Help

[Rayyy]

I have dysmenorrhea and its been the most awful pain ever . everyday I feel sick or weak I get enough rest just feel so bad. my kidneys feel so bad and I have the worst headaches ever and feel dizzy so much . just last weekend it got worst to the point my insides felt as if they were trying to tie into a knot. is this suppose to happen? anybody been through what im going through?

[foxkennedy21]

Go back to your doctor quickly this doesn't sound like i.b.s!

[poing]

No it isn't supposed to be that bad.

I had dysmenorrhea when I was younger - bad enough that my work colleagues took me to A&E once.

Anyway, I have picked up a few bits of information about what might be going on - and if it is "just" dysmenorrhea then it might help - but of course, you should be checked out by your doctor if it's causing you that much of a problem (if you haven't already). Hopefully they should be able to find out if there is an underlying condition that could be treated.

The cramping feeling can be caused by passing clots of blood or menstrual tissue. They stretch the cervix by a tiny amount as they pass through which causes the cramping feeling, which can be really horrid and painful. This type of thing gets better after childbirth - because the cervix stretches after a baby's head gets stuffed through it. I wanted to punch the consultant who told me there was nothing he could do but having babies would help, but it turned out to be true in my case.

If you are bleeding heavily then there might be reasons for that, such as having iron levels that are too low - low iron is actually a cause of heavy bleeding rather than just a consequence. Another is that you are too high in estrogens, which leads to the womb lining being much thicker. That is harder to sort out, but eating plenty of fruit and veg and keeping regular is important because estrogens are re-absorbed in the gut when things move too slowly.

The thing that causes the dizzinesss, nausea and headaches is from the effect of too many prostaglandins, or the prostaglandins of the "wrong" type, which build up in the womb lining apparently. These can become imbalanced or excessive when you have too much vegetable oil in the diet because certain types of prostaglandins are made out of omega 6 fats found in high quantities in vegetable oils. Reducing your consumption of vegetable oils and balancing things by eating more omega 3 oils may help.

Oh and anti-inflammatories like ibuprofen can help because they block these prostaglandins. I found paracetamol often took the edge of things, although it never made the problem go away. Obviously you've got to be careful even with over the counter medicines, but if they help then they are part of the solution. I suppose anti-inflammatories hide the problem, but they do make life a bit easier. But I expect you have discovered that already!

[elsc]

I get the exact same thing, I couldn't have described my symptoms better.

I went to my GP and they thought it was endometriosis and polycystic ovaries so I had a laparoscopy but it wasn't. Now they think that it is a bowel issue because they found my bowels were severely inflamed.

Sorry if this isn't very helpful for you, but I would go and see your GP. If nothing else they will be able to reassure you.

I know its cliche but hot water bottles always help or those heat pads that you stick round yourself for when you're out. I also find that if I can avoid standing up for long periods of time my symptoms are lessened (Again I know this isn't very helpful because it all depends of your lifestyle). The pill is also supposed to help with that kind of pain, it didn't work at all for me but during my laparoscopy they fitted a merina coil which has helped relieve my symptoms so much!

Please feel free to private message me of you want any support, no matter how minor. I know exactly what you're going through!

I hope you get answers and feel better soon! xx

[glitterstorm]

I have had dysmenorrhea too, although my symptoms weren't severe as yours, but definitely experienced dizziness and waking up in the night due to severe cramps. I found going on the pill helped a lot (still get pain, but manageable with painkillers now), but if you don't want to take hormonal contraception, you can still get medication which should help you. I was prescribed tranexamic acid (to reduce heaviness) and mefanamic acid (a painkiller specifically for menstrual cramps) which helped somewhat.

I would second what everyone else said and go to your GP. Don't feel you have to suffer in silence and put up with it because it's part of being a woman. Your periods shouldn't be making you feel unwell and there are definitely things you can do.

[tootsweet89]

I get pain like this every month.

It gets so bad I have to lie on my floor in agony trying to get comfy.

I had went to the docs a year and half ago they said they would put me through a lap to see if it was endo, after I was back on the ward the surgeon came around and told me there was no endo but could be ibs.

Went back to my docs he wanted to try tablets for dysmenorrhea and didnt mention anything about ibs I've been on mefanemic acid for about 8 months along with a pill, doesn't seem to be doing much.

I still end up feeling weak constantly, tired all day and my stomach is always agony, I work with young children and try not to let it affect my work but it always does