(no subject)

[rachel2205.livejournal.com]

Hey everyone, I'm new but I had to post when I found you! :)

I was wondering if people can give me any useful advice for my very painful periods. Please, don't say ibuprofen and hot water bottles. Passed that a looooong time ago. For several years I have been taking mefenamic acid 500mg three times a day when I have my period and just before; I also take co-codamol if I really need it (the former is an NSAID and the latter a paracetomol so it's ok to mix). I was on the pill but found that I got weepy and bloated, so I stopped. I have seen a gynaecologist and I'm going to have a laparoscopy to see if I have anything amiss in my womb like endometriosis, but I've found that doctors seem unsympathetic about the main issue: the pain!

Why is it that even now doctors don't take period pain seriously? It's not just cramps, but aches in my back, arms, legs... You name it, I've had it. This is all textbook stuff, so why have doctors said "you'll be ok when you've had kids" (I'm 20 so that won't happen any time soon) or similar? It's very frustrating.

Do any of you have any tips on dealing with severe period pain besides lying down and taking lots of drugs? It really does get in my way every month. :(

Thanks in advance!

Comments

Some Thoughts...

[delicata77.livejournal.com]

Doctors can be assholes about this stuff, that is for sure.
But anyway.
What is your diet like? Do you eat meat? A lot of dairy? Lots of veggies & fruits? If I knew about your nutrition, I could point you in a few directions. But even without knowing that, I can recommend some herbs and vitamins & minerals that could help.
I know that chamomile tea, black cohosh ,licorice root tea, calcium & magnesium and white willow bark( an amazing analgesic-think "aspirin"-) help. Yoga positions, sexual activity while menstruating and red wine help cramps and aches.
I hope any of these suggestions help.

http://www.vitaminevi.com/Concern/Dysmenorrhea.htm

Re: Some Thoughts...

[geminigirl]

Also avoiding caffeine, rasberry leaf tea, exercise and being conscious of nutrition/exercise throughout the entire month, not just around your period are things to think about.

[whatevah.livejournal.com]

The best thing I've found so far is ginger root. I cut it up in small chunks and infuse it into a strong raspberry tea and sweeten it with honey. It really takes the edge off cramps or dissipates them entirely. I was told that this is because ginger is can be a muscle relaxant, but it is also a blood thinner, so if you have any concerns about bloodthinning drugs, you should talk to your doctor first.

Very recently I've found something odd that also seems to help. Don't laugh, I swear it works. Humming. Yep. Humming in one consistant tone, like carrying that note on as long as your breath will allow, but letting it vibrate in your head and then through your body. When you run out of breath, inhale, and start humming again in the same tone. Keep picking it up where you left off at each breath and pretty soon you don't even realize you're doing it at all. At the very least, it helps while you are humming, but I've found that it can help anywhere from taking the edge off so I can get a few things done (while not humming), to completely dissipating the cramps. I use it most when I'm in the car, since this is a fairly private place and where I need to be able to concentrate on the road rather than fighting cramps. Call me crazy, but try it first.

Hope those tips help.

[creepypanda.livejournal.com]

Question ..

what's a laparoscopy?

[sashajwolf.livejournal.com]

They make a small incision, usually in your belly button, and put a tube with a tiny camera on the end inside to take a look at your womb, ovaries etc.

[sashajwolf.livejournal.com]

Doing crunches often helps with endo-type pain. Don't ask me why, I have no idea :-)

[rachel2205.livejournal.com]

Thanks a lot everyone :)

[eslee.livejournal.com]

You could ask your doctor about Bextra. It's a Cox2 inhibitor, like celebrex, but for some reason they've found it works well on menstrual pain as well. I've been taking it for about 6 months & it's works miracles on me. You take it from the second you can tell your period is coming till the end.