? It's really really shit wondering every month if it's going to be a terrible period and if I'll be reduced to lying in bed, shaking, sweating and puking into a bucket because I can't walk.

@Tor88 I take mefanemic acid and it is fantastic. You can start taking it a couple of days before but sometimes I forget and take it as soon as I come on. It works brilliantly, I also had to reduce my dairy intake for other health reasons and noticed my period pain was much less so that definitely helps too x

Endometrial ablation was a life changer for me. I was like you during my teens, then on the pill in my 20’s. Had children in my 30’s and then back to the horrific periods 19 days at a time on some occasions and sometimes unable to pick the children up from school.

I had this. No underlying cause identified. Vomit, white, diarrhea, cramps, sweats. Contraceptive pill helped pre baby and then never been as bad post DC.

I had the same problem; going white, passing out, numb limbs, vomiting, heavy bleeding, all starting with my first one at 12.

I wasn’t allowed the pill (even for painful periods) so I took Ponstan forte (medanemic acid) as a teen instead. Which gave me killer kidney colic lol.

The only thing that really helped was having my kids. I still had painful periods but they were more tolerable (helped by ibuprofen becoming an over the counter medication in the 90s).

I have noticed that since being menopausal, I’ve had a couple of real doozy periods this year; last month I had a proper white faced, vomiting & passing out period. I take tramadol every day & it wasn’t even touching the sides! The only thing I could do was take a double dose of ibuprofen, interleave my tramadol with Zapain (cocodamol with 30mg codeine) & a whole day close to the loo.

I did have a laparoscopy years ago which showed no endometriosis and I don’t think my GP believed they were so bad had I not struck lucky in an appointment when I passed out.

Hoping you get some relief & help.

Thank you so much everyone! @Lifeispassingby deffo gonna try some mefenamic acid. I am ttc so I am very hopeful it will get better if I'm lucky enough to have a baby. My feat has always been that this pain means something bad that could mean if I have issues conceiving, but sounds like lots of you are in the same boat and have had babies so that's great to hear!!

This is exactly what I go through every month. The day before I bleed, it starts off with a heavy ache in my cervix area, rectum and lower back that gradually radiates down my legs until I can barely walk. I then get severe diarrhoea and my whole stomach and groin will start to contract (more painful than what I've experienced in late labour) then comes the projectile vomit and sometimes the pain is so bad that I faint! I always pass massive clots and then as soon as I've passed a few and had a good vomit, the pain starts to ease off.
I've went to a&e a few times as I genuinely thought I was dying and have been brushed off every time as it only lasts a few hours before starting to feel better. My GP has told me it's normal and to take paracetamol I have 2 DC and I still experience the same every month. Cocodamol doesn't even touch the sides and birth control makes me crazy so I just need to power through until it eases. It's so debilitating and I have been treated as a hypochondriac ever since my period started in my teens. I don't know what to do about it but it's brutal

@Tor88

No, unfortunately not. The only 'good' thing about my periods is that I don't have the horrendous throwing up type pain every month. I had the worst month I've ever had a few months ago though where I wasn't just sick the once, I was sick twice and the pain lasted a lot longer, I was soaked in sweat, panting for breath. Like you, I also feel like the pain is like contractions (though I've never had a baby) and I'm starting to notice that some months I have the bad pain on day two or three whereas for years it was always only on day one I'd get that pain.

I wish I had some kind of advice for how to deal with it but at the moment I'm just taking cocodamol and ibuprofen when I get that pain and trying to get through it (while feeling rather resentful that I have to put up with that level of pain just for a period).

I've never really wanted to have a baby though when I was in my 20s I did have a laparoscopy/keyhole surgery to check if I had endo and while they were at it they done a dye test to see if I was fertile or my tubes weren't blocked at least and it came back that I was fertile so presumably I could conceive if I wanted to. My aunty had very similar period pain to me and she went on to have two children with no problems conceiving (as far as I know).

@EnrouteNOTonroute What are prophylactic painkillers? I also find that some months if I wake up and the pain is already established normal painkillers like cocodamol don't do a thing or I can't keep them down long enough.