Millions of women in UK face severe period pain but symptoms dismissed, survey finds

[Andy]

"Millions of women and girls experience debilitating periods, yet nearly one-third never seek medical help, and more than half say their symptoms are not taken seriously, according to research.

A survey of 3,000 women and girls for the Wellbeing of Women charity found that they are often dismissed as “just having a period”, despite experiencing severe pain, heavy bleeding and irregular cycles that can lead to mental health problems.

Almost all of those surveyed, who were between 16 and 40 years old and based in the UK, had experienced period pain (96%), with 59% saying their pain was severe. Ninety-one per cent had experienced heavy periods, with 49% saying their bleeding was severe. Extrapolating the findings, that equates to 6.2 million across the UK who have experienced severe period pain and 5.1 million who have had severe bleeding."

https://www.theguardian.com/society...riod-pain-but-symptoms-dismissed-survey-finds

 

[Arnie Pye]

I must be out of date...

From the Guardian article :

Although effective treatment options are available, severe pain and heavy bleeding can be normalised even within the healthcare system, the report found, with women and girls often not receiving the treatment, care and emotional support they need.

Can anyone tell me what the "effective treatment options" are these days? I would guess that anti-depressants form a major part of the "effective treatment options".

 

[Trish]

The only effective treatment option I'm aware of is hormonal, ie the contraceptive pill.

 

[NelliePledge]

There are medications for heavy bleeding. Tranexamic acid tablets were effective in my experience.

 

[Arnie Pye]

There are medications for heavy bleeding. Tranexamic acid tablets were effective in my experience.

I've just found out that tranexamic acid tablets were first made available in 1962 by the developers. My sister (six years younger than me) was prescribed them, but I never was. Given that they had been available for years at a time when I would have benefited from them I will just have to guess why I never got prescribed them even though I needed them.

 

[NelliePledge]

I've just found out that tranexamic acid tablets were first made available in 1962 by the developers. My sister (six years younger than me) was prescribed them, but I never was. Given that they had been available for years at a time when I would have benefited from them I will just have to guess why I never got prescribed them even though I needed them.

Yeah it wasn’t til I was in my early 40s that I got prescribed, the benefits were immediate. Then I found out a couple of colleagues on my team were taking them and I couldn’t believe they weren’t generally known about among women, in magazine articles etc.

 

[Joan Crawford]

I found mefenamic acid really helpful for period pain, reducing blood loss and with menstrual migraine. GP prescribed this to me in my 40s.

Tbh, period pain wasn't much of am issue and as I approach menopause other aspects worsened. But if I was much younger I hope I would have been offered these options. I was offered various contraceptive pills over-the- years which I was not able to tolerate due to migraine

 

[perchance dreamer]

Endometriosis can cause pain and heavy bleeding during periods. I would want that ruled out. I didn't know I had it until I had my tubes tied. The surgeon saw the lesions and burned them off during the procedure. It didn't bother me after that, but I don't know if that is always a permanent solution for endometriosis.

 

[Arnie Pye]

The only effective treatment option I'm aware of is hormonal, ie the contraceptive pill.

In the 1980s I was given the standard 3 weeks on, 1 week off pill (i.e. not the mini pill) to take every day to prevent menstruation. The problem with it though, is that doctors at the time didn't have a clue whether what they were prescribing was safe. I would ask the doctors I saw if taking the pill permanently was safe, and some said I "needed" to have periods occasionally, so I was told to alternate - 7 weeks with the pill 1 week without. Others said I should have one period every three months. Others said I could stay on it permanently. I haven't looked for what the current beliefs are or whether it turned out to be safe after all to be on it permanently.

I did read somewhere in the last few years that being on the pill permanently does allow the uterine lining to keep building up and building up until such time as it is "allowed" to be shed. So, perhaps women "needing" to menstruate occasionally is true. But I haven't looked for proof of any of this because it hasn't been relevant to me for years.

 

[NelliePledge]

I found mefenamic acid really helpful for period pain, reducing blood loss and with menstrual migraine. GP prescribed this to me in my 40s.

Tbh, period pain wasn't much of am issue and as I approach menopause other aspects worsened. But if I was much younger I hope I would have been offered these options. I was offered various contraceptive pills over-the- years which I was not able to tolerate due to migraine

I tried mefenamic before I was given tranexamic.