WHO invented Periods!?

[CarolineLondon]

Hi

I know filthy habit but I want to discuss the monthly scourge only because it has become apparent to me that not only am I in excruciating pain but Ive lost my mind!

I read somewhere once that your ego is always trying to kill you, well I beg to differ I think its my period. Now just bare with me, because I want to know if others have the same experience.

First off I need to explain that due to the untold stress my ex BF put me under I actually stopped bleeding all together for about 3 months! However now we are apart it has re-appeared like a hole in the Aswan Dam! So maybe due to the severity, the emotions are worse than normal.

However how it starts is a week or so before, things niggle me, then near the time I get angry at everything and then the calm before the storm and the storm with a wave of pain appears! During this time waves of emotion take over my life....now here's the rub at some point I feel suicidal and as if there is no hope in my life anywhere.

So one of my questions is do you feel the same and those of you on the other side of the menopause do you feel less wavy? I do hope so.

So having worked out I feel suicidal, bad, depressed, weepy, needing a cuddle (something the BF never gave me even when I was with him...lol. so why I think I miss that now). Anyway I digress, luckily now I get a split second just before I plummet to the depths and take the cyanide pill, when a light switch comes on and says! "Stuff and nonsense it's all in your head!", Then I realise I only feel devastated, racked with worry and pain because of my flippin period and it WILL PASS.

Kind of begs the question how many women have commit suicide on their period!?

This is not to degrade depression or marginalise period pain but you have to admit this is pretty dangerous stuff, so if I feel bloody awful its no wonder!

So I suppose Im saying if this happens to you stop and keep reminding yourself even minute by minute it isn't real, it will pass. Ignore all the stupid thoughts that come into your head, weather the storm and believe!

Luckily Im not armed during this period... ha ha.

Sorry guys but honestly I do wish you could experience this just once and I think it would revolutionalise your attitude to women (well those who could do with an adjustment of attitude In all fairness they probably arent on this forum ...lol.

Computer says No to "revolutionalise" but it is late so I keeping it!

XX

[hamble99b]

oh Caroline! what we women go through!

has anyone ever mentioned PMT?

[Jamielyn48]

I actually read an article last night on vice.com about the effects periods have on women. I personally only get about 2 or 3 days a month where I'm out my mind but some people suffer really bad.

I do believe that there are such things like hormone stabilizers that some women use because their PMS is so bad.

When it comes to period pain I don't get it so bad as I am on the pill but that's to control my bleeding as I have a condition that basically stops my blood clotting and it's not nice.

[CarolineLondon in reply to Jamielyn48]

Oh Jamie thats aweful about the blood clotting, still PMS not bad.... fantastic!

Thanks for sharing x

[Take_Me_As_I_Am in reply to Jamielyn48]

Hi ladies, my pms is so bad that I been diagnosed with pmdd along with the depression. Every month I have one good week and then the emotional countdown began until the 5th period day. Not only my moods r affected, I get excess fluid around my eyes. Especially if I eat excess salt. So u know what affect that has on my brain.

[angelite]

Hi Caroline,

This did make me laugh and I do know where you're coming from ! : ) My main symptoms start two weeks before the crescendo,no patience,exhaustion,IBS,increased appetite,mad thirst,shooting breast pain/tenderness,migraine,burning tongue,sweats,increased seborrhea/excema,increased spasticity and other existing neuro stuff and a general feeling of misery and hopelessness ! At 47,having had my boy 22 years ago and no future plans thankyou, you would have thought my ovaries would get the message and retire gracefully. I too am hoping that some of my fluctuations will calm down after menopause.

PMS is the most commonly experienced ,PMDD the more severe version.I think I may be somewhere in between :

nhs.uk/conditions/premenstr...

Kind regards, Angela x

[CarolineLondon in reply to angelite]

Wow yes Lady you had a baby that should have all stopped! grrr. I get all your symptoms, thanks for making feel less alone and looney...lol.

X

[Hidden]

Hi Caroline! You write so lively. This is certainly something only a woman could truly understand. I always get one deadly sharp pain and then I know who is going to come visiting me for a few days. I have heard on a documentry something about if you have severe complaints during your period it coujd be something else telling you something is wrong. Ovarian cyst is something I had and blamed it on just the routine of a woman's cycle pain. Until it progressed. Also if someone has a vitamin deficiency it could cause their body to suffer more loosing the blood this time of the month. Part of the reason women are said to be cranky and whatnot I think is because we are so sore. I did try the deprovera once and never ever EVER will do that again. Something's are even worse than a period! That is the needle you get to stop your period for three months. It must work great for some people but Deprovera made me grow body hair on my stomach and my arms and knuckles too! That all happened in 2007 for me and now I don't take any hormone types of medication at all.

[CarolineLondon in reply to Hidden]

Isn't that weird I took Depo because I was soooo irregular and it really helped, not with the pain but made things a bit easier. Ive been off it for years and now Im back to a cycle of anywhere between 19-29 days...lol. I've gven up tryng to workout when I might come on. At least you know, I have no idea just have mood swings and then bingo it turns up and get an Ah Ha moment

Thanks for the reply. x

[Hidden in reply to CarolineLondon]

Deprovera made me spot often and then of course the body hair problem I took it partly because the doctors said it would help with the ovarian cyst I had. Apparently birth control pills contain estrogen that would make the cyst worse and deprovera has a different Hormone - that one that starts with T ...test-oft-er-own. And that would help health the cyst. So it seemed like the perfect choice. After the three months were up I didn't have a period for a long time. Maybe four or five months. But the body hair never grew back. Each person's physiology does handle medications different for sure. I also have breast cysts that I am not supposed to take the 'pill' because of. Once I stopped taking any hormones all together I felt much better. I do remember being only 11 years old on birth control pills to control heavy blood flow. My father dying from breast cancer is another reason the doctors say I should not be taking estrogen for but give the green light on the deprovera. Which my body says no to. My partner and I don't use anything for over 2 years now. I can tell when I am ovulating but even then we don't conceive. He had cancer which can lessen sperm counts after all the treatments and I am in my 40's. The thing we all know is periods are awful! There was some silly controversy in the news once where a company who made pads had 'Have A Happy Period' printed inside the wrappers- and women were offended and it was traced down to being a man's idea to add that to the pad wrapper. Indeed- just what you need to read while writhing in pain. 😠

[CarolineLondon in reply to Hidden]

Thats hilarious 'Have a Happy Period' I love it Would that be like the hospital sending a man an invite saying "get the snip its fun"...lol. Thanks for making me smile amid my excruciating pain

Sorry about the other aspects, we did discuss the childless thing didn't we. And sorry about your Dad. Still take it you aren't 'on' right now so sunny side to one aspect however brief, enjoy the calm

Thanks for the reply XX

[Life123]

I can sympathise, I have a week of agony every month, I can't even get out of bed for the first couple of days, and it's got worse as I've gotten older. The doctors don't seem bothered tho they just try to give me the pill, which gives me worse side effects in extremely painful and swelling breasts, plus weight gain.

I had been on depovera for years, came off in 2007 because my partner at the time had a vasectomy lost most of the weight I had put on while on the injection but suffered with agonising pain every month. Went to see my gp who put me on the pill and boy did I suffer with breast pain and this was continuos not a week a month as my period pain was. I tried several pills but they were all the same so went back on the injection. I then put on even more weight than before so came back off last year in order to loose the weight again.

Now I suffer monthly with agonising period pain but at least I am slowly loosing the weight. I do find that heat and feminax help a little with the pain tho.

Fingers crossed menopause is less painfull.

Lx

[CarolineLondon in reply to Life123]

Awe poor you I do understand, dont know why we suffer more than most. Id forgotten about the weight gain I think at the time I just thought I was fat Also thank you for reminding me about the Feminax, I will try it, it used to help. x

[21esme]

Ah my sweet, the last 2 years mine have become very heavy with excruciating lower back pain. I think we are a similar age (44) - the Oestrogen hormone is getting lower and the drop in levels before my period is so much more noticeable now. I was prescribed mefenamic acid tablets to take about 3 days before the start. They reduce the physical symptoms. They don't reduce the emotional impact though.

Take care of yourself x

Sarah x

[CarolineLondon in reply to 21esme]

Thanks for the heads up Sarah and sharing its so nice all you ladies sharing with me it does help XX

[CarolineLondon]

UpDate. Well can't say I haven't had this before when I was very young but a little concerned.

I'm now wearing Night pads... you know the ones for oil tankers. I've been up and working since 8.30am and its now 11.46 and I have used 4 so to saturation so what's that one and hour?!

Im not sure I have any blood left! Unless its taking it from the rest of my body, I was bleeding heavily yesterday too. What if I dont stop!!! arrgggg.

Thank you alll sooo much for sharing it really does help.

XX

[trekster22]

There is also PMDD which is severe PMT

[trekster22]

Erm transmen have periods as well not just women.

[CarolineLondon in reply to trekster22]

Do they really oh gawd and you still want to be a woman, honestly I don't get it. Women are great, I'm one but really men's bodies are a trillian times easier and lot less messy...lol. Though boobs are great and dresses and strappy sandals, well okay you may have a point...lol. Wait we are talking about transgender not transvestites? Whatever happened to prefects have they been bred out or are they still out there causing misery and generally being a pain in the rear...lol. Prefects.....ewww I think I just scared myself...lol.

XX

[trekster22 in reply to CarolineLondon]

You are presuming that i a) am already a woman and b) that gender is a choice. Yes i am talking about transgender folk.

[CarolineLondon in reply to trekster22]

Well I have to assume something your reply was a little slim on detail. So still not entirely the wiser, I'd just like to say a) I hope you personally don't suffer from the period nightmare and b) always be good to your cat That may have been to do with another post on another subject but still applies oh and steer clear of prefects. Therein endith the helpful advice...lol. or not as the case may be.

Have a lovely evening.

BIG KISS XX

[trekster22 in reply to CarolineLondon]

The only thing you can assume is that you are talking to a PERSON. Your confusing me with the pet thing, i dont have any pets. No idea which prefects you're talking about.

[CarolineLondon in reply to trekster22]

You know the prefects who used to make your life hell at school. Cats have the answer to everything, they just arent willing to share. And here's hoping not every person I speak to suffers from period! Bless you all XX

[Obriens3]

Is that really true ?

[CarolineLondon in reply to Obriens3]

Seems wrong doesn't it and right at the same time. I think there should a be a third sex, the 'frankleys I can be bothered' with no hormones just a zip in the side where they can pull out babies they made themselves alone...taddar! no pain and no fat as they just shrink back down to there pre pregnant weight and look great in anything, girlish or boyish. I know I know Im a head of my time...lol. Well not entirely Where is the joy in sanity and being a stuffed shirt or starched dress...equal opportunities and all that... Obrien Im digging a hole... help me! ...waaahhh

[trekster22 in reply to CarolineLondon]

There is a 3rd sex they're called non binary or genderqueer and feel a mixture of more than 1 gender or have no gender.

[CarolineLondon in reply to trekster22]

Heavens, lets hope none of them get periods, this last one nearly killed me I stopped bleeding last night! I wouldnt mind if it was going to a blood bank!

Have you seen my Jigsaw post Trekster? Seems more relevent now

X

[trekster22 in reply to CarolineLondon]

The ones born with female parts that they keep still get periods if they cant get treatment for their gender identity.

[trekster22 in reply to CarolineLondon]

Cant find your Jigsaw post what was the title of the thread?

[CarolineLondon in reply to trekster22]

The Zen of Jigsaws

[Hidden in reply to CarolineLondon]

Wonderfully crazy !!!!

[trekster22 in reply to Hidden]

?

[CarolineLondon in reply to Hidden]

Two words I would just like to add that cannot be applied to periods ...wonderful or crazy ...lol.

XX

[Obriens3 in reply to CarolineLondon]

I disagree on the second lol. My periods make me blinking crazy for at least two weeks before with PMT and then crazy with excruciating pain when they arrive. Glad your stopped and feeling better. Roll on next month lol x

[Obriens3 in reply to CarolineLondon]

Caroline I actually quite like the idea of a zip lol

[CarolineLondon in reply to Obriens3]

Join the club wouldnt it be fab! I want to know WHO thought it was a good idea to put my wind pipe right next to my food pipe! Hate it when food goes down the wrong way.... shame you cant up grade. I have a new nose that warms up in winter!!!...lol.

[Obriens3 in reply to CarolineLondon]

You finished that jigsaw yet ? Xx

[CarolineLondon in reply to Obriens3]

To my shame I have complete two and I am contemplating a 3rd! If you knew how much work Ive got you would be waggling your finger at me. Of course something is suffering from lack of attention and I dare not mention its name!..lol.

X

[Obriens3 in reply to CarolineLondon]

Oh you little devil ! I'm usually like that with my kindle get through loads of errm quality books lol. Unfortunately I can't concentrate at the mo and fed up reading the same line over and over xx

[CarolineLondon in reply to Obriens3]

The radio my love Radio 4 extra ...plays galore and some funny stuff!

XX

[Obriens3 in reply to CarolineLondon]

Might give that a go xx

[CarolineLondon in reply to Obriens3]

Oh dooo it and please listen to Paul Temple honestly you will love it, Id love to know what you think even if you just listen to one episode! X

[winnietyson]

I totally understand. My pms was that bad that I had a hysterectomy at 34. Even the forced menopause that followed was a million times better than having periods every 4 weeks!!

[CarolineLondon in reply to winnietyson]

Awe thanks for saying that most people just want to tell you the bad stuff, so there is hope yet

X

[winnietyson in reply to CarolineLondon]

Yes there's definitely hope. Just depends on how old you are and if you have completed your family. And the availability of compassionate surgeon!!

Good luck

[CarolineLondon in reply to winnietyson]

Can't have a family, I was born before the 1870 war and why do I need a surgeon do they rip the period out of you! Wahhhh.