Does anyone experience the worst kind of menstrual cramps?

Question

My daughter is sixteen, she got her period at twelve, since then the periods have been horrible. I feel so bad. I myself have never had this. I have actually found her doubled over on the floor in pain, crying. From day one her period was so heavy she was actually saturating 1-2 pads an hour. Doctor said it would regulate itself. After about a year it is a normal amount of blood. The doctor prescribed prescription strength naproxen soduim and she takes pamprin also. I worry about her taking so much meds. Anyway, if she is caught offguard as she frequently is because she does not have regular 28-30 day cycle. It is all over the place. I dont know what to make of this, doctor only gave two options naproxen or birth control. Birth control has its own set of side effects and I never had good luck with any. Any one have any suggestions. It hurts to bad for her to excersize as she is doubled over in pain or just plain miserable. Please help.

Answer 1

I really feel for your daughter.

I have always had pretty severe menstrual cramps every month, since my very first period. So I can definitely relate. At times the pain has been so bad I go in to shock and pass out. When I was in college I tried super prescription strength pain killers my gynecologist gave me and that didn't help, also I was put on birth control pills for a short time and that did nothing to change the degree of cramping.

I was using ibuprofen for the longest time and that did make a slight dent with the pain but it didn't make it go away completely. The thing with ibuprofen is you can't wait to take it, if you miss the small window of opportunity for it to kick in and beat the cramps then it doesn't matter how much you take it doesn't work. What I did was just take it immediately when I started flow and continued to dose according to bottle directions (usually every 4-6 hours). So always having it available and on hand is essential, at home, in her purse, her locker, with the school nurse, whatever.

I however have since taken myself off ibuprofen because I didn't like the fact that I have to take so much of it every month and have been for so many years. My acupuncturist gave me an herbal remedy for pain that is really working for me now. Pain, in Chinese Medicine, is blood stagnation, so the herbal remedy addresses moving the blood qi. After about 3 or 4 cycles there was significant improvement. So if you are interested you can look in to acupuncture and Chinese herbs.

Hope this helps.

Answer 2

Honestly, I would have her start birth control pills. Yes, some pills have side effects, but it depends on your body chemistry. You just have to keep trying different brands until you find one that works best for her. Also, it is not good for her to take so much naproxen and pamprin. She really needs to get on bc. You sound like a good mom that actually cares about her daughter. I wish my mother had been the same. When I was a teen a had horrible cramps to the point where I would scream and cry in pain at times. The nurse prescribed bc, and I was fine from that point on....breast tenderness was almost eliminated, migraines decreased significantly, and the cramps became so minor that sometimes I don't have cramps at all.

Answer 3

I totally feel for your daughter. I got my period when i was 11 and always went through extreme pain and bleeding. I would go through nearly 10 pads each day for the first 3 days Every month when i was due i would shake, vomit, get dizzy and become emotional as well.

Im now 27, but i went on the pill when i was 14 to control my periods. I used to get them for 7 days non stop and after taking the pill they reduced down to 4 days with minimal bleeding at the end. After 5 years of taking the pill i thought my body would have been in a rhythm so i decided to go off it and let it go back to normal. I was wrong. After 6 months all the pain and vomiting, including the bleeding returned and by the time i was 22 found out i had cysts on my ovaries and i had endometriosis. Ive since had surgery to correct the problem and stayed on the pill after that until i conceived my first child this year (im now 36wks pregnant).

I honestly would take your daughter for a second opinion from another doctor and ask to be referred to a gynocologist who can run some routine tests on her uterus to make sure everything is ok.

Even though the pill does have its side affects, the good stuff always outways the bad ones. It regulates the period, slows down the blood flow and if she does have any uterus conditions it will stop endometrium cells from becoming inflamed - meaning she will be in less pain. But of course that is totally up to you and her - different things are good for different people. Good Luck and i hope she finds something that helps her pain.

Answer 4

Is that you Mom?

No seriously, I am exactly the same way. I started when I was her age, I'm 28, and have had 3 kids (DR promised after I had kids the cramps would lessen) LIE!
Nothing will ever take ALL discomfort away. I found that taking the naproxen soduim, turning the air down and getting the room real cold, busting out the heating pad (let warm up, take hot shower, climb in bed with heating pad and sleep is the only thing that KINDA helps me!

Answer 5

i was the same exact way. my mom had to pick me up from school a fer times becuz of it. i also stayed home atleast 1-2 days of my period every month. i also did want 2 turn 2 birthcontrol, but it got so bad that i did. i started my birthcontrol pills 2 years before i became sexually active. iam now 22 years old and i have been on birthcontrol for 7 or 8 years now. successfully enuf, i don't have that bad of periods n-e more the side effects are so minor compared to the pain. every 2 years or so i have to switch up on the birthcontrol pill becuz my body gets used to it and i'll begin to have bad cramps again. nothin major though. good luck

Answer 6

I'd say get her on the birthcontrol to regulate her cycles. Since you never had these symptoms, chances are she won't duplicate your bc symtoms. That should control the cramps, too. Just make sure you sit her down and explain why she's on the pill and that it's not a license to "be loose."

Answer 7

i get wicked bad cramps.. someitmes they are so bad i can't go to classes, and in highschool the main reason for me going home sick was from cramps. i know that you didn't have luck with birthcontrol, but every woman's body is different. please consider this option for your daughter, since if like the doctor said it would regulate itself in a couple years, it's been more than a couple!!! also, she could have endometriosis. get her tested for endometriosis. if she has this, than nothing might be able to help her. she could also have a cyst.

and from personal experience, the side effects from birth control aren't that bad, but like i said it's differnt for everyone. and exercise helps BEFORE her period as well as during. birth control may be her only way of getting a predictable cycle.

Answer 8

I'd try the birth control pills, but if that is not an option for you/her comtinue with the pain meds plus they sell ThermaCare Menstral heat wraps (look for them by the tampons or the pain relief section). They adhere to her underwear and emit 8-10 hours of soothing heat. Another alternative is to try medical massage therapy or chiropractic care. You might also want to consult someone who knows about herbs for this purpose.

Answer 9

she should be taking some calcium supplements, also i have really bad ones as well, seriously i'd rather go through labor again then have period cramps. before i had kids i would just take a hot shower or bath and then sleep it off

Answer 10

actually my best friend has she had cramps so bad she cried and she went to the doctor and the doctor gave her medicine and he period was like 5 days skip a day back on it heavy flow and when i say heavy i mena HEAVY! i would just go to the doctor thats my advice