Period symptoms no one talks about

[TammySwansonTwo]

Day 1 of my period today which is always horrific (double whammy of endometriosis and adenomyosis) and was just thinking about how many weird symptoms I think of as normal, because no one ever talks about them.

The main ones for me are javelin arse and the feeling that my vulva has run a marathon. Oh, and the fact that I had no idea periods were supposed to be red until after my first surgery - I thought I was bleeding to death.

So much isn’t talked about that many women put up with awful stuff for years, and illnesses like endometriosis take years to diagnose. I think we should talk about it more!

What are other people’s weird period symptoms that they believe(d) are normal / universal?

Breath smells and have metallic taste (so chew gum)
Nausea on first day
Headache two days before
Can’t sleep just before
Parking becomes very complicated
Low mood teary horrible sad thoughts pop into my head next day everything is hysterically funny
Legs ache
Very sore boobs

Yes to the period poo, always a pleasure!

Night sweats.

Also yes to the aches and pains in my thighs. As a youngster this used to really baffle me, I’d think what the fuck has it got to do with my legs?!

Bad dreams.

The thought of anyone touching my boobs makes me want to vomit and/or kill.

Nausea - again when younger I was always sick on the last day of my period. I don’t tend to actually be sick these days but do feel it.

Spots, so many spots. Not an unusual symptom but at pushing 40 I’d hoped they might have subsided.

A crying fit or an overwhelming rage at DP which absolutely has nothing to do with hormones how dare you suggest that you bloody chauvinist dick? Only ever when I come on the next day that I think ‘oh yeah!’

Brown discharge for a few days before.

Extreme indecisiveness/dithering coupled with ferocious hunger meaning that I have, on many more occasions than I’d like to admit, cried because I didn’t know what I wanted to eat.

I just kind of look grey, and the dark circles under my eyes intensify.

It’s all such fun.

I know my dm started her periods at about 13 and they were huge and clotty from the start. All with a Dr White's Sanitary Belt and brick sized towels. She was anaemic and poorly with PMT from then onwards. She only realised not everyone suffered like that in her late 30s when I started my normal periods. 25 years of coping with horrific periods and nobody to compare with :( Mine were as bad as hers for 2 years before I got intervention.

Forgot about how clumsy I am
And struggle to form sentences
Clean more
And my make up doesn’t stay on even mascara smudges
I get down and teary on my last day of my period this is quite a new thing like my body is sad my period is over

A few days beforehand, I come down with a really awful and obvious giant spot on my chin or forehead which basically brands me '"unclean" and makes me doubt whether I ever do clean my face or if it's perpetually covered in oil, sweat and dead skin and I should put a bag over my head for everyone's benefit. The day before, I have an uncontrollable desire to eat everything in sight, which I do, then immediately regret due to bloating and feeling gross.

All of a sudden I go from a normal stool to period poo (think type 7 on the Bristol scale), I overheat, sweat so much I think I'm probably entering the early menopause, panic about probably needing a medical intervention of some sort and begin to wonder if I'm actually dying.

Then I start bleeding and realise it's just my period and I need to soldier on like a good little woman. (It's amazing what we put up with because it's once a month - if any man had similar symptoms, you can bet he would call in sick without a second thought.)

A few days later, I'm gushing all of the blood possible and feeling tired, dizzy and sick, then period poo turns into constipation and I feel like crap because I'm literally full of crap. I still have at least one giant spot and still feel utterly gross. I feel like I'm not sure if I actually smell bad or my own sense of smell is heightened but I feel like anyone who can't smell the period on me needs a new nose and I just feel generally disgusting.

I'm physically sensitive to pain - massage becomes an ordeal rather than nice and relaxing.

Periods are awful, aren't they? Period poo is dreadful, but so is the icky feeling that won't disappear, no matter how clean you actually are.

I have endo too and the leg pain is the worst. I get really sleepy as well and will nod off almost as soon as I sit down. Back pain as well agonising

Ovulation pains. Week or few days before period. Every time. I started to think it was my appendix or something but Doc said ovulation pains. Makes sense I guess but I had never heard of it!

Re diagnosis I started threads about it taking FAR too long for women to get diagnosed with gynae issues and women being fobbed off medically just generally speaking but got no responses.

Op hope it's ok that I say that diarrhoea, back pain, pain in the abdomen that isn't in the womb area, especially if severe, pain going to the toilet (pee or poo) can all be symptoms of endo.

"I honestly believe if we spoke openly about these things, endo diagnosis times could be slashed, amongst other things." I wish it were that simple - women getting a diagnosis for ANY physical condition that isn't immediately obvious can take up to 3 X longer than for white mc men. Women are still viewed as 'hysterical' patients who are worrying needlessly.

"Had to wait years for diagnosis and then treatment though cos GP's never believed me because they 'didnt see it happening' ... "

Yep 14 years of CLASSIC symptoms being fobbed off here.

I was once told that the diarrhoea was just the body getting rid of the water retained during pre-menstrual time. May be true for some but I don't retain a lot of water and it was used to deny all my other endo symptoms (and the GP was 'training' another dr too - so teaching a new generation of gp's to dismiss women and gynae disease). Both Drs were men and had an eye rolly "ah women, what can you do?" Smug attitude.

Labour was far less painful than my usual period pains.

Since diagnosis I've had 3 surgeries and various medical treatments inc temporary false menopause and am now peri-menopausal (which brings a whole new set of delights!). It's now manageable but still not how those without gynae quirks have their periods.

First couple of years before getting ANY treatment migraines so severe I'd not only pass out but remain unconscious despite stimulation for many hours. Periods heavy every day and lasting up to 14 days with MAX 14 days in between - so I was on more than I was off.

"I honestly don’t think men appreciate how ruled we can be by our periods" my dad once asked me pre-diagnosis to describe the quality and severity of the pain (mum was having a bad time of it pre-menopause and I think he was trying to empathise). He and I have similar stomach symptoms when we get upset stomach things so I related it to that and some other ailments we have in common. By the time I'd finished he said "bloody hell! No wonder you're all murderous! The stomach stuff is bad enough but then all the rest?!!!"

Seamus - yea I too have a singular period zit. Slightly to the left of the very centre of my chin.

Also javelin arse. For those asking, for me it's like when you sit on the wrong part of an old sofa (the kind with a wooden frame inc a slat in the centre of the sofa. And just 'catch' the nerve there).

Piles worse in the immediate aftermath (prob caused by the diarrhoea)

I also get the clumsiness (thought to be due to swelling - hands and eyeballs weirdly). Contact lens wearers eyeballs apparently swell during period.

I also get the leg pain in one leg - same side as I had the twisted ovary and ectopic pregnancy.

Also swollen sore itchy boobs, eczema worsens.

And that's all not inc the devastation of losing 3 babies and almost losing dd.

It was endo kicking back in at almost 9 months post-natal that made my milk dry - literally overnight. Nobody told us this could happen despite my endo diagnosis all over my notes by this point, so we'd no bottles or formula in and this was pre 24 hour shops. Last feed was around 11pm when dd woke around 2am - nothing there! She slept until around 6am but from then until 8am when shops opened was hell! I felt like the worst mother in the world. We then had a few days until we found a formula that didn't make her projectile vomit and teats she could manage to get milk from without being drowned by milk!

I have serious (not directly related) mental health dx, I am way more fearful and anxious at this time. I was asking my cpn about this - she confirmed that most of her female service users experience an increase in symptoms at this time.

Isitorare - I don't wish to alarm but have you been diagnosed with endo? The pain between shoulder blades concerns me.

To all that have missed out on having DC or had pregnancy woes as a result

I get the runs! And it runs in my family as my sisters get it too!

Crap hair
Diahreoea
The ability to spell
Aching legs
Bloated belly
Clumsy

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/3266495-Aibu-to-think-in-2018-it-shouldnt-take-up-to-3x-longer-for-women-to-get-an-accurate-diagnosis

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/family_planning/3258180-Just-wondering-if-you-have-a-diagnosed-gynae-condition-did-you-struggle-to-get-it-diagnosed

Can I also say it's a bit off that there's no gynae section in the health section here on mn?

There's menopause, family planning (which isn't necessarily when you wanna go if you have a gynae problem especially if it's causing you difficulty conceiving or maintaining a pregnancy).

Just read a few more posts on this thread and I can't complain compared to some of you

Mine aren't that bad. DH still looks at me horrified when I tell him the symptoms though, feeling the blood pumping out of me when I'm in a meeting, changing pads in the night, etc. Bloody men.

Yes to most of these ( I've had hysterectomy for heavy periods/fibroids) but still have ovaries.

My favourite one used to be along with the achey vulva was feeling like someone had stuck a large ice cube up there!

Uncontrollable anger. 😯

Mine have been appalling since forever. Passed out at work (client was right behind me at the time) and paramedics called. Subsequent laparoscopy showed nothing.

Ive been medicated off and on for years and recently started seeing a new gynae as Im fed up of it all.

Mine lasts 10 days and I have acute noise sensitivity for first few days, plus raging at people getting in my way in street, drivers getting in my way, my family annoying met etc etc.
Intensely weak feeling for first 3 days when I feel like I will faint (blood pressure normal) and can't exercise at all
Loss of appetite
Very sweaty and stinky
The gushing is an awful feeling - like the blood is pouring out of you and when you get to the loo you try to remove knickers and pad so carefully without making a horrible mess but its impossible.

I recently had a period that lasted 6 days and then stopped. Great I thought and put on white shorts. Had a gush while out (didn't notice for about 4 hours) and came home to the shock of white shorts with a lovely red mark on crotch for all to see.

I hate it. Roll on menopause

shinny yep that's happened to me. Utterly mortifying and you think 'why on earth did someone not say?'

Hate period poos, it can happen quite suddenly and then you have two things to clear up.

Build up to period you can feel quite emotional or feel like you have stomach ache then feel relieved when you find out it's just your period

I thought the achey vulva feeling was just me! It feels like a prolapse, except nothing is falling out (except piles that suddenly appear). I can't stay on my feet long at all as it just gets too intense, and certainly can't walk the school for day 1 or 2 of my period. Even picking up anything heavy and I feel like my insides and bits are being tugged out of me. Thankfully dh is very understanding and does anything that involves walking/standing/lifting until I'm over the worst.

It's only since having kids that I've had this but it really gets in the way of life for those few days.

WOW. Sending a hug and hot water-bottle to every single poster here.

I think I can add one that hasn’t been mentioned? My fingernails inevitably get soft and flake or break off in the days before my period. It’s so strange. They’re strong, then they’re not. Exacerbated by the loss of coordination that comes with it. If there’s a way to nick, stub, knock or scrape myself, I’ll find it. Trip over my own feet.

So many familiar symptoms here!

I get migraines and I noticed quite a few of you listing symptoms which are characteristic of the pro-drome stage for me - the build up before the headache starts. I get these regardless of whether my period is due.
My pro-drome symptoms include: raging thirst, struggling to get words out, feeling really tired, super sensitive to noise and smell and more irritable. It’s how I know a migraine is on its way.

Sometimes I get a migraine the day before my period so these symptoms could be confused for PMT - it took me years to figure out they were migraine related.

OP, you said you wanted this thread to be supportive. It is! It really is. So many women describing similar symptoms and maybe not feeling alone with them. And we can offer solutions that worked for us. I think this thread represents the best of MN.

I didn't know other women got crippling headaches before they were due on. Now I know, it helps. Ditto period poo and aching vulva after having children. I knew about cramps leaving you curled up in agony and rage and wanting to hide away. I can also relate to not being able to take hormonal birth control. The pill gave me suicidal ideation.

For headaches, after the pain has gone, I have found that drinking Purdey's Rejuvenate does, well, rejuvenate me. No idea if that will help anyone else but putting it out there in case.

Period poo is the worst. When you sit on the loo for a quick wee and one just...falls out

I get awful headaches for the 2 days before it starts. They make me useless because painkillers don’t work on them - I just have to go to bed and try to sleep them off.

Feeling like your vulva is surely going to fall off because it feels like it’s packed with weights.

Achy breasts the week before that you have to physically hold when you go upstairs.

I often get a sore throat just before too but I don’t know why.

Constipation for a couple of days before hand then period poo.
Clumsiness
Tired
Migraine
My ability to tolerate goes right down.

Heavy bleeds and can’t go out for days. Ruining clothes and bedding. Doctors not listening and saying “get over it, it’s normal” (no it’s not). Blood clots. All the pains mentioned here already. Contractions across my belly - frickin hurts and feels like everything inside is going to fall out or be pushed out. Losing a day or two of your life every month. And then the peri menopause hits - sleepless nights, hot flashes, night sweats, aches and pains up and down legs, brain fog, cannot remember simple crappy words, looking like a bloody imbecile, cannot string words and sentences together , tiredness no it’s exhaustion, symptoms like depression but it’s because your body is so messed up, it’s just a stage of life oh dear and then pimples all over again...That’s all month long symptoms, not one week a month. Peri is a non stop nightmare. Not always bleeding but the symptoms, oh god. Why, why?

Sending to you all. I agree with the PP who said many of these things could well be symptoms of endometriosis or other things, and totally agree that the delayed diagnosis issue is down to a serious problem with women getting fobbed off by healthcare professionals.

I’d also say that quite a few of the symptoms mentioned sound like they could potentially be hypothyroid related - another woefully under diagnosed condition mainly affecting women. Brittle fingernails, long heavy and / or irregular periods, joint pain, fatigue, all manner of other things. Worth looking into and seeing if these sound like you.