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Hey, anyone have any ideas? [serious medical issue]

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Dark_Lady_Jade

PostPosted: Tue Feb 06, 2007 10:55 am


It's a female thing, but hey, some guy out there might be able to give me some insight.

Okay, I have really bad and really hard periods. I usually can't eat, drink, or do anything without being super nauseous. I throw up everytime. I've had to miss work and school because of it. Usually I'm unable to eat for 2 days because the nausea is so bad. Occasionally I nearly faint.

Now, I take Midol and Pamprin (I can't take Tylenol - I've tried- because it makes me throw up within a few minutes of me taking it.), but unless I take so much that it's completely in my system and I take a lot of the medicine, I'm in so much pain I can't do anything. Like this time, I started taking Midol a couple days ago, before I started. I started today, and every hour since I've been awake, I take a pill. I'd rather pass out from taking too much, than want to die from the pain, like what usually happens.

But does anyone out there know what the problem could be? What do you other females do?

I've been to the doctor like 3 times, and I still don't know what's wrong with me! gonk The first time I went, I ended up getting a prescription for my stomach, because my aunt suggested I take Aleve for the pain. However, I don't take pills (expect for when I'm on my period), so the medicine had a strong effect on me (Aleve has a lot of aspirin in it), and I ended up with an inflammation of my stomach lining. I couldn't eat anything without it hurting, and lost 4 pounds in a week from not being able to eat. I immediately stopped taking the prescription once my stomach was okay.

Then I went back. My stomach was fine, but there was still no solution for my original problem. I got another prescription. But the medicine increased my nausea and made me dizzy. I stopped taking it.

I don't know what's wrong with me, and I'm not too sure what to do, and the doctor can't find out what's wrong with me. Like I said, I take Midol and Pamprin (it varies each month; sometimes I take Midol, sometimes I take Pamprin), but each year the pain gets worse, so my dosage has slowly been increasing. When I first started my periods, at 12, I didn't have any pain. Then the pain started. At first, one pill was enough to make me feel much better. Now, I'm close to using up a whole box/bottle for one period. But I know that's because my body's getting used to the increased dosage. I have a feeling I'll probably end up using more than a box/bottle eventually.

I hate to feel like I'm whining. crying
PostPosted: Tue Feb 06, 2007 11:43 am


Well I'm not a doctor, so don't use this to diagnose yourself, but I had a friend with similar symptoms. It turned out she had bleeding cysts, I think. Though like I said, I think her condition was only similar, not the same.

If your doctor can't figure out what's wrong with you it sounds like time to get a second opinion. If he/she doesn't know what is wrong they should send you to a specialist to figure it out.

Sedesla


BookWhore

PostPosted: Tue Feb 06, 2007 12:01 pm


I had problems from the time I started, when I was 12. I had heavy periods, pain severe enough to pass out, dizziness, all sorts of fun things. It was always just chalked up to being a girl and I was put on the pill when I was 15. It helped for awhile but eventually I was on the strongest dose available. When I was 29 my gyn offered to tie my tubes (since I know I don't want children) and she was going to do another procedure that would help alleviate the bleeding. When she got in there with the laprascope she found severe endometriosis and 2 fibroids on my uterus. She removed one to help the pain but I ended up going in May of 2006 to have a partial abdominal hysterectomy. She removed my uterus and left my ovaries. I've been pain free and happy ever since. The lesson here would be: don't let this stuff go for 15+ years. If you think something is wrong then insist on a laprascopic procedure to see what's going on in there. The fibroids she found were so large that they had most likely been growing for 10 years. Pay attention to your body and don't let your doctors blow it off. It's too important.
PostPosted: Tue Feb 06, 2007 2:15 pm


It definitely sounds more serious than just ordinary period pain, I think you should go get another opinion on it, and as bookwhore said, ask for a lapiroscapy (I'm sure I haven't spelled that correctly)...if it's endometriosis, it'd be much better to find out sooner rather than later!

Doressa
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WhoGuru

PostPosted: Tue Feb 06, 2007 6:11 pm


Okay. I had the same problems. I had horribly severe periods, sometimes I would even have discomfort between them.
Have your doctor check for:
Unusual Cysts on your ovaries. Cysts are normal but they're supposed to form and go away with your cycle. When they stick around, they get worse and cause you pain.

Fibroid tumors in your uterus. Again, fibroids are normal. Every woman develops them but they generally fade with your cycle. Sometimes, they get out of control, grow too large. These will make your periods very intense and untreated can lead to a hysterectomy. As mine did.

Mine went either undiagnosed or untreated for over ten years, because most doctors assume it's normal and don't look any further.
Have you had an ultrasound? A good way to tell if you have fibroid tumors that have gotten out of control is to have an ultrasound.
The tumors actually block the image, making it difficult to get a clear picture.
Laporiscopy is a great way to get an accurate image of what's going on, and most tumors and cysts can be dealth with that way, if they're not to severe.

Talk to your doctor and put your foot down! Doctors are great but sometimes they dismiss the obvious because they're training tells them it's supposed to be normal. I had a hysterectomy at 34 because I listened to the doctors when they said the pain was normal instead of making them look harder.
We all want to instinctively trust our doctors but there are times when we know our bodies better than they do and we have to have the courage to make them listen.
PostPosted: Tue Feb 06, 2007 9:57 pm


You said Nausea was amongst the problems? There's a certain type of serotonin that is involved in morning sickness, and thus connected with the release of certain womanly hormones. Many things could be related to the sheer amount of trouble you're having, and I'm poor with medical knowledge outside of some brain stuff. However, I would consider looking into the amount of hormones being released within your system that could be leading to how heavy your periods have become and also be connected to the severe nausea you're experiencing.

As whoguru and others suggested, cysts are unfortunately a possibility it seems. I'd also advise considering any possibilities of endometriosis if your doctor hasn't screened for it already.

Wiki Page on Endometriosis

I hope whatever is causing this that you can receive the treatment you need and be able to have this suffering alleviated ASAP.

I'll be praying for you.

AntoniaMerEnfant


SydneySkye
Crew

PostPosted: Tue Feb 06, 2007 11:20 pm


I am sorry to hear that you are in pain, and by all means keep getting it checked out. I was told for 5 years that there was nothing wrong with me. I gave up, quit going to the doc and took 4 tylenol every 2 hours for the pain. My cycle ran like 45 days and then all of a sudden was back to normal at 28 days but then I would bleed and be in severe pain for 10 to 12 days. So I gave in to my husband and went back to the doc. At least this time I wasn't told I was crazy. I had a cyst that covered the entire right ovary, a baseball size tumor in my uterus and lots of endometrious. They could not save the other ovary when they did my hysterectomy last year. I missed a month of work and every now and then my stomach still swells up (which I am told can last up to a year after surgery). No more periods and other than the occassional stretch wrong, no pain. The bad side is hormone therapy, but I do love the lack of pain. Keep getting it checked. Mine was there it was just to little to be noticed. If you need to talk let me know.
PostPosted: Wed Feb 07, 2007 12:10 am


sounds a lot like the problem that my grandma had before she had her historectomy(sp?!). (yes me and my grandmother are close enough to discuss things like this...weird yes but I love her all the more for it) And she did have endometriosis. Some people can take the pill to help out with the pain and such while others have to have the organ removed.

But I agree that you most likely should go and get a second opinion on the matter just to make sure that there is/isn't any thing majorly wrong.

Luciano LaChance

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Super Buick

PostPosted: Wed Feb 07, 2007 12:12 am


my fiancee has a similar problem. i can't remember exactly what she said it is, but if i'm not mistaken, it has something to do with cysts bursting during her cycle. being that i'm apparently a guy, i have no clue on the workings of the female body. however, i'd definately have further tests run, just to make sure it's nothing serious. and if it is serious, if it's caught soon enough, it can be taken care of.
PostPosted: Wed Feb 07, 2007 5:18 am


Ugh..

I'm right there with you. I often am so sick from it, that I just lay on the floor and cry. It is the worst pain I have ever felt and I usually miss 2 days of work as well, so I pray for it to be on a weekend. It's really bad. For a while, I was on Naproxen, which is like.. extra strength Aleve, It worked most of the time, and my episodes of severe pain were less and less. But eventually, I was taking so much of it (they kept upping my dosage and the times I was supposed to take it) that I got an ulcer. After I quit taking it, the pain was so bad and this has been about 5 years now. Its very embarassing to tell people you won't be able to go anywhere for 4 days because you might end up screaming on the floor. -__-

So, I know how you feel. Naproxen/Aleve is very irritating, so they switched me to Vioxx. But Vioxx was recalled because it was killing people (but it didn't work anyway.) After that, I was switched to a couple of different narcotics/opiates. They didn't make the pain go away but they made me not care about the pain. But finally I got fed up of being in pain AND not being able to move, so now I am back on just plain old Advil.

My gynocologist/general practitioner don't seem to understand the extent of my pain. The doctor just says "take more advil," and give me worthless advice. I'm really glad you posted this because other people's advice is helping me, too. I hope you get yourself fixed up, I know I haven't offered any advice, except maybe not to listen to your doctors and get something done about it even if they don't understand.

I think doctors assume I am either just a wimp or a whiner, and don't take me seriously... but they have never seen me cry on the floor for 3 hours. crying We should go to the doctor together emo

NessaChan
Crew

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PostPosted: Wed Feb 07, 2007 5:28 am


Oh, I also wanted to mention to you that the active ingredient in Midol is the same as tylenol (Acetaminophen). Some versions have some other things added, like Caffiene. Caffiene can make your cramps worse, so I don't use Midol because I don't find it any more helpful than any other normal over-the-counter painkillers. I've found Acetaminophen to be worthless for helping my pain.

Also note that maximum strength Midol (don't know what kind you take) is not the same as tylenol, but *IS* the same as Aleve & Naproxen, so I would avoid that too, especially if it made you sick the first time.

I also take some herbal supplements which I don't know if they help or not, but I get anemic as well, so I take iron which seems to help a little from being so tired.

The inflammation of your stomach probably came not just from the Aleve but because you were unable to eat. Aleve/Naproxen are supposed to be taken with food because they can damage your stomach, which is basically what happened to me. I don't know if you have tried Advil (probably worthless advice, because it doesn't help me very much..) but I have found it slightly more useful than Midol. But again, you have to take it with food, so you'd need to make sure you get your eating problem worked out.

Okay, once again, I hope you get this worked out. There is no reason you should have to suffer. I really feel so bad for you, I hope you feel better. crying
PostPosted: Wed Feb 07, 2007 6:57 am


I've never heard about teh cysts, but my ex has painful periods, so she went on Birth control to control it. I would suggest you ask your Doctor about it. I dunno exactly what it does, but it makes periods alot less painful.

Se Ga Takai


Lucky Hoku

PostPosted: Sat Feb 17, 2007 11:47 pm


My older sister had the exact thing. Years ago they didn't know what the heck it was and she suffered like crazy, they put her on birth control pills to control the timing of her periods and reduce the days of bleeding. It worked for a while until she got married and tried to have children thats when they discovered she had endometriosis. That's what it sounds like you might have but then again, I'm not a doctor and just offering my opinion. Anyway, once they determined her condition they were able to go in a clear her tubes, put her on a hormone pill and she was able to have two children without any problems. In fact, she said that after she had her first child the pain, nausea, and dizziness went away. Now, she's approaching PeriMenopause and looking forward to no more periods or female problems.
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