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Women please advise: tmi menstrual stuff

I've always had really terrible, heavy periods. Their only positive quality is that they have been regular, for the most part, every 26 days. But they are intense and I get migraines, indigestion, cramps, back pain, and extreme mood swings, not to mention severe acne. That has definitely been wearing on me. I haven't taken birth control pills since I was 23 since they made me kind of crazy and made me feel that I wasn't inhabiting my own body; I am also icked out by their environmental impact. But now I'm on my second trip through a 16-day menstrual cycle with five days of heavy bleeding in each. This means that for every 10 days that I feel okay, I have six of PMS and bleeding. Today I bled so heavily that I filled my menstrual cup in the course of a two-hour class and by the time I got to the bathroom I had soaked through my clothes. So I'm thinking about the pill and, if I can ever finally get my head around it and accept it, am wondering what ones any of you have had success with. I'd be looking for something with the lowest dose possible. Are there any other alternatives? My supervisor and a friend both recommended an IUD but they scare me. I take iron supplements for anaemia already.

I've made an appointment with a doctor for a few weeks from now (earliest appointment I can get), though I'm likely going to an emergency clinic this week to get a sick leave from work for this and other reasons (crazy periods plus flu plus depression), so I plan on mentioning it then. So ultimately I will seek a doctor's advice, but I know that one option he/she will suggest is the pill, and I want to check in with the hive mind about this, first.

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Comment by TommysMommy on February 24, 2012 at 8:39pm: Yeah - I was going to add the thyroid thing as well. And I am sorry to hear you are going through this. Been there too. Not fun. I've never had any problems with the pill but there are so many options out there, you'd think your doctor would be able to recommend something!

Comment by Lady Grey on March 14, 2012 at 3:20pm: I was on the pill from ages 16 to 30, with a few breaks, mostly for children. However, after Baby Grey, I didn't go back on it (Earl Grey had a vasectomy). Honestly, the only negative thing for me being on the pill (other than being on medication) was that I got frequent headaches and I don't get many headaches any more. Since you are prone to migraines, you might not want do take artificial hormones. My periods were slightly shorter on the pill (also the generic ortho-tri-cyclen), but only by about a day. I also had less severe cramps.

I was happy off the pill and surprisingly, my periods have been very regular (I was on the pill so long not just for birth control, but because of heavy periods and bad PMS). However, the first 3.5 years off the pill was great and then PMS came back with a vengeance. One month it just hit me like a ton of bricks and it sucks every single month and I pity my kids the week before my period starts. AND since the end of last summer, my skin has started breaking out. Even as a teenager I had great skin (of course the occasional blemish) so this acne, mostly on my forehead, has been extremely frustrating. I can't believe that I have to deal with it at 34. It actually seems to be getting better and I think it primarily was due to my marathon training. Now that I'm 5 months past that event and have hardly run since then, my skin seems a little better. I've been considering going back on the pill to control my PMS and skin issues, but just can't bring myself to do it.

So, if it weren't for the migraines in your case, I would recommend the pill without too much reservation.

Comment by G to the G on May 7, 2012 at 12:03pm: GG - where did you land on this? Feeling better? I'm going to message you on FB too.

I too have been doing a detox lately and just getting caught up on everyone... sorry I've missed so much.

RE: the original topic - I had VERY similar symptoms and issues pre and post El D's birth. Awful. I went on the lowest dosage of pill with Iron in it. I love it. Truly heart it. All of my symptoms (and Carrie-sque periods) are gone. It truly is the only thing that worked for me. I hope you've found some relief.

Women please advise: tmi menstrual stuff

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