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?

start stopping off light blood or brownish for few days to a week before..
Shouty and impatient and a good cry brewing in days leading up. Bloated and tender breasts.
Then bam full on weighted uterus. Unbearably painful legs and back.
headache 2 days.. can become migraine. Nausea first day that can only be overcome with chocolate.
The period poo 1st day and feeling generally gross and lethargic some months worse than others. I have very heavy bleeding 3 days.. lessens for 2 or 3. Smelly brownish discharge few days.
And amongst all of that feeling horny and sad that I'm single!

Oh God this makes me feel normal this post. yes Javelin Arse, Period Poo. I get back ache and feel sick and then about half way through I could go mad at everyone, followed by extremely tired and depressed over everything. I know it's all period related and had the coil fitted to stop the Carrie like scenes at work each month - sometimes I ran out of clothes to wear!! Now I get all the symptoms and about half the blood!

DD (13 ) has stared hers and all she wants to do is sleep for the entire time, makes her feel week, sick and shivery.

Javelin arse... for years I've thought that was just me! 😂

I got javelin arse loads in my late teens but weirdly never since! It used to terrify me.

My PMT symptoms now are feeling wobbly and tearful for a day, bloating like a beach ball, then insomnia.

My only really freaky period-related thing was when I came off the pill age 22, after being on it for 5 years. I was drying myself after a shower and as I dried under one of my boobs, milk shot out of it. I was

Honeysuckle geez that's no good! It reset my system completely but I had probs with side effects which make me not keen to do it again.

Yes Dionysa - the mooncup evangelists piss me off on that score. I can't use tampons on heavy days they just fall out, I tried cap for contraception but apparently I have an oddly shaped cervix that means it won't stay put so I really wouldn't trust a mooncup. I had a colonoscopy a few years ago and got incontinence pants in for the cleanse. I'm seriously considering getting more for sleeping in when I'm on to save my sheets!

Boobs getting bigger and painful, like when they fill up with milk when breastfeeding (i miss breastfeeding)

Getting very snappy with people

Sugar craving is a new one I've noticed. I've been without sugar for ages and doing fine but ive been craving it this week

Belatedly catching up and wondering if any other old timers remember the infamous Pouch of Douglas thread .

@TammySwansonTwo can highly recommend the books 'Healing pelvic pain' and 'a headache in the pelvis' - tailbone pain is really not uncommon in women with endometriosis, as internal adhesions can affect the pelvic floor muscles which attach to the coccyx

I have a lot of ligament and nerve damage due to having had spinal surgery to remove my tailbone (so chronic pain and massive doses of opioids also). Although no endo for me, I have been a teaching case for my specialists women's physio on pelvic neurodynamics on a course training other women's physios in pelvic pain, and lots and lots of the discussion was about the role of endo and pelvic floor dysfunction, that can be felt as tailbone pain.

So actually totally normal (though no less shit!) for that to be related to endo

These might help explain the relationship between endo and why pelvic floor dysfunction can be felt as tailbone pain, as the tailbone is a massive attachment point for pelvic floor muscles (levator ani)

Pelvis floor dysfunction is a really common reaction to endo adhesions - can highly recommend pelvic floor physiotherapy and exercises to help treat pelvic floor dysfunction / hypertonic pelvic floor

www.pelvicpainrehab.com/female-pelvic-pain/674/how-pelvic-floor-pt-helps-endometriosis-4/

endocomprehensive.blogspot.com/2014/01/pelvic-floor-spasm.html?m=1

Farts.
Horrific, constant stream of massive farts.
I basically just rumble around like I’ve got a Kazoo up my arse for 5 days.
DP thinks it’s fucking hilarious

Not RTFT but I get lost! I can't navigate to places I know reasonably well in the car. I drive around randomly until I reach my destination. Makes my sat nav lady cross.

Javelin Arse
Period Poo - stinky, sloppy, disgusting
Alternating shouty and weepy.
Migraine starting on the 2nd day which can only be held at bay with coc cola and paracetemol/codeine tablets.
A week before - bloating - I look so FAT I look like I'm 9 months pregnant.

I can't believe I have had so many of these symptoms and not registered why. I'm supposed to be bright .

Clumsiness for me (On top of pain, aches and brain fog).I literally walk into doors and prang cars. My spatial awareness goes completely out of the window.

Feeling like my uterus is going to fall out.
And the week leading up to AF becoming the most ridiculous, unreasonable, angry emotional tit.👍
Oh and period poo, those are just 😷

I would get very constipated beforehand no matter what. I became clumsy and would have lots of 'near-misses' - not quite dropping things. Terrible headaches/migraines and very achy legs.

I may have mentioned before that I've never felt so good since the menopause.

I get terrible leg cramps. My thighs ache to the point where it's uncomfortable to walk, sometimes it's the first sign that my period is on the way. I'm not sure how common it is but I've not rtft yet.

As previously stated up thread, I've had a hysterectomy leaving my ovaries in tact so still have a cycle.

I hate everyone today. Do you think that meant I'm premenstrual?

I do find that magnesium spray helps with the leg cramps, TheBogWitchIsBack. It’s also meant to help with the uterine contractions as it’s a muscle relaxant, but I have to say I personally didn’t notice any change there.

betteryou.com/magnesium-oil-original-spray

This looks very relevant:
Ask me about my uterus by Abby Norman. Stunning cover.
Interview here: www.bitchmedia.org/article/bitch-interview/abby-norman-endometriosis-chronic-illness

The sense of smell is a thing for me too and I'm 45!! All things smell kinda cheesy and I feel like I need to wash my nostrils out...

I am having my night of restless sleep. I was still awake at 2 woke up about half hour ago feeling really hungry and can’t get back to sleep even though I feel so tired 😩

I really shouldn’t be on here but wanted to have a bit of a moan

I've recently started on HRT. Have been bleeding for 12 days and the last two mornings I've woken up to a bed sheet that looks like it's mopped up after the chain saw massacre .

Yes, YearOf, I was totally unprepared for the move into perimenopause. It took me four years and a new GP to realise what had been going on. Massive flooding bleeds for up to eight weeks. And anxiety off the scale. I only knew about hot flushes and dryness, had no idea about the rest.

It seems to be tailing off now, AuntyElle. Will it happen again?