Post Menstrual Problem

M. L,

I agree with some of the other posts, find an OB/GYN who has knowledge about pelvic disesases and reproductive disease. It aounds weird, but all medical schools do not cover the exact material, and some OB/GYN's specialize in menstrual issues.
What I found that has helped me, or so my family says, is Estraval. I have noticed that I am in less pain. I too have short but heavy cycles, but I am older than you. I hope that you get some relief soon.

If your period comes every month between the 10th or 13th, then once a month is a fairly normal cycle timing wise, but the severe pain is not normal. If your period comes every 10 - 13 days, I'd be willing to bet a nickel you are anemic from losing so much blood on such a frequent basis. I'd get a female OB/GYN (they seem to know what you are going through more than a man ever could) and you need to be screened for endometriosis, cysts or anything that is causing such a frequent and painful period.

I would recommend reading a book by Dr John Lee "Hormone Balance Made Simple." Birth control pills are synthetic hormones and often mask a problem but then later it can get worse. Natural is the way to go if possible. If you would like personal coaching of managing hormones naturally let me know. I learned from my experience and now help other women. I work with menstrual concerns, infertiliy and menopause issues. It is more simple that you think.
Best to you.

You should ask your doctor to check you for endometriosis and/or polycystic ovaries, both of which can cause severe menstrual symptoms. I have a friend that has been on birth control pills (except when she was planning and having her kids) since she was 11yo because it was the only thing that helped with her endometriosis, which she has suffered from since her very first period. Schedule another appointment and ask you doctor to screen you for both of these problems.

So sorry to read of your problem. I had awful periods in my teen years - very heavy and lasting for almost two weeks which of course made me very weak and tired. I was put on the pill and it worked wonders. It shortened my periods, less heavy and a lot less cramps.
Best wishes

Hi M. L,
I am all too familiar with painful periods. Mine of course were due to the fact that I had fibroids, which I would suggest you see an ob/gyn and ask for a sonogram to see if you have any. Another cause for painful periods is endometriosis which someone suggested you look into. Finally I agree with Laura M? I believe who suggested that you see a naturopath. Sometimes your symptoms can be relieved by a simple dietary change. If you are eating lots of salt(processed foods), dairy and or caffeine try eliminating those substances two weeks before your cycle and see if there is a difference. But I highly recommend you get a sonogram to rule out the two conditions I mentioned earlier. Ginger, spice/cinnamon, peppermint teas are great for relief of bloating, and cramping which are a part of the menstral package. While birth control helps some people I don't recommend it for they cause other side effects for some people. Weight gain being one of them. All the best to you and I hope you are able to find something to give you relief.

Have you tried applying heat to your back or abdomen? You could do so with warm towels or hot water bottle or heating pad. Some women also find relief from cramps by walking for 15 minutes. (Walk around the block) AF

Hi,

I went through this for about 10 years until I realized my doctor wasn't qualified to say 'it was natural' for me. I would suggest switching to an OB/GYN who has clear qualifications in dealing with gynecological issues. My issue was endometriosis, not a major case, which is why my regular doc dismissed my horrid pain each month as "just bad cramps" - just so you know, there is no correlation to the amount of endometriosis and the amount of pain a woman experiences. There are other things, similar in nature, that a good doc would also want to rule out, especially with the high rate of discharge. My life changed when I was referred by a friend to Dr. Alice McKnight - Physician's for Women, near 395 and Seminary Road. I travelled from Rockville to see her at first and am still with her. She gave me my week a month back and also helped me learn that it was a progressive disease with no cure and how to stay ahead of it.

There are also many medications, safe to use, that can help with the type of pain you're describing. I've been on several throughout the years, the best being Ponstel - it specifically addresses this type of pain, both from anti-inflammation and pain sides, and can be taken 48 hours ahead of your onset to reduce the pain from the start. Again, Dr. McKnight found it for me.

Hope this helps, and good luck,
J.

I would suggest finding an osteopath in your area who does spinal manipulation. A technique called sacral rocking used on the first day of menses for three months in a row can deliver impressive results. I have been helped by this and have helped others with it. If you can not find an osteopath, consider having a massage or doing yoga exercises where you flex and extend the spine rhythmically on the day or two before your period. Continue your intervention of choice for at least 3 months consistently and you will slowly see a change in your cycle. It may take 6 months or more before the final effect is seen.

Go here to find an osteopath in your area:

http://www.osteopathic.org/index.cfm?PageID=findado_main

May the force be with you

Hi

All of the responses advise you to see an OB/GYN which I agree you should , I have painful periods although they don't sound to be to the same extent as yours , no-one mentions the fact that your cycle is 10-13 days every month , that is very short , it should be around 28 days although some are shorther (mine is often 26), I would suggest seeing someone for that reason also.

Good luck and I hope it is sorted soon for you

have you been checked for endometriosis?

First get to a good OB/GYN. While possibly "natural" (as below) there is NO need for you to continue to suffer.

Much of this sort of pain is indeed hereditary...but it does not mean you have to suffer, subject yourself to hormones (either in BC pills or other) or pay money and take time for acupuncture or massage etc. My sister and I both had cramps and heavy periods to the point that we missed school, vomited from the pain, passed out from the pain when in college, lost time from our jobs when we were older and I considered a hysterectomy by age 30 b/c I could not stand the severe pain. I was later found to have both endometriosis and fibroids, but these are not the sole reason for such pain. Ironically women not so affected can never understand or even empathize with the situation...I am sure you have experienced this...BUT VOILA...when I was in my late 20s another friend who suffered similarly told me that the pain of her first labor was less than these monthly menstrual cramps!! She did not even realize she ws in labor until just near the birth! It became a perfect way to describe the severity some of us suffered!
But the simple answer to pain relief (though not the heavy bleeding) is to take 800 mg of ibuprofen every 8 hours. It will begin to work in about 20 minutes and you will suddenly feel the pain waning and be able to stand up straight or manage to sleep. You will notice when it wears off (like clockwork) at about 8 hours as your pain begins to return. This medicine used to be by rx only in the 60s and 70s and when it was discovered that anti-prostaglandins (like motrin) worked well on these hideous cramps, my sister and I viewed it like a miracle drug. Now, as you know, you can get ibruprofen over the counter (OTC) anywhere, labeled generically or as Advil, etc. Just be sure to use the REAL dose which is 4 capsules for 800mg, not the 2 capsules that are on the label----the rx dose was always 800mg but going OTC required them to change it to a worthless 400mg.
1,ooos of us monthly sufferes promise you it works! You should limit the number of consecutive days you use it to about 6-7 and can not use it if you are allergic or sensitive to aspirin. when you are older and after you have decided whether you will bear children, there are many other useful interventional radiology and other techniques to address uterine lining and fibroid and other issues. For now try ibuprofen and find a good OB/GYN for overall check-up. Good luck!

I had trouble with mine too. I started to use progestrone cream made by the AIM company( you can read about it on line) after 2 months I was almost normal. i used other brands but they didn't change anything not even the ones that DR John R Lee approves of. I know some others that use the ones he approves and get along great .

You asked for a remedy. There are several natural things that will help. The first is acupuncture. It will work to moderate or even elimate your symptoms, balance your body and look at the cause, which western medicine fails to do.
Herbs, crampbark and vitex come to mind. You can take this as a tea, in capsules or tinctures. Lastly, evening primrose oil is wonderful as a hormone balancer. I would also suggest a naturpath to give you more clarity on herbs and homeopathy.
Feel free to contact me if you would like more details and or referals to natural practitioners in your area.
L.

Hi M. L,

Sorry to hear of your problem. I have a similar menstrual issue, but it got worse after giving birth to my son, so I have an appointment with a gynecologist coming up. Sometimes my pain is so bad now, I have to sit down, or lie down, even at work. I find that lying on my side, or using a hot water bottle helps. And sometimes drinking tea will help, too. Something herbal. Look into natural supplements that might help to ease the pain, too. Hope it gets better for you!!!

Nessa

The birth control pill can help with tough periods, so that's one thing to ask about if you're not on one. If you're on one, ask if switching to another type/dosage might help. However, your symptoms sound pretty severe and I'm surprised your doctor dismissed it as "it's natural." If it were me, I'd insist that the doctor test me to rule out other potential causes such as cysts, cancers, etc. Please don't panic and think I'm saying you have cancer -- but I do think your doctor should investigate further just to rule out other things before he or she says "It's natural, deal with it."

When you spoke to your doctor, was it your primary care phtsician, or your ob/gyn? The ob/gyn may have a better course of action for you.