DD fainting with periods

[WhereAreWeNow]

Not sure if this is the best place to post. DD (12) just started her periods last month. She's only had 2 periods so far and both times she's experiencing dizziness and feeling faint. This morning she actually did faint which was pretty scary as she's never fainted before and nor have I so I've got no experience of it.
I'll take her to the GP once normal GP services resume but wondered if MNers had any words of wisdom or reassurance in the meantime?
Does anyone else have any experience of fainting with periods? Any tips on how to prevent it? I'm worried about how we'll manage it when she's back at school in September.

I used to faint every month as a teenager, got sent home from school a couple of times. I eventually started taking the pill at 18 which helped but before then my mum advised me to have bigger, carby breakfasts - it could have been a coincidence but it did help. She thought it was to do with my blood sugar getting low so I did that.

Im over 40 now and I still sometimes feel a bit dizzy on my heaviest days. I know to sit down if I feel it coming and ride it out. I used to take an over the counter drug called tranexamic acid, the brand name is femstrual which helps with heavy flow and is safe to take with nsaids like nurofen.

I’d see the GP, I was the same and it impacted my teenage years greatly. The only think that helped was the pill but that was 30 years ago so there may be other things she could try.

I also used to have severe periods as a teenager, I would often be sick and faint and spent about 3 days a month in agony crying in bed! This was late teens wary 20s and I was tested for anaemia and other things but didn't have it so just guess was unlucky.

I used the pill and the implant which did ease them a bit and I could control the actual fainting and being sick but still had quite a bit of pain

I know this isn't a solution, but it was having my child 8 years ago that actually changed my period completely, they're often very mild now. I'm obviously not suggesting that as a solution, but just to offer a bit of reassurance that it can change in time. And if you find the right type of contraception you should be able to ease it for you dd.

I used to faint when first started my periods, it lasted a few months.

Even as an adult I do faint when I'm ill, but not with periods anymore.

Never felt faint but had terrible periods has a kid and basically didn't sleep for a night every month (starting at 10yo). That's not good for a kid.....

I would have a good talk with the GP and maybe even take her to a Gynaecologist. Maybe a small pill could help

In terms of preventing it, probably stay hydrated, make sure she eats, painkillers just in case the pain doesn't help and hopefully it'll sort itself. Mine were quite heavily but did settle a bit and then went on the pill at 18.

I had this a lot when I was younger. Slight anaemia and low blood pressure.

See GP as you say, but to manage for now try to be aware of triggers (standing up from sitting or laying down, heat, especially hot/warm baths or showers, low blood sugar from not eating for a while, exertion, and standing for long periods were some of mine), and sit/lie down at the first signs as to not actually fall. I often felt sick rather than dizzy at the start of a spell, so watch out for that.

Good luck, I hope you get it sorted. Mine went away when I put on a bit of weight (at about 24), though I wasn't 'underweight' I was slim when younger, and it came back again when I lost it. Now I've eaten all the pies again so it's not an issue at the moment.

I used to do this. I once did it in the middle of school assembly
I also used to get extreme pain and be in the nurse’s office almost every month, sometimes sent home.
My mum put me on iron tablets and tried to feed me boiled liver at every opportunity - puke !! I think I just grew out of it after a couple of years tbh.

I would suggest this is something that you could have a telephone:video appt with the GP before her next period,rather than waiting for things to return to normal - that could be some time!

Could she be anaemic?

I had really heavy periods when I first started 11-13.. I went to the doctors and was given medication.. can't remember for the life of me what it was called but I took it with every meal when I was on my period.. probably a better alternative to the pill.. I did work quite well

Thanks so much everyone. Both times it happened we're straight after a shower so I guess that's a trigger. She could be anaemic but no way of knowing without a blood test. I'll contact GP to see if they're doing phone or video appointments.

Thanks everyone Reassuring to know this is quite common.

It's common but can be the first sign of endometriosis, which the pill masks, if she carry's on with the intense pain make sure this isn't overlooked, and her severe pain isnt minimised by GPs

I'm 45 and lived my life in agony each month, it's taken until now to know that I've had this disease my whole life as it's flared up during peri menopause and I've finally got answers to why I've suffered so badly.

So the pill will work, my mum got me on it at 14, but it does mask endometriosis so maybe just read up and share with her so if she gets symptoms in later life she knows what it is.

Thanks changeagainandagain. It hadn't even occurred to me that it could be something like endometriosis. I'll definitely ask the GP about that when I'm able to get an appointment.

I wouldn't really want her to go on the pill aged 12 TBH. I know some people have said it helped them but I feel she's too young and her body is still developing - I wouldn't want her taking synthetic hormones everyday.

Hi op, my DD is 12 and fainted in Feb, twice in a day. She just went white as a sheet and hit the floor. Hers wasn't related to periods, but went to GP. The second time she was just getting out of the bath which was quite hot.

GP said that teenage girls often do have a tendency to faint. DD had v low blood pressure when he checked.

He said she needs to eat and stay hydrated, she also has a tendency to barely drink and eats sparingly, she has always been the same and hates eating in the morning.

I now make her eat a bagel and have a glass of water each day ( bagel is her choice, I'm not militant about bagels).

We since bought an oximeter and measure her pulse which is ridiculously slow, about 39bpm, whereas mine is in the 80s and I'm really fit!

Good luck

Lifelong endo sufferer here. I went on the pill to help with periods at 16 and it did indeed help. However i subsequently read some limited studies (ie there is not much research on it) that going on the pill as a teenager can accerate reaching adulthood and fuse the growth plates in the legs - ie you don;t grow any further. My mother, two sisters and both grandmothers (!) are all taller than me. At 5'6 I am obviously not short but I had always wondered why I went from tracking on the 99th centile for hight and then just stopped growing. I know girls have their biggest growth spurt early teens, but they usually do gain a couple of cm before 18.

So, in short, I would explore things like transanemic acid and other medication before going on the pill. But I am not a medical expert; if things did continue a gynae would be a good option as other posters have suggested.

Thanks actiongirl1978 - it's so reassuring to hear this isn't so unusual. When it happened yesterday, she hadn't had breakfast yet and she had just had a shower so it may well be to do with low blood sugar/blood pressure/heat from the shower. I've generally had low blood pressure throughout my life (although I've never fainted) so maybe it's that.

I'll try to get a phone consultation with the GP but I doubt there's much they can say without taking a blood test for iron and taking her blood pressure.

I'm freaking out a bit about the endo thing though. I didn't realise girls could have it from their first period. I thought it was something that usually started in 20s or later. It worries me because it seems like all the investigations (laparascopy etc) and treatments (pill) are all quite full on and not things I'd want my DD to go through at 12. Really hoping it's not that.

Sounds more like a blood pressure/ hydration thing, my periods weren't great as a teenager and I did faint once due to that but I also went through a stage of having to be careful in hot showers/baths in general.

Definitely no endo and it resolved itself as I got older until my pregnancies where I fainted on a few occasions in hot environments and the first time I stood up after births on each occasion (I was ready for it after the first!)

Anyway my diet has always been very good and high in red meat, I am very poor at drinking enough though. My GP advised me during pregnancy to have a glass of water before getting in the shower etc and it seemed to help.

That was me. My periods were also painful enough to make me faint, which turned out to be PCOS, but the only thing that helped.was.going on the pill (which is also the treatment for PCOS if you don't want to get pregnant).

I had very low blood pressure and was a bit anaemic, but as long as I ate regularly, the fainting was kept under control and stopped once I was 16. I had to have about a dozen biscuits at breaktime and carry glucose tablets, until my early 20s.

I was the same from teenager until I had kids in my 30's. I found that I needed sugar - such as jelly babies / sugary fruit juice etc at regular intervals in the days leading up to and the first few days of having a period. I couldn't stomach heavy meals otherwise I would get an upset stomach as well.

I second the recommendation of transamic? acid and taking them as soon as the period was about to start. I also took codeine. Hope that helps.

My dd faints a lot.

Hers is due to low blood pressure as it is always worse during a period.

The hot shower also causes her to feel faint any time of the month. Heat can drop blood pressure. Also standing up too fast. My dd faints if she holds her breath, like trying to stop hiccoughs.

Try to up her salt intake when she is feeling dizzy as it helps to increase blood pressure. Some salted crisps, or sprinkle some salt on an apple etc. If you have a monitor at home you would be able to track it.

You will need to check if its is this though, but is sounds similar.

My dd has seen a lot of doctors about it. It is quite common in pre teen and teens if that is any consolation at all.

Also rehydrate drinks.

I had the same as a teenager. Woke up in some interesting position. I had something acid which helped. Not a lot to go on sorry

GP here. This is really common and most girls grow out of it. It's triggered by the vagal nerve which is irritated from passi g blood through the cervix leading to a drop in blood pressure. All the advice above is sensible- stay well hydrated. Showering will dilate blood vessels and drop her BP even further so she needs to be a bit careful then- perhaps a chair in the shower, not too hot and having some water beforehand may help. There's pills which help regulate the cycle if pain and heaviness are also an issue. It's rubbish and happened to me as a child too so I sympathise with her. Is she particularly tall or slim? Also can drop the BP. Hopefully this will settle over the next few months/ years. Do chat to your GP if it's ongoing though.