Dysmenorrhea and Menorrhagia

[romano]

My wife suffered regularly from severe cramps for years. One evening, in the middle of one of her attacks, I gave her 3 drops of essential oil of CLARY SAGE in a tablespoon of milk. The pain went away after half an hour - and NEVER came back.

 

[romano]

[snip]
. . . 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.

Ever hear of “iatrogenic disease?” You should run a search on Google. Apparently it’s “the third leading cause of death in the U.S.”

 

[MeaCulpa]

I worked in the medical field most of my life and know exactly what iatrogenic disease is - it is medically induced illness.

I suppose your point is that one cannot trust physicians. Well I would choose my physician carefully and I would inform myself as well as I could about any illness or drugs prescribed, the potential for iatrogenic illness (side effects), etc. etc.

While it may be the third greatest cause of death, it is not just “one disease” which is really a misnomer. That is several different treatments could result in several different potentially fatal illnesses (i.e. diabetes, heart disease, lupus, blood dyscrasias, etc.)

Still better to seek medical advice than that of us on the board or google alone.

 

[LenaB]

I’m a 22 year old college student who has had severe primary dysmenorrea since age 14. (About two years after the onset of my menstrual cycle, which is normal from what I’ve read.) I have the whole slew of symptoms: cramping from my lower back down through my legs and thighs, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, headaches that feel like migraines, etc, etc. My doctor, of course, wanted to prescribe BC, and I refused. She then gave me a prescription for 800mg Ibuprofen, and said to take them every eight hours starting three days before the start of my period. (Ahhh! I did it for one month, and decided I wasn’t comfortable taking that amt of medicine.) However, I went to a health guru a year later, and he gave me some herbal supplemnts, the brand was Dr. Christopher, Female Toner pills. I took a couple, started my period the next day, and walah! The symptoms were dramatically decreased, and I was amazed. The pills worked very well, but were also too expensive for me- about $20 a bottle. Soo, I found that the Female Toner tea from Traditional Medicinals teas worked almost as well, and is a fraction of the cost. (about $5/box.) The more I drink, the more it helps. Just thought I’d post this to let people know that it is an option, and that your doctor, unless you’re lucky, won’t tell you about things like this. (They get lots of money from the drug companies when you agree to take birth control, not to mention that it doesn’t do all the things people says it does. Research it- it’s eye opening.)

 

[wanner47]

A change in diet in addition to nutritional supplements can help these conditions. Marilyn Shannon has an excellent book in that regard called Fertility, Cycles, and Nutrition.

 

[Seatuck]

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.

Doing a thorough hormonal analysis and also charting can lead to an accurate diagnosis and treatment of these type of problems for women. Hormones should be given specific to the need of the woman and not in a one size fits all treatment such as a birth control pill.

 

[Gwyn]

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…

Took naproxen for 8 years and then got allergic to it…
now manage with ibuprofen.
But nothing helps the menoraghia, infact have been following Creightons for the last 2.5 years and am anemic but still have not found anything that helps or the cause of it…

Just realised I have posted here before…since then I had a myomectomy (fibroid removed) though the menoraghia continues …have to take iron pills daily and still am anemic…hysteroscopy and ultrasounds do not show the reason for the prolnged bleeding 15+ days of cycle …

 

[mamawest]

But nothing helps the menoraghia, …

This has also been my frustrating experience. I have very little pain but am unable to leave the house some days of my cycle due to the menorrhagia. The only thing my family physician will advise is the birth control pill. He won’t even refer to me to an ob/gyn until I have tried using the pill to control it first. I still haven’t done it though.
I’ve had all the kids I’m going to have, and had my tubes tied, long before I became Catholic, would it be wrong to want to have a hysterectomy?

 

[Seatuck]

This has also been my frustrating experience. I have very little pain but am unable to leave the house some days of my cycle due to the menorrhagia. The only thing my family physician will advise is the birth control pill. He won’t even refer to me to an ob/gyn until I have tried using the pill to control it first. I still haven’t done it though.
I’ve had all the kids I’m going to have, and had my tubes tied, long before I became Catholic, would it be wrong to want to have a hysterectomy?

I would want to know what is causing the problem before taking a medication.At least there has been some attempt in Gwyn’s case to find out.
I got this from the May clinic -

mayoclinic.com/health/menorrhagia/DS00394/DSECTION=causes

It should be said that you may take the birth control pill as a medication if you and your doctor agree that you should and you may have an operation such as hysterectomy if necessary as a treatment to cure a medical problem. There would be no immoral act in either scenario.

 

[Gwyn]

This has also been my frustrating experience. I have very little pain but am unable to leave the house some days of my cycle due to the menorrhagia. The only thing my family physician will advise is the birth control pill. He won’t even refer to me to an ob/gyn until I have tried using the pill to control it first. I still haven’t done it though.
I’ve had all the kids I’m going to have, and had my tubes tied, long before I became Catholic, would it be wrong to want to have a hysterectomy?

Sorry cannot answer your question here, but I would recommend contacting the Pope Paul VI institute and finding a dr (that they recommend) close to you. and going from there. Perhaps speak to your priest and see what is best for you and then if a hysterectomy is the only solution go that route.

My problem is soooo bad (staying home is not an option) that for 3 days I resort to overnight pads and diapers because in a matter of 2 minutes I can soak right through and be a bloody mess. However just talked to my RE and will be trying the diva cup and see if that helps any…
Also have PCOs and hormone imbalance so am on a whole bunch of stuff - metformin, progesterone, hCG shots, …

That said my mom had issues not as bad as me and she was having irregular bleeding and had a hysterectomy to resolve the problem. However she was only 42 so only the uterus was removed and one ovary left ( one ovary was removed when she was a teenager due to a cyst ). And 5 years after the hysterectomy, mom developed ovarian cancer and and died 6 months later.

Of course my family dr as well OB/GYN and RE are all aware of the family history and monitoring all this.

 

[Triciacat]

As a lifelong sufferer of dysmenorrhea (26 years of it and counting) I can assure you that, for me, no amount of medical intervention has cured the condition. Now that I am in periomenopause, I get to experience the all fun twice a month instead of once. I miss work as I am unable to function because of the pain, and anyone who suffers as I do knows how debililitating it actually is. Birth control pills DO help, as you can at least regulate your cycle enough to decide when you want to experience the torture, maybe a few times a year or so. As an unmarried woman of 42, kids are not in the picture, so I can’t even possibly experience the anecdotal relief birth could bring. Personally, I don’t believe for one second that I could even feel well enough to look after any kids when I am this sick twice a month. The birth control pill, which I have been off of for years, did NOT, in ANY way, entice me to be promiscuous, and, as I said, I am unmarried at 42, so I don’t even NEED it for birth control! To be told that birth control pills can contribute to unmarried sex is absolutely ridiculous. This assumes that people need forced control in order to practice what their faith teaches. To assume so is to treat adults like children. I know what works for my body, and if birth control helps me function in society, carry out God’s work:nun2: and stay off disability, so be it. I plan on speaking to my doctor about using it again, as I have just spent the last two days in bed. Again.

 

[Triciacat]

Since birth control is outlawed due to man-made doctrine, here is a study which I have been following for quite a while, concerning the use of Viagra for pain relief:

clinicaltrials.gov/ct/show/NCT00123162;jsessionid=BD0FB5CFA015A89AFA6D741BBA38FB1F?order=7

Although Viagra may not control the prostaglandin reaction entirely as it is not a COX 2 Inhibitor drug, the hope is that it will increase blood flow to the uterus, therby eliminating or reducing the ischemia which contributes to the muscle cramping and pain. I just received an email yesterday concerning this study, and it is expected to take another two years or so to complete.

 

[rolltidefan]

First of all, I also have a 14 year old son that was born very healthy and is healthy now while I was on birth control pills. I then came off of them for several months to have my second child and it was the worst pregnancy ever and she was born premature and etc. Anyway, just my 2 cents there.

I don’t believe at all having a baby helps any type of painful periods, bleeding or etc. I am speaking from my experience. My periods and disease actually became worse after the birth of my children and I do believe it was on the basis of having to have c-sections and the amount of scarring this puts the body through.

I was on birth control because, at least in the beginning, I wanted to control my pregnancies. However, then I was on it because I was getting painful cyst on my ovaries and the doctor said, I had a choice to remove them or go on birth control to control the cyst. I being the early age of 30 choose to take birth control. Then a few years later I had to have a laparoscopic gallbladder surgery. Well, while in there they discover that I have this “mass” on my liver. Come to find out, it is what is called a hemangioma on my liver and thus birth control pills or even pregnancy (anything that causes a hormone level increase) can cause these to grow. Also being pregnant could be life threatening to me because I could bleed to death if it were to rupture. So at that time, I made the decision with my doctor, who by the way is Catholic to have my tubes tied. I still now have to deal with the problems of the cyst, but I guess that is better than liver bleeding.

Anyway, to make a long story short, there is great benefit to women that take birth control. They don’t need to be made to feel terrible because they have to take it. There are medical reasons for things just like taking blood pressure medication, cholestererol medications or etc. which ALSO have bad side effects, but none of that is talked about on here. Anyway, it was not an easy decision to make to have my tubes tied. I am in a second marriage with a Catholic husband who does not have kids. Of course he knew I was not having anymore when he married me and that was a decision he made. But, I couldn’t now anyway. I value my kids who are 14 and 11 to have there mother now and thus I have no guilt or have ever had any guilt over the decision I have made.

Anyway, hope this helps, at least the ones who want to or need to take birth control. NFP does not work for all, just like all birth control does not work for all.

 

[aloejamb]

I suffered with heavy/painful put-you-in bed-for-three-days period for over 20 years. Did the ABC twice B4 having children to help out and I didn’t like the side effects (although I know there are new products out there these days). I had three pregnancies and cycles became more frequent but not less painful/heavy…so that didn’t help out. I got to a point where I refused to just accept the way I am and do something about it. My dr. at the time wanted me to take ABC. I personally felt that it was just putting a band aid on an issue until menopause hit. I wanted to know WHY I was like this. Was it something I was eating? Did I need a certain vitamin? When dr.'s answer kept dodging the question and threw up his hands saying he couldn’t help me if I refused to go on ABC (BTW he is a good dr. just doesn’t know alternative treatments I guess) I went somewhere else. I sought out a dr. who worked with JPII institute and when I told her my problems she patted me on the leg and said I had been suffering too long.
That was one year ago. She gave me prometrium(progesterone). This is bioidentical vs biosynthetic (like ABC). So there are not these extra molecules attached to the hormone that your body doesnt know what to do with.
This past year my cycles have been predictable. I am not in bed. I still have some painful cycles but am able to go about my daily committments (albeit not as with much gusto as a non period day) and the bleeding has been lessened. Some months I have very light and have what “normal” women go thru.
My Dr. said it was just like taking a thyroid pill if you had thyroid problems. If your corpeus luteum (sp??) is deficient then you take progesterone.
This is what my experience has been. This is what worked for me. I know how debilitating this condition can be. I wish people who do not suffer from this would be more understanding. I found that the attitude was “so what, so you’re on your period, suck it up.” After reading all of these posts, I just want to throw a big hug out there…You have my understanding sisters! Keep plugging away as to why you are like this.

 

[Triciacat]

I read a great book on this subject which said that using birth control for painful periods may not help the specific problems some people have, as they may need more estrogen, more progesterone, less progesterone, etc, so birth control can be a one-size-fits-nobody remedy. A person needs thorough hormone testing at various times during the cycle to find out where the deficiencies are. Lucky that you hit the nail on the head with the progesterone! Birth control never helped me at all in terms of lessening the pain, as laparoscopy revealed nothing in terms of pathology (unlike someone with endometriosis who could benefit) but when I was on it several years ago, the option of taking it continuously wasn’t brought up. If I choose to take it again it would be for that reason, to take it continuously so that I don’t have a cycle except when I choose to do so. Three times a year instead of 24 times a year sound good to me.

Perhaps a female Pope with dysmenorrhea might put all the birth control stupidity to rest once and for all (???)

 

[rolltidefan]

Triciacat…You have hit the nail on the head!!! I agree with you 100%.

 

[aloejamb]

Perhaps a female Pope with dysmenorrhea might put all the birth control stupidity to rest once and for all (???)

While I stated that those with these symptoms have my sympathy and that keep pluggin away…I just wanted to clarify that I do believe there are other options out there that are bioidentical. Sometimes the medical community pushes those options aside because they are more familiar with BC. I wrote on this thread hoping to share my experience so that women push for these bioidentical alternatives. I think that they are much healthier in the long run for our bodies if they don’t have these synthetic molecules attached to them.
I think the comment about the female pope was uncalled for. Let’s have a good discussion about what works and what doesn’t to help those out there in need without disrespecting the Chair of Peter shall we?

 

[rolltidefan]

Don’t want to start anything negative on this board either, but I don’t think Triciacat meant anything negative or disrespectful with what she said. I think her point was that if men knew what we go through, they would probably have more sympathy for us and allow the use of birth control or whatever that may be to help. I agree, I think we don’t need to put anything in our bodies that cause more harm, however, most any medicine including simple Tylenol and Ibuprofen are not good for you at all, but the results of taking the medication when needed are of great benefit. I think there is not enough out there for womens health and we have a lot more growing and learning to do. I know for me, I have to go to a male GYN (who is Catholic), and he is wonderful at what he does, but I would prefer a woman doctor if there was a good one around me. Hopefully, there will be someone great in a few years that can make things so much easier for our daughters.

 

[Triciacat]

I also firmly believe in using as little western medicine/poison as I can possibly get away with. I choose natural alternatives whenever possible, including making my own soap and lotion, and you won’t find parabens or sulfates in anything I use on my body. Unfortunately, it is a very slow crawl uphill for those doing research in the herbal/alternative field. Western medicine advocates will seldom admit to having evidence that these remedies work but the reason there is no evidence is because no one is willing to fund studies that they can’t realize any profits from. No drug will be produced so no profits for our drug companies. Anyhow, that is another topic entirely. Once my gynecologist performed the laparoscopy and found no pathology, I was prescribed birth control. That is the only western medicine option he made available to me.

I agree with earlier comments made that women’s health issues are often on the back burner when it comes to research. One of my coworkers with Stage 4 Endometriosis is experiencing the same brick walls in her case as well. She MUST be on birth control to control the growth of the endometrial tissue or must have surgery repeatedly to remove the growths. She also uses alternative therapies but with little to no success. Every time one has surgery, whether a C-section or anything else, there is a risk of adhesions, or scar tissue that forms after the cuts are made. These create their own pain issues. Repeated surgery is never a good idea.

I will definitely continue my search for alternative remedies. For those that need or choose artificial hormone therapy, I completely sympathize. My original point is that man-made religious doctrine will never form the basis of my belief system. I follow what Jesus Christ said, and that is to go forth, spread His word and do His work. Let’s stop trivializing His message with the “small stuff.”

 

[rolltidefan]

Triciacat…once again you hit the nail on the head. I can tell you from my experience of having had 2 c-sections that I didn’t want a 3rd, 4th, 5th or etc. and I was not willing to take that chance also on using NFP alone. This was just my experience. Not speaking for anybody else on here. With that being my experience and then as spoken earlier by me for other reasons health related, I did choose ABC. I don’t think a woman that cannot have her children naturally (vaginally) that to continue to be pregnant and have to have multiple abdominal surgeries to deliver is very healthy either. Of course I know most of you know, I am a protestant that is married to a Catholic coming on these boards to learn more and so my protestant religion didn’t put their hands into what I used in my private bedroom. I cannot imagine having the problems I have now with my female health and then having to worry about what my religion would think of me using ABC. Anyway, just my 2 cents again, but I am learning so much from this place. Hopefully as I said before, there will be more coming out in women’s health so that our daughters don’t have to suffer.