Well, ladies, I am sure you know what I am talking about already, but let me elaborate.

I know then when women have their periods there is cramping, gas bloating, bleeding, and all that wonderful stuff.

However... I don't think mine is quite... NORMAL.

I had an extreme case of insomnia last night, so bad that i didn't get to sleep until around two in the morning, even though I took a sleep aid and laid down at eleven. Then, four AM comes... and the first thing I realize is ow.

Ow.. ow... OW OW OW OW OW OW OW!

I recognize this pain just a bit too well. I have started my period. I feel nauseous, tired but not tired enough, and worst of all it feels like, and I am not over exaggerating, someone is trying to stab me from the inside. I only end up laying there for a good half an hour, whimpering in pain before I am able to go to the bathroom, clean up, and try to get back to bed.

That didn't work.

So I go to work and half the time I end up digging my nails into my arm to NOT concentrate on the pain, even though I took pain killers. I'm not hungry, my break is me laying down and trying not to cry.

I don't know what to do anymore... this has been happening since these started and I feel like I'm going crazy. I just woke up from a 5 hour nap and I am still tired/not tired.

You might have ovarian cysts. :sweat: You should go see an GYN asap, if it's as painful as you say, it's not so much normal...as it's still a common and terribly occurrence, but it's not how its supposed to be.

SEE YOUR DOCTOR!!!

I agree with Monstahh`. :( That doesn't sound normal at all and you should definitely get it checked out.

That said, my cramps before birth control were the most agonizing things EVER. Plus I'm super tired during it and feel nauseous all the time anyway. So those parts are normal, but the pain there can probably be something done about, plus it's always good to get checked out.
Besides, every woman after she starts getting her period should start seeing a gynecologist.

Ugh, my b/c-free cramps are AWFUL. And I had cysts as well (though the pain from that was separate from the cramps). Definitely see an OBGYN. They screen you for all sorts of things while you're there, including non-STDs like breast cancer. Totally worth the uncomfortable 10-minute exam to know that I have healthy lady parts and cancer-free boobs (minus the ovarian cysts, but they're under control so it's close enough xD)

*Warning! Stupid question approaching!*

So, I was curious, but when would be a good age to start seeing an OBGYN? I've always heard people say that you should go when you're sexually active...but that doesn't really say when to go. Like, aside from STDs, when is a good time to test for other lady things? :O

Really, as soon as you start having a period, and you should go about once a year.

I have to go once a year to get my prescription re-prescribed, but I've also gone extra times due to problems I have (more recently, because I've started having cysts in my breasts too -_-;; )

I started going when I was 16, way before I was sexually active. Though, again, it was because I was having problems, but really there's no reason not to go once you start having your period. Even if you don't get medication, it's good to have a checkup, since they screen for so many things, even ones unrelated to sexual activity.

Also, it's a good idea to go before you're sexually active so that you can get the HPV vaccinations. Those tend not to be as useful once you've been exposed to the virus, so getting them well beforehand is a good idea. You'll have to see an OBGYN for a pap smear beforehand until you're cleared to get an HPV vaccination.

I don't really understand the US thing with OBGYN's. Here the only time a woman is likely to see one is when she's pregnant :?

If your pain is that bad I'd get yourself checked out though. What is your flow like? Is it particularly heavy?

Originally Posted by jellysundae

I don't really understand the US thing with OBGYN's. Here the only time a woman is likely to see one is when she's pregnant :?

If your pain is that bad I'd get yourself checked out though. What is your flow like? Is it particularly heavy?

I don't understand the whole US thing of seeing any kind of doctor regularly ... especially giving how expensive it is to see a doctor (I paid $200 for a check up after bumping my head)

I only go if I have too, and I'd say if it's as bad as you say it is then you probably should go. My periods can be painful too, but at least my pain wears off within 5 hours of me starting my time of the month.

I'd hate to be like it for as long as your pain lasts

HPV vaccination? Wasn't that the vaccine that they advertised all girls should get or something? I actually got something like that (Gardasil, right?) without even getting my junk checked out. :lol: But I don't know if that's just a military thing. I'm a dependent so I think the healthcare stuff is a little different...And whenever I get an appointment to get refills on my birth control or if I want to change it, they always end up getting me a guy doctor who knows nothing about it. -sigh- I wish the military wasn't so confusing. :(

Ah, yeah Gardisil is what I was talking about. Normally they screen you first to make sure you don't already have HPV, since that would make the vaccine kindof a waste of money. :sweat:

That's weird that you can get birth control without having an exam. And my first OBGYN was a male, he was cool. I was on some awesome low-dose meds for a while, but then they stopped working so I had to get a different dose, which makes my cramps a little worse... but still not as bad as when I'm off meds.

My doctor just said to take it after my period. :XD I guess if you've recently had a period or are going to have one, then you're not pregnant. But that sort of doesn't make sense, either...I remember watching this show "I Didn't Know I Was Pregnant" and they had no missed or late periods; everything was normal. :(

All that happens when you go to get the Pill for the first time in the UK is they check your blood pressure, and ask a few questions about family illnesses and so on. After a while they'll start to nag you about having a smear test, but if you want them to STFU about that you can sign a bit of paper and they won't bug you any more.

Meh, it'd be nice to skip out on the pap smear since I'm not at risk for cervical cancer (being monogamous and all), but I like having the breast exam and the "Yup, your uterus is healthy and your ovaries haven't exploded yet!" report :)

I don't really think it's necessary to start going to the gyno as soon as you get your period. Girls are getting their periods at 12 and 13 nowadays. There's really no need to go to the gyno until you're sexually active, as most of the things that the gyno checks for are STDs, or STDs that can become cancer (like HPV). The only other reason I'd think you should go early is if you have VERY heavy, painful periods (like, soaking through a super pad/tampon in an hour).

I started going to the gyno when I was 21, simply to get the pill. From then on, I've gone once a year for my regular checkup and to get my script refilled. :yes: Prior to that, my periods were TERRIBLE. I'm talking, heavy, uncomfortable, 7-10 days and cramps like no other. I once thought I had appendicitis because I was in such pain. It was very strange. My mom told me to take some ibuprofen and get a nap, and when I woke up, I felt a gazillion times better. It was just cramps.

The pill worked miracles for that. My rag was regular, always on time, hardly any cramps but only somewhat lighter than they were before.

I was on the pill 8 years and went off it in June, I think. While I love NOT being on the pill (OMG It's great! I had no idea what I was missing... :lol:), it's been a crazy ride. My cycles have been anywhere from 30-45 days, but they've been as short as they were on the pill. It's so weird. Anyways, I was due for my yearly exam in November, and I forgot to schedule it. I need to go though, because I did have HPV/abnormal cells once, so I like to make sure it doesn't recur. My tests have been normal for several years now, but it's always good to know where you stand. :yes:

Anyways, got off-topic there, but I had to share.

I'd recommend lots of painkillers (3x 200mg ibuprofen is :heart:) and/or a trip to the gyno if you're really concerned. :yes: A gyno may suggest you go on the pill, because it definitely will help with the pain and suffering. And while I love the pill and the amazing things it does, I'm also anti-pill for other reasons. We really don't need more hormones in our lives. Srsly.

Soooo yeah, birth control is really a tossup. There are positives and negatives about all types of birth control.

Mine was always terrible like you describe until I went on "the pill." I've now been taking the pill for 12 years and I haven't had that kind of pain since I started taking them. It's the only thing that ever worked for me.

Hmm I would suggest getting checked out(never hurts, better safe then sorry). I have pain myself during that time of the month, I just try and find a cimfy position and stay that way for a couple days(not going anywhere either) until I can bear it to move. Though I doubt its as bad as your pain.

I'll have one day during mine, every so often when I have cramps so bad I have to go lay down and try to sleep them away. it's pain like what you've talked about but mine doesn't happen so often.


Though I have found a way to have way shorter and lighter ones without taking the pills or shots or anything like that. xD <3

:sweat: I didn't say every year (at least I don't think I did, I just checked and I did say "start" so I guess that could be misinterpreted), but I do think that after a girl starts her period, at least getting checked out once until she's sexually active, to make sure it all looks and feels OK can be very reassuring to someone who is new to the whole bleeding vagina deal.
I know it would have helped comfort me if I had gone a lot sooner. My period felt extremely painful and I was in too much pain the whole week I had my period (yeah, a whole week, I bled usually 5-8 days before going on the pill), and my mother always insisted that "I was fine, it didn't hurt that bad," so I'd go to school and just be curled up all day, never move unless I *had* to...And I have a pretty high pain threshold. If I'm actually curling up and refusing to do anything...something is severely wrong, I'm usually in pain LONG before I show any outward signs.

If you're sexually active, especially if you've had multiple partners, seeing an GYN once a year and getting the run down is a good idea. Sometimes STDs don't show any signs, but you could still be spreading them to someone else. And sometimes it's just comforting to know how to check yourself for breast lumps (something no one but my ob-gyn ever bothered to teach me) and that your ovaries are cyst free...especially if you have a lot of pain during your period.

I agree with going to the doctor mainly just to check to see if everything is normal. I had pain where I would just lay in bed with a heating pad on all day because the pain was that bad. I don't normally get bothered by pain either. It turns out that I had a bunch of cysts on my ovaries. I'm supposed to get surgery done but no health insurence and a minimum wage job makes that part kind of hard.

On the other hand, my ex had cramps like that and she was just fine. She went on the pill because it was so bad she couldn't move and that helped a lot.

I've had periods like this in the past. Over time they have subsided.
My first period was horrible. I couldn't get out of bed, and it felt like a knife was stabbing me. I tossed and turned until the Tylenol finally kicked in.
My periods continued to be like this for the next 2-3 years. Once it got so bad that I fainted in my bathroom.
When I went to the doctor they put me on the pill, but it didn't help. I got off the pills and it went away over time.
I would suggest going to the doctor and getting on the pill. It didn't work for me, but it might work for you. :)

Hmm, I think maybe you should go see your doctor. What've you got to lose? Besides, you never know, it could be just something small that can be easily solved. (: If not, the doctor can help you out. When it's my time, it's so painful. >.< Bed ridden, puking.. Yes, puking. Ugh. Worst time of the month. Need I say more..?

Anyways, I hope the doctor helps. (:

- Rachael