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Women's health

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Original poster

Dr wants 15yo dd to consider going on contraceptive pill

110 replies

Flamingoose · 22/04/2022 08:15

I'm uncomfortable about how normal it is for women to start taking a daily hormone adjustment in early teens and to continue with that for the rest of our fertile lives. Is it really a good idea?

Dd has horrendous menstrual cramps. It's only one day a month that is unbearable, but on that day she is barely able to get out of bed. She has missed a day of school every month for about 6 months, and on and off before that. She cries in pain. It's awful. She is not generally one to make a fuss, and she hates missing school.
She has been prescribed very strong painkillers (which have risks of their own, but at least it is only one or two days a month).
The doctor is keen for us to consider dd going on the pill. Dd wants a solution to the pain, but she's not keen to go on the pill.
I have absolutely no moral or silly objection to her going on the pill, but I hesitate to start messing around with her hormones already.
Any thoughts?

OP posts:
KangarooKenny · 22/04/2022 08:17

Don’t see it as the ‘contraceptive’ pill, see it as the medication that is possibly the answer to her problem.
I have a Mirena coil, but it’s not for contraception.

passport123 · 22/04/2022 08:18

If you're old enough to have periods you're old enough to take the pill. I'm a GP and wouldn't hesitate to suggest it in the situation you've described. Have given it at younger than 15.

MartinMartinMarti · 22/04/2022 08:18

A day a month of horrific pain is awful. It’s really not something I would want to suffer if there was a safe treatment available.

SlipperyLizard · 22/04/2022 08:20

I wouldn’t hesitate if it helps the problem. I started the pill at 17 to treat acne, stayed on it until I got pregnant at 32, back on until second pregnancy then on it again until I got the mirena coil a few years ago.

I have always loved having control over when/if I have a period, not having to keep track of cycles etc. Yes in an ideal world she wouldn’t need it - but she’s out of action for a day a month - I think the pill is the lesser of two evils here.

AchillesPoirot · 22/04/2022 08:22

It's not for contraception. It's a medicine to treat a health issue.

FromOurHatsToOurFeet · 22/04/2022 08:22

How is it acceptable for her to miss that much school? Look at it as medication that means she can stop being in pain and get back to school.

In the long term, yes someone should work on a better option but female only medicine is not really a priority for any pharmaceutical company.

Whatwouldscullydo · 22/04/2022 08:30

I understand your reservations. The pill has its own set of risks and side effects and may not be the wonder drug that solves all the issues .

But

Its probably more likely that the dr will not investigate further if you don't try all their suggestions first.

Sadly female health ( especially reproductive health) is an area seriously neglected by medicine.

Maybe speak to your dd suggest you give it say 6 months see if it helps and go from there.

I have to say aswell it's great your dd can talk to you about all this and that she has your support .

waterlego · 22/04/2022 08:32

I could have written this a few months back. My DD is exactly the same- one or two days of unbearable pain every period. I used to sometimes find her crying in the shower in the middle of the night, just trying to use the warm water for pain relief. More than once I had to go and collect her from school when she was in pain. She has her GCSEs next month so really don’t want her missing any school at this point, especially after Covid!

Ibuprofen and Paracetamol didn’t cut it so she got a prescription for mefanemic acid which did help but only if she took it in good time (before the pain started) which didn’t always happen. She asked if she could try the pill and so she got a prescription for Rigevidon. Within a couple of weeks she was suffering awful anxiety, mood swings and even paranoia. She’s always been a very sunny, cheerful sort so it was awful to witness the change. I asked her to stop taking it as I was so worried about her. She is now on a different pill which seems to be ok so far.

I always had problems with the pill when I was taking it (many years ago now). I tried several different ones but had issues with mood swings, weight gain, acne… Because of my experience, I’m not thrilled that she’s having to take it but I’m not the one with crippling period pain and in fact I’ve never really suffered much with cramps so it’s not for me to decide how my DD manages hers.

But perhaps the key thing here is that your DD says she doesn’t want to take it. In your situation, I would probably encourage her to stay as she is and use the painkillers if they’re working for her.

Sympathies to you both, it’s really tricky.

MagneticRubberDucks · 22/04/2022 08:32

I suffer just as your DD does,
one day of my period is horrific, can’t get out of bed, the pain is debilitating.
i was basically forced to go on the pill and told it was my only option, it made it worse, instead of it being one day of severe pain it was 4 days of slightly less pain, but it was still awful.
the pill also made me depressed.

it took years for my body to go back to normal after I stopped taking it.
i looked at alternative options and take supplements and change my diet the week before my period and it has substantially helped with how badly I suffer.

orbitalcrisis · 22/04/2022 08:36

As it's her hormones that are the problem, she needs them messed with!

travellingturtle · 22/04/2022 08:37

Has the Dr looked at the possibility of endometriosis? It's SO underdiagnosed and going on the pill will only do so much if it's the case. Friend of mine just had a full hysterectomy after 20 years of doctors not taking her pain seriously and bouncing around all kinds of contraceptive options. Not saying that to scare you, just to encourage you to push for it to be considered.

TulipsGarden · 22/04/2022 08:40

The pill can be very useful to treat medical problems, though I do understand your concern as it doesn't suit me at all. You might need to try a few before finding one that suits her.

I would also start investigations now into endometriosis. With that level of pain she probably has it, and it takes on average 10 years to be diagnosed (because women's pain is ignored). Start the ball rolling now.

stopthepain · 22/04/2022 08:40

If she misses 2 days a month then her attendance will only be 88%. That’s 22 school days she’s missed. She’s 15, not 12, so if there’s medication she can take to help manage her pain (and also not hinder her education) then why shouldn’t she take the pill? If she has side effects then she can either change the pill or try an alternative.

PeterpiperpickedapeckofpickledPEPPAS · 22/04/2022 08:42

Once she becomes sexually active she may well want to take an oral contraceptive pill anyway. And she doesn’t have to take them for the rest of her fertile life. She can try it and see if it helps with her symptoms. She can stop taking it anytime if she doesn’t get on with it.
There are also different types. I didn’t enjoy the side effects I had on the combined pill but i really get on with the progesterone only pill.
Mama Dr Jones on Youtube is a great source of information about contraceptive pills and what they do and why they are used. She’s a working Ob Gyn who also makes educational YouTube videos.

JudyGemstone · 22/04/2022 08:43

My 15 year old has been taking it for a few months now, it was suggested by GP for irregular and painful periods.

I wasn’t super keen, but I also went on it at 15 (for contraceptive use) and we agreed to trial it for 6 months and review.

She has gained weight, gone from a size 6-8 to a 10 in the last few weeks which has bothered her. She was tearful and emotional initially but this seems to have settled a bit.

Her period is still all over the place, and still heavy and painful so far. Think she’s on her 3rd pack so giving it a chance to stabilise.

Personally I think she might have endometriosis and the pill was a bit of a fob off, but if it hasn’t worked in the 6 month period hopefully they’ll take us more seriously and give her the referral to the paediatric gynae service that I wanted!

MajorCarolDanvers · 22/04/2022 08:45

I went on the pill at 14 for dreadful cramps. It was the only thing that worked. Made a huge difference.

Fupoffyagrasshole · 22/04/2022 08:53

hmmmm I am the same (i'm 33) I take the 1 day of pain a month though because I despise how I felt when I was on the pill ! I had migraine's, weight gain and horrible mood swings - felt like a different person tbh. Best thing I ever did was stop taking it.

Think it is up to your daughter though - maybe she will get on well with it

Lalaland44 · 22/04/2022 08:58

I was the same as your DD. Debilitating pain. Sickness from pain. Painful bowel movements. Education disrupted due to days off. I’m now 45 still on the pill. It literally turned my life around. No more pain. Lighter periods. I’ve since been diagnosed with endometriosis. For me the pill really helps keep it at bay and damage caused by endo to a minimum. It may take trying a few brands of pill to find the right one. I came off the pill to get pregnant in my 30’s and within a month all the pain came back. Couldn’t wait to get back on it after having my 2 DC.

RiverSkater · 22/04/2022 09:04

I had crippling period pain but a mum who only took me to the doctor if I was dying. I'd have been so happy to go on the pill!

I used to take ibuprofen BEFORE there was any pain so it was already in my body and mefanamic acid found exercise really worked, stretching and running up and down the stairs. So tedious.

But the pill would save her all that.

Girliefriendlikespuppies · 22/04/2022 09:05

I can understand your reservations, my dd has terrible mood swings and severe anxiety the week before her period and I'm wondering if the pill might help her.

However I know when I've been on the pill my mental health has been worse!

I think in your dds case op it would be worth trying for a few months. If she doesn't get on with it she can always stop taking it.

RB68 · 22/04/2022 09:17

I had a terrible time when younger. Used to curl up next to a radiator in winter for the heat through back and stomach. I had no joy with Dr until I was in college and found a sympathetic one - we methodically worked through a range of pain killers and it was Brufen that worked but a higher dose than those over the counter - so equivalent of 3 ibuprofen in one go. It is still my go to as in peri meno and on HRT and it has brought back all the breast tenderness, dizziness, PMT and mood swings having a terrible time and feel OK 1 week out of 4. Try the Pill it didn't work for me (several diff mini pills tried. Mirena coil is meant to be good but they often won't prescribe if you haven't had children. It for me was about learning to read my body, tracking periods (which were irregular but there were signs but subtle of when period was coming and having the tablets and a drink to hand for overnight. Taking the tablets as soon a backache started, restlessness at night and a slight temp change (feeling cold when it shouldn't be an issue) and hot water bottles.

It's counter intuitive but exercise also helps - a walk, a swim, even a hot tub so just light stuff - gets the natural endorphins going and seems to get a slow sluggish system sorting itself out.

I have struggled with anything hormone related and continue to do

Mariposista · 22/04/2022 09:23

If she is so much pain that she needs to miss school, then she needs treatment. If the pill is the one thing that helps her, then do it. I had to take the pill from age 19 for severe acne, nothing else had worked and it was affecting my MH and leaving me with scarring. Not looked back.

JenniferPlantain · 22/04/2022 09:45

As a woman who endured agonising period pain through my teens I am absolutely begging you to allow this. Days off, vomiting and unable to walk. I was denied the pill (despite my mother's best attempts to get me on it) until I was 16 and it was as if my world changed for the better overnight.

Her hormones are messed up now, taking the pill will only balance them out in the right direction.

What are your specific concerns? If she's on codeine/ibuprofen or similar those can be far more disruptive to her endocrine system than the pill. xx

passport123 · 22/04/2022 10:04

travellingturtle · 22/04/2022 08:37

Has the Dr looked at the possibility of endometriosis? It's SO underdiagnosed and going on the pill will only do so much if it's the case. Friend of mine just had a full hysterectomy after 20 years of doctors not taking her pain seriously and bouncing around all kinds of contraceptive options. Not saying that to scare you, just to encourage you to push for it to be considered.

The thing about diagnosing endometriosis is it can only be done by surgery (laparoscopy) which not all teens want. So sometimes for a teen, who isn't trying to conceive, and if their symptoms are controlled by e.g. the pill, I will have a discussion along the lines that this could be endometriosis and do they want to seek a definitive (surgical) diagnosis or do they just want empirical treatment - many choose the latter. OP I don't know if her periods have always been painful, if they have been this painful from e.g. 6 months after they started that suggests it is more likely to be just primary painful periods, pathology such as endometriosis usually presents after a couple of years of OK periods. If anyone from the GMC is watching this isn't individual medical advice!!

Lalaland44 · 22/04/2022 10:27

My endo was diagnosed laparoscopically after a chocolate cyst formed during IVF treatment. The pill for me has been a godsend. I’m on cilique which I’ve been on now for as long as I can remember. My mood is stable. I have a period every month. A little PMT. Very little to no cramping. I’ll stay on it until I think my GP said 52 years old. Then HRT. I could have a hysterectomy but that’s major surgery and endo being managed via the pill at the minute.