DD15 period problems and going on the pill - please advise!!

[gettinfiggywithit]

DD15 has painful and heavy periods; they've always been that way. She takes tranexamic acid but I'm not sure it's really helping. (Tried mefenamic acid in the past, but it made her nauseous.)

She's got her GCSEs coming up and I dread her having a period during her exams - it really makes her feel terrible.

I know the pill is an option and DD is considering it, but I don't know much about it. Would it be the minipill or the combined pill? Can she choose to skip periods by taking it continuously? If anyone has experience of this scenario with a teenager then I would be really grateful for any info and advice please.

Just for background: DD is also taking other meds (fluoxetine and melatonin), has ASD and OCD and has problems sleeping. Not sure how relevant these things are.

I hope your DD does well on it. I had periods like that and no one ever suggested the pill as an option. I spent years being paranoid about leaking onto my skirt and sat my GCSEs dosed up to the eyeballs on paracetamol and ibuprofen. When I finally tried the pill at university it totally changed my periods. They were lighter and much less painful.

I went on the pill when i was 17 and cured my period pain. This was 40 years ago so i cant tell you which pill it was and no doubt there are many different types now so i would recommend it.

I went on the pill at 16, for the same reasons. It was the combined oral contraceptive pill, bit I can't recall the name. It was life - changing ! No pain or heavy periods again.

Ask the doctor which could she take continuously so she never has to have a period. Neurodivergent girls can find periods such a struggle to contend with. I know I did, as did my daughter.

I went on the pill at 15 but it was due to having a period every 21 days as opposed to having heavy periods. It was the combined pill and I would regularly take it continuously to skip a period.

Both my DDs used the pill at that age. And yes you can combine packets or half packets to time periods for convenient weeks.
Do it.

She would be able to take the combined pill continuously. It might be after a few of months of doing that she would start spotting. If you spot for 4 days you take a 4 day pill break then start taking continuously again.

There are a lot of different combined pills so don't let people scare you/her with side effects. If what she is given doesn't agree with her go back to GP and switch to a different one with a different hormonal make up. It can take a while to find the right one.

Make an appointment for her at the local family planning clinic (if they’re still called that) and they will give her the best advice about contraception.

I took the pill as a teenager and my Dd did also.

Both of us had bad periods.

My gynae has advised that running them together for up to a year is absolutely fine

My DD has done so regularly.

I'm now on implant.

My daughter (16) has been on Microgynon (combined) for two years - also has ASD and OCD. She found periods really difficult to deal with and had ten-day ones every three weeks or so. She takes them back to back for three months and then has a break for a week, leading to a week of bleeding. You can work around holidays and exams and schedule the bleeding at a time that suits her best- originally, she was going back to back for six months but was having unexpected bleeding - this schedule suits her. In particular, she can schedule her bleeding for when she is off school. The predictability, control and reduction of overwhelming sensory events is very comforting for a teenage girl with ASD and was advised by her CAMHs support worker who first trained as a nurse.

Do your own research as you’re dealing with a child with asd (children with asd often suffer with heavier periods and issues like pmdd). Since she’s taking fluoxetine already I assume you’ll be wanting to ensure that going on the pill doesn’t exacerbate any mental health issues.
I did a fair bit of research into this for similar reasons and it seemed that although more commonly prescribed for reasons of cost effectiveness, rigevidon had a lot of side effects and anecdotal evidence around mental health/ mood issues that I felt were too concerning to experiment with. The Royal college of gynecologists was where I looked for their advice about the best pill brands for certain problems. We found one that made a huge positive difference in the end but it took trial and error, and a lot of fighting the gp to prescribe a more expensive brand which had different side effects but ones that were probably more compatible with my teens particular issues. Also it can be up and down at first and takes a while to settle in to a routine with it. Perseverance !

I'd go to the local Spectrum clinic ( formally family planning) and talk over options.. l had heavy periods at this age ( with PCOS and endometriosis in later life) had the combined pill but gave me a mini stroke.. never to take it again. Mt daughter is / was the same but has the mirena coil.. just about stops periods.. ( my daughter is gay so it's not for contraception just for her heavy painful periods..
Talk it over with the professionals

Assuming no contraindications I’d suggest prescribing the combined pill. Much better cycle control and if you get one that suits her mood can stabilise and minimal if no side effects.

Go and speak to your GP or Nurse Practitioner and see what they can offer.

My DD went on the pill at 15, for the same reason. Then took three packs back to back so she only had a light period every 3 months. It was a lifesaver.

It prevented acne too which was a bonus side effect. Stayed on it til she was 18. No adverse side effects.

That was the combined pill not the mini pill.

Thanks so much to everyone for all your advice and experiences - this is massively helpful ❤

My dd also 15 takes desogestrel and has no periods on it, she also has fluoxetine and Phenergen (sleeping tablet) they all seem to work well together for her.

The pill can be life changing for women with difficult periods.

They tried all the various pills for me, tablet and the one in the arm and nothing changed infact the implant they had to remove after 4 weeks never stopped bleeding. So now i am on none and get a prescription every three months for codeine for period pain. It definitely helps but still will feel the nag pain all day whereas before I literally could barely function had hot water bottles etc