# Womanly help needed



## 1love_emily (Jan 11, 2011)

Okay, I have this question and it's a little embarrassing, but I'm young and I don't feel comfortable talking to my mother. 

My periods are always really heavy, and I have cramps that leave me nearly paralyzed in pain. Is this normal? What can I use to fix this?


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## Mishty (Jan 11, 2011)

Do you have PCOS?


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## 1love_emily (Jan 11, 2011)

Mishty said:


> Do you have PCOS?



I don't think so, considering I have no idea what that is. 

My doctor used to think it was because of my uncontrollable hypothyroidism, but now that it is under control, I'm still suffering.


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## CastingPearls (Jan 11, 2011)

Have you ever been to a gynecologist? It sounds like you need to go. Even if there's nothing serious, you're at the age where you should have an annual exam anyway.


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## Mishty (Jan 11, 2011)

Polycystic ovary disease (pcos) is very common amongst overweight females, and you're about the same age I was when I first started getting symptoms. We have a thread here on Dims.

I know the first thing that set off alarm bells for my doctor were the terrible cramps, which he prescribed large doses of naproxen sodium which made me slightly pain free so I could do normal things. 

You may not have PCOS, but it's worth looking into the other symptoms and finding out, the earlier PCOS is caught, and treated, the less side affects and problems you could have later on. 

WebMD - PCOS

I agree with Elaine, going to a gynecologist would be best.


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## Ruby Ripples (Jan 11, 2011)

1love_emily said:


> Okay, I have this question and it's a little embarrassing, but I'm young and I don't feel comfortable talking to my mother.
> 
> My periods are always really heavy, and I have cramps that leave me nearly paralyzed in pain. Is this normal? What can I use to fix this?



I used to have this too, and never had PCOS. You should see your GP, in this day and age, no woman should have to have that pain each month. I ended up having a D&C which made it MUCH much better, and then when i was on the combined pill for a while, the pain almost disappeared. Having a baby was the very best thing for it though haha though a bit of a drastic solution! The one good thing about severe cramps, is that when you are in labour, the contractions are not as bad as you think they're going to be. That is when you can spot the women who have never had period pains, they're the ones screaming the place down. 

Good luck


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## Ruby Ripples (Jan 11, 2011)

CastingPearls said:


> Have you ever been to a gynecologist? It sounds like you need to go. Even if there's nothing serious, you're at the age where you should have an annual exam anyway.



Why should young women have an annual examination by a gynaecologist? If a woman of say 20 yrs old is having no problems, why would they go to a gyn? I hear this on these forums, but it is not the case in the UK at all. In fact, we don't go to a gynaecologist unless there is something wrong that the GP can't deal with. I lifted this from an article for the UK, on cervical smears ...

_*In Britain, a screening programme is in place for examination of women between the ages of 25 and 64. Screening should be carried out every three years in women 25 to 49 years old and every five years for those aged between 50 and 64. It is recommended that women ensure they are registered on this programme via their GP.
Three- and five-yearly examinations are sufficient - more frequent examinations do not produce better results in the prevention of cervical cancer.*_

These are carried out by the GP or more often now, by the GPs nurse. I honestly am baffled by why in the US women are meant to see a gynaecologist when theyre over.. i dont know.. 18? Just because. You don't see a cheiropractor or an orthopaedic surgeon or a respiratory physician just because?


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## Isa (Jan 11, 2011)

Ruby Ripples said:


> Why should young women have an annual examination by a gynaecologist? If a woman of say 20 yrs old is having no problems, why would they go to a gyn? I hear this on these forums, but it is not the case in the UK at all. In fact, we don't go to a gynaecologist unless there is something wrong that the GP can't deal with. I lifted this from an article for the UK, on cervical smears ...
> 
> _*In Britain, a screening programme is in place for examination of women between the ages of 25 and 64. Screening should be carried out every three years in women 25 to 49 years old and every five years for those aged between 50 and 64. It is recommended that women ensure they are registered on this programme via their GP.
> Three- and five-yearly examinations are sufficient - more frequent examinations do not produce better results in the prevention of cervical cancer.*_
> ...



Let's just chalk it up to cultural differences.  

Personally I'm happy with annual medical exams and testing being the norm. There is no way I'd wait three years for the tests performed during my yearly exams. (I even kept up with them while unemployed and technically uninsured.) My physicians have been able to discover and stay on top of issues with the information gathered from these visits.


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## Mishty (Jan 12, 2011)

Ruby Ripples said:


> Why should young women have an annual examination by a gynaecologist?



Plan First is a program that makes gynecologists visits free, and The Pill free, to insure safety from a young age. I'm a firm believer that when a girl/woman becomes sexually active it's time to have a yearly(at least) visit to her gynecologist. Prevention of HPV, and STD's can start young, keep a lot of young women from getting cancer later, or becoming infertile. I truly wish I had went to a gynecologist a lot earlier, because when I decided to go at 22(still a virgin) my ovaries were covered in cysts, and maybe, just maybe if my mother had known to take me when i was 18, we could have prevented so many of the problems I have now.


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## penguin (Jan 12, 2011)

Ruby Ripples said:


> Why should young women have an annual examination by a gynaecologist? If a woman of say 20 yrs old is having no problems, why would they go to a gyn?



Here, you're meant to get a pap smear every 2 years from when you become sexually active or turn 18, whichever comes first. They'll often do a breast exam at the same time, but by your GP. We tend to see a specialist only if there's a problem.


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## Fat Brian (Jan 12, 2011)

I'm not a woman but my wife has PCOS. You didn't mention if your periods were regular or not. Irregular, heavy, debilitating periods are a sign of PCOS. Taking birth control, specifically for her Ocella, helps tremendously, especially with the heaviness and length. She started her period early and by the time she was your age it was starting to become irregular she was getting ovarian cysts.


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## Miss Vickie (Jan 12, 2011)

Emily, it's hard to say why your periods are heavy without seeing a provider and being evaluated. There is so much to look at. Are your periods regular? Do you bleed in between them? How much is "really heavy?" Are you having heavy clots with your periods? Are you on any medications or vitamins that could make your periods heavier? Is your thyroid level low? Are you anemic? 

Things that can make your periods heavy and painful are fibroids, endometriosis, infection, hormonal imbalances (of which PCOS is one) and hypothyroidism; very rarely in someone your age cancer can also cause heavy bleeding but it's very unlikely. The only way to a) find out why this is going on and b) treat it is to see someone about it. You can start with a family practice doctor, a nurse practitioner or midwife, or an OB/GYN. Some women get their care at Planned Parenthood or their local health department (sliding scales go down to zero, usually, if you don't have insurance). I admit a certain bias toward nurse midwives and nurse practitioners, since I'm in school to be one.  They tend to spend more time with their patients, tend to be less fat-phobic, and are much cheaper.

If they don't find any disease process causing your painful heavy periods, but you want to treat it, your options include herbal remedies (you'd have to see a naturopath for that), oral contraceptives, and the Mirena IUD which usually lessens periods. Some providers recommend a regimen of high(ish) dose Ibuprofen around the clock that you start before your period is due. The prostaglandin suppression helps minimize pain and bleeding, but you wouldn't want to do that until you're sure nothing else is going on.

So I'd encourage you to find yourself a provider that you feel comfortable with. Most likely they'll do a pelvic exam, a pap smear, maybe some STD testing, and some blood work maybe to rule out hormonal issues. They may order an ultrasound to look at your uterine lining to check for polyps or fibroids an abnormal thickening. They can also look at your ovaries to evaluate if you have PCOS. After having all that information, you can make a decision as to how to proceed. Even if this is "normal" for you, it doesn't mean you're stuck with it, and there are successful treatments available. 

As far as routine screening goes, in the United States the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends pap smears beginning at age 21 and having them every two years until the age of 29. (Obviously with an abnormal result, screening is much more often).

The reason for this is that you can have an STD (like Human Papilloma Virus, aka "HPV", aka "warts") which can be "silent" and still cause cancer. Young women are at highest risk for HPV and cervical cancer because of how the cells in the cervix grow and are aligned at that time; the endocervical cells (the cells inside the cervical opening) are actually most exposed during teen years and early 20's placing women at higher risk for cancer when exposed at that age. So it's really important to get screened early, and often, if you're sexually active, and think about the Gardasil vaccine (which is, incidentally, available and recommended for our male friends, too!)

Hope this helps!


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## Surlysomething (Jan 12, 2011)

Miss Vickie said:


> Emily, it's hard to say why your periods are heavy without seeing a provider and being evaluated. There is so much to look at. Are your periods regular? Do you bleed in between them? How much is "really heavy?" Are you having heavy clots with your periods? Are you on any medications or vitamins that could make your periods heavier? Is your thyroid level low? Are you anemic?
> 
> Things that can make your periods heavy and painful are fibroids, endometriosis, infection, hormonal imbalances (of which PCOS is one) and hypothyroidism; very rarely in someone your age cancer can also cause heavy bleeding but it's very unlikely. The only way to a) find out why this is going on and b) treat it is to see someone about it. You can start with a family practice doctor, a nurse practitioner or midwife, or an OB/GYN. Some women get their care at Planned Parenthood or their local health department (sliding scales go down to zero, usually, if you don't have insurance). I admit a certain bias toward nurse midwives and nurse practitioners, since I'm in school to be one.  They tend to spend more time with their patients, tend to be less fat-phobic, and are much cheaper.
> 
> ...



Miss Vickie you're the bomb!  You have such great knowledge.


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## AnnMarie (Jan 12, 2011)

I had horrible, very irregular (twice a year), painful (curled in a ball on the bathroom floor in my dorm) periods from 17-19 or so. I've never had PCOS, but I was clearly having an issue. My gyno at the time put me on BC pills (they work without complications for me) and I've never had a problem since. I still have cramps, but I'm regular and what I'd call pain-free. I can work, walk around, have a normal time - just a little motrin if they're bad. 


Definitely get it checked out... that level of pain, heaviness, and if irregular... there are things you can do to feel better. Good luck.


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## luscious_lulu (Jan 12, 2011)

Miss Vickie was very thorough. The only thing I would add to her post is Adenomyosis. It also can cause severe cramps/pain and heavy bleading.

Go to a doctor and have it checked out. As other s have said, there are too many things it could be.


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## EMH1701 (Jan 12, 2011)

I have also terrible cramps and take Naproxen. I've not been to a doctor much due to having been a temp for 10 years. Naproxen is the only thing that seems to work for me. I've tried all the natural home remedies and it didn't help.


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## Miss Vickie (Jan 13, 2011)

luscious_lulu said:


> Miss Vickie was very thorough. The only thing I would add to her post is Adenomyosis. It also can cause severe cramps/pain and heavy bleading.
> 
> Go to a doctor and have it checked out. As other s have said, there are too many things it could be.



Yup, adenomyosis is definitely a possibility. I can think of a dozen other things but didn't want to freak anyone out with too many possibilities. It's definitely a good idea to get seen, though, and figure out treatment based on whatever they end up finding on ultrasound and based on any blood testing they do. I'd be concerned that with as much bleeding as she's alluding to that she could be anemic, which should also obviously be addressed.



Surlysomething said:


> Miss Vickie you're the bomb!  You have such great knowledge.



You're very sweet. Thank you! The irony is, of course, that the very act of obtaining this knowledge in school is what keeps me away from Dimensions! In other words... school is kicking my generous backside. 



AnnMarie said:


> I had horrible, very irregular (twice a year), painful (curled in a ball on the bathroom floor in my dorm) periods from 17-19 or so. I've never had PCOS, but I was clearly having an issue. My gyno at the time put me on BC pills (they work without complications for me) and I've never had a problem since. I still have cramps, but I'm regular and what I'd call pain-free. I can work, walk around, have a normal time - just a little motrin if they're bad.
> 
> 
> Definitely get it checked out... that level of pain, heaviness, and if irregular... there are things you can do to feel better. Good luck.



Most of the patients I've cared for have done really well with oral contraceptives or IUD's. Sometimes it requires some tweakage to find the right pill, but there are so many out there with various formulations that if one doesn't do the trick, we can always try another one.



EMH1701 said:


> I have also terrible cramps and take Naproxen. I've not been to a doctor much due to having been a temp for 10 years. Naproxen is the only thing that seems to work for me. I've tried all the natural home remedies and it didn't help.



NSAIDS work great for diminishing cramps (and treating excessive bleeding too) because they block one of the prostaglandin pathways that lead to cramping and bleeding. Other things that help are various herbs and vitamins. I have a couple of great alternative health books that make nutritional recommendations, but I hesitate to recommend them here because I am a firm believer that people need to get seen by their provider and not take advice from even the most well-intentioned friend on the internet. I know it's tough, though, when you don't have health insurance.  Unfortunately, far too many people are in that same boat and it sucks.

I'm glad the Naproxen has worked for you. Do you start taking it before your period or wait until you have symptoms?


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## Ruby Ripples (Jan 13, 2011)

Miss Vickie said:


> Emily, it's hard to say why your periods are heavy without seeing a provider and being evaluated. There is so much to look at. Are your periods regular? Do you bleed in between them? How much is "really heavy?" Are you having heavy clots with your periods? Are you on any medications or vitamins that could make your periods heavier? Is your thyroid level low? Are you anemic?
> 
> Things that can make your periods heavy and painful are fibroids, endometriosis, infection, hormonal imbalances (of which PCOS is one) and hypothyroidism; very rarely in someone your age cancer can also cause heavy bleeding but it's very unlikely. The only way to a) find out why this is going on and b) treat it is to see someone about it. You can start with a family practice doctor, a nurse practitioner or midwife, or an OB/GYN. Some women get their care at Planned Parenthood or their local health department (sliding scales go down to zero, usually, if you don't have insurance). I admit a certain bias toward nurse midwives and nurse practitioners, since I'm in school to be one.  They tend to spend more time with their patients, tend to be less fat-phobic, and are much cheaper.
> 
> ...



To echo a previous poster, GREAT post and advice.

Do girls in the USA not get the HPV vaccine? Here in the UK now, all girls aged 12/13 are vaccinated (for free of course) at school unless they opt out. There is now talk of it being unfair on boys and that they should be vaccinated too, as the vaccine privately costs around £300.


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## Miss Vickie (Jan 13, 2011)

Ruby Ripples said:


> To echo a previous poster, GREAT post and advice.
> 
> Do girls in the USA not get the HPV vaccine? Here in the UK now, all girls aged 12/13 are vaccinated (for free of course) at school unless they opt out. There is now talk of it being unfair on boys and that they should be vaccinated too, as the vaccine privately costs around £300.



Thanks.  :wubu:

Yes, girls can get the HPV vaccine. It's widely available to young girls and is now (FINALLY!) available for boys, although in my opinion it took far _far_ *far* too long. The vaccine is, yes, very expensive, and it's a series so you have to have more than one so it adds up. More insurance companies are covering it, thank goodness.

The important thing to keep in mind (and I'm sure you know this but I'm just saying this for those who don't) is that it protects against _some_ strains of the Human Papilloma Virus. That doesn't mean that it protects against _every_ strain of HPV, nor does it protect completely against cervical cancer. Rather that it helps provide protection against some of the strains of HPV (of which there are many). So having the vaccine isn't a free ride to not use condoms (we know this but in the week I spent at the public health clinic I was shocked by the misinformation out there), but it's an important tool to help prevent it. 

My mom died of cervical cancer when I was 12 so I'm pretty passionate about getting regular exams. I hate to see women avoiding getting care because they're embarrassed or have no money, and once I'm a licensed provider I plan to make a large part of my practice low income fat women.


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## Surlysomething (Jan 13, 2011)

Miss Vickie said:


> My mom died of cervical cancer when I was 12 so I'm pretty passionate about getting regular exams.




My Mom died of cervical cancer when I was 11. I've never met anyone who lost their Mom when they were as young as I was. My Mom was barely 28.


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## Miss Vickie (Jan 13, 2011)

Surlysomething said:


> My Mom died of cervical cancer when I was 11. I've never met anyone who lost their Mom when they were as young as I was. My Mom was barely 28.



Oh wow, she was young. I'm so sorry.  My mom was quite a bit older -- 48 -- but both of us were far too young to be made motherless. 

I wish we knew then what we know now about cervical cancer, and that our detection was better. My mom had had a completely normal pap smear only six months before her diagnosis of advanced cancer.


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## Sydney Vicious (Jan 28, 2011)

1love_emily said:


> Okay, I have this question and it's a little embarrassing, but I'm young and I don't feel comfortable talking to my mother.
> 
> My periods are always really heavy, and I have cramps that leave me nearly paralyzed in pain. Is this normal? What can I use to fix this?



I'm going to agree with a few of the other posters in suggesting a visit to your OBGYN and getting checked out. 

I was the same way you are for a few years until my mom finally broke the ice and asked me why my school would call and say I was missing for two or three days every month... I was hiding in my bathroom in so much pain : ( I'd be dizzy and crampy and HORRIBLY bitchy (thank gods/goddesses nobody smacked me like I totally deserved). I told her my periods were killing me, and the doctor was very kind and helped me feel comfortable discussing the whole issue. 

I got put on the BC pill Seasonelle (sp?), and not only did I only have periods every three months instead of every month, but the periods I have now are light, regular, and PAINLESS. I'm in heaven!
:bow::bow::bow::bow::bow:to everyone involved in making this pill!:bow::bow::bow::bow::bow:


I hope you get your cute little self to a doctor, to make sure all is well and hopefully all can be remedied.


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