(no subject)

[meshuggenah42.livejournal.com]

I'm new here.
I'm 15 and have had my period since I was 10 (yeah, tragic. haha). In the past few years though, I've gotten awful cramps on my first day each month. They are so severe that I can't do anything but lay in bed with a heating pad and hope I fall asleep. I've tried lots of Tylenol and Advil. I've even gone to the doctor for it. He told me to take a certain amount of Alieve, I don't remember what it was, I think it was jsut twice the reccommended dosage. That didn't do anything for me. Yesterday I took Motrin 800 (leftover from the dentist) which hardly worked and Vicodin (also from the dentist) which hardly did anything. Even after taking both of these, I was still in of pain. I've used heating pads, tried hot showers, stretching, all the things I've ever heard to do. Nothing works. When I went to the doctor before, he said the only other thing to do would be to put me on birth control.

Is this really the only option? I mean, I'm young, so I feel really uncomfortable of having to get looked at down there (my mom said that's what they have to do, is it true?). I'm also worried about all of the side affects.

So what I really would like to know, is what do you think would be best for me to do?

Comments

[t4-flirt.livejournal.com]

yes, you have to get looked at "down there". it's routine, and perfectly normal. my advice: get a female ob/gyn, and make sure you're comfortable with your doctor. they're there to help, trust me.

and as far as side effects, talk to your doctor about a low-dose hormone pill. I just started taking the pill in February after my son was born in November, and so far I haven't had too many issues. I'm taking Aviane(which is the generic for Alesse), by the way.

Oh, and if you do decide to get on the pill, don't choose a brand because "all my friends take this one", or "this one seems to be the most popular"...that can lead to problems because it may not be the right one for you. My sis did that(got on the brand her friends all took), and ended up very sick a couple months into it, and had to get off it.

Just talk to your doctor...they can help you decide what's best for you.

[meshuggenah42.livejournal.com]

thank you so much. :)

how exactly does a person go about choosing the brand?

[geminigirl]

Your doctor will take into consideration things like your health history, what the primary reason for taking the pill is if it's not contraception, what side effects you say you might be able to tolerate, and which ones you absolutely couldn't live with, and things like that, and choose one to try. After about three months, you'll assess how you're feeling, with your clinician whether the side effects are unbearable, and things like that, and decide whether what you're on is a good choice or you should try something else. It's very hit and miss, which can be a little frustrating, but in the end may be worth it.

Whether your gynecologist is male or female makes no difference-you'll find good and bad practitioners that are men and good and bad practitioners that are women. Go with someone who you're comfortable with, who will explain everything that he or she does, who listens to your concerns and can help you make good choices for yourself. vaginapagina members have a list in the sidebar of the community of practitioners they recommend. You can also see your own general practitioner or internist for routine gynecological exams, but because the kind of pain you're having may indicate a more serious problem it might be a good idea for you to see a specialist.

[t4-flirt.livejournal.com]

like I said, talk to your ob/gyn.

My ob/gyn and I talked about it when I saw her for my 6 wk. postpartum checkup after the birth of my son. She asked me a bunch of questions, and I told her my wishes(low hormones, 28 day pill). She then told me to try the Alesse, and wrote out a prescrip. Since generics are cheaper and the exact same thing as the brand name, I just got the generic. Good thing too, since I don't have insurance anymore...the Aviane is $33 a month. *shudders*

[meshuggenah42.livejournal.com]

do most insurances cover birth control? oh jeeez. i can't see my parnets spending a bunch on it. damn.

[geminigirl]

Some do, some don't-it's entirely dependent on the plan.

[meshuggenah42.livejournal.com]

ok thanks! i'll try to find out.

[xlostinxadreamx.livejournal.com]

The only reason why I had to start getting pap smears was because I told my doctor I was having sex. I don't know if your doctor will have to give you one or not.

[sawyerlove.livejournal.com]

I'm 16 and I'm on birth control for medical reasons (different than yours though). I'm not having sex (nor have I ever). When I went to get a baseline done (just getting a history built up so if ten years from now I say "this isn't right" there's proof that it isn't), my ob/gyn asked if I wanted to go on birth control (like your dr did). I said no at first and then she explained the reasoning and I agreed. She did have to do a physical exam but, it's easier to deal with then you'd think. Also, because I'm a virgin, she didn't do the pap smear. She just did a manual exam to make sure I had all the right parts in all the right places with no abnormalities. (She also said they could do an ultrasound if I wanted instead. Because I didn't care, she did a manual.) The side effects can be a b*tch sometimes but once you find the right brand, it's great. I'm on Yasmin right now (my second brand) and there's a few things I don't like about it but there's also the benefits that at this point outweigh the side effects. If you are on a brand that reacts badly for you, talk to your dr at your med check (I got a sample for 2 months and had to go back about 2 wks before I ran out to see if I was gonna stay on it or not-I switched brands at that point). If you don't have a med check, call 'em up and let 'em know.

[batshua]

You might want to look into getting a menstrual cup as well. Some users swear it has decreased their cramps and made them more tolerable. This may or may not be true for you, but at least one of the brands (DivaCup) lets you try it out for 12 months to see if you like it.

Good luck!

[meshuggenah42.livejournal.com]

i've read about them a bit... they seem... odd. lol. doesn't seem very comfortable or easy to use.

[batshua]

I'd suggest that you look around menstrual_cups. Most people there will admit there is a learning curve, but almost everyone seems to find it comfortable once they get the hang of it. Granted, this may not be you, but please at least consider it. I can't guarantee that you'd love a menstrual cup, or even that it would stop your cramps, but if you want to avoid birth control, it may be useful to you. You could try it out for a coupla months, and if you think it sucks, at least with the DivaCup, you can get a full refund and go back to pads or tampons.

*shrug*

Please don't think I'm trying to tell you that this is something that is "right for everyone". It's just I've heard good stories and hope this might help.

I'll shut up now. :)

[meshuggenah42.livejournal.com]

thank you :)
how do they help with cramps?
i'm going to go look at that community right now. :)

[batshua]

I don't think anyone knows how they help with cramps. I just know some users report their cramps are less when they start using the cup. It may have to do with the suction the cup creates, but I really don't know. It might be how it sits in the vagina, because I also remember reports of "unusual" cramps when it's not placed properly. Ask around and see if you can get a useful answer from the folks there.

[obscurethought.livejournal.com]

actually...they rock.

i used to have the worst cramps for the first day or two. i'd lay in bed feeling like death. with heating pads, and tons of midol and tylenol and all that goodness.

i heard about the whole cup idea, checked it out online, and was kinda weirded out by it.

fastforward half a year or so. still having horrible cramps and all that. and then my friend let me borrow the book Cunt! (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1580050751/sr=8-1/qid=1150148152/ref=sr_1_1/103-5954063-6774210?%5Fencoding=UTF8) and in it she talks about alternative products (cups, sponges etc), and then she starts talking about all the drugs we take to stop our cramps. and how you use them, become addicted in a sense and then the next month take more, and so forth and so on. and then she talks about her experiment. she stopped taking any pills. the next month sucked, but after that the cramps kept becoming more infrequent. and when she started taking pills again, she got cramps the next month.

anyway. i tried it out. i ditched the tampons, got a divacup, stopped taking pills...and i will never ever go back.

first off, i never get cramps anymore. no pain. no suffering.

plus the divacup rocks. easier than tampons and way way more comfortable. once you get past any weirdness and just try it out, it's pretty awesome. i mean, if you didnt grow up with it, wouldnt sticking a piece of wrapped up, chemically treated, bleached up, chunk of cotton up your cooch seem kinda weird?

sorry if this is a bit long and wordy, but i just wanted to let you know that it worked amazingly for me, and that it might help you

good luck!

:)

[meshuggenah42.livejournal.com]

i'd like to try one.. except i'm broke. haha.

i could NOT get through a period without painkillers.

[obscurethought.livejournal.com]

they're really worth it. get one asap

i used to be like that too. pills and then more pills and more. it sucked.

i stopped cold turkey, which sucked. i just used those adhesive heating pads to get through it. i mean, it still sucked...but not as bad. it was well worth it though. i couldn't be happier. i have no pain anymore. none. at all. crazy to believe i know, but it's true.

right now i'm convincing my mom and sister to try it. i think i've got my mom, and my sisters kinda iffy.

it's worth a shot though...i mean...worst that could happen is the pain doesnt go away.

[meshuggenah42.livejournal.com]

i'll probably get one when i get the money. :)

i really can't even try going without any painkillers. i mean, last time i had cramps, i took vicodin, and they didn't go away. and heat pads hardly work for me.

thanks for the advice.

[obscurethought.livejournal.com]

eeep!

if it's vicodin worthy, definitly go to the gyno

Good luck!!

[arwen-ravena.livejournal.com]

B/C is an option & the exam is cake. It just feels a little weird. Depending on your situation, it may work for you. So long as you don't have anything abnormal (endometriosis, a hormone inbalance, other structures, etc.) you should be fine.
I was on b/c for a time, which lessened the cramps, but didn't stop me from having to call off work sometimes still. After trying several kinds & then coming to the realization that I can't take any of it due to the side effects it gave me, I gave up on the b/c. After a few years & much pain, I got a gyn who took a look via surgery & did a few different things. He found out that I have a septated uterus & it's tipped back (which has not stopped me from getting pregnant - our son is due in October - but it did cause me grief trying to stay pregnant a couple times). At that time, he did a D&C (scraped the lining down)& after the recovery period, it worked wonders. No more heavy bleeding, no more bad cramps. Once I got pregnant & lost the baby early, the cramps returned, but still not as bad as they used to be. He had said that trhe reson for my awful cramps is the extra uterine wall I have due to the septum. I think when I have the baby, I will have it removed if possible. I would like to have a less painful monthly regime as soon as I possibly can. Hopefully you have an easier time & less of a wait. Cramps suck!

[meshuggenah42.livejournal.com]

ok, thanks. :) i hope to get it all figured out soon.

[melzme.livejournal.com]

That's what they did for me. Like you, I started my period very young (9 weeks before my 10th birthday D:) and I've always had cramps like that. I just curl up into the fetal position, cry, and take lots of Midol and those fantastic heat thingies that stick to your undies. That's about all that gets me through and it's not even completely. I get very, very sensitive, too. Birth control is the only thing that helped. Too bad I can't afford it anymore. :(

It's uncomfortable at first, when they examine you, but it's not too bad. It's only for a couple of minutes, too.