Monday 27 October 2014

Period pain - time to end it period?

Men folk who don't like discussing 'the blob' look away. This is not the post for you. Not that I'm gonna go into any excruciating medical details, but I need advice and I'm turning to my blog readers for it.

At the weekend I had two good friends over for a glass of vino or six, and mid epic chat, I brought up that a month before I had had a weekend where I was utterly depressed - filled the brim with unyielding PMT. One buddy wagged her finger at me and said that all through our 20s, she remembers me having severe PMT, and whilst others glided through - I didn't, which she put down to me not being on the pill. My other chum chimed in with 'every time you call me and you are down, I say to my partner, 'I'm certain she's just got/about to get her period.' As we chatted it seemed like every other fecker has noticed that I am in dire need of having my hormones sorted, except me.

I haven't been on the pill since I was 21. I was on it at 17 for 6 months, then off it, Then on it for a year, then off it for 2 and finally on it for about 6 months in 1994. Then, I dumped the pills and contraception was condoms, or in later life, the withdrawal method. I know. Don't even start that finger wagging, please. 'What do you call people who use the withdrawal method? Parents!' I know, I know.

The reason for my refusal to pop the tiny pills was because I hated the thought of shoving hormones in my body - hated the fact they made me (initially) gain weight and sent my skin haywire. My PMT at Uni was ferocious - in fact, now I come to think about it - it always has been. Several times I can hand on heart say, that it made me feel practically suicidal. Over and over I went to the Drs - they suggested: the pill, prozac, and therapy. Brilliant. I felt like no one could help - until I started having acupuncture and it really improved them. Every month I either had - unfailing relentless blues, followed by a heavy period OR rage and stomach/back cramps, followed by a tolerable period. I read everything there was on making them better: exercise, getting sleep, yoga, eating XYZ foods, not eating meat, eating red meat, avoiding alcohol, drinking alcohol, avoiding dairy blah blah blah.

The good news is, I got pregnant both times immediately. Afterwards my periods came back and were as regular as clockwork (having on occasions when I was stressed being 5 weeks apart, then 6, then once 12). Last year - probably at my height of stress, with 2 jobs, 2 kids and all - they were horrifically heavy - getting up twice a night to change tampax, embarrassing over flow situations in clothes etc. The Doc prescribed me a homeopathic set of pills that I took 3 times a day - which stemmed the blood flow. They worked - hurrah! Periods improved - but then, without the tablets, recently, it is back to the horror show again. Up to a week of my life is spent with PMT/sore chest/bloated stomach. Then the bleed itself lasts up to 6/7 days.  That is almost half a month with period hell. Half a year in some sort of period related pain.

ENOUGH.

Should I go on to the pill, after all these years of being scared that it could effect my body/fertility? After all, I don't plan on having any more kids... Don't suggest to me things like a 'coil' as I have a gynaecological phobia - remember, I don't do birth! (In fact it took me three attempts to even type that word). My Mum and Aunt have both had hysterectomies in their 40s and I am now 41. I don't want to suffer any more. Is this a no brainer? I'd love to know if any of you take the pill - I think mine was Femodine way back in the 90s.... Does it help your periods? Any other suggestions to make life more bearable? I'm fed up of one year Drs telling me to take anti- depressants to help periods and the next, telling me the pill works best - make your mind up!

At this point I'm open to anything. Yesterday I read that 80% of women have stopped their periods at 54. So in 13 years I won't need to worry about this, but I can't live this way until then... So any advice ladies, or brave gents who read this post - I'd be delighted to hear.

Love, CM xx


4 comments:

Anonymous said...

No chance of using the homeopathic pills that helped last year again? Hope you find something that helps - and is less radical than surgery. :)

Anonymous said...

What about a long-acting contraceptive implant NO NOT A COIL! It's an insert into your arm and it basically stops your periods in their tracks, but normal fertility is restored once it is removed. Thing is though, you need a well-qualified gynae who specialises in this kind of area, not just some well-meaning GP. There must be a way to handle this, but it may well involve hormones and take some time to get completely right. Hysterectomy is a major, major thing, and brings all sorts of issues of its own, so would be a last resort! Nightmare... my periods are so much heavier since baby no 3, but the ''get up to change tampon in the night'' only happens on one night, not for days and days...

SantaKrus said...

I feel like you're back in the office :) x

Crummy Mummy said...

Thank you to all the ladies who face booked me, emailed me privately and also the below. I wasn't ever thinking hysterectomy! Just a way to have less heavy periods.

PS Glad to help SantaKrus xxx