Teenage period pain

[Lovemybunnies]

In her legs and back and she’s in bed having been awake through the night. She started her periods over a year ago and this pain is new. I was like this and went on the pill at 14 but would prefer not to have her on the pill. Any tips please? I have ordered a Myoovi tens machine to try.

The cause needs to be determined as well as treating the symptoms.

I can get why you are reluctant re your DD potentially using the pill (it can also mask symptoms of any underlying problem) but if this keeps on happening it is something that needs to be talked about. Looking back on it now I wish my mother had taken me to get the pill prescribed at that age; it would have helped me an awful lot. It was many years later that I was diagnosed with endometriosis and apparently I had all the classic symptoms (pelvic pain, painful periods, cyclical pain).

I would advise your DD to keep a pain (noting pain on a scale from 1-10) and symptom diary if she does not already do this. If she keeps getting such pain consistently then I would see a GP with a view to obtaining a gynae referral. Painkillers and hot water bottle in the meantime may be of some help. I personally found a tens machine to be of no use whatsoever but hopefully it will help your DD.

My 16yo DD had bad period pain and I took her to the GP. Like you, I didn't really want her to go on the pill unless it was necessary. The GP prescribed mefenamic acid tablets, which she only needs to take if the pain is bad. They seem to be working well.

Talk to a GP.

My DD, similar to a pp, uses mefenamic acid and it really helps.

GPs are generally reluctant to prescribe the pill to teens.

If you take her to the GP he can check her out and make sure it is "just" period pain.

He can also prescribe painkillers that work better for this type of pain - mefenamic acid and tranexamic acid are common.

GPs are generally reluctant to prescribe the pill to teens.

Are they?

All of my girls have been prescribed the pill in their low teens. My youngest was given it after I did a phone consultation when she was 13.

I can sympathise, I started my periods at 12 and from then onwards every month was purgatory, my Mum was always telling me it was normal and wouldn't take me to the doctors so as soon as I was old enough I took myself, regular painkillers just didn't work so they tried me on every prescription painkiller going including mefenamic acid...nothing worked..the pain was so bad I occasionally used to faint, going on the pill was the only remedy, it gave me control and some normality.

DD had terrible period pain, but then got diagnosed with PCOS at 14, which explained why. She's on the pill (no idea which one...) but she doesn't now have periods and only minimal discomfort as long as she takes them religiously at exactly the same time each day. I was the same for years, it's so miserable.

PCOS does not cause severe period pain, it causes irregular periods. The cystic follicles associated with this disrupts the whole process of ovulation.

Endometriosis is a common cause of severe and or ongoing period pain.

GP didn't want to prescribe the pill for DD, they gave her loads of Naproxen instead.

Mefanamic acid helps me and these
They smell like Vicks but I have endometriosis and they really help
Oh and a heating pad, I have a plug in one from Amazon

amzn.eu/d/hmoFZJW

Thanks so much everyone. I didn’t think anyone had responded but you’ve all been really helpful. I was on the pill from 14 because of painful periods but don’t really want her to have a lifetime of being tied to medication unless we really have to. I’m going to see if she wants to try mefenamic acid first. The moovi arrived today so we will see if that’s any good.

I had endometriosis and swore by mefanamic acid.

But for me, it only worked if it started taking it the day before my period started. One of my endo symptoms was vomiting, so if I left it too late to take the mef acid I'd usually vomit it up before it got to take effect.

Could it be endometriosis?

i was on pill from very young as hideous pain. When i came to conceive i did no problem - turned out i had endometriosis but i think being on the pill constantly stopped it causing much damage?

maybe misunderstanding the science here

I don’t know, she could be. I had the same pain she is suffering in my legs, back and abdomen. I just find it strange that she’s been having periods for over a year now and this has just started.

Mine was really bad when I was her age, improved a fair bit and then hit me with a vengeance age 38... I'm waiting for an appointment but an ultrasound has confirmed it's endometriosis

Sorry to hear that and also sorry it took so long for you to be diagnosed @PawsisShady. Do any of the girls taking mefenamic acid get side effects with it?

No side effects. I'm actually managing just with the patches I linked further up at the minute but I take mefanamic acid, paracetamol, dihydrocodeine and oral morphine if it's very bad

If it is endometriosis that could make sense as the tissue grows over time so symptoms evolve and change (i think… per my prior post i have spent basically my whole adult life on the pill other than my pregnancies as the pain was too horrid to bear so i can hardly claim endo insight)

I suffered really badly with period pains and went on the pill at 17, I had previously been given other prescription medication.

I swore I would not allow my DDs to suffer, but unfortunately DD1 has epilepsy so can’t take the pill. She is on Mefanamic acid and tranexamic acid

Same here. I went straight off the pill on to HRT.

@Lovemybunnies hope you don't mind me resurrecting your thread but I wondered how your daughter got on with the myoovi? Thinking of getting one for mine because mefanamic acid doesn't have any effect on her at all 😢