Period issue... help?

Question

Okay. I have been diagnosed with a hormone disorder. It makes my period come every other week, and its much much much heavier and the cramps are unbearable. It seems like no matter what I do, I cannot stop the pain. No matter how many or how often I take painkillers, it doesn't seem to help. I just wanted to know if anyone had any ideas that maybe I hadn't tried yet to feel a bit better, or if anyone has been through something similar. Its tough.

Okay. I wanted to add to this. I go to the gyno once a week. I've currently had one transfusion because of too much blood loss, and I have to go in for another one soon. I have had second opinions. But I cannot really describe the pain of it. Its around 7 days of excrutiating pain not just in my stomach. Its like my entire body tenses up and just aches. And I just can't stand it.

And I figured I should add my age... I'm 14. My first period was in September. It was normal up until May. And I did have a doctor diagnosis.

Actually I had an ultrasound. I do not have any cysts or endometriosis. Just a hormone issue.

Answer 1

Hi...

i'm sorry you are going through this.

i used to have very heavy, painful periods myself and they lasted at least 10 days (except mine were once a month).

if you are past child bearing age, or don't intend to have more kids, you could ask your doctor about a procedure called an "endometrial ablasion". you can do a web search for more information.

a brief explanation is that the doctor scrapes and then lasers/burns the endometrial tissue (uterine lining). they do put you "under" for the surgery... but you are in and out of the hospital in the same day, usually.

i had the procedure done 10 years ago, and haven't had a period since.

My recovery time was about 48 hours... but i felt pretty good the next day. I didn't bleed after the procedure, but had a watery pink discharge, and it wasn't much.

I can say it's a relief not having to spend time and money buying feminine hygiene products anymore, i don't have to suffer anemia anymore, and the monthly agony.

The endometrial ablasion is an alternative to a hysterectomy.

I sure hope you get some good help....

Also, have you considered the birth control pill? Sometimes this helps.

You can get more information from your gynecologist. And if he or she doesn't satisfy you or have good answers, remember there are other gyno-docs !

hugs!!

Answer 2

Hormone imbalances are not uncommon with women but getting the right balance is what can be tricky. If your GYN doctor only wants to put you on just one hormone, usually an estrogen pills, that is NOT the right balance. Women have all three hormones in our bodies. We have estrogen, progesterone and tetesterone and all three must be in perfect balance for our periods to be normal and for us to be without pain. I am living proof of this and so is my daughter. Of course there are also other factors to the pain but they are usually caused by irregular periods. The number one reason for irregular cycles is endometriosis. Here is a site on the web about that. http://www.gynecosurgery.com/ A lot of menstrual pain can be caused by this condition and it can mess up cycles. I suggest that you find a specialist that will work with you to holistically regulate your cycles. I found my GYN specialisst through a Compound Pharmacy. She actually works at the pharmacy and that is all she does is regulate women's cycles. She does phone consultations if you do not live where she is and then works with your own GYN doctor to regulate you. She has your doctor take a series of blood tests for your hormone levels and then after she gets those results she makes a cream that you rub onto your skin. Within a month I was pain free and so was my daughter. She uses a compound pharmacy because not all women are alike and each one has a different need. A compound pharmacy makes up each perscription for the individual and not just a bunch of medication that you have to hit and miss with like the hormone pills you get from your doctor. I suggest you start there first and get all three of your hormones regulated first. If you are still having trouble after that, then I would look farther into female problem possibilities like endometriosis. Endometriosis is heriditary so you can also start checking with mom, grandma, etc to see if any of them have had it. If they have, like my mom did, then you may also have it. The only cure for that is to stop bleeding all together because it feeds on your cycles. Pregnancy is a good way to control that but most women cannot get pregnant because they have it, or if they do get pregnant will miscarry because of it. Hope that helps you and I hope you feel better soon.

PS: I just read your additonal posts. If you have already had transfusion for this condition, you have a very serious problem. I was like that when I was a girl too but I never saw a GYN doctor until after I got married. You need to see a good GYN specialist ASAP who knows about balancing all your hormones and is willing to do so. Also, you need an ultrasound or a laproscopic to see if you have any cysts on the ovaries or you do have endometriosis. Since I had my problems as a kid and didn't get much help, I made sure my daughter saw the best people. She is still having problems with the endometriosis but they are keeping it under control and also trying to get her to keep a pregnancy so that she can have at least one baby. She is 30 years old now and still hasn't been able to due to her problem and is now with only 1 ovary because of it. Any female who has already had to have blood at your age needs a specialist that deals with this condition. It sounds to me that you have endometriosis and it won't go away unless you take out the uteris and stop the bleeding altogether so you definitely need someone that is learned in this problem since you are too young to have that done at this time in your life. I suggest you talk to your mom about it and find a good GYN Specialist for your own health.

Answer 3

I had a very similar problem when I was your age. I got my first period when I was thirteen and everything was normal and then the next month when I got my period I just kept it. I had my period for three straight months and then my mom made me go to the gyno and he put me on bc pills. I had to switch brands/types a few times, but they really helped. Then when I was 21 I had the same problem again, but I was still on the bc so the bc obviously wasn't helping. I had my period for over 4 months straight and went to every doc I could including a reproductive endocrinologist who did the vaginal ultrasound and the uterine biopsy. They couldn't figure out what was wrong with me and eventually everything straightened out on its own.


DO NOT LET ANYBODY DO A UTERINE BIOPSY ON YOU WITHOUT STRONG PAINKILLERS!!!!!!!!!!!! When I went for the uterine biopsy they told me there would be "minor cramping" like period cramps during the procedure and to take 2 ibuprofens before coming in, so I did. The woman clamped me open (like for a regular pap smear), and then she took a smaller device and clamped my cervix open. That did kinda hurt but wasn't that bad. Then she took a device that looked like a scoop on a stick (kinda like the straws that used to come in ICEE drinks that had a spoon on the end) and she went up into my uterus and scraped and scraped and scraped and scraped. It felt like it took forever but it probably only took about 10 or 15 minutes, but I was in so much pain that my whole body cramped up. All I wanted was to be able to kick that ****** in the head and knock her off her stool so that she would quit scraping -but my muscles were so drawn up in a knot that I couldn't kick her. I literally tried to kick her and couldn't. I begged her when she first started to "please stop" and that I would rather bleed to death that hurt that bad, then I TOLD her to stop, but she would not stop. I could barely breathe (i did hyperventalate for the first and only time in my life).
DON"T want to scare you from going to the doc, but don't let them do a uterine biopsy!

Answer 4

I would say get a second opinion!! I went throught the same thing but I had endometriosis and had to get a histerectomy!! Doesn't sound that bad but then again depends on your life style?? GL:)

Answer 5

maybe that birth control that limits your period to 4 times a year will regulate it.

Answer 6

birth control is the best op. i was floating the same boat and bc has helped me loads