Is this just bad periods?

[HanarCantWearSweaters]

I’m 30. PCOS diagnosed about 10 years ago. Always had long and painful periods. Last few years they’ve gotten worse each month. It’s been so long I don’t know what’s normal, what’s PCOS or what’s abnormal anymore.

• periods are 7-10 days long, swing between months of irregular ones or skipped ones and then a few months of regular
• I have to wear a pad and super tampon together, changing the tampon every 1-2 hours on first two days
• paracetamol & ibuprofen don’t make a dent. Tonight I’ve taken two ibuprofen and two co drydamol I had left over from a recent surgery and still can’t sit or lie in bed. Currently in stupidly hot bath. Affecting work as can’t concentrate or join in calls
• pain is quite low in pelvis and spreading in a stripe across base of spine. Around my pelvis some areas are tender and sore if I push on it.
• mix of constipation and diarrhoea each period, sometimes in the same bowel movement
• maybe 50% of cycles I bleed for 2-3 days in between periods

I swing between thinking it’s normal and not being sure. Really don’t want to waste GP’s and my time asking about endo if it’s not, would kill me to have a laparoscopy and them not see anything. But I’m so miserable. I feel like it’s slowly killing me. I’m used to pain, have had plenty of injuries, surgeries, two years of gallstones pancreatitis etc but this is really getting me down.

No it's not, the need to wear sanitary protection and change so often puts you in the category of heavy bleeding.
www.nhs.uk/conditions/heavy-periods/
I would go to your GP, you could have fibroids and there's medication they can give to help with the bleeding.

Do not even think about you potentially wasting the GPs time here!!!. There is a physical cause for such problems.

I would go and see your GP, what you are describing here re long and painful periods is not normal and nor should you have to put up with it. Its also quite possible to have both PCOS and endometriosis; I have been diagnosed with both. Given the pain you're having endometriosis cannot be ruled out here and endometriosis can involve the intestines.

If you do not already keep a daily pain and symptom diary do start one of these asap; this will give the gynae clues and will also show you a pattern of symptoms.

If you have the means to pay for an initial consultation with a gynae at your local private hospital I would do this as well. I suggest this primarily as NHS waiting lists for gynaecology in particular are currently miles long.

Wrong question -not is it normal, but is it affecting your quality of life? Of course it is, and it needs treating accordingly.

Thank you all, I think you’ve confirmed what I knew but needed someone to tell me. It’s definitely affecting my quality of life atm but I keep thinking oh I read of someone who can’t get out of bed with period pain and I can so it can’t be that bad. Putting roadblocks in my own way.

I started a new job earlier in the year which comes with private healthcare but this would be classed as a pre existing condition wouldn’t it, couldn’t exactly tell them they’ve only just started getting painful.

Can’t get an appointment with my own GP atm (naturally) but have one with the doctor at hand app through work tomorrow morning. Haven’t used them before but apparently they can do referral letters. Fingers crossed.

@AttilaTheMeerkat re the diary, do I keep it on non period days too? As worry it would be empty most of the time except for the random in between bleeds. I’ve been having gut/bowel issues last few years too but put it down to a crap diet. Pain before/during bowel movements, cramps after eating, checking where toilets would be on trips out etc.

Think it’s hardest to deal with now as literally had surgery 2 weeks ago for gallbladder and thought this is the end of 2 years of pain. It’s like I forgot this was still going to happen every month. Don’t think I have the reserves left. Sorry. Negative Nellie over here.

Yes, keep the diary on non period related days too as it will give them clues. Pain scale can be from 1-10.

Hopefully you will receive a referral letter, do push for one. Something is causing all this and it is certainly in your interest to find out what it is. These sorts of problems are debilitating and it needs a diagnosis.

For what it’s worth I used to get what is quaintly described on MN as javelin arse, ie rectal pain and pelvic pain. That was due to endometriosis as well.

It’s worth asking your private medical cover if it’s for new investigations.

I had the GP appointment this morning. She thinks it ‘eminently sensible’ to investigate endo and sent a referral letter to my insurer focusing on the in between bleeding. I asked about the pre existing thing and she said they have lots of loopholes to get around this, she’s worded it in a way they should accept etc. It then came through as accepted for the consult and diagnostic tests which is great, but if further treatment is required it will need a new claim.

Thing is, I know I’ve talked to a GP about the bleeding maybe 3/4 years ago? So it must be on my record. The doctor today really pushed for it to go on insurance but I’m so worried I’m not committing insurance fraud? Will they (insurers) look through my medical record and see I’ve had it before? Keep being in half a mind to call them back and cancel the referral if this is morally shaky.

Your medical records held by the GP are private. I would not worry at all about a conversation you had with your GP 3 or 4 years ago. The GP likely writes to insurance companies a lot re referrals so let this person do their thing here.

My lap type operation was paid for fully by my insurers (bar some excess) when I was being investigated for painful periods and as a part of my fertility treatment and I had discussed this beforehand with the GP.

Do not cancel any referral!.

I would bet on this being endometriosis and/or adenomyosis. I have both and my symptoms are the same. I find a combo of codeine and ibuprofen helps, but not always. I do find sitting in a hot bath while the meds start to kick in helpful. And my hot water bottle is my best friend when I'm at home.

I hope you get a diagnosis soon, along with adequate pain relief. On average it takes 7 years to diagnose Endo because, in my experience, womens healthcare is pretty shite. Keep pushing!

I've just had a hysterectomy because my periods were like this.

While I was waiting for the operation I discovered Raspberry Leaf tablets (Holland & Barrett) and they were LIFESAVERS. Greatly reduced flow, and no period pains. Please try them. You take them every day and they give you your life back.

Well it won’t be any time soon. Had an appointment for Monday but it was in a location 2 hours away so I rang them and asked could it be closer, the lovely friendly guy said yes no problem I’ll re request that. Woke up to an email saying they’re rejecting the claim as it’s pre existing. I could cry. Why don’t they have standardised procedures that mean different people don’t accept or reject different things. Why was I stupid enough to ask for one closer.

Go back to them and ask them to explain how they can accept a referral and then change their minds. They don't know it's an existing condition as they don't know it's the same problem as before. I would definitely be fighting it.

Indeed fight this.

I would challenge their assertion this is an pre existing condition because the cause of this particular problem you are having now has not been investigated.