Can't take this (period) pain any more!

[tummymumsie]

I have just had a 'bad' one and I've never felt pain like it. I woke up this morning and it hit me like a train, I was bent double walking to the loo, shooting pains taking my breath away. Then going for a wee/poo... ouch!!! I was retching and sweating, I nearly passed out. If I have any gas it triggers the pain again. It's awful and terrifying and there's literally nothing I can do except try and survive until it subsides (which it generally does after 24hrs).

THIS IS NOT NORMAL, RIGHT??

Background: Since having DS2 (2yo) my periods have been agony, and they're getting worse. I had a CS and bf-d for 14 months, then my periods began again. I expected them to be painful, as they generally were before DC and also were bad after DD1, but they gradually got better (manageable anyway). This is getting worse.

I've been to the GP several times and first they tried the pill (disaster, as I always react badly to it... long story), a coil (another disaster... long story) and now Transexamic Acid (sp?) which does the square root of f-all!

Seriously considering a hysterectomy, can you just ask for one?!

HELP ME, PLEASE!!!

@nutellalove so glad you got some relief!

I did stretch to a private Gynae, but unfortunately I didn't warm to him and he didn't seem to give two hoots about the Level of pain I'm in every month.

Luckily I have a sympathetic GP, who is helping to push for a laparoscopy. In the meantime I went to her yesterday to ask for the mini pill 😩 it doesn't agree with me at all, and I'm seeing it as a temporary measure. But anything to stop the pain. I can't go through it again.

@MissWimpyDimple how are you getting on after the lap?

I'm back on the minipill and miserable with it. But the good news is that I'm on the NHS waiting list for a laparoscopy. I just hope they get to the bottom of it, and the answer isn't just to 'stay on the pill' because I feel angry, depressed, dizzy and nauseous... all the reasons why I hate being on the pill! 😩

Oh and I have the flu, yay!

Hallo. It's MissWimpy with a name change.
I'm all recovered from the lap but I'm sad to say my period is back and it's still pretty painful. Not vomit-inducing painful but it's not great 😕

@ImTheCaddy oh no! Let's hope it will improve from here. Could take a while after surgery I guess. Take it easy on yourself.

@ImTheCaddy just wanted to check-in to see if the pain has settled at all after your lap?

I'm booked in for mine on 10/06. I took the pill for a few weeks and it affected my mood (& marriage) so badly I came off it. Had a couple of weeks of bleeding (no pain). Then the last period I had was still painful, but nowhere near on the scale of the previous ones.

Could it be that the pill isn't quite out of my system and is 'masking' the pain? Or could things be improving? Am I going to make things worse by having a lap? But if I don't have it I risk another 6-8 week wait. Arghhhhhhh!!! Stuck!

@tummymumsie hmmm, thats a tough one. I can't say its been the magic cure I was hoping for and considering what I went through, that pretty disappointing.

I've had three periods (random gaps between) since and they have all been pretty painful. Not the peak rolling on the floor pain, but pretty bad.

The hospital (suprise!) haven't called me back for a follow up or any treatment so I am back in limbo. I went to my GP who is pretty good with this stuff and he did say it was still early days as they did do a lot in there so I am still semi hopeful. I actually wish I had pushed for a hysterectomy. Apparently if you do want that, then you need to be extremely explicit to the surgeon. I.e not "I dont really mind if you take it out", more "I expressly wish you and give you permission to take it out".

I suppose at the end of the day, there were some pretty serious issues in my abdomen area and they have been dealt with so it has to be a good thing all round, but pain levels not improved as such.

On balance I would say go ahead with it, at least you will then know what you are dealing with.

I am the same with the pill, it really changes me and not for the better!

@ImTheCaddy oh I'm gutted for you! That's sucks. Perhaps it will be a long and slow improvement rather than immediate 🤞🏻

Yes I think I'd regret not having it, so I'm going to go ahead. Let's keep in touch to track progress! Really hope things improve for you.

Laparoscopy done today. Pretty brutal!! Feel battered & bruised and drowsy and lots of other emotions relating to birth trauma/ current stresses/ pain/ etc.

And they found... nothing!! Nada. Diddly squat. I know overall it's such a good thing, but it doesn't solve the PAIN!! Where is it coming from???! Humph.

🤷🏻‍♀️

Oh man that's so annoying. I was worried about that but in my case they found plenty.

Hope you feel better soon.

Thanks @ImTheCaddy pretty brutal isn't it?! I'm on day 4 and still pretty tired and achey

Also praying that this doesn't mean my period will be 100x worse this month for NOTHING

I hope I am wrong here but surgeons have been known to miss endometriosis in a lap operation. It does not always present typically and they do not always search for it thoroughly enough.

Did they give you a follow up appointment to discuss the findings of this op?.

I can't take it anymore. I didn't think it was possible for them to get anymore painful, but they just did. I've spent the evening writhing around in agony, shaking and cramping like never before. My bowels at one point felt like they were on fire, burning from inside. Any attempts to go to the loo resulted in breathtaking shooting pains.

This morning I am broken. I can't move, can't talk, still getting mild cramps and gas pain. I am absolutely dreading the thought of going to the loo. But no one can help me or see anything inside.

I am losing all hope.

Does sound like endometriosis I’m afraid. One thing that helped reduce pain for me was going gluten free the week before my period, not sure why it helped but it did. Worth a try while you’re waiting for a consultant app. GP will be no help, referral is what you need.

If it is endo then try to get a constant that does excision not ablation - sorts the experts from the amateurs. Good luck x

Ah just saw your lap did nothing- sorry missed that message That’s horrible. Can only say try diet and go back to gp repeatedly - poor you, it’s awful to be messed about like that x

Haven’t RTFT as rushing to work ..
But sounds like endometriosis..
Poor you ..,
I’ve suffered since early 20 s ... it can be horrendous.
Get referred to a gynaecologist asap

Good luck and take care

I have endometriosis and have had 2 laps to clear it out. Am now perimenopausal, so find pain varies from month to month, but at times it's baaad (like you doubled over, nearly passing out).

I'm just going to throw this out there - I find that CBD oil (a few drops taken orally) and lavender essential oil (a few drops in a carrier oil massaged onto my abdomen) works amazingly well for me. I know it's a bit 'woo', I don't know how/why it works, all I care about is that it works for me! I find it particularly effective if I use the lavender oil at night when I can feel it just starting.

Also, regularly taking high dose probiotics has made my bowel movements much more regular - they used to me horrendous around the time of my period, but now I don't get constipated and the consistency is much better so they pass much more easily and I now rarely get pain with them.

It's horrific.

Definitely not Endo, as confirmed by recent lap. My options now are:

1. Have a coil fitted (which affects my mood and last time gave me shooting pains in my leg)

1. Have a hysterectomy (Gynae willing to do it)

1. Seek help from a bowel specialist (also recommended by Gynae)

I think I will do 1 and 3 and then if that doesn't help, go for no.2.

Just can't risk another bout of this pain next month. I just can't.

@oreosoreosoreos will try probiotics (and possibly a very strong lax before next month)

@AttilaTheMeerkat follow up is in 2 months

@oreosoreosoreos I just re-read your msg properly - about CBD oil. Tell me more!

Have you tried Mirena coil?

I had this pain, i thought it was my copper coil. It was agony on my period i couldnt look after my child. I ended up in a+e on a drip the pain was so bad. It turns out i had a ovarian cyst 😞. Watch and wait they said to see if it goes.

tummy

I would go as far to say here that they missed something fundamental here. Something is causing all this pain and it is certainly in your interests to find out what this is. Endometriosis cannot be ruled out here and it can also get onto the intestines. (BTW some women who are diagnosed with IBS turn out to have endometriosis instead). I would also reconsider having a coil fitted as this gave you problems last time around too.

You also need to be followed up sooner rather than later and certainly before two months time.

tummymumsie I usually have a smoothie for breakfast and I just put a couple of drops in that - 4 if the pain is v.bad. It says to put under your tongue, but the taste makes me gag so I can't do that!

I now rarely take OTC pain relief around my period - max paracetamol and ibruprofen never seemed to even touch the pain anyway, and the lavender and CBD seem to actually do something.

There's a lot of studies about CBD oil at the moment, with interesting results. Like I said before, I don't really understand why they work, I just know that they do for me - I don't care if it's a placebo effect, the main thing is that it allows me to function!

I just buy the Jacob Hooey one from H&B, but you can get stronger ones online.

I'd also second the poster who said that just because they didn't see any endo it doesn't mean you don't have it - it just might not have been in your tubes, and the adhesions may be elsewhere (like around your c-section incision, where you seem to get the most pain).

Also, someone else mentioned diet - I don't find that gluten effects me, but if I eat too much sugar and yeast I find I get quite bloated, which obviously just adds extra pressure to an already inflamed area.

I try to eat quite 'cleanly' in general, but it's sooo hard, especially when you just want to eat crap because you feel like crap.... but then it makes you feel even worse!

Wow, thanks @oreosoreosoreos (and everyone). Such great advice.

I got some CBD oil today (just happened to be selling it at work thing) @oreosoreosoreos mine is flavoured with mint and tastes really good. Even if it helps with the after pains I'll be happ(ier).

My guts are now very upset, but I guess it's just recovering from the trauma of all that spasming 

@AttilaTheMeerkat I know, it certainly feels that way I feel my only way to turn now is a Mirena. Even if it's just a temporary thing whilst they do more investigating.