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Original poster

Severe period pain 15 year old - any suggested remedies? homeopathic?

42 replies

mears · 09/04/2009 09:55

My poor DD was curled up on the floor this morning with period pain after vomiting. Her periods started OK at 13 1/2 yrs old. In the past 6-9 months they have got more painful and she vomits when it starts. Last month was actually OK so we thought she had turned a corner but this morning has been the worst of all.

Feminax did not help.

She has had Ibuprofen earlier and has just has paracetamol. She is feeling a bit better after a sleep with a warm hot water bottle. Still in bed. If she was not on holiday she would have missed a day at school (again).

Has anyone found a helpful remedy without resorting to the pill?

OP posts:
Comewhinewithme · 09/04/2009 09:58

I can remember feeling the same I actually passed out with the pain once .

Sorry but only thing that really helped was pill .

I hope she feels better soon its awful .

Kathyis6incheshigh · 09/04/2009 09:59

There are things the doctor can prescribe - I had something once called Ponstan which helped at the time.
Homeopathy is just placebo effect so it may help a bit but there are other things you can try which are more evidence-based.

chocolepew · 09/04/2009 10:00

Magnets helped my friend, Avon used to do one especially for period pains, I think you can get them in chemists.

Original poster
mears · 09/04/2009 10:02

Anything is worth a try - I am happy forplacebo effect rather than heavy duty drugs or hormones.

One of my sister ended up on the pill at 16 due to bad periods and ended up having fertility issues in later life.

OP posts:
PurplePillow · 09/04/2009 10:02

I was like this when I was younger and yes the pill helped (a bit) then someone suggested evening primrose oil capsules and they really helped me.

chocolepew · 09/04/2009 10:03

this is a pad to wear on your tummy, but googling it there it says teenagers may benefit from wearing a magnetic bracelet.

chocolepew · 09/04/2009 10:04

I found fish oils help mine, but I'm 40!

brettgirl2 · 09/04/2009 10:06

Ibuprofen isn't particularly useful IME - I think it's because it's an anti-inflammatory and period pain is just contraction pain? I have always found paracetamol better.

For paracetamol to work though (and bring it to a reasonable level) you need to take full dose from when it starts rather than when it gets unbearable. This can be hard I find as I can get twinges for a week so timing it is difficult.

Some people seem to think that oil of evening primrose helps - it didn't for me but it may be worth a try.

As someone else said, the pill does sort it out.

Original poster
mears · 09/04/2009 10:11

Thanks for link chocolatepew - very interesting.

brettgirl2 - she does get some relief from brufen. Although it is an anti inflmmatory, it's action does give good pain relief. WE give anti inflammatories to women as post CS pain releif - same principle. Thanks for posting.

OP posts:
Original poster
mears · 09/04/2009 10:12

Sorry for CAPS and typos!!

OP posts:
needanap · 09/04/2009 10:14

My daughter was the same, she used something I think it was called mefenamic acid... anyway they were great! And no more days off school every month!

TheHedgeWitch · 09/04/2009 10:16

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

chocolepew · 09/04/2009 10:17

the magnet mentioned here was trailed in schools. If you google it, a lot of times it comes up as a menopause magnet, but it's the same thing. This is similar to the Avon one.

I hope she finds some relief.

Kathyis6incheshigh · 09/04/2009 10:18

needanap - I think mefenamic acid was what the thing I had called Ponstan was.

brettgirl2 · 09/04/2009 10:27

I think all I'm saying is that personally I find that paracetamol works better for period pain. But I'm sure that everyone is different.

Rumpel · 09/04/2009 10:33

Get her to try taking agnus castus herbal tincture - give it 6 weeks or so to work - fantastic for PMT:

www.woodlandherbs.co.uk/

WowOoo · 09/04/2009 10:53

I had to go on the pill when I was young for this also. Poor dab.

She needn't be on it long term. I wasn't.
Hot water bottles/heat packs and pain killers were the only other things that helped me.

Vigilanteawarenessraiser · 18/04/2009 13:55

Very sorry about your daughter.

Don't want to worry you, but please google 'endometriosis and teenagers' or look at these links: www.youngwomenshealth.org/endoinfo.html, www.endometriosis.org/teenagers.html,www.endometriosis.co.uk/teens/whatis.html and //www.geocities.com/muse_flump/.

Endometriosis is a common illness that can affect any menstruating female. Though many doctors still believe it is rare before the age of 25 or so, this is actually not the case. It is not life threatening, there are many treatment options and it can be kept under control, but not identifying and treating it can lead to all sorts of complications. I suffered from it from the age of 13, and spent the next 13 years trying to have my (severe) problems taken seriously. I was finally diagnosed aged 26, by which time the disease had done so much damage i have been left with lasting and severe problems, which could have been avoided had I been diagnosed earlier. Please don't risk letting your daughter end up like me.
Good luck!

Elk · 18/04/2009 14:15

I went on the pill at fifteen due to terrible period pains. I was missing 1 or 2 days of school a month. I used co-codamol for pain relief. I actually only used it for the three months going up to GCSE mocks and exams and then the same again for A'levels. I didn't used it constantly until I got to Uni as I didn't have my mum to look after me when I got ill (although my flat mates were great).

stitchtime · 18/04/2009 14:26

pelvic floor excercies are purported to help with period pain...
also, vitmin B6 in an actvated form.

foxinsocks · 18/04/2009 14:33

sorry I am coming late to this mears

Buscopan (which you can get in Boots or any pharmacy normally on the shelf, sometimes behind the counter) - it's marketed as IBS relief but its active ingredient is an antispasmodic which is MARVELLOUS for period pain. I actually don't know why it is not more prescribed. I asked my gynae why not and he said it's because the newer generation of GPs don't know about it and because the marketing of it is for IBS as that's what it's better known for.

It sounds like she gets period pain like I do (with the vomiting). Please do try the Buscopan. What it does is stop the cramping. The minute I feel the cramps coming on, I take 2 tablets then follow the dosing as per the slip in the medicine (can't remember). Normally those very severe pains only last a few days.

Not only is it better than constantly taking pain killers (which I found myself doing with that horrid pain), what it does is completely ease the cramps which are normally causing the most severe pain (and the vomiting), so she should feel much better.

If you do try it, please let me know because it sounds like it's just what she needs!

buscopan for period pain

buscopan as it looks in the UK it's an antispasmodic so not even a pain killer but it really works!

foxinsocks · 18/04/2009 14:36

ps takes about 30 mins to work once I take the buscopan so she may feel the pain for a little bit

(if they carry on getting worse, might be worth taking her to the gp)

AttilaTheMeerkat · 18/04/2009 21:10

Hi mears,

I would go all out to discover what the underlying cause of her pain is. If this is endometriosis short term solutions like painkillers, homeopathic remedies and especially placebos aren't going to cut it.

I know about the hot water bottle - used to use one of them myself for the pain when I was her age. I have had endometriosis since I was a teen, I realise that now.

Endometriosis as a cause for the pain cannot be ruled out here. It is the second most common gynae condition seen in women after fibroids. If this continues I would ask your GP for a referral to a gynae - and do not take no for an answer!!!. She should not have to put up with the pain indefinately; there is help available out there but you will need to be persistant in order to find it.

perhaps your comment below is why you don't want her to have the pill:-
"One of my sister ended up on the pill at 16 due to bad periods and ended up having fertility issues in later life"

Your sister had fertility problems due to her bad periods (she may have had endo herself), the pill was not responsible for that to arise. What the pill does however, is mask the symptoms of the underlying problem.

Many GPs are ignorant when it comes to endo (some cases of endo are also misdiagnosed as IBS) so a referral to a gynae should be sought.

www.endo.org.uk is a good website to look at and is informative.

Original poster
mears · 21/04/2009 22:51

Thank you all for your messages.

Foxinsocks - I spoke to one of the consultants at work (I am a midwife for those who don't know) and she suggested Buscopan. I am also interested in the magnets too.

I personally had painful periods but no endometriosis. Interestingly my sister with fertility problems does not have endometriosis either although I realise that does not mean that DD won't be affected.

After the first initial bad day she is then fine. Her periods are not particularly heavy either.

We will try the buscopan and I will report back. Thanks again.

OP posts:
FlappyTheBat · 21/04/2009 22:57

She could also try raspberry leaf tea, I used to have very similar symptoms until my early 20's and this was suggested to me.

Never personally took them but they did seem to work for the person who took them, hope she gets the pain sorted soon!