Very painful periods?

[valleysangel92]

Hello all.

I'm currently on my first period in about 6 months, I usually take the mini-pill and it stops them completely but after my operation I was advised to stop them for a while and allow my body to get back into the swing of things.

Since I was 17 , I have had terrible periods, extreme pain, almost as bad as my worst ever CD pain (partial obstruction) . I also get nausea and dipping and soaring temperatures I tried a few different medications to help with the pain and eventually settled on mefanamic acid.
This helped a lot but we decided to use the mini pill to reduce or stop my periods.
Since being diagnosed with CD I've been told not to take the mefanamic acid anymore as it is too similar to ibuprofen.

Paracetamol just doesn't cut it. What do you do? Heat does help but not for long and I don't have the energy to keep refilling a water bottle or wheat pack . The only heat patches I have would stick to my scar. Any suggestions?

 

[Jennifer]

Mefenamic acid is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID). It's unfortunate that we shouldn't use those as they really do help with pain.

I also had extremely painful periods and was put on birth control back when I was 15 to regulate them and reduce the pain. I've been on a few different ones since then but I'm currently on Junel. Its supposed to make you not have a period at all. I guess similar to the minipill.

In the past I remember that pressure helped (like the weight of a teddy bear, mine was about the size of a cat but weighed less) along with mild heat (my teddy bear held in heat splendidly). While laying on my side it helped to support my lower belly with a pillow or a wad of blanket which also provided mild pressure. Hot baths also helped yet this can be difficult when you don't feel well enough to get up in the first place. An electric heating pad helps too (especially with the lower back pain periods can cause). Other than NSAIDs I can't think of any pain pills that helped. Things with codeine reduced the pain some but more so made me care less about the pain than treating it, that and made me fall asleep.

 

[Cross-stitch gal]

Hi. I too am on my period right now (started today in fact). There are times when I too have hard times as well.

Do you do well with pop? Gingerale might help some with your nausea. Also, one of the things I use at night for tylenol is: Midol PM (especially if you're in pain and having a hard time sleeping). Haven't checked for the regular Midol for during the day, but I'd make sure there's no caffeine/ibuprophine in it before purchasing (if your stomach can't tollerate it).

I can totally agree with Jennifer though, many times my electric heating pad has been my best friend during that time of the month! Hopefully, you'll feel some comfort soon. Xxxx

 

[valleysangel92]

Thankyou both. I was awake all night last night with the pain and that was only the first night! Even ended up taking a tramadol, not something I want to go back to doing a lot . They always get worse on the second and third days for me.

The brand of mini pill I use is called cerazette. Its one of the few mini-pills designed to stop periods (at least in the UK). I was prescribed this one as there are less risks with the mini pill (Progesterone only pill).

Pressure and heat used to help me too, but I'm not doing so well with pressure at the moment, my scar is still rather tender so pressure makes that worse, I'll probably try a hot bath though now that its a sensible time of day.

I have been told not to use NSAIDs at all now, not even in topical creams which some doctors allow, when my doctors analyzed the bowel removed in surgery, they noticed that the damage there wasn't crohns typical. They think that there was both damage from crohns and from use of NSAIDs. I had a lot of shoulder pain when I was younger and was put on Ibuprofen for it.

I cope ok with pop, as long as I drink small amounts at a time.

I guess midol is like paracetamol? Here all the extra strength stuff has either caffine or aspirin or both, which used to be a blessing but is a total curse now. I did used to love heat.. I used to buy a specific brand of heat pads and they'd last 8 hours, and you could wear them when asleep.. Is there anything I could do to protect my scar when using them?

 

[Astra]

valleysangel92

My period pain yonks ago was worse than any Crohn's pain!
I used to take Syndol, sold over the counter in Boots. It is a good pain reliever.
When I was younger, about 14, I used to throw up, faint etc and get sent home from school. My Mum used to give me a tablet and it knocked me out, turned out it was her Diazepam, not recommended!
xxx

 

[valleysangel92]

Thanks Astra, I'd not heard of those so I had to look them up.. The NHS Choices website warns against using them if you've had recent GI surgery or if you have GI problems, so I'd have to check with my doctor first. I don't think there'd be a huge issue as I was on cocodamol for a while after being diagnosed, which was later swapped to tramadol as it wasn't effective enough. Did the caffeine not keep you awake?

 

[akiva]

I used to be on cerazette, really didn't get on with it, made me bleed constantly, was put onto femodene. Syndol is great /fantastic/miracle stuff, but its not in production at the moment, so its like gold dust. although it is due to come back at some point. I find warmth helps a bit but not much. One thing that might works is a migraine pill, if it has a muscle relaxant in it. I took a migraleave pink or yellow (I forget which) as I had a migraine and the period pain went too, and it didn't come back for most of the day which was lovely.

 

[valleysangel92]

I do get on with it, but Im supposed to have a break now and then and it was only meant to be a short term solution anyway.

I don't know of any over the counter migraine meds that don't have any NSAIDs in them so will be on the look out.

 

[akiva]

if you have a decent pharmacy near you (maybe not a chain one) they are usually really good at going through the different options with you

 

[valleysangel92]

I only have 1 that isn't a chain, I live in a village so it's a small village pharmacy, but that won't be open until Monday now, the only other relatively close one is boots .

 

[akiva]

ah fair enough, you could try boots, I kind of have the opposite problem I live in a city centre, so everywhere is always really busy, but the independent nearest me is family run, and theres always about 4 of them in there

 

[valleysangel92]

Hopefully I can get there tomorrow before it shuts, it's half day on Saturdays, the joys of village life -_- . Thankyou

 

[Jennifer]

Is there anything that wont irritate your scar like your shirt or a blanket (not sure how healed up it is but its been a little while since your surgery according to your sig)? You could use whatever fabric etc that doesn't irritate or catch on your scar to protect it from the heat.

I've never tried a muscle relaxant for period pain. The ones here require a prescription.

Other things you could try are mint oil (I used it for headaches in the past and rubbed it on my temples). I never ingested it, just used it topically. It provides a cooling sensation which may help temporarily. For back pain I used to use Tiger Balm. Its cooling then feels very warm. Just don't rub it on or near your scar and use a glove or wash your hands a lot if you don't cause you don't want that in your eyes.

Ginger tea should help with the nausea as well as the ginger ale mentioned above.

 

[valleysangel92]

The heat packs I have stick to your skin, that's why I'm a bit weary of the scar, it's still tender and a bit raw, but I can use hot water bottles etc. through clothing.

I always thought that anti-spasmodics were prescription only too, but apparently you can get buscopan without one now.

Ive had peppermint oil capsules for pain before, didnt achieve much, but using the oil topically isn't something i've thought of before. I could use a heat pad on my back since it wouldnt be touching the scar. I think I can get tiger balm from the local supermarket.

Thankyou

 

[valleysangel92]

A little up date -

I couldn't find any of the medications above in my local stores ( there's a small town 3 miles away) but it stuck me that since cramps are caused by spasms I could try some antispasmodics. So I got some busocpan and that made me feel so much better. It's sold in the UK without prescription now, but it's labeled as for IBS sufferers. It's exactly the same as what my doctors have prescribed me though.

Unfortunately I've now come down with a nasty cold that feels like it may be turning into tonsilitis, which I'm pretty prone to. So if it's not one thing, it's the other -_-.

 

[GutlessWonder86]

do you have a heating pad or asked for something for pain?

 

[valleysangel92]

do you have a heating pad or asked for something for pain?

I have a wheat pack but it only works for about 30-45 mins at a time. I have heating pads that you stick on but the sticky edges would be stuck to my surgery scar which is still a bit tender and a little inflamed at the moment.

I was on mefanamic acid which I'm now not able to take. I have a small amount of tramadol here but only take that for pain that's not being helped by anything else. My doctor has said that I can have cocodamol 15/500 or 30/500 put back onto my prescription if I want to.

 

[bettyboop12]

Co-codamol works for me. I tend to use the disolvable ones as it gets into the system quicker... So I'm told! I have heard that gentle exercise few days before your period helps give less cramping but yet to try that one

 

[valleysangel92]

I've been told about exercise but my periods are pretty unpredictable. Plus I've always had problems with my joints that sometimes make exercise pretty much unbearable. I've had good results with cocodamol for other things though .