samantha18
Shy Member
Posts: 20
Feb 9, 2015 15:46:08 GMT
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Post by samantha18 on Jun 4, 2015 17:23:56 GMT
Update and need suggestions again So the last time I got my period was June 3rd and that was when I posted here...see below. However, I just got my period again on June 24th (maddening!!!) and the same thing again...horrible cramps that wake me in the middle of the night and to make it even more interesting, my back has been in spasm since June 20th...I have a bad back also, but this is unusual that it has been bad for such a stretch of time! My regular Dr is on vacation this week and I cannot be seen by any GYN provider until July 8th. I am VERY uncomfortable...I was actually crying on the way to work as the craps were so bad. What would you do? Go to the ER and see what they say or know that they will eventually pass and check in with the nurse practioner's appt next week? I also have decent drugs that should be helping but are not...tramadol and cellebrex for the back pain and a muscle relaxer. Not really working at all... Thanks for reading! Tina Hi there- I had a ablation a couple years ago due to heavy bleeding etc. It didn't work...in fact, things got worse. My doctor and I discussed options and we decided to try the abalation again and if it couldn't be done, they would try it with another method (plan B). So we booked it for January this year. Went through with it and basically, I woke up in recovery feeling great and got my meds and discharge info. Never saw my doctor in recovery...ok, fine. Met my husband at the car and he said "you must be mad"...What? Why?...apparently, the ablation device wouldn't fit and the doc never had me sign release paperwork for plan B. So I had nothing done and didn't know about it until I got into the car. Saw doctor again and discussed options...plan B, birth control pills or total hysterectomy... as of now I haven't made any decisions. My cycle this month has been horrendous...I have had constant cramps since 5 am yesterday. Slept ok last night since I took a couple of muscle relaxers...is there anything I can do to make these cramps any better? Would you go to a walk-in clinic for...what? Is there anything they could do? Thanks for reading this far....
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Oct 6, 2024 15:20:16 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jun 4, 2015 17:28:21 GMT
Tmi but a good bm does me a world if good.
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Post by moveablefeast on Jun 4, 2015 17:31:12 GMT
I take Motrin at the prescription dose the day before my period and for the first two days, longer if necessary.
It will slow bleeding and cramping significantly. It really works for me. It's what my OB told me to do.
I take 3200mg daily at the instruction of my doctor but obviously you would want to check with your own doctor on that.
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Post by bearmom on Jun 4, 2015 18:04:06 GMT
Hot bath was my go to when pain meds didn't cut it.
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Post by lily on Jun 4, 2015 18:22:43 GMT
First of all, I would get a new doctor. Second, I think I would seriously consider a hysterectomy.
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scrapaddie
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,090
Jul 8, 2014 20:17:31 GMT
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Post by scrapaddie on Jun 4, 2015 23:06:51 GMT
You were put under anesthesia and nothing was done? !! Yeah, I think I would look for a new doctor.
How old are you? Are you done having children? Is a hysterectomy something that you would consider. It would certainly solve the problem. I had one at 37 and have never ever regretted it.
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Post by leannec on Jun 4, 2015 23:14:39 GMT
First of all, I would get a new doctor. Second, I think I would seriously consider a hysterectomy. What she said ... when my period started to look like a crime scene and my cramps were unreal I went for surgery ... best decision
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Oct 6, 2024 15:20:16 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jun 5, 2015 0:15:59 GMT
I have a friend who has had a similar path and she's finally getting a hysterectomy in a couple of weeks. She simply can't take it anymore.
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rickmer
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,137
Jul 1, 2014 20:20:18 GMT
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Post by rickmer on Jun 5, 2015 0:42:48 GMT
i would take a prescription dose of naproxen at the first twinges of cramps... if i missed "the window" there is no relief. that with a juice or pop bottle filled with hot water that i wrap myself around. i am sorry, that sucks.
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Post by Skellinton on Jun 5, 2015 0:56:50 GMT
I read recently that a corset can help with cramps. I personally take prescription Alleve, but agree it has to be taken before the cramps start to really work. Sorry you are in such pain, sometimes being a girl just stinks!
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Post by gramasue on Jun 5, 2015 1:34:15 GMT
Heating pad and pain meds. That's all I got. Hope you feel better soon cause that sucks!
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Post by angieh1996 on Jun 5, 2015 2:26:53 GMT
I would seriously consider the hysterectomy. My periods were so bad I didn't want to leave the house for fear of leaking. I'd be physically sick because my cramps were so bad. I had a hysterectomy at 35 and haven't regretted even once. I was done having kids so it was the route my doctor suggested.
If I was put under anesthesia and didn't have a procedure and my doctor didn't discuss it with me, I'd be looking for a new doctor!
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Post by Zee on Jun 5, 2015 2:44:23 GMT
Ibuprofen, heating pad, hysterectomy. Not sure I'd want it done with that doctor, though. And if you do get it done, pay close attention to what the consent form says when you sign it.
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akathy
What's For Dinner?
Still peaing from Podunk!
Posts: 4,546
Location: North Dakota
Jun 25, 2014 22:56:55 GMT
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Post by akathy on Jun 5, 2015 2:51:20 GMT
You were put under anesthesia and nothing was done? !! Yeah, I think I would look for a new doctor. How old are you? Are you done having children? Is a hysterectomy something that you would consider. It would certainly solve the problem. I had one at 37 and have never ever regretted it. Except I was 38. I'm 62 now and still say it was one of the best decisions I ever made.
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Post by theroadlesstraveledp on Jun 5, 2015 3:07:44 GMT
Drink some chocolate milk and eat a banana. Calcium helps with cramps, and the banana offers B6, along with potassium and helps with water retention.
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Post by flanz on Jun 5, 2015 4:16:59 GMT
i would take a prescription dose of naproxen at the first twinges of cramps... if i missed "the window" there is no relief. that with a juice or pop bottle filled with hot water that i wrap myself around. i am sorry, that sucks. I can so relate. My periods were horrific, had me in bed crying on day one from age 12 until I had my first baby at 27. Then 20 years of "normal" periods, uncomfortable but def could work through the pain. AT 46 or 47 yo they got HORRIBLE again, and closer and closer together, till every 23-24 days was my norm. Finally at 54, they are coming further apart and are a bit better. TWo things help me. Prescription dose Naproxen, like Merrick said. I am not telling YOU to do this, this is what my doc had me do as a kid and what I've done my whole life. TWO regular strength Aleve every 4-6 hours, but if I didn't start soon enough as a kid, it was too late and I was miserable. I literally ached from my navel to my knees, threw up, had fevers and chills, my thighs and knees hurt so much they shook. It was p ure misery. SEcond thing that helps me a lot if something I discovered just a couple of years ago. MN8, my "magic magnet" that I stick in my underwear. Google it. It works! The amount of knee/ thigh pain I lived with for decades during my cycles sounds like ligaments affected by the estrogen (according to some things I read online while seeking solutions). This magnet has made that GO AWAY and lessens my cramps considerably. Google it. Best $40 or $50 bucks I ever spent! Hope you feel better soon. I know how much this Sucks!
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Oct 6, 2024 15:20:16 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jun 5, 2015 4:27:56 GMT
I am 43 and just recently got the ibuprofen early and often recommendation from my doctor. Start the day before the period and keep it up every 4-6 hours until the cramps start to subside.
The other piece of advice that I don't like, but it does help with cramps: no tampons during the worst cramping days - for me that's day 1 and 2. I loathe pads, but it makes a huge difference in cramps, so I put up with them as long as I am working from home and not on the road or in the office.
Ugh. I am ready for menopause to get here.
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anniebygaslight
Drama Llama
I'd love a cup of tea. #1966
Posts: 7,402
Location: Third Rock from the sun.
Jun 28, 2014 14:08:19 GMT
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Post by anniebygaslight on Jun 5, 2015 5:16:23 GMT
Change your doctor!
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Oct 6, 2024 15:20:16 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jun 5, 2015 5:49:24 GMT
There is a drug here in Canada called Anaprox and it is in the naproxen family but it wasn't Naproxen. It is kick ass great for PMS. You can take it before or once your period starts and it works so well. I haven't had to take it for a million years but the pain goes away right away and you forget you were ever hurting! I just looked on Drugs.com and they said Naproxen is the same thing as Anaprox. I used to get it by Rx and it really worked well!
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Oct 6, 2024 15:20:16 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jun 5, 2015 8:58:25 GMT
I have horrid periods because of endometriosis. Here are some things that have helped me: 1) Epsom salt baths. I also add lavender oil. 2) Heating pads 3) Red raspberry leaf tea 4) I can't take it anymore because of blessing ulcers but before Aleve was otc, my do to prescribed it for me. 5) I am on prescription pain meds. Don't be afraid to go back to your doctor and request them or to urgent care. Untreated pain really has an impact on your body.
I hope you feel better soon.
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Post by Susie_Homemaker on Jun 5, 2015 13:33:21 GMT
I am one of the 25% of people that develop post-ablation syndrome. Like you my cramps were horrendous (9 of 10 on the pain scale) for about 3 days out of every month. *Nothing* helped them. I tried everything including narcotics and it never touched the pain. It's caused from entrapped blood or tissue within a uterus that has previously undergone an endometrial ablation. If you google it you'll find out more info.
My solution for now is just to prevent my period from happening. I don't do well on birth control pills so I have a Nuvaring that I put in and leave in for 3-4 weeks then start with a new one with no break to let my body have a period. It's working well so far. It's not ideal but it is 1000 times better than facing those cramps every month. I figure I'll eventually have to remove my uterus but would rather wait to do that (I'm 46). But it's really the only way to "fix" the post-ablation syndrome.
I'm sorry it's been so bad this month. I wish I had a magic cure for cramps. I'd just suggest getting in with your GYN as soon as possible.
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melissa
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,912
Jun 25, 2014 20:45:00 GMT
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Post by melissa on Jun 5, 2015 13:42:13 GMT
Ablation is not going to help cramps.
As described above, the solution, with severe cramps post-ablation, is to stop the periods altogether. You've already had an ablation so maintenance of fertility should not be an issue. Is there are reason you are not on medical therapy? There are several choices, depending on age and other factors in your personal history. If proper NSAID use has failed, there are birth control pills, hormone IUDs, Lupron injections, and even a medication for heavy periods (if the cramps are thought to be from the heavy flow). And THEN there are surgical options.
If you have not been offered non-surgical options, you need a new gyn.
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Post by Woobster on Jun 5, 2015 14:21:50 GMT
If you aren't ready to have a hysterectomy, you might seriously consider birth control pills or the ring. I terrible periods and cramps, and after years of thinking I just had to deal with it, I finally tried the Nuvaring. I used it successfully for a year, stacking the rings and had no periods. Then I started having breakthrough bleeding, so I switched to Lo Loestrin. I've been on that for 4 years now... No periods. It's awesome!
And I agree.... You need to look for a new doctor!
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Post by penny on Jun 5, 2015 15:01:18 GMT
I've had luck with naproxen/Alieve... Starting the night/day before and taking it religiously every 4 hours whether I'm feeling anything or not...
When they got worse and that stopped working, I alternated between naproxen and Tylenol... One dose of naproxen, four hours later take Tylenol, four hours later naproxen, etc... Recommended to me by the ER docs and the pharmacist... (Just don't mix naproxen/Alieve and Advil)...
When that stopped working, torridol... The best is a shot of it in the butt, but the pills help too... I was prescribed ketorolac once and that helped, but I did better with torridol... Can be hard on your stomach though so not an option if you have ulcers etc...
I've also been prescribed morphine (didn't work), and oxycodene (worked)... But that's crazy to me so I'm now getting an IUD put in... Going with the Mirena (the other kind actually makes periods heavier - ah, no thank you)... Going to see if that takes the edge/worst of it away...
I'm not at an age where I'm ready for a hysterectomy but every time I see a grey hair I cheer myself up by saying, "one hair closer"...lol
ETA: I was prescribed buscopan for IBS/IBD muscle spasms/cramps and my period on that was better... It only happened once so I can't say for sure that the buscopan made the difference, but if you've got a list of questions going, add that... It's often used for IBS/IBD cramps, but also for other autoimmune diseases - used to help ease up cramping so just taken as needed...
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Post by hennybutton on Jun 5, 2015 16:41:16 GMT
I'm really confused as to why BC pills are plan B. Shouldn't that have been plan A? Seems to my that ablation would have been plan B and hysterectomy would have been plan C.
I'm jumping on the bandwagon of you needing a new doctor.
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gina
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,305
Jun 26, 2014 1:59:16 GMT
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Post by gina on Jun 5, 2015 17:21:03 GMT
Get a new doctor! He left you in recovery and nobody came in to tell you what you had (or hadn't had) done! That's inexcusable.
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Post by flanz on Jun 5, 2015 17:24:22 GMT
There is a drug here in Canada called Anaprox and it is in the naproxen family but it wasn't Naproxen. It is kick ass great for PMS. You can take it before or once your period starts and it works so well. I haven't had to take it for a million years but the pain goes away right away and you forget you were ever hurting! I just looked on Drugs.com and they said Naproxen is the same thing as Anaprox. I used to get it by Rx and it really worked well! I was coming to say that they are one and the same.. and then I read the rest of your post. Another name for it is sodium naprosyn, that's what my Rx bottle said back in the dark ages when it was by prescription only.
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Post by flanz on Jun 5, 2015 17:26:43 GMT
Ablation is not going to help cramps. As described above, the solution, with severe cramps post-ablation, is to stop the periods altogether. You've already had an ablation so maintenance of fertility should not be an issue. Is there are reason you are not on medical therapy? There are several choices, depending on age and other factors in your personal history. If proper NSAID use has failed, there are birth control pills, hormone IUDs, Lupron injections, and even a medication for heavy periods (if the cramps are thought to be from the heavy flow). And THEN there are surgical options. If you have not been offered non-surgical options, you need a new gyn. Thanks again for chiming in with your professional advice Melissa. We are fortunate to have an actual ob-gyn on this board!
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Oct 6, 2024 15:20:16 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jun 5, 2015 17:37:33 GMT
Red wine. Early and often
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Oct 6, 2024 15:20:16 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jun 5, 2015 17:50:33 GMT
There is a drug here in Canada called Anaprox and it is in the naproxen family but it wasn't Naproxen. It is kick ass great for PMS. You can take it before or once your period starts and it works so well. I haven't had to take it for a million years but the pain goes away right away and you forget you were ever hurting! I just looked on Drugs.com and they said Naproxen is the same thing as Anaprox. I used to get it by Rx and it really worked well! I was coming to say that they are one and the same.. and then I read the rest of your post. Another name for it is sodium naprosyn, that's what my Rx bottle said back in the dark ages when it was by prescription only. I also remember back in the dark ages it was a very expensive Rx. Our provincial health plan didn't cover it so that's another reason that makes me think it isn't Naproxen. The plan covered naproxen but not Anaprox.
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