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A while back I got shingles (which I thought only old people get but apparently not!) and they are so painful that my Dr actually prescribed me hydrocodone. I have also had seriously bad cramps in the past to the point that I have just had to stay in bed for a couple days. I haven't ever been confirmed to have endometriosys but my mom and grandmother both had it so I know it is from that... Anyway, once the shigles were gone I still had a TON left over and now I use that for my cramps and it helps a TON! Don't know if you can get that from your Dr but it can't hurt to ask!
1. I've tried four different BCs and none of them take away my cramps.
2. I've been taking cataflam and it doesn't do a thing.
and your gynecologist sounds like a jerk. there are plenty of pain killers. I would also suggest being checked for endometriosis as the PP said, it's notorious for really, really killer cramps. An internal ultrasound can check for it.
I used to miss work/school the first day or two because of cramps that literally made me puke to get some relief, until my regular doctor prescribed Naproxen. I took it for a couple years beofre realizing that Aleve is Naproxen. Now I take Aleve the first couple of days. I take more than the recommended amount (2 pills instead of 1), but not more than what my doctor had prescribed before. Tylenol, Advil, and any other OTC medicine has done nothing for me. Try Aleve if you haven't already!
@georgiagirl:me too. naproxen/aleve changed my life.
then loestrin did (birthcontrol with a super short period and iron pills instead of placebo).
seriously, the bc was both more effective and cheaper than the painkillers--plus it lowers the chance of certain cancers. i considered it a win/win.
OMG i didnt know that cramps could be so severe! ive never really experienced horrible menstrual cramps, but my periods used to be extremely long (7days) until i had mirena (iud) inserted (my period lasts 1 day now and is so light). the commercial just came on and i heard it say that it drastically reduces cramping ::shrugs:: maybe you could ask your dr if its true... good luck!
@ellabee: I'm glad to hear someone else has had a similar experience. Naproxen has definitely changed my life.
@veganglam: I have decided BC is not for me as well, so I was glad to find something else that worked and was affordable. If you have a gerneral practitioner, ask for a different opionion. There are many choices out there besides BC.
I'm on loestrin too... The 2nd day of my period is STILL horrible even with birth control. I don't take RX though, I usually take advil.
I have taken prescription naproxen with good luck as well. At 18 I finally decided to go to an OB/GYN because of the debilitating pain and heavy bleeding I was experiencing. The doctor prescribed birth control (which I was really nervous to take). It took a few different ones to find the right combination product, but it has been so much better. I actually am dreading going off it when we are ready to TTC because it's so much better than before. If you're comfortable sharing, what's the name of the product your doctor has been prescribing in the past?
I used to take T3s with codeine(I know, not good) for mine back in the day -- I would pass out & possibly vomit from the sheer pain without.
After I had a kid they got somewhat better, not that I am suggesting you do that though. I still often use my fall back (Motrin gels--which I use to off-set migraines before they go full blown) during really bad cycles.
Check with your gyno to make sure there is no underlying health issue. Tons of my gfs were certain that i had endometriosis (sp?)(because I said it hurt so effing bad) but i didn't, so yeah, it never hurts to have a professional opinion..
when I had periods (before BC) I used to take 600 MG motrins (RX variety) and they worked ok but they were still pretty bad.
I would say without any medicine, things like baths, heat compresses and staying active can help get rid of some of the cramps.
I'd also see another doctor who is more sensitive to how horrible they can be and how they can be a sympton of another issue as well.
Thanks for the replies everyone--I suffered with these cramps, totally debilitating, would leave me vomiting or in bed for at least the first two days, for about six years until I realized something wasn't right. Pretty much the first thing they did was check for endometriosis, and no, it wasn't that. I just have excruciating pain for no good reason. Before the prescription, I tried high dosages of Tylenol (worthless), Advil (didn't do much), Motrin (like Advil in effect), and Aleve (worked best, but I still couldn't go about my day normally). Of course I tried all the other stuff like hot compresses, warm baths, teas, etc etc, I mean, they were comforting, but not much more. The painkiller my doctor had prescribed was Mefenamic Acid, aka Ponstel. I can no longer find it ANYWHERE in the generic. Frankly I'd always hoped for something stronger than that anyway because it was just slightly more effective than Aleve. Bah. It's so hard to get in to an appointment to see a new doctor and my gyno had been great up until now--I don't know what crawled up her ass, seriously. She just told me it was the Ponstel or it was BC and that was that. I don't have a very good general practitioner so I'd be in the same place as with finding a new gyno--trying to get all the overbooked doctors to squeeze me into that one free spot they have a month from now.
Sigh. I think I'll try calling my gynecologist back--maybe she was just in a bad mood or something.
i doubt you're going to want to go this route, especially if you want children, but I also had debilitating cramps...I had huge fibroids, and because I didn't care about preserving the uterus, I had a hysterectomy. I still get some PMS symptoms, but no more bleeding or cramps (obviously). It has raised the quality of my life more than I can say.
I was taking oxycodone for my cramps though.
I have terrible cramps from endo. I used to take off work for them because like you said, they are incredibly debilitating.
I take a prescription form of ibuprofen and take Seasonique. Seasonique makes my periods a little better, but more importantly, I have fewer.
The key to taking a pain killer for me is starting it a few days before the period starts. It doesn't do anything for me if I take it after the fact.
Edit: I wanted to add one more possible option. I had a gyne in high school prescribe Celebrex to me. It's for arthritis I think, but it's a heavy duty anti-inflammatory.
Mine were really bad and I used Aleeve prescription before I used birth control, which changed my life. I recommended it to my sis and it helped her too. For us, all the women on our mom's side of the family have horrible cramps where they can't do anything. I've worked on visualizing the pain as a black goo which I force to ooze out of my body. It sounds weird, but I imagine it while I'm laying in the tub and it helps. It's taken years to get it to do anything.
The only benefit I can give you is labor and delivery is NOTHING compared to cramps. I mean, it does get pretty bad, but it goes away. The whole time I was in labor I thought "my mom was right, our cramps are nothing compared to labor." If my circumstance had been different, I could've gone natural the whole way because labor is waves of pain and not the constant, overriding pain like cramps.
i had this same problem when i was in high school. dude we really are twins or something! everyone thought i was faking it every month to get out of school until i threw up in the kitchen sink (such sudden nausea) in front of my mom one morning. finally got my ass to a doctor and they tell me i have an enflamed ovarian cyst that is related to my cycle. they prescribed bc and it did get much better after that, although still very hard to go about the day. after high school i got on the shot and got no periods and kissed that crap good bye, but i am aware this could screw up things for me later, it's a trade off.
anyway, i'm surprised your doc didn't discuss that condition with you, has it ever been brought up? they can rupture and really mess you up, so it's worth speaking about. my doc tells me an anti-inflammatory is the best bet for that kind of pain, whatever rx they gave me didn't do a damn thing, just made me dizzy. it sucks because you could take really great pain meds like Vicodin, but it's likely to incapacitate you in a different way. i'm aware drinking a lot of water and keeping your sodium intake down is good too, helps with the inflammation.
I agree with Naproxen. My cramps have always been just as bad...vomiting...dizziness...hot flashes, etc. The BC pills that I take do not take the cramps away. I also use the OTC naproxen. It's anaproxin in generic form. You can fin dit at Target or Wal-mart. It helps me way more than anything else does.
I have endo, so I've had my share of pain pills. I must be an odd one out...Naproxen never really helped me that much. I've tried Vicodin many times, but hate how woozy it makes me feel. I told that to my doctor and he switched me to Darvocet...much better! That works great for me. He's also told me that ibuprofen with benadryl works well too, as something in the benadryl enhances the effects of ibuprofen. Plus, I swear by heating pads. I have one at my house and I keep another in my office at work. The air-activated heating "pads" are great, too.
I have endometriosis....BAD!! It's all over...i have it on my bowels, my left ovary, even my rectal wall...so I've had my share of pain killers as well! Ibuprofen, heck no doesn't even TOUCH it. Aleve/Naproxen, NOPE! Toradol, Percocet, hydrocodone, NOPE! I hate Narcotics with a passion though just because of the fact that they give me tunnel vision bad! So, finally, my doctor put me on this med called Tramadol. It's like a narcotic but is NOT a narcotic, but IS a muscle relaxer! I wake up every single morning either around 3am or 6am with horrible cramps (i do not have a period, it was stopped years ago through BC, im only 22 btw) and I grab my tramadol ASAP and within 10 min exactly they begin to subside! The Tramadol that I take is 100mg PRN, but just recently, since cramps have been going off the wall, I take the 100mg every 4 hours, which yes is a lot, but my doctor wants me to do this until my surgery Dec 14th to have the endo removed. I'm also on Junel, which is the generic for Loestrin and I'm on the 1.5/30. Love it!
@veganglam: Has your doctor looked into endometriosis? I don't personally take pain killers but I get severe intestinal cramping around my periods, and really really bad searing back aches.
@mogopogo: Just an FYI, Darvocet was taken off the market last week because it was shown to change the electrical activity in the heart at normal doses, therefore the benefits of taking this drug doesn't outweight the risks of taking the drug. If you're still taking this medication, you may want to consult with your physician about other treatment options. You won't be able to get refills of this medication, etc. because it is no longer available.
If your cramps are not tolerable with both prescription strength anti-inflammatory AND any of the other treatment options, then something is clearly wrong and you should be having tests done until you are properly diagnosed. Narcotics are not indicated for menstrual cramps, and it is highly inappropriate for any physician to prescribe these for ongoing treatment of menstrual cramps.
I'm sorry I can't relate to your experience but get a new gyno!! It sounds like you have some pretty serious concerns and she is just brushing you off. I know it's hard and scary to have to find a new doctor but when your health is on the line, you don't want someone who won't give you proper medical advice.
I was also being prescribed naproxin until canada made OTC available here, so now I just buy Aleve.. it's so much easier. Cramps are terrible :( Birth control pills eased mine up a bit but I had to try 3 different brands before one helped- and even then I still had bad ones sometimes.
After being on the pill for five years I decided to try going au natural again and so far my cramps jave not been that bad (except for one day), so I am pretty surprised.
@EvaBostonTerrier: Thanks for the info! I've had this prescription for nearly a year and haven't refilled it for months. I will def look into that! I guess I'll resort to taking 1/2 a vicodin from now on. :/
Cramps this painful are totally not normal. I used to take vicodin for mine (and still do) but i am now on BC to lessen the overall symptoms. There could definitely be an underlying reason (more than likely, honestly) and your refusal to go on birth control could be hurting you more than you realize. Seek a second opinion from a specialist. Nobody needs to be in this kind of pain. And honestly, taking a prescription painkiller every month will only mask the pain and not treat what's actually going on. I actually skip periods on purpose now, but that's a whole other story
Long story short, this ain't normal!
Yes I take percription Motrin for mine or Excedrin Menstral (That one is over the counter!). I get them so bad that I usually end up sleeping on the bathroom floor because I can't move and they make me sick. I found the BC didn't really do too much for them. Your doc is being a TOTAL jerk and if you need something stronger then do what ever it takes to get that! I'm guessing hes male right? So he doesnt even have a clue to what your feeling to even have such a say!!!
Just to warn you be careful!!! Before I started taking Prescription pain killers I would take over the counter meds like nobodys business! It was VERY easy to get addicted! Not that I was trying too but nothing worked so I just kept popping in the pills to numb the pain. I strongly suggest you find another doc! Its much more safe to finally find something that works instead of popping anything just to get some relief!!!!
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I have to take a prescription painkiller for my menstrual cramps because they're devilitating to the point that I have to spend the first two days of my period confined to bed. The pill I used to take, I could only find at one pharmacy in generic form, and now they've stopped carrying it. The name-brand is $150 with my copay, which is just too much. My gynecologist is being a jerk and just tells me there is no other option--it's either that or bc, which I DO NOT want to do and have wrestled with the thought of taking it for years before deciding it is not for me. So I'm wondering if anyone else takes a strong prescription painkiller for their cramps, and if they'd mind sharing the name of it, so that maybe I could talk to my gyno about swtiching to it.
Thanks.