Dysmenorrhea and Menorrhagia

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I would like to open a thread about married women who suffer from one or both of the above conditions. Dysmenorrhea means painful periods - painful enough so that you can’t function and have to lie in bed in agony instead of show up for work. Menorrhagia means bleeding that is so heavy that it is intolerable. As long as there is no underlying condition, both problems can be “cured” by going on the birth control pill. Well, “cured” may not be the right terminology. The problems come back when you go off the pill. But then, people who take pills for high blood pressure or cholesterol will also get their problems back when they go off their pills. It has apparently been discovered that once in a while you ovulate while on the pill, and the pill causes the lining of uterus not to be properly prepared for a pregnancy, therefore you might lose the baby. I should also add that I have personally known of women who have gotten pregnant while on the pill and had healthy babies.

I had a hysterectomy years ago, so this is no longer a problem for me. I am thinking about the younger women. I’m sure there are some who don’t want to have a hysterectomy because they want more children. In my case, I tried everything imaginable like eating better, taking iron and vitamin pills, etc. and nothing helped. The pain was so bad that taking pain pills wouldn’t help much. There was nothing that would stop the pain and bleeding except the birth control pill.

I am curious to know if there have been any new medical discoveries over the years that will cure this problem. That is why I wanted to open a thread on the subject, since many people on this forum seem to think it is immoral to take birth control pills for any reason whatever.

P.S. I’m not interested in being called “Catholic light” as I was on another thread. This was years ago, and I’m too old to have children now anyway. I do, however, have great compassion for younger women who are going through this.
 
I don’t mean to sound flippant at all, but pregnancy can cure dysmenorrhea at least. And I mean cure, never to come back again. I don’t know how often this happens though. I know women who prove it.

I would also like to point out that it is not just “the pill” that can have a possible negative impact on a wee one. Many other medications can do so as well, but I’m not accustomed to hearing people tell married folks to avoid these medications (or avoid relations while on these). For example, medications for arthritis or medications for seizures. Did you know that a MAN can be taking some medications and it can have an impact on a child should they get pregnant?
 
I was concieved while my mom was on the pill…im heathy for the most part (moderate to severe astsma) im glad God gave me a chance:)
 
I suffered that way for years, the problem was made worse by various types of BC (chemical and “mechanical”) without going into details, which were prescribe to control a smaller problem and ended up causing much bigger problems. Priest back then counselled us BC for medical reasons was fine, and just to “enjoy” the contraceptive aspect. Went back on hormones (not BC) in my 40s which provided better but not complete alleviation of symptoms. Finally got hysterectomy after hospitalization for anemia. Now learn from friends who are OB-GYNs that there alternative surgical, and non-invasive procedures available that were always there, but are now much more effective due to improved technique, laparoscopy etc. Would still like to crack that priest for lying about the effects of contraception on marriage, intimacy. Had years of suffering, most due to various types of BC. If I had it to over, I would have trusted God instead of doctors and had all the kids God chose to send us. bottom line: be very wary of the claim that this or that BC device or chemical will “cure” you. Problem that led to hysterectomy was directly caused by BC.
 
Very few doctors are interested in advancing treatments for these types of conditions when they can so easily and lucratively prescribe The Pill.

However, there are some terrific pro-life doctors who have been doing work in the area of female reproduction. Dr. Hilgers out of Omaha, NE. His NaPro Technology has helped many women.

I’d recommend any woman with the type of issues you describe to study the Creighton method of NFP through a Fertility Care specialist (you can find one at www.creightonmodel.com) and then contact Dr. Hilgers at the Pope Paul VI center (www.popepaulvi.com).
 
Hi all,

I not only suffer/suffered with dysm., but also with severe endometriosis, as does my younger sister. I, fortunately, was able to convceive. After my second period, after the new baby the pain was already back again. This is not just, ooh ouch cramps, I am uncomfortable. It is like double over, can’t move, back pain, nauseau, diarhea cramps. Pregnancy does not always cure this. Yes, it is the best thing they say, but it can come back. We knew we wanted more children and are open to life so, by God’s Grace, we were able to get pregnant again. Our next baby is due May. Yet, we are going to need some guidance and counseling after that. Fortunately, we have a NFP nurse we will be speaking with at a Catholic Hospital here in town. But, I don’t know what we’ll do. Obviously, we won’t artificially contracept, I don’t want a hysterectomy, I don’t think we will be quite ready to have another baby right away again, yet I don’t know what I’ll do if the pain and endometriosis come back. I will have 2 children to be actively taking care of and like I said these pregnancies are back to back.

So to answer the poster questions about any new advances, my sister who has endometriosis was put on Depo and the Pill. She is 24 and they told her it was this or she would probably have to get a hysterectomy. It is just horrible. Please pray for all women who suffer from this terrible situation.
 
My 14 yr old has had periods for 2 years now. Earlier this week, when she got her period she also got very uncomfortable. She said it’s not cramps but it hurts. Ibuprofen helps and so does the heating pad. She has mostly been lying around for several days. I want to see what happens when her period is over. I’m hoping it’s cycle related and just a fluke. If she’s not better on Monday, I plan to call the Dr. For those women who have these issues, how young did it start? —KCT
 
naproxin is my best friend that time of month…i started out with really painful periods and lots of icky doctor visits… but after I found the right way to take a combination of tyelnol/naproxin then I did fine…(I can’t take asprin becasue of my asma but for some reason I do fine with naproxin)

My trick is taking one or two tylenol two days before I expect my period, the second I get my period I take two naproxin as soon as it starts…then one every 12 hours while I have it…this now is what I do every month and its fairly sucessful…anyway I hope your daughter feels better…
 
Hey just a thought for the rock throwers out there. If someone has female problems, that bad, they probably cant conceive anyway or it will be very difficult.

My mom had these problems and only had one child, who was probably sent by the grace of God.
 
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Pug:
I don’t mean to sound flippant at all, but pregnancy can cure dysmenorrhea at least. And I mean cure, never to come back again. I don’t know how often this happens though. I know women who prove it.

I would also like to point out that it is not just “the pill” that can have a possible negative impact on a wee one. Many other medications can do so as well, but I’m not accustomed to hearing people tell married folks to avoid these medications (or avoid relations while on these). For example, medications for arthritis or medications for seizures. Did you know that a MAN can be taking some medications and it can have an impact on a child should they get pregnant?
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My mom had problems with dysmenorrhea. She married my dad in 1962. My dad was in the merchant navy and she got a job on the ship he was on. It was a working honeymoon so to speak. They didn’t want to have children right away and they used condoms, my mom told me.

Dysmenorrhea made a week every month very difficult to say the least. She went to a doctor while they were abroad with this problem, mainly to get a prescription for painkillers. He asked her: “You are married, Mrs P. ?” My mom said that she had been married for some months. The doctor told her that the best cure he had for her dysmenorrhea was pregnancy. “You will have no menstruation for at least 9 months or more and therefore no pain.”

My mother listened to his advice and they stopped contracepting (condoms). A couple of months later in the middle of the Pacific ocean a girl child was conceived. Guess who that girl child was? 😃
 
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Pug:
Many other medications can do so as well, but I’m not accustomed o hearing people tell married folks to avoid these medications (or avoid relations while on these). For example, medications for arthritis or medications for seizures. Did you know that a MAN can be taking some medications and it can have an impact on a child should they get pregnant?
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I am familiar with these and it would be prudent to abstain except for a Conservative Phase III interpretation while on these (such as ocutane). Since the pill does not allow for NFP use while on it no interpretation is possible to be made and thus no “safe” time is determinable.

I do remember reading (I believe it was John XXIII but I will look it up and post the quote up) a portion of a talk that indicated that if the purpose of taking the medication was to prevent ovulation because of detrimental effect that ovulation caused on the reproductive system then it would be illicit as the contraceptive effect was intended. Of course, this was also not a infallible statemtent but the statement of a moralist in an audience addressing doctors in the lat 50’s.

Under the Mercy,

Matthew

P.S. Our family rosary tonight will be offered for all of you women who suffer these problems. My wife used to have painful periods while we were dating but have dissappeared since return of fertility after our first child was born.
 
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KCT:
My 14 yr old has had periods for 2 years now. Earlier this week, when she got her period she also got very uncomfortable. She said it’s not cramps but it hurts. Ibuprofen helps and so does the heating pad. She has mostly been lying around for several days. I want to see what happens when her period is over. I’m hoping it’s cycle related and just a fluke. If she’s not better on Monday, I plan to call the Dr. For those women who have these issues, how young did it start? —KCT
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I had it with my very first cycle at approximately age 12. I didn’t know what was happening to me and thought I had a severe case of diarrhea. It got much worse as time went on. I had a wonderful vacation from it while having my children. It came back with a vengeance a few years after my youngest child was born. I also had a tendency to miscarry, and many times I suspected an early miscarriage when I was late and wasn’t on the pill. I had two definite miscarriages after my first child was born, and I was in danger of losing my second child when I was 6 months along. I had to have bed rest. Thank God, I didn’t lose her! It is such a blessing to realize that I am not the only one who had these problems.
 
Another Naproxen user here. Though my problem is menoraghia so I use it as a blood thinner also helps the pain. And even on Naproxyn I can have a disaster in a matter of 15 minutes not fun when I work with 4 male colleagues. Though my problem arises from having a fibroid, Hashimoto’s (ended up having a thyroidectomy last year, still have not got the right amount of medication) and polycystic ovary.
To top all this we have been trying for # 2 for over 1.5 years and …
 
Hi All,

KCT, my doctor told me that the endometriosis was actually building since my first cycle at 13. However, I remember that the actual pain started at 15 or 16. I also did the heating pad, naprosyn, naproxen, bextra all kinds of medication and it never really helped. I still had pain. I was 29 when we found out that it was endo and I had to have a laproscopy and everything cleaned up.Within a year, thanks be to God, I conceived. However, all that time I suffered every month and just thought, hey, we have bad periods in my family, tough it out. Little did we all know. So it is really good that you take your daughter and get everything checked out. I tell you, you would be amazed at the number of women,that it is now coming out, that suffer from this. God bless.

peace
 
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Monicathree:
So it is really good that you take your daughter and get everything checked out. /QUOTE]

The pain was not cycle related, but in the course of some other tests they did find a cyst in her pelvic area. The Dr. is not too worried, but did send her for a sonogram and wants to keep an eye on it. —KCT
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I’ve had dysmenorrhea and menorrhagia since I was 11 years old. I am now about to turn 23.And my father wouldn’t allow me to take birthcontrol. In fact, he didn’t ALLOW me to go to the ob/gyn until I was 19. When I finally did go, she said that I had both conditions and on top of that was anemic. The doc said that the BC pills would help the “amount of _____” that would pass, thus should help the cramps. So now, I’m married for almost 3 years, and I actually want children. Last year, we tried to get off the pills & conceive, no dice. A couple of months ago, we found out that I had a “monster cyst” (the doc actually said those words to me) it was 3" by 4" hanging off an oviary. Thankfully it went away on it’s own. But now, if I’m not on the pills, they will come back. Causing more pain. This last one was so bad I couldn’t drive, I had to be on more pain meds, it was pinching my siatic nerve! So there in comes my delima. I know that Birth control is wrong, but I’m not using it to stop birth. I would be the happiest girl in the world if i were to get PG right now! But then again, i am on them. IT’s just incredibaly hard with these conditions. And the older you get, i think the worse they get! Even on the BC, I still miss work around that time. IT’s a must. I can’t get out of the bed, the heating pad is up so high & on so long it makes burn marks on my belly. I take pain meds, but if you don’t take them before the cramping comes, you might as well hang it up! it’ll take hours of horrible pain to get through before they will work, IF you don’t go throw them up before hand! And all this time, my family thought I was just faking, that i just wanted to get out of school!! It’s not pleasent, and i’m glad that i’m not alone out there suffering!
Well, thanks for listening. I hope I’ve shead some light on this! :blessyou:
 
God Bless you, Jessy1011. I haven’t had to go through anything as severe as that.
 
Dysmenorrhea, menorrhagia and menometrorrhagia as well as dyspareunia all may have several different underlying causes as all these are symptoms and not diseases. It is important to discuss these things with your physician and not with people on a board - primary dysmenorrhea or common menstrual cramps usually effect the young and vary in degree - there are indeed other treatments than abc including avoiding things which cause water retention, getting enough rest and exercise, learning relaxation techniques (like those used in natural chilldbirth), etc.

But again, I must stress that discussion of medical conditions with your physician is as important as discussing sin with your confessor rather than asking some fellow Catholic who may give you misinformation.
 
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