Period

[justJen]

Does anyone experience worse symptoms while they are about to start their period or they are on their period? I've been feeling so awful with nausea most of the day,fatigue and the regular pain. I actually laid down and ended up falling asleep for a few hours...



-JJ

[SandyRN]

Oh yeah! Every single month unfortunately! My cramps are so terrible that they lay me up in the bed each month for the 1st day or 2 after my period starts, and I also have really bad bladder spasms, and have to pee double my 'normal' of about 25 times a day!! :cussing: You're so not alone!!

Hugs, Sandy

[kenna_babeblue]

Ask your doctor about Endometriosis in your bladder. That's what I'm checking out. I have horrible pains right before I start, and for the first couple of days. I currently am still in a flare, and it's day 3 for me. OUCH!! :(

[**Angie**]

My pain starts 3-5 days before and the whole entire period. I am going in for Endo Lap next month. I hope that helps. She (Dr) is going to lazer out any endo., scar tissue, and adhesions. I also get nauseous too during my period, so I just eat morning noon and night. :) Boy, I really hope it helps!! Maybe I'll get lucky and she'll take it all out.

[green_the_fish]

Yep, been there. I used to flare up every month because of my period. The flare would last from the begining of my period to a few days past the end. But now, I take continous birth control, and the monthly flares have gone away. "Continous birth control" just means that, when you take The Pill, you ignore the "inactive" week that they give you and go straight form the 3rd week right back to the 1st week. You get a refill every three weeks instead of once a month. The great thing about it is that it completely stops your periods. That way, you don't have to go through the all the drama of being in pain and having a flare :)

[justJen]

I wish I could do that but I can't afford my meds now. Everyone is giving such great advice though :) thanks for the input. it really helps.
and what is Endometriosis by the way???

*sigh* I don't remember the last time I slept the whole night through.

[dhoffer]

Hi
I'm glad I found this post. I was wondering if anyone else had this like me. Each month I start my period with alot of cramping and pain with the period but I also start having alot of draining of urine too. It tends to flow out. This will last for mostof my period. After a few days the drainage will stop and I will have almost no leakage and only some pain for about a week. Than the leakage will begin all over again and it will last for the rest of the month. I only get about a week of no drainage. sometimes if I;m lucky I'll get a few days here and there with no drainage. I wear at least one pad all the time. plus a tampon. if things are bad I will wear up to 3 pads and tampon and go change it all every ten minutes if its bad. if I'm lucky I can go up to an hour with a tampon and not change it. is this normal? is there something else I can do? I sometimes feel like I cant handle this anymore.
thanks for listening

[DaniBelle]

Sounds like you have endometriosis and possibly cysts on your ovaries. Do you have piercing, pinching pain on your left and/or right side of your abdomen even when you are not in your cycle? IC and Endo almost always go 'hand in hand'. I suffered with endometriosis and cysts since I began my cycle at age 12. 'Back then' they didn't know about endo, so for each of my periods, I would have to take very strong painkillers and once was rushed in for a shot of something that didn't work for about 45 min., but when it did, I slept for a whole day. After having my first son, the menstrual pain all but went away. It started back when my 2nd son was 3 yrs. old. I went to a dr. who did 3 surgeries (after I practically begged him) to remove a cyst on my left ovary, an enlarged uterus and then my remaining ovary because I still had pain. He said "You have nothing in there anymore that I can help you with...you're empty..it must be something else". He sent me to a pain clinic. I got tired of being drugged all the time and knew there had to be a reason why I was having so much pain....still. I went to a specialist who found that the doctor didn't remove everything, I had 2 huge walnut sized cysts on a remaining half of my left ovary, cysts beginning to grow on the remnant of my right and my bladder was attached to the abdominal wall with endo. I was finally pain-free for the first time in 30 years. Then came the IC...I don't know which is worse. You definitely need to be checked out and when you have your laparoscopy DEMAND they show you a picture of what is inside! Don't trust anybody 100 percent. That was my mistake. Severe pain during menses is always a 'red flag'. Please get help soon. I know what it's like. I wish you the best. Write me if you have any questions. If I can help one person get through those terrible cramp and excessive bleeding times, it will be great!

Dani

[meme]

Am I the only weird one who's symtoms get better during my period. I actually look forward to that time because I've never had a flare during it. The day before I start I flare, but once I start I can go way longer without taking a bathroom break and have no pain at all. Is this normal?

[dhoffer]

hi Thanks for the posts. I dont really have excessive amounts of blood. some times it can be very dark and I'll get some clumps. my biggest problem, which seems to be linked to my period, is the excessive amounts of urine that flows out. I was checked for cysts a couple months ago and was shown I have none. I wear a tampon almost all the time because of urine flowing out. but when I try to actually go to the bathroom and urinate I get dribbles. I can be standing there doing nothing and will get flows of urine. it will saturate multiple pads. they cant tell me why this happens. as bad as the pain form the IC can get I think I could live with it. the massive amounts of flowing urine is what keeps me from actually living my life sometimes. its getting harder to work when I cant do anything. I have spent a small fortune on pads and tampons just to be able to try and enjoy my kids. if anyone has any ideas on the major urine flows I would be greatful. I will check into the endomitreosis though. thanks everyone.

[med_head_09]

what does wearing a tampon do for urinary incontinence? just curious.

[dhoffer]

Hi I wanted to answer the question about tampon use and urinary incontinence.

For whatever reason some of the time wearing a tampon can keep me dry. I have been told that this isnt possible, that urine and blood come out differently and a tampon should not stop urine leakage but it does for me. I have had tests done to show if the leakage I have is actually urine and it is. if the drainage is really bad than a tampon doesnt help but some of the time it does. I know it doesnt make any sense for the tampon to work. but than again slot about the problems I have havent made any sense to me. I was hoping someone else would have the answers I needed here. if anyone can help me please let me know. if not I'll just keep looking.
thanks everyone for listening.

[med_head_09]

i wasn't meaning to be rude with that question. sorry if it came off that way. has your doctor mentioned anything about the interstim implant or doing surgery for incontinence? the interstim is supposed to help, but i think it mainly helps urge incontinence, which it doesn't sound like you have. but there are other corrective surgeries for incontinence, and i know that it sucks to have surgery, but i also know after a couple months of working at a urologist's office, that surgery is pretty much the only option for true incontinence. i am sorry that you have to deal with that. and i thought that having to pee every 10 minutes or so was bad. that would definitely be more worrisome. i wish that no one had to deal with these issues. i hope that you find an answer or help soon! ~J

[curlycue]

Hi ladies,
I am currently doing the self cath 3 times a week, (40,000.00 units of heparin 8 units of lidocaine and 4 of sodium barbicurate) my periods are so BAD that I really cant go anywhere for the first 3-4 days I feel like I am in labor, bad cramps and just feel awfull and then they last for about 7-10 days? I am so tierd all the time and my hair is always falling out.

My question to you ladies is has anyone heard of Novasure its a endometrial ablation procedure? Any information that you ladies can provide me with would be great.

[dhoffer]

med_head_9

I'm sorry. You werent being rude just curious. I can be overly sensitive sometimes. That feeling of people thinking what your saying and feeling is all in your head. I just keep looking for answers and someone who understands. My doctor cant seem to find anything to help me. I think I could deal better with the pain and constant need to go if I didnt have the leakage. I hate that feeling. I feel gross all the time. I have had surgery for my blader. I had a monarch sling put in in April. According to my doctor it went perfectly. Everything should be fine. I should not be having any problems at all. So far the only link I have found is my period but I havent figured out the whole link to that yet. I will keep looking. thank you to everyone on this link for listening and trying to help.

[justJen]

well, I should be on my period right now. I've been taking Apri (birth control) for two months now after my gyn switched me from ortho tri cyclen. It is supposed to reduce blood loss but I thought I would have started by now. I know I am not pregnant because it seems like everytime I have been to the doctor that test has been included. I'm not complaining though it's a nice wish not to have a period LOL

[jessied]

yes its horrible.i would ask about endometritis i have endo and its covering my bladder.it makes everything ten times worse.i actually have it covering about everything.i would ask your doctor about endometritis.

[Trishann]

JJ, I have painful periods all my life. My whole body ache, cramps, and feel miserable. Is it from the IC? Well I have IC for a long time just wasn't diagnose, so it might be a possibility but I'm not for sure.

There were times I miss couple of months and I rejoice over it, no fuss from me. I remember even the first time I had a period. I was at school, and I was bend over with so much pain. I wish I knew why some don't have pain and some do. I will be glad to not have periods no more.

Trishann

[lynnemm7]

i posted this in another thread. but i just wanted to tell everyone about it that i could. haha
i just recently switched to using a menstrual cup.
oh my gosh. the difference is unbelievable.
the thing is huge and the size really scared me. and it's not wonderful to put in but not horrible either. but wow. it works so good.
i'm thinking maybe it wa sthe chemicals in the pads and tampons that made me flare at every period. i never tried the ones at health food stores liek the seventh generation that are chemical and bleach free though so who knows if those would work. the cup is so convenient though.
this is the post i found most helpful and what made me decide to get one.
best decision i've ever made. http://community.livejournal.com/men...61.html#cutid1
i am not in constant pain from IC so i don'tk now how it would work if you were. each of us is different obviously! for me it doesn't put too much pressure anywhere. i can't even feel it. and my sensitivity to chemicals makes these so great for me!
i hope that this helps someone!