Period pains-Dysmenorrhoea

[Stroller]

Great reply, loobylou - I wish I had had access to that sort of information years ago. Just wanted to add a small note of caution: ibuprofen can have adverse consequences for asthmatics. Worth keeping in mind. But the provision of proper pain relief is an essential, humane response to crippling period pain.

[scary mum]

Hear, hear loobylou. If the pain is anything like that which my daughter & I dealt with, it needs whatever medication can be thrown at it. It is miserable and debilitating and while heat/exercise may help a little there comes a point where it is about as useful as a pat on the head. Incidentally DD did have some comfort from those stick on heat pads as well - on top of the mef acid (which didn't help her very much but took the edge off). For both of us the answer in the end was hormonal.

[Bumblebeez]

My DD would be sent home from school for fainting or vomiting from the pain, with a completely unpredictable cycle. Eventually this is how we managed it: she would always have ibuprofen capsules in her bag. The minute she became aware of that her period was starting she needed to take 2 x 200mg ibuprofen tablets (do I mean mcg?). A smaller girl might need a smaller dose - as said above, do check with your GP. If she took these quickly the symptoms would abate and she'd be fine within an hour. Paracetamol had no effect. Trying to go on the pill to settle her cycle had a disastrous effect on her mood, as her female GP warned it might, entailing a loss of 2 weeks at the start of Year 13, so be careful and consider your timing. It will take the young girls a little while to learn to recognize the symptoms quickly enough to be able to take the tablets in time. Poor girls! DD was floored (literally) during an assessed A level Chemistry practical but told to get up and get back into the exam.

[loobylou]

Catseye, I think I didn't come across as very caring or understanding in my post, more didactic and soap-boxy. That wasn't my intention; doing things in writing is harder than face to face. I apologise if that is how I came across! (just re-reading back now)

[DenDe]

My 15 year old DD also suffers terribly with pain and vomiting but not every cycle, more like every other one.( I was the same before I had children.) I decided only yesterday that I would take her to the doctor as it seems inadequate to be administering ibuprofen and a hot water bottle in this age of medical advancement. I have therefore just read this thread with interest.

[frangipani]

I've suffered terribly with periods all my life and swear by fresh pineapple for pain relief, it is very effective. But must be fresh, not tinned.

I used to take feminax in my teens, which was the most effective pain relief I found, but still had a lot of time off school.

[Yamin151]

Catseye, I think I didn't come across as very caring or understanding in my post, more didactic and soap-boxy. That wasn't my intention; doing things in writing is harder than face to face. I apologise if that is how I came across! (just re-reading back now)

I thought you came across as helpful, knowledgeable (obviously) sumpathetic AND supportive! Great post and gets my vote!

[salsa]

+1

[silverysea]

Please, please in the meantime get her some liquid Ibuprofen over the counter, it really is safe and effective, much more than Calpol for this problem, and may be enough for her. Even toddlers can have it. If only it had been available when I was young, I would have gone to medical school, I had the marks. But I knew I would never be able to cope with the pace of it, when I was doubled over every month. So I didn't even try.

Bumblebeez advice for the timing is good, you need to get it onboard ASAP and not let it wear off for the first day or so.

[Amber]

My stomach doesn't like ibuprofen much but I counter it by eating live natural yogurt with it if I ever have to take it. NSAIDs should be taken with or after food, unlike paracetamol - but really it won't hurt her and may be all she needs. I do think (sorry!) that young people need to get past the tablet thing too - I have been lucky with all of mine but think you can't go into adulthood unable to swallow a tablet with water. It's like injections and blood tests - you do kind of have to get on with it and better to tackle it now than be 30 and still trying to explain to doctors that you gag on tablets.