Period delay medication for teen girl

[reluctantbrit]

Hi,

DD will be 15 in Summer and based on the calendar will have her period either during our holiday in Greece or when she is off with her Explorer Scouts for a watersport camp.

She has quite heavy periods for a day or two and can also feel nausea and has headaches. Normally we manage but it will be a disaster on holiday, especially when she is suppose to be kayaking/paddleboarding etc while camping and wearing a wetsuit. Greece will. be ok-ish with being. at a hotel. but she will be self-concious of leaks and I can't take period pants/swimwear. with us without a laundry faciltiy.

I know there is a medication out there to delay periods. Has anyone's teen used it and are there any side effects?

I would like to know a bit more, especially how to take it (how long in advance) before I go the GP or nurse practitioner to ask for a prescription.

I was already on the pill when I came across issues with holidays.

I think … I really think it would need to be your daughter who visits the GP to ask for this - if it is what she wants.

Perhaps you didn’t intend to sound … controlling, but I would be astounded if you can get hold of and administer drugs to your fifteen year old daughter without her own express request.

(And, obviously, if she would prefer not to pause her periods then that’s the end of the matter. Missing a few days of water sports isn’t the end of the world.)

I don't think you sound controlling at all. But I do agree your daughter will need to agree she wants any medication first and go to the gp either herself or with you there. There is something called northisterone that delays periods but I'm not sure if you have to be a certain age to take it

I’ve used them and found they didn’t really work that well.

If I were you I’d think about empowering your daughter more to deal with her periods. Has she every used tampons for example? That would be my go to for water sports etc.

Yes my teen has used both the pill and norethisterone to delay period.
No side effects on either.
Teen dd was very relieved.

I think you should make an appointment for you and your daughter tk have a chat with your GP or nurse practitioner. They will be able to advise you better on the options available and they will want to speak to your daughter too to check she understands.

Norethisterone can be prescribed for this purpose, but it can give pretty nasty side effects (PMT++) and the eventual period will be worse than normal.

I don't think some people appreciate how debilitating periods can be. For many of us, tampons just don't cut it!

I disagree with a previous poster, I don't think you sound controlling at all.

I do believe your daughter should go to the GP app though, but I imagine that's what you meant as I doubt the GP would prescribe it without your daughter present and understanding of the situation.

I would hope the OP simply wrote clumsily. But even so, at 15 I would have been outraged to find my mother had discussed my menstrual cycle on a public forum (albeit anonymous) with no reference whatsoever to my own wishes or entitlement to privacy.

Seek advice from the practice nurse, going on the pill now would solve this

What does your daughter want? You don’t really mention her thoughts much in your post. I would advise against this medication or the pill as they can have quite nasty side effects. I got put on the pill for heavy periods which turned out to be endometriosis when I was 15 and it caused some pretty bad mental health problems (which were repeatedly dismissed as apparently most women have no issues at all with the pill) and weight gain. I stopped taking it at 22 and felt a million times better.

Unless her periods are unbearable I wouldn’t advise her to start messing around with her hormones so young.

Having had crippling periods myself I still wouldn’t be keen to mess around with hormones for the sake of a few days activities.

Tampons doubled with period swimwear for any leakage would be my plan.
The side effects of the medication could leave her feeling as debilitated as a period and therefore unable to take part in certain activities regardless.

As far as I know , the medication that will delay a period is the Pill. Anecdotally, I think it's not that unusual a request, and so it makes sense for you to speak to the GP with your DD. As she is only 14, it's best that you go with her.
Also, get her used to using tampons before the holiday if that's something you are both happy with, then it's not all such an issue anyway, assuming there will be toilets where she can change one as frequently as she needs to.

Our GP will no longer prescribe Norethisterone as 17 year old DD found out last year and they directed her to online pharmacy consultation with Boots or Superdrug or similar who sorted it for her - for a price. Two weeks supply was about £30 I think.

How do we know op hasn't already discussed this with her daughter or that her daughter hasn't mentioned her own concerns to the op? I remember being that age and being devastated about being due on whilst on holiday! Yeah tampons are another good choice, still a pain but probably better than medication. But totally up to what your daughter feels is best for her

You could try evening primrose oil and a moon cup starting now, to see if things improved before then.

I remember taking Norethisterone as a teenager to delay my period for a holiday. No side effects and I didn’t get my period. I actually read about it in a magazine and went to the doctors with my mum for it to be prescribed. Think I took it either a few days before my holiday or a few days before my period started until the end of the holiday. You have got to remember to take it multiple times a day every day though.

Period pants/swimwear are great and I’m sure will be fine hand washed in the sink until you get home.

How do we know op hasn't already discussed this with her daughter

We don’t - though I’m sure she has. It’s just that the OP reads oddly without this being clearly stated.

Sorry. for the confusion. I wrote the post while trying to juggle several things at work at the same time.

So, yes, I talked to my daughter about it. She is actually the one being anxious what would happen when she has her period, epecially on the watersport camp. I remember reading about medication to skip a period but as I said, I was on the pill when I had issues where it was helpful to avoid a mess and therefore don't have first hand knowledge.

She was on her period before when she was camping with the Scouts and hated it as the facilities at the campsite were less than ideal (think chemical toilets) and no real way to dispose waste discreetely. The camp is only 4 full days plus 1/2 day travel, so she would miss basically everything. I don't have details yet where and how they will stay but knowing the group tents in a campground with shower/toilet blocks are definitely an option.

Speaking to the GP - yes, she can do it on her own and I would say she is confident enough to do so. But, she is also ok with talking about this with me and the last two GP appointments were very much her talking, I offered to not go in her with/not be on the phone but DD declined, she was happy for me to stay. I do agree, no GP should prescripe medication without her knowledge and taking it into account.

She has used tampons before when she went swimming, she did lifesaver courses until lockdown so she knows how to handle them. Normally that would be my first approach but a) she still has her period pain and feeling nausea and b) the issue with changing/toilet facilities.

I think a mooncup wouldn't work, as cleaning it would be even more messy.

We are a family where periods and sanitary products are openly discussed, I bleed very heavily (I turn 50 this year, no signs of stopping) and DD always knew about it and talks even with DH in the room about it. He knows how to deal with two females in need of painkillers, chocolate and hot water bottles.

Based on some of your comments, I think it may not worth it if it just screws up the next period.

My post was very much a research question. I am not controlling but I have a very anxious DD (she is actually under assessment of panic disorder) and this is a form of fact gathering mission as I think she should know what could be done and what side effects are.

My 15 yo DD suffers from horrendous cramps and heavy periods (we all do in this house but she's the worst). She got the implant in Jan and hasn't had a period since. Still gets a little cramping but no longer is basically laid up in bed for 2/3 days each month. Might be worth her having a chat with the GP to see what options are available.

Maybe discuss with your daughter about making an appointment together. I know if my daughter at aged 15 had gone she wouldn't have been able to speak to the Dr about what she wanted.
I think it's a great idea and I don't think you're being controlling at all.

DD1 used this when her period would have coincided with a DofE expedition so no choice really. It worked as expected but the eventual (delayed) period was hideous - very heavy, with 1 day of period pain so bad she was sick. Luckily she was at home on that day and not in college.

@Bramshott - this is what I fear.

I better check with the Explorer leader (female) where they are staying/what the provisions are and go from there.

DD went on a trip abroad with Guides and some of the girls attending took this to delay their periods as it would have been really inconvenient to be menstruating while doing very basic camping and with limited washing facilities. DD had a prescription herself but luckily didn't need to take it. I would certainly look into it for your DD. My experience of camping with groups like this would be to avoid your period if possible.