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Teenagers

Parenting teenagers has its ups and downs. Get advice from Mumsnetters here.

Original poster

Period pains-when to "give in" to it?

34 replies

shesparkles · 02/03/2011 09:23

Dd is 13, has had fairly regular periods for almost a year, but seems to be experiencing her first bout of "real" period pains.
Up until now, she's pretty much grinned and borne it, and just got on with life.
She went to the gym last night, and on coming home, said she was feeling quite unwell with tummy cramps. She had paracetamol, warm bath etc and went to bed.
This morning, I couldn't get her out of bed (usually not a problem at all) and she said she'd not been able to sleep due to the pain.
I've already said she can go into school late (she has excellent attandance)and have cleared this with school, but she's still like a dying duck!

I'm not sure which way to go with this-do I chivvy her along no nonsense style with painkillers in her bag for later, or be lovely sympathetic mum and let her have a duvet day?
I really don't know which way to go with this!

OP posts:
COCKadoodledooo · 02/03/2011 10:26

I think I'd go for the tea and sympathy myself. I had hellish bad cramps with mine, which always caused me to vomit.

I found ibuprofen better than paracetamol tbh, and Feminax better than that (though they seem to have changed the formulation of that recently). Hot water bottle/wheat bag helped a bit too.

Eventually after about 6 months or so mum took me to the gp who prescribed me tranexamic acid, which worked wonders.

nickytwotimes · 02/03/2011 10:29

agree that ibuprofen is better, though you can give both.

cramp is awful. i used to pass out with it as a teenager.

melezka · 02/03/2011 10:33

Afraid this is your call, sparkles. My DD would have a duvet day for ANY available reason (death of an ant, for example) so she's have to do a pretty good dying duck for me to feel sympathetic. But yours sounds (entirely) different.

I'm coming to the end of my fertile life and things have started to change, and to remind me of how horrendous it can be when you start - I think I'd forgotten (maybe wiped it from my memory) - but I really think it can be pretty bad for a few years for some. One of my friends used to faint from the pain, so...

Good luck :)

melezka · 02/03/2011 10:33

Ah, x-post with nicky

Maryz · 02/03/2011 10:39

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

mychildrenarebarmy · 02/03/2011 10:44

I am another one who had pain so bad I would vomit/pass out. My Mum didn't realise to start with that it was that bad as her periods never caused her trouble. (She realised when I fainted on her whilst throwing up!). One thing it might be worth doing though is checking what she did at the gym last night because if the pain didn't start until after that and she's not been like this before there is a possibility it's injury rather than period pain.

orangehead · 02/03/2011 10:50

I get horrendous pains when I am on and as I teen I used to throw up with the pain. Paracetamol never did a thing. I am now on mefenamic acid and tranexamic acid, which are also for heavy bleeding as well as pain which maks it more bearable.
This seems to unlike her so think sympathetic mum. If she seems to like this most months perhaps take her along to the docotors. Hope she feeling better soon

Original poster
shesparkles · 02/03/2011 11:11

I was doing the warm bath/magazine/sympathy while you were all posting!
As you can guess I've gone for the duvet day.

Thanks for the reminder about Feminax-I used to take that years ago when I suffered.
This is the first bad one for her, I hope it's not going to carry on like this for her, but I'm away to nip to the chemist to get her some just now

Thankyou! :)

OP posts:
melezka · 02/03/2011 11:15

maryz that is an excellent idea which I am going to steal :)

ruddynorah · 02/03/2011 11:22

As a child mine were horrific. I used to get d&v for the first couple of days every time. The pain rendered me unable to walk or sit up at all. No amount of chivvying would have got me anywhere. The only thing that stopped it was going on the pill and just never having any periods.

corygal · 02/03/2011 11:27

OOoh, duvet day for her definitely. As a child/teen I battled on, month after month, having to leave lessons to chuck up. My mate passed out in the loo with period pain and fractured her skull...

There's something quite overwhelming about kiddy-age period pain. Let her rest, get proper pills and get her to walk for 20 min tomorrow, which helps like mad.

lazymumofteenagesons · 02/03/2011 13:54

If you are taking ibuprofen make sure it is taken before the pain sets in too badly. It works much better this way (even for a headache). This advice was given to me by the doctor who said simply start taking them every 4/6 hours as soon as your period starts and then the pain won't start.

I've now got a mirena coil and no more periods/pain but that is no use for a teenager.

Ephiny · 02/03/2011 14:06

I would be sympathetic. I had very bad period pains as a teenager and I wish someone had taken it seriously. I used to wish I could die before my next period came, I dreaded the pain so much, plus all the other symptoms like fainting and being sick. If OTC painkillers don't work, make a doctor's appointment, there are things that can help and I strongly feel girls shouldn't have to suffer like this.

BonzoDooDah · 02/03/2011 14:13

Another vote for ibruprofen. As a teenager I had excruciating period pain and paracetamol didn't even touch it. Not a bit. Needed Ibruprofen to even function (In my twenties I used to sit at work with head on desk panting with the pain until the tablets started working). So if you haven't had it that bad you can't know but a day off school this time sounds good but then have the tablets ready for next time.

Might be worth looking at Ibruprofen Lysine as these are absorbed quicker and seem to work faster (Check with pharmacist).

Socy · 02/03/2011 18:24

I also used to throw up sometimes and then the next month I would panic that the same thing would happen and just want to stay home to avoid the embarrassment of this happening at school/work.

As a yoga teacher, I would also say avoid the gym, particularly any abdominal work at this time of the month - it could be that which made it worse.

Original poster
shesparkles · 02/03/2011 19:12

Thanks again for all the help (i.e supporting my choice[wink[)
Apart from when I was pregnant, I've had a mirena for about 12 years, so am aware I've forgotten how horrible period pain is-the advice has been really helpful.

BonzoDooDah thanks for the advice about the Ibuprofen Lysine, I'll look into that

Socy thanks for that too, she was at the gym with her pal so I don't think any serious work was done, but might not be too much of a coincidence that she mentioned the pain on the way home-I'll remember it for next time

OP posts:
mamacheeks · 02/03/2011 20:07

I don't have a DD but used to teach teenage girls and one day a nutritionist came in to talk to them. He recommended watching salt and sugar intake just when your period is due. The salt tip really helped me personally - I too used to faint and vomit when a teenager.

JannerBird · 03/03/2011 10:17

Is there anyone still reading this thread who is able to help me? My daughter has bad cramps and has been sick due to the pain. I am usually sympathetic to this (days off school, hot water bottles, feminax etc).

My question is how long into the period do these cramps usually last? I am beginning to suspect that my daughter is using them as an excuse to avoid school (which is not a new trend unfortunately).

I picked her up from school on Tuesday morning, she had all day yesterday off and I had to be quite tough with her this morning to get her out of bed and on to the bus.

In my experience, period pain only lasts for the first 24/36 hours of a period. Have I been harsh to send her to school?

Stricnine · 03/03/2011 10:30

I only get bad pains for the first 36 hours max .. DD (now on medication - sorry can't remember the name of it - from doc) used to complain for two or three days, but at the same time agreed that it was better to be distracted and at school!

I'm surprised with the no gym comment - DD (and myself) find gentle excercise can help .. in fact she's started doing the Wii fit yoga which she finds can ease the pains quite well...

Socy · 03/03/2011 11:08

Stricnine - I didn't mean no exercise but no abdominal work, no inversions in yoga (headstand etc - as it causes the blood to flow the wrong way) and no strong twists. So I would not recommend the gym but some yoga exercises are, as you say, postively beneficial - I would recommend this book www.amazon.co.uk/B-K-S-Iyengar-Yoga-Holistic-Health/dp/1405322357 as there is a large section on women's health

corygal · 03/03/2011 11:37

The people I know who had ghastly teen period pains (including the girl who bust her head on the loo) complained for three, yes three, days.

I am rather stiff upper-lip about illness, but in this case I don't think your daughter is faking it. And you can check anyway - offer her a really nice outing when she would otherwise be off school - if she refuses, pain is genuine.

Ephiny · 03/03/2011 11:40

For me the very bad pain was really just the first day, though I would still be a bit crampy the next day, and obviously not feeling too good after being too sick to eat and in too much pain to sleep the previous day/night.

JannerBird · 03/03/2011 11:56

I'm not sure corygal. My instinct is telling me there is something else going on, another reason for her not wanting to be at school.

I have just spoken to DH, who is away on business, and he thinks she has got a project due today which he knows she hasn't done.

I like your thinking re. the nice outing. However, it goes completely against my rule that if you are off school ill - no fun is allowed!!! Grin

notsweatingthesmallstuff · 03/03/2011 12:00

This has brought it all back, going through it myself and then watching my daughters going through the same thing. Does anyone else have the feeling that if men had period pain there would be a much more efffective cure for it by now?!

KashaUK · 04/03/2011 03:48

I would say to give into her this time, but actually do something to PREVENT the cramps from now on.

Sorry but I'll never understand why any woman or girl would just 'grin and bare it' or just pop painkillers in the hopes of it magically going away...unless she has something serious like Endometriosis then there's no reason why she can't prevent cramps to stop having them, or at very least ease the pain more than this.

Cell salts or clary sage oil rubbed into tummy will ease pain and help prevent them next time. Get her into yoga or some sort of gentle exercise at home, then at school show her some acupressure points to ease any cramps she may get. Or obviously at home masturbation if you're comfortable talking to her about that, or hot baths if you're not, lol.

Diet is a big deal; balanced diet with foods rich in essential fatty acids and low in refined sugars, refined carbohydrates and hydrogenated fats, avoid salty foods, and some find dairy, caffeine and soy cause problems. Get her taking omega 3, flaxseed oil (approx. 500Mg 2-4 times a day), B vitamin complex with 100mg of vitamin B6, Magnesium (100mg every 2 hours during menstruation), and vitamin E in d-alpha tocopherol form (50mg 3 times a day) - also increase calcium, iron and potassium.

Herbal teas, in particular yarrow, lemon balm, black haw, chamomile, red raspberry, wild strawberry, valerian, and raspberry leaf all help - my foster daughter swears by raspberry leaf. Try the Chinese medicine Bupleurum (xiao yao wan) get her to take 3-4 tablets 4 times a day a few weeks her periods. Also take Evening Primrose oil or Black Cohosh capsules or Chaste Tree tincture daily to regulate hormones to help prevent cramps.

Obviously she shouldn't use tampons, as well as her age putting her at higher risk of TSS and infections from tampon use, they would also be more likely to contribute to cramps. Cups are much safer, cleaner and more convenient and reliable for all women, but particularly girls her age, and of course not only do they not cause cramps like tampons, but they actually lessen or can even stop cramps. Research has also shown women have more positive attitudes towards their periods when using cups, which also improves general menstrual health - seriously.

If all else fails get her on an anti-inflammatory drug such as Mefenamic acid to block the the synthesis of prostaglandin F2 alpha, a hormone responsible for cramps. She'd take these 3 times a day for the first 4 days of her period.

And they are just a very few ideas.