[leah1234]

Hi all,

As a fairly regular reader of these forums, I decided to register to hopefully get some advice on the above problem.

I started my period just after turning 10 years of age and it since then ( I am 21 now) my periods have been very difficult.

I continued with the pain and the heavy period up until I was 12 when my then female doctor decided to try me on the contraceptive pill. This was also due my severe acne that I developed around about the time my periods first started. I was later reffered to a specialist about both my acne and my growth rate as I was at this age quite physically mature and it was discovered my bones were much larger or growing at a quicker rate than maybe normal for my age.

I then received treatment for the acne and my periods in the form of the contraceptive pill. In the begining this did not really help and I was missing at least 1 week of secondary school per month because I could not spend a day there whilst the pain or the heavy blood flow was that bad.

By the time my acne treatment finished my periods were slightly better in that the pain only lasted about 2-3 days severely although I was still being sent home by the school nurse occassionally.

Over that time, I was still taking the pill and I continued to do so with little effect up until I was 19 where the pill I was using was giving me severe headaches by this point I was at university and the headaches would affect my vision at lectures. Therefore visitng my doctor by this point male tried several pills and all disagreed with me.


This is where things went downhill because the pills either gave me headaches or aggreviated my acne and now for the last 18 months or so I have been suffering pretty much silently all the while my periods have steadily got back to the point they were at when at school.


During having my period the pain in my legs,back and lower stomach is so bad that I cannot leave my bedroom for the first three days and the blood flow is what I would describe as like clots in nature and very heavy. My period typically lasts between 8-12 days and seem to take a few days to completely stop. I have been back to my doctor whose only recommendation is to try another pill.

Obviously this makes me quite depressed and therefore brings out my acne which when I do not have my period, my skin is quite clear with only a small amount of scarring from childhood acne. It might also be worth me mentionning my aunt had a hysterectomy whilst in her thirties because of her periods and my mother, grand-mother and other aunt all suffer from heavy periods.

Can anyone give me any advice on where/ what else I can do ?

[collegegirl2010]

I have similar problems, back pain, bad uterus cramps, body tenderness, vomitting, heavy bleeding. And my period is on for 7 days at the most. But, you should see a doctor if it last 8-12 days, that's not a normal menstrual cycle. A normal cycle lasts from 3-7 days. So take to a doctor about it.

[WildChild]

Have you had your hormone levels checked?
Excess testosterone can cause acne in women. A progesterone deficiency can cause irregular or heavy periods, premenstrual migraines and PMS-like symptoms. Estrogen excess can cause bilteral pounding headaches, bloating, leg cramps and excessive vaginal bleeding.
It isn't a matter of just taking one or the other but of getting properly balanced for you.

You might benefit from checking out The Woman's Advantage Diet and The Hormone Diet. The Hormone Diet, provides questionaires to help you determine what might be going on and helps you tailor your diet to balance your hormones. Many people who have used this have then gotten tested and had the results confirmed. If you can correct the problem with a better diet for your needs you won't have to deal the negative effects that many pills have.