Posts by Susan Vaughn46

Larry Vaughn said:Here's another one suffering through this and coming to this thread for a reason. I have a senior trip in three days and I need my period to hit right when I'm on the bus. I honestly don't know what to do. Every single time, it's pure hell. It hurts for one day and then stops. None of my friends hurt this bad, and whenever I talk about how much I'm struggling, people think I'm being dramatic because they all get cramps too, but they can still go out and live their lives. I came here looking for advice. I haven't tried herbal stuff, and it's way too late for that since it'll start in three days. Usually, I just take Advil, Aleve, or Midol, and I take way more than the recommended dose. I can't handle pills though, so I end up throwing them all back up. I've tried Motrin, Tylenol, Voltaren, Ketorolac, and Celebrex, but nothing works for me. I have no idea how I'll survive this trip because before the pain starts in my back, stomach, and legs, I get diarrhea and vomiting. The leg pain is unbearable. My mom usually has to massage them hard just to help. So, if you know a good combo of meds that actually worked for you, please... help.

The only thing I can tell you that works fast is to go get a shot that day, right before the trip. You'll sleep a little more, but the pain shouldn't be an issue, especially if you haven't had it yet. Just watch out if you have any drug allergies.

Emily Kern47 said:True...
she used to drink them all the time and never gained an ounce...

It really depends on the person. Personally, I gain weight just by looking at water, so I doubt they wouldn't affect her...

Nicole Davis7 said:Clearly, you don't think the pain is as bad as you think the weight gain is. I gained some weight myself, and honestly, I'd rather carry an extra 20 pounds than deal with those agonizing period cramps I had before starting birth control. I couldn't work, couldn't go to class, I was passing out in public or on the bus, ending up in the ER... I don't care if I'm a little heavier if it means I can actually function and live my life. Just start with one pill, and if it makes you gain weight, switch them until you find the right fit. I heard Yasmin doesn't cause much weight gain...

Regarding the weight, I already have enough on me. Adding another 20 pounds isn't exactly helping my situation. Just like I don't feel good dealing with the pain, I won't feel good carrying all that extra weight either.

Thanks to everyone for the advice. It’s honestly better to just talk to people who actually get it. Everyone else thinks it's just standard aches and pains, but we know better...

I'm booking an appointment with my OB-GYN first thing Monday morning. I'm done playing games with my health...

stormymaker24 said:Oh yeah, I know that story well.
I fought them for years—the really nasty ones. On average, I’d spend three days straight vomiting, screaming, or completely passed out. Honestly, I loved the passing out part. I never reacted to Advil, so I started on 50mg of Motrin and ended up on 100mg doses. And I was taking them every two or three hours. Sometimes even more often.
I didn't end up in the ER all that much; usually, I just threw up there. But those times I actually got IV fluids and meds, it was because I'd been vomiting for two days and hadn't eaten for three before that. I don't know what they gave me, but I knew that afterward I’d sleep like a baby for 15 hours, and the pain would finally stop.
It wasn't just my stomach, either. The pain usually started there and then radiated through my entire body—chest, arms, head... and don't even get me started on my legs. It felt like someone had dropped tons of weight on them. My heart would skip beats constantly. Any sound or light would trigger a horrific headache. My mom would come in asking how I was or if I needed anything, and I’d just tell her to get out because the sound of her talking hurt too—then I’d immediately vomit because the stimulus was just too much.
Anyway, my pain is due to endometriosis.
Since I started taking Yasmine, now in my third year, the pain has gone down significantly. Now I just take regular Ibuprofen. Standard stuff. I don't even go through a whole bottle.
Life before and after Yasmine is incomparable. Sure, it still hurts, especially the first day, but it’s nothing. Now I just make sure I don't have big plans for that day. Before, I used to have to clear three to five days every month.

And what frustrated me most about this whole thing was when my PE teachers would look at me with total disgust if I couldn't exercise. They’d claim it wasn't a disease, it was just a period, and that I was making it up.
And yeah, nobody understood how much it could actually hurt me. The prevailing opinion was that I was just weak and couldn't handle it, or that I should just grit my teeth. Sometimes I felt like people thought I was faking it. Like I shouldn't even be in school. Whatever.

So, I hope you can draw some conclusions from this. Go see a gynecologist; maybe you have a cyst too. And I really recommend birth control.
And btw, you aren't alone. There are plenty of us.
One more thing—a nurse at the ER once tried to comfort me by saying, "Well, at least now you know what labor feels like!" 😵 🤣

I've already thought about taking birth control since I heard it helps a lot of people, but I was worried about gaining weight. I gain weight incredibly easily, and I really don't want that, so I backed off.
As for the PE teachers, I know that feeling well. Obviously, those who don't experience the pain can't wrap their heads around it. Lately, though, I just don't go to school during the first day or two. And if I do go, someone always has to come pick me up because I just can't handle it.

Sam Hughes5 said:My sister doesn't have anything wrong with her—her ultrasound came back totally clear—but she’s in so much pain she can't function without an injection. She refuses birth control because she's terrified of gaining weight. Meanwhile, I've got endometriosis, and while it hurts, I just pop some Advil or Tylenol, take two or three depending on how bad it gets, grit my teeth, and push through. I'd take the pill in a heartbeat, but my doctor won't let me right now because of some bleeding issues. So, more suffering for me...

I bet you know all those little tips that barely help, like putting a hot water bottle on your stomach.

Hang in there 😘

I used to keep an iron near me, grab a towel, heat it up with the iron, and press it against my stomach constantly. It actually worked. Now, when the pain hits, I don't even have the energy to try...

stormymaker24 said:Yeah, but sometimes you deal with intense pain without any clear reason. That was my mom's experience. She never had any visible issues, yet she was constantly hurting. It actually eased up after her first time having sex, and then stopped entirely once she gave birth.

But Susan Vaughn46, you definitely need to get an ultrasound.

My mom dealt with the exact same thing. The pain just vanished after she had kids. That’s why she tells me there’s no point in bothering a gynecologist about it...
As for injections, I’m not a fan. They give me these... hallucinations?
It sounds crazy, but like today, my dad was sitting right next to me talking, and it felt like he was speaking entirely in English, followed by these weird, disconnected thoughts in my head....
The best part about all this, though, is when it finally stops. After all that agony, nothing is left... I just feel so relieved I want to hug everyone in sight 🙂

I haven't seen a thread like this before, at least not right at the beginning.
How are you all dealing with this?
Today was an absolute nightmare for me. It’s usually pretty standard—I’d end up in the ER just to get an injection, though lately my mom has been giving them to me at home. That, combined with pills, usually helps, but today nothing worked.
My body clearly didn't react well to the shot. The pain stayed exactly the same, and I nearly collapsed. I started shaking, my lips turned blue, and I went pale... honestly, there were moments I thought the pain was actually going to kill me.
It looks like I have to give up on the injections entirely because I can't risk doing that again.
Now I have no idea what to do next month. I don't know how I'm going to survive this...
As far as meds go, I started with Advil, which helped at first, but then taking two or three in a row did nothing. Then I tried Aleve Forte, but even that isn't cutting it anymore.
What are you guys taking?
I don't know anyone else who deals with pain this intense. Most people barely feel anything, while I feel like I'm dying. Every single month, during those first few hours, it feels like someone is literally stabbing me with a knife. I have a high pain tolerance generally, but I can't handle this. I'm lost. Does anyone have any advice?

I know plenty of women who’ve dealt with this when they were switching up their birth control... For some, it was two weeks late, while others actually got it early....

stormymaker24 said:Susan, maybe it's actually some kind of virus causing the sore throat instead of allergies. Did he even bother to check your throat?

He barely looked... 🙂 I don't know, I'll wait a few more days, but if this doesn't work, I'm finding a new doctor. This one is useless. 😠

The doctor barely looked at me for a minute. While I was sitting there struggling to breathe, he was just busy typing up a prescription for Claritin, which I guess means he thinks it's just allergies. Honestly, he didn't even need to say anything. The whole time, it didn't feel like a lump in my throat—it felt like I had a basketball stuck in there. I’ve gone out and bought every allergy spray, syrup, and ointment I could find, but nothing is touching it. So, I'm back to square one... 🙂

stormymaker24 said:From what I've gathered, that famous "globus hystericus" feeling is basically just a lump in your throat.
It usually pops up because of stress or anxiety, mostly in younger women.

It's interesting how many of us are dealing with this choking sensation... 😁
Grace Fisher31, for me, it feels like it's at the bottom of my throat. Like I need to burp but can't. There's this pressure, like the passage—whatever it's called, I'm no anatomy expert—has tightened up from the inside or outside. Hard to describe. Now my throat is burning and swallowing hurts. I'm actually heading to the doctor right now, so I'll let you know what they say. Though I suspect it's just a sore throat.
I'll ask her about your symptoms too.😁

I'm heading to the doctor in about an hour myself!🙂 We should compare notes later.🙂

I’ve been feeling pretty suffocated lately, just like you. Honestly, I’m leaning towards a ragweed allergy. It wouldn't surprise me. I went through something almost identical about two years ago, and once I started taking some antihistamines, it cleared right up.