Awful periods for my 12 year old advice please

[Jamfirstest]

Dd1, 15 and me 45. We haven’t struggled ever with periods so we are a bit lost.
DD2 started about 6 months ago and we now seem to be in an awful place where she is having a day off school sometimes 2 because the cramps are so bad. She has quite significant IBS and it’s causing flares too so we have a bad ibs week followed by a bad period week every month now.

She seems so young for the pill but I can’t have her missing so much school she is top set and she loves school.

I’ve bought feminax and it helped a little.

i will get an e consult next week but any advice?

Also recommend these guides – super useful for all things parenting teens. My DD is also on the app which has been very helpful for managing her periods x

My DD was put on the pill at that age 14 / 15 because she had such bad period pain she had to keep taking days off worked

It worked

and quickly

Off School

@DeathMetalMum thank you for your post this sounds awfully familiar. Dd2 seems to tick every box and I just feel more lost. I’ve done an e consult with the gp I’m just waiting now.

thank you everyone -the poster saying the oil worked fast gives me hope that there are treatments at all! Xx

Update - gp has prescribed naproxen. I think it will knock her out and mess with her ibs. Pharmacist was a bit alarmed. So was the assistant in the chemist. Dd2 is about 4’10’’ and a size 4. She’s tiny.

she went back to school today all happy. Bleeding stopped. She came home in a state and went to bed. She’s still fast asleep which is really unusual for her. I’m so worried.

What strength Naproxen did the GP prescribe? I ask because you mentioned your DD has IBS (as do I) and the 500mg Naproxen caused me to have a terrible flare up.

Yes to buscopan.

when my Periods were horrendous due to adenomyosis I was prescribed buscopan for the cramping.

IMO if the pain is so bad she needs heat pads she should not be in school.

I went on the pill at 14 due to heavy periods.

Definitely see GP. It is such a blight - I went through this. Severe pain and flooding from day one. throughout my schooldays (well - and after). I remember sitting my uni finals totally doped up with painkillers and feeling awful.

Sounds like it could be endometriosis

She needs to be properly medically assessed. It could be endometriosis. Unfortunately too many GPs just dismiss bad periods as normal when it really isn’t.

When you say the pharmacist was alarmed - that’s really concerning behaviour from the pharmacist.

If they had any concerns they should not have dispensed the prescription until those were resolved.

There’s a prescribing guideline for it for children for dysmenorrhea, with a mg/kg guide.

It’s really, really effective for many so well worth a try.

The Flo by Alissa Vitti helped me - would highly recommend. Check out her podcast interviews first if youre not sure.

My dd has been on luna too! Super helpful.. didn't even realise they had trackers just for teens her age

Hi folks just popped back to update and say thank you -the naproxen works perfectly for the periods and the ibs.i wish they had prescribed it years ago!! She’s right back in her feet and her pointe shoes! Thank you!!

Always take it with food. Does nasty stuff to stomach otherwise.

Worth cycle tracking as works even better for some if start take it the day or two before.

I had mefenamic acid as a teenager and then was on the pill from 15. I would encourage her to keep a diary to help discussion with medics.

I hope things improve. Mine were very bad at that age, when I later had kids it took until quite far on in labour for the pain to get worse than my periods as a 13 yr old.

I recommend (in the future if she wants to or things get worse) asking the GP to try the pill and/ or mirena coil can be amazing with heavy bleeding and pain. The mirena will may the uterus lining thinner, less bleeding and less cramps), but with the pill, will treat symptoms. She can also try tranexamic acid just for when she's on her period (helps reduce heavy bleeding) - you need to start taking it days before your period starts so that it can work at best capacity. The same with ibuprofen and/or paracetamol. Start taking it 3/4 days before and it will be much better.

She likely just has primary dysmenorrhea (heavy bleeding and painful periods with no condition or cause The main symptom of endometriosis is not actually period pain because endo is not a period condition - it's a whole body inflammatory condition where the endometriosis tissue even produces its own oestrogen and the pain is felt throughout the month not just when on your period.

I'm very glad the naproxen is working, it should stay fine now and all be managed well, but if the bleeding is still heavy try the mirena or tranexamic acid as well.

My dd2 was a little older - 14,I think but the GP was happy to put her on the pill and it has made a huge difference. We needed it sorted for GCSE years. It is manageable now with ibuprofen and she’s like a different child

Thanks folks I will suggest the tracking app now things have calmed down. Her periods arnt regular yet though.