What can I do re extremely painful periods

[gingerycake]

I have always had painful heavy periods. I have discussed with GP previously but this was met with lots of ummm and ahhs about it being unfortunate.
I am 36 years old and overweight so I'm not sure what options are even available to me.
This month ie yesterday I was in the most pain I've ever been in. I felt like I was going to vomit in pain, I often feel like I could pass out but this was the worst ever. The pain went on for a few hours until I ended up taking max ibu profen and some paracetamol plus sitting in the shower as I couldn't stand, with the shower head on as hot as possible straight onto my stomach.

I was riling in pain couldn't speak for a while it got so bad. Today I feel a bit more human but I'm scared to do anything. I exercise and tried to walk through it etc but in the end all I could do was roll up in a ball of pain and cry until the drugs started to work.

I don't know what to do. My GP is useless. Just getting an appointment is impossible and they're making it deliberately difficult texting almost every week saying only come in an emergency because they're so busy and fobbing you off when you ring for an appointment that you should be fine if you do xyz, anything except come in.
I can't go through yesterday again. My young dc saw me in bed crying in pain and were scared. I tried not to let them see me but dh had to go and get more painkillers so they were in the house and worried.

Do you have private medical cover at all
Through you or your husband's work?
If yes then push to get a referral you may well have Endometriosis.
If no still push for investigations but see if you can get put onto a pill without taking the breaks in between to stop the periods. Even if you're actively TTC it may be worth doing this for a few months to give time for any further investigations or referrals.

After all the same crap you're suffering, I ended up paying for a consultation with a private gynaecologist. Got referred back to the NHS for investigations and was diagnosed with endo. That was over 20 years ago. Got the right treatment and haven't suffered periods again all that time. You absolutely shouldn't continue to suffer like this.

Thanks dh does have private healthcare I will have to see what it covers.

Cannot go through that again rather have everything out!!

Are you on the pill ?
If so there's nothing to stop you taking it without breaks as an immediate solution.

My periods have always been bad but won't worse after I got sterilised a few years ago. I was referred for an internal womb scan that showed no problems. I now just get the strong cocodamol on prescription and they help massively.

Mine are horrendous, i am on the mini pill plus take mefenamic acid, tranexamic acid and 30/500mg co-codamol. I currently have pain for two weeks out of every 4.

Unfortunately I found that even private I was dismissed as being hysterical and it basically all being down to my weight (I'm fat, so of course it couldn't possibly be anything else). They did a hysteroscopy to rule out cancer, told me I had some fibroids and then basically said I need to just learn to manage the pain and lose weight - which is hard to do when you can't function for half the time.

I know I need a second opinion but I'm not sure I have it in me to fight after dealing with this pain for the past 5 years. I am not saying this to worry you, but just to say don't let them fob you off! Fingers crossed you get more answers

I came off the pill for dc originally but when I went to go back in it (via a paid for online prescription as couldn't get into GP for an appointment) my blood pressure was deemed too high in addition to me being in the over weight bmi bracket so I was refused the prescription. I don't think I actually have HBP though but had run to the appointment and think it's pushed it up, so will have to try again.

The pill would be a good temporary stop gap though. We use other methods of contraception for now as in between wanting another dc but in the meantime I can't live like this so would be willing to do anything, even give up on having another dc, than live like this. It has actually scared me how much pain I was in yesterday. Never been that bad before but has always been quite bad.

Cocodamal sounds good. I would say I have a high pain tolerance as well so this is the last straw of suffering this way!

@myuterusistryingtokillme sorry you have this too. I was underweight before dc and still had this sort of periods so I'd be annoyed if it was dismissed as due to my weight. Although I agree I have to get my weight down I'm not convinced it is due to being overweight for me as I've only been overweight for about a year now. Thanks lockdown

My periods last about two weeks too. But there are a couple of days where I'm wiped out. Yesterday was the absolute worst though. I cannot go through that again.
Thanks for sharing your experience I don't want to get my hopes up too high anyway.