Dysmenorrhea Sufferers - Any Others Out There?

[Bucket]

Hi Guys.

I've suffered from severe dysmenorrhea (along with about 10% of menstruating ladies) ever since coming off the pill. In fact, it's the reason I was on the pill from 14 to 28 years old!

The symptoms of dysmenorrhea vary between women, but here's an example of what happens to me on the first day of my cycle (TMI alert!):

The cramps in my uterus start about an hour before I start bleeding heavily, and quickly increase to unbearable proportions. They behave like labour contractions, coming in waves that cause me to writhe, scream and/or cry, unable to breathe normally. Controlled breathing doesn't help (I am a yoga bunny). Meditation is impossible. The whole of my lower body constantly contracts (legs, uterus, stomach), which causes intense diarrhoea. The pain makes me sick repeatedly, too - so much so that I am unable to keep down any pain killers. The symptoms are like food poisoning. The burning-like pain spreads all through my lower abdomen, upper legs, lower back and skin, and my calf muscles spasm and cramp uncontrollably. Eventually, one time in every three, I pass out. This sometimes leads to a trip to A&E (the ER, if you're in the US), where they sort me out with nitrous oxide, an anti-sickness shot and some hardcore painkillers. It's not pretty.

When I looked online, I was amazed to find that there is very little support and help for people who suffer with this, even though it is a completely debilitating condition (for me, it's only one day per cycle, but others can suffer for up to five days this way!), so I thought it might be nice to have a thread here for people to post up their advice / experiences / remedies, and generally show a little solidarity. It can be a very lonely time, particularly when you're surrounded by people who think it's "just period pains".

 

[Worrisome]

Wow, sorry Ive never heard of this, must be awful, never will I moan on af pains again. Sorry you have to go through this big

 

[Bucket]

Here are a few things I've found that help me manage the pain...

A hot, deep bath
I'm not sure if it's the heat or the depth or both that helps, but sometimes, it appears to equalise the pressure and stop the pain almost entirely. Other times (like today), it isn't so successful, but it always helps somewhat. Sadly, it only works while I'm actually in it, so I sometimes spend hours at a time in there on CD1! Do get out straight away if you feel you're going to pass out though!

Neurofen Plus
The combo of ibuprofen and codeine takes the sharpest edge off the pain - usually enough to stop me throwing up. But unless I take them before the pain gets going (which is hard), I don't stand a chance of keeping 'em down for long enough to do any good.

Yoga-inspired hip opener positions
I'll find some piccies and link to them over the next couple of days, as there are some open-hip postures that I find really take the edge off the pain if I lie completely still.

Sleep
Yeah, it seems unlikely when you're writhing around in agony, I'll grant you. But sometimes the yoga positions can be comfy enough for my brain to switch into manual shutdown, and once asleep, my muscles relax completely, so quite often when I wake up - after half an hour or so - the pain is a little more bearable.

 

[Bucket]

Wow, sorry Ive never heard of this, must be awful, never will I moan on af pains again. Sorry you have to go through this big

Aw, thanks. Period pains suck anyway though, you're definitely allowed to moan about 'em. Even when I was on the pill, my pains were pretty disruptive if I was at work. Men just don't know how lucky they are! I'm treating myself to a takeaway curry tonight followed by ice cream and choccy sauce to make up for all the cramps I had.

 

[LunaBean]

I have it too, my doc wanted to put me on the pill, but I cant because 1 - I'm ttc (and she refuses to help with it anyways) and 2 - I have epilepsy so cant! She then wanted me to get the coil in, but it made my mum bleed continuosly, so I refused obv.

I've yet to find anything to help me, the day b4 AF is due OH gets the 'sick bowl', painkillers (which dont stay down), heat pads and duvet ready, I did end up in A&E once in Jan last year, but was sent home and told 'everyone gets period pains', while I vomited into a dish in the waiting room.

Funnily enough tho, since I had my MC in October, AF in November/December havn't been as painful...was wondering if it was because so much of my womb lining etc came away? I havn't been sick with the pain the past 2 times, but I still sit waiting on it to get so bad that I do!

 

[Flake-y]

Aww Bucket u poor soul; I've always thought my cramps were pretty bad until I read that!

I get cramps a few days up until af, then a couple of hours before bleeding starts, I get really agonising cramps that come in waves on & off. Some months it's not too bad at all, some months like u I am writhing around in agony!

I usually take paracetamol & codeine, with ibuprofen as well. It doesn't take it away when it's bad, but takes the edge off it a bit.

I had depo injection for years & never got af at all (it was fantastic); a side-effect of tcc is having to put up with it again!!!

Good luck with tcc!!!!!

 

[MS1]

Just wanted to add to the original poster you are most definitely not alone! AND YES, it is so hard to find support for this issue from people who actually understand how debilitating it is and the affect it can have on your life. I would love to know of some support services for women who suffer with this, as I am looking for natural remedies and diet plans to help.

I have exactly the same symptoms as you described, the wretching, nausea, vomiting, the uncomfortable numbness/ throbbing pain in the back and legs (almost like it's stiff and muscles are seizing, so much so I can't walk), the uncontrollable and violent diarrhoea (very unpleasant and embarrassing), the intense womb contractions (i've never experienced childbirth contractions but, they do come in waves and are overwhelming to the point I too have passed out), I also get thickening of my saliva until it turns into like a gluey paste, and have had this since my period started age 15.

I have never been on any type of birth control or taken anything except pain killers (codeine) to deal with it and this is only if I have to go to work or something important. If it happens on a weekend or I don't hae anywhere to be/ anything to do, I don't take any pain killers and I just resign myself to a day spent in bed unable to do anything. I have tried the meditation thing, but when the pain is so intense it's so hard to focus on anything except "please god make it stop now".

It has had a big impact on my life. I can't plan holidays when my period is going to start. I can think of nothing more frightening than being trapped on a plane full of people when it is going to start and knowing I don't want to be in a situation where I have lost control of my legs and need to get to a bathroom because I have diarrhoea and vomiting at the same time.

I have performed poorly during examinations at school, but could not get any extenuating circumstances or allowance because my GP did not diagnose me with dysmennorrhea. I have missed out on important school days, work, special events people invite me to, etc. I have had some embarrassing incidents in public. At school I wretched and then vomited up saliva and bile (as i had not eaten breakfast to prepare for what might happen later) during a science lesson and everyone thought i was dying cos my eyes rolled to the back of my head and my body went limp and pale. On another occasion at work, colleagues found me on the floor because I was so weak and in pain I couldn't stand up anymore and then they couldn't send me home because I couldn't walk so I had to spend the rest of the time in the staff toilet vomiting and propping myself up on the sink. It was really embarrassing for my colleagues to see me like that.

My mum suffered exactly the same, except her symptoms lasted up to 3/4 days (vomiting and all). She is 50 and still suffers, but only the pain, not the vomiting or diarrhoea. For her the most extreme symptoms got better after pregnancy, which is not comforting news for me seeing as I don't intend to have kids any time soon, so I guess I'm doomed until then.

When I was 15 and sick in bed, I used to wish I was born a boy (that's how bad it was, lol). Had a hard time accepting it and was really depressed, felt like being a woman was a curse. I just felt so helpless because I couldn't control it and I'm a bit of a control freak. I hate feeling as though something bad is going to happen to me, i know it's coming, and there is nothing I can do to stop it.

When I went to my GP aged about 18, he told me to just take pain killers the day before my period started (but my period is sometimes unpredictable, so how am i supposed to know the day before!!). Then when i went back, he said he wanted to put me on birth control, but I'm not sexually active and I'm not keen on unnatural interventions because of their side effects and unknown consequences (everyone responds differently to drugs). I only do pain killers as a last resort. So I basically ignored him and dealt with it... like a woman! So that's what i've been doing for the 10 years I've had period.

I must say, as the years have passed by, it seems the frequency of my bad periods is lessening. So I may have one great month with no vomiting diarrhoea, etc and almost no pain and then one awful month with everything imaginable, like some kind of pay-back for the good month!

Well I hope others can read this and be comforted in knowing they are not alone. At least I don't wish were born a boy anymore! It's not pleasant, but hey, we are women and we are usually stronger than we realise. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger.

 

[Braven05]

I definitely have pretty bad cramping, but not quite that intense. I started having it as soon as I got my period for the first time and when I was in middle school it was at least one day a month when I was at home incapacitated. I went on the pill to stop the cramps and it helped a lot but never completely stopped them. Now that I'm off the pill I'm remembering why I started taking it. UNfortunately the hormones in the pill caused me to get intense migraines so it was like pick your worst enemy or something. I sometimes get cramps so bad they make me want to vomit or pass out...I've never actually passed out but I've come close - shaking, crying, writhing in pain. It sucks!

 

[Bucket]

Thanks for sharing your story with us! Since I first posted here, I've had my BFP and am now just a week-and-a-half away from being term with my first baby. Not having periods over the last eight months has been unbelievable and life changing. I honestly think it's why I've been less upset by the pregnancy symptoms - I think I'm basically just so relieved to have a few months off from the periods. But the doctor says it's a straight 50/50 chance between them getting better or getting worse when they restart in a few months. I'm hoping that, like for your mother, some of the worst symptoms won't return, but I can't imagine what it will be like if it gets worse.

I think if the symptoms got any worse, I would seriously have to consider what I want to do with my insides after I'm done having children.

 

[Braven05]

Yeah I'm definitely excited about not having a period for 8 months! Can't wait! Hoping this month will start my break!

 

[wizard_teeth]

Hi Bucket,

Wow, I couldn't believe when I read this post from you and I'm so glad to have found this forum. I've just been discharged from hospital after my most severe episode of dysmenorrhea and have sick leave for 4 days to process what has happened to me.

I was a late starter with my period (almost 15) and had my first insane period at 17. I called an ambulance as I was by myself and was sure I was dying. I fainted several times and when a doctor arrived he injected me with adrenaline to bring me back. Since then, I've had painful periods 4-5 times a year with hospitalisation 2 times and generally fear "the bad ones" coming.
My symptoms include sweating, diarrhoea and cramps to start off with, then the pain spreads fast to my back and legs and I have numbness throughout my body. I discovered that I tended to hyperventilate in my younger years because of the pain so I try to control the waves of pain by breathing through them. Most times though I do faint/pass out with the pain. I'm 29 now and had my most scary episode two days ago. My period was a week late and I joked with my husband that we may be pregnant even though we aren't trying just yet(only married a year and a half).
I woke and realised quite quickly it was going to be a bad one. I jumped out of bed and took 500mg of naproxen which is the only thing that seems to help but I need to take it well before the pain hits otherwise I'm too far in for it to work. I realised once I took it that it was bad as I felt faint so switched the electric kettle on to make up a hot water bottle which again tends to help if I'm not too far gone in with the pain. Once I did this I realised I needed to lie down so went onto the bed and said to my husband I wasn't feeling good and that's the last thing I remember. I woke to the paramedics trying to talk to me and I later found out I needed 200mcg fentanyl to bring me round - that stuff is way stronger than morphine! What had happened is that after I lay on the bed I had a seizure - eyes rolling white in the back of my head, frothing at the mouth, convulsing and unconscious so my husband called an ambulance. When admitted to hospital I was told that because I have low blood pressure and a low heart rate my body couldn't handle the pain my period was bringing and the pain reduce my blood pressure so much that it cut off oxygen going to my brain and I had a seizure- crazy huh? This has not only given me a huge wake up call but has really scared me. After seeing a gyno at the hospital he doesn't believe I have endometriosis but do suffer from severe dysmenorrhea. He has suggested I stop my periods completely for 6 months by taking an active birth control pill for 6 months and see if I get any phantom pain. If I do, it may be something other than my period, if I don't we know it's definitely because of my period. I was diagnosed with colitis last year and he wants to figure out if the inflammation in my bowel has anything to do with the severe pain. I must mention aswell that I only get the pain directly before my period starts and it lasts from 1-5 hours. Another thing is that this pain isn't present every month - some months are an absolute walk in the park!

The only thing I wanted to ask you was did you find it difficult to get pregnant and how did childbirth rate on the pain scale in comparison to your period pain? Thanks so much for sharing your story - it's amazing to know I'm not alone in this

Thanks,
Nicola

Hi Guys.

I've suffered from severe dysmenorrhea (along with about 10% of menstruating ladies) ever since coming off the pill. In fact, it's the reason I was on the pill from 14 to 28 years old!

The symptoms of dysmenorrhea vary between women, but here's an example of what happens to me on the first day of my cycle (TMI alert!):

The cramps in my uterus start about an hour before I start bleeding heavily, and quickly increase to unbearable proportions. They behave like labour contractions, coming in waves that cause me to writhe, scream and/or cry, unable to breathe normally. Controlled breathing doesn't help (I am a yoga bunny). Meditation is impossible. The whole of my lower body constantly contracts (legs, uterus, stomach), which causes intense diarrhoea. The pain makes me sick repeatedly, too - so much so that I am unable to keep down any pain killers. The symptoms are like food poisoning. The burning-like pain spreads all through my lower abdomen, upper legs, lower back and skin, and my calf muscles spasm and cramp uncontrollably. Eventually, one time in every three, I pass out. This sometimes leads to a trip to A&E (the ER, if you're in the US), where they sort me out with nitrous oxide, an anti-sickness shot and some hardcore painkillers. It's not pretty.

When I looked online, I was amazed to find that there is very little support and help for people who suffer with this, even though it is a completely debilitating condition (for me, it's only one day per cycle, but others can suffer for up to five days this way!), so I thought it might be nice to have a thread here for people to post up their advice / experiences / remedies, and generally show a little solidarity. It can be a very lonely time, particularly when you're surrounded by people who think it's "just period pains".

 

[Senderaway]

So my symptoms are these:
1 week before actual bleeding-mild to moderate cramping, nipples feel like they've been nurpled with pliers, water retention to the point of pain in ankles and feet, and severe diarrhea. driven nesting behaviors.
2-3 days before bleeding-migraine, light sensitivity, tunnel hearing, and vomiting.
Day bleeding starts-steadily increasing cramping until bleeding actually starts. Nausea, weeping, irritability. I can't eat anything without bringing it back up, and if I meditate, its extremely hard to concentrate. Also my ADD is off the wall. My joints tend to hurt, my ankles especially. During my cycle, especially during the first three days my pain is the worst. I can tell when I'm passing a clot because my blood pressure goes up, my blood sugar goes down, and my pain sky rockets. It can last for five minutes or three hours depending on the size. (Some are big enough to fill the palm of my hand, and are bright red in color)

My plan of action is as follows.

First I avoid tampons on days 1-3. I pass clots and this makes it twice as hard for my body to do what it needs to get done. Its gross when I stand up and they slid loose, but its less painful and easier of my body. I prefer always infinity overnight pads. They hold the heaviest flow for a couple of hours and are very comfortable to wear.

Before my cramping gets to a point where I'm saying ouch, I start in with two Ibuprofen, and four pamprin. This combo seems to keep the pain at bay and I don't have an issue with break through pain. I keep dosing myself every four hours until my third day of bleeding when I can handle the cramping by walking it off and meditation.

On the first day of cramping I drink special K breakfast shakes because they keep me nourished, but aren't heavy enough to trigger my nausia into vomiting. I drink a glass of water every hour, and when that gets boring I switch to raspberry tea with lemon and honey. I also chug down a can of coke with every other dose of pain killers. It seems to help them kick in faster.

Now this part is not for most people and I'm sure I'm going to catch some flack for it, but I have found smoking while drinking my coke seems to put me in a loopy state that allows me to fall asleep and get through the worst of the pain until the pain killers can take over. This is not an endorsement, smoking is bad for you and harder than hell to quit, so don't take this as me telling anyone to do this, its just what works for me. (I am switching to the e-cig now so that I don't have to go through withdraws should I get pregnant.

I also made best friends with my heat pad. I crank it up on high, wrap it in a damp towel and let it go to work. It helps SOOO much!!

Now last, and best of all, I masturbate. Sorry to those who are sensitive to that kind of stuff, but I'm telling you now the best pain killer is a big ol' orgasm. But this is not first day stuff. If I force it on day one because I'm hurting and nothing is working fast enough, it makes things worse. But day two, when things aren't quite as bad, I crawl into the tub with some lavernder bath salts, and go to town on myself. Makes me relaxed and eases up my pain almost instantly. Its also help my uterus to pass those pesky clots that like to get stuck.

I hope this wasn't over offensive, and that its helps someone who is going through the same things I am. I didn't know that Dysmenorrhea existed until about six months ago and I thought my pain was just a normal period. So I had to learn all of this through trial and error. This method of pain management helps me so much. I am currently researching taking some other specific vitamins along with my prenatal vitamins to see if it doesn't help even more. I'll update on that later.

 

[Moggybear]

Hi ladies, just want to tag on to this thread in the hope I can do some good. I'm also a dysmenorrhea sufferer since the age of 12 (now mid-30's)- similar symptoms; fainting, vomiting, diarrhea, shaking & shivering and feeling like I'm being clawed from the inside. The usual horrendous stuff! Tends to last between 2-5 hours and always at the initial onset of my period.
Painkiller just don't touch it nor anything the doc tried, so I got put on the pill at 14 and have been on it for the best part of my life to keep these symptoms at bay. A few years ago I came off the pill to try for my first child. Unfortunately the pain returned and somehow I endured 5 months of it till I conceived. Being pregnant and then breastfeeding meant I was period free for nearly 2 years, then they returned and with it the dysmenorrhea. I am trying for baby no2 which seems to be taking longer this time so I've been enduring for the past 7-8 months now and trying all different things to see if they make any difference. I have found finally found something that works for me, which is why I'm posting in the hope it may help others and end some misery!
I'd read about Magnesium helping others and tried supplements for a while with little results, however I understand there are so many different types you can buy, some are more absorbable than others etc and then there are diet & lifestyle factors which all interfere. So I came across Magnesium Oil spray -which allows you to absorb it through the skin - and magic it is, it is the only thing that has ever worked! At the onset of pain, I spray it on my belly and my lower back liberally and rub it in. Within just 10 mins the pain eases off - unbelievable. Each time I feel the pain building I spray again and bingo it subsides. First month I thought it a fluke, tried again this month and the same result - I even got through a day of work without incident. I still get some headaches, moodiness and general uncomfortable cramping but all manageable, in fact just what a normal period is usually like I'm imagining?!
I understand most people use this stuff for muscle cramps and I gather it works in much the same way on your uterus cramping.
So I'm on a mission now to spread the word, as I wish I'd known about this stuff years ago. If it helps just one other person I'll be happy. So if anyone is still suffering out there I suggest giving it a go, it's natural and you can't overdose (you wee out any excess your body doesn't need).