So, it’s due tomorrow.
Which means that on my doctor’s advice I’m launching a pre-emptive strike and taking my Ibuprofen/codeine mixture today. All these years and I’ve never thought about taking the painkillers BEFORE the pain hits!
Hopefully that’ll help with the pain…now I have to work out what’ll help with the fainting and vomiting that’s been happening the last few times. I know WHY that happens (a vaso-vagal reaction to cervical dilation) just not how to make it better.
Anti-nausea meds haven’t worked, and I’m not looking forward to spending the next few days on the bathroom floor, hugging a hot water bottle, vomiting.
Which means that on my doctor’s advice I’m launching a pre-emptive strike and taking my Ibuprofen/codeine mixture today.
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Not a Doctor but I understand codeine can make you really constipated. When I was given it, it made me throw up. Either way it seems to cause stomach problems. Is there another pain killer you could try that may be kinder to your already tender insides?
Or the universal “anti nausea” tea: chamomille. It either settles you or makes you throw up. Drink it slowly, don’t gulp (gulping increases the likelihood of the second reaction).
Butterscotch-in my case the constipation from the codeine is a GOOD thing, as I would get diarrhoea with my period otherwise.
Although opiates in general and codeine in particular can make people nauseous, it’s never had that effect on me. I’ve been using codeine-based painkillers for years to cope with my cramps as nothing else is really strong enough 9believe me, I’ve tried everything).
The nausea is a new thing for me, and as it’s associated with fainting and bad cramps it’s more likely a period thing than a drug side-effect thing.
I’m a textbook case of primary dysmenorrhea -I’ve always had horrible period pain, and so have my sisters and mother, it’s just one of those things. Since I’m already on the pill and running packets together, there’s not much else to be done. Apparently having a baby would help (the extra uterine vascularity eases the cramps) but I’m not quite ready for that option!
I don’t have anything to offer except sympathy. My first thought was wondering if going on the pill would help, but it sounds like it isn’t the miracle cure for you I’ve heard it is for some women. (Me, being on the pill makes my cramps worse. Not bad, but worse than if I’m not. Just gotta be different, huh, uterus?)
So here’s a cup of the tea of your choice…it’s all I can do, unfortunately.
I’ve never heard of anyone having negative side effects to Feminax before. It’s a real shame that it does that to you. I hope that some of the other suggestions people have made work.
Oh yeah, name the one-in-a-million side effect, and I get it. My body chemistry reacts in weird and unpredictable ways to medication. For example, Erythromycin gives me canker sores so bad I can’t speak or eat, and those allergy tablets that make most people slightly drowsy knock me out cold for 18 hours.
what do you mean by “running the packs together”? Not taking the sugar pills? Surely if there is no break you shouldn’t be getting your period?
Me, I’m on Implanon (birth control), which has had the lucky side effect of stopping my periods. Yay! Plus, as far as I know, there has never been a pregnancy while on it. Don’t know if you can get it where you are…
irishgirl, I had horrendous cramps that got worse as I got older. I did find the pre-emptive ibuprofen really helped. As well, I took vitamin B complex daily and drank extra water. Sometimes naproxen (prescription anti-inflammatory, but a bit harsh on the stomach) would be effective once the cramps really started in. Nothing took it all away (I had endometriosis) but that helped. Continuous monophasic birth control was somewhat effective for a period of time as well. I’m hoping after the baby is born I don’t return to the same level of monthly agony (or at least I’m granted a reprieve of some length).
The only thing that helped me with the same symptoms (and you have my deepest sympathy…) was Loxonin or any other muscle relaxant, though for me Loxonin worked well.
Rather than trying to mask the pain with a pain killer, you need to find something that will stop the cramping. That will also help with the side affect of getting an upset stomach, as that is all to do with the cramping, too.
Cyros mentioned Naproxin… I understand that you are having very different symptoms than just “really bad cramps,” but Naproxin does go to the cervix (and can stop really bad cramps). I assume you have tried it already?
Ok, failing that… Vitamin B6 and Evening Primrose Oil help me, someone mentioned Peppermint tea for nausea; fennel tea is also really good if you don’t mind the aniseed flavour. I hope you find something that helps
Cheers again everyone. Cyros, are congratulations in order? If so, Congratulations!
So far so good, lots of nausea, but no vomiting. I had peppermint tea at breakfast, and have been drinking lots of juice (carrot, apple, ginger and celery) from the juice bar in the hospital where I’m working. It seems to be helping. I’ve got a big bar of Green & Black’s dark chocolate with crystallised ginger which I’ve been nibbling too. MMMmmm chocolate!
Naproxen makes me wheezy and breathless, although Aspirin and Ibuprofen don’t. Like I say, I tend to react oddly to medication. Muscle relaxants are an interesting idea…I will certainly consider them.
I’m bi-cycling packets of pills at the moment (so only one period every two months) but I can’t run more than 2 packets together without a break because I become moodswing-bitch-from-hell about 10 days into the third packet. My weird body chemistry again.
Implanon/Depo etc don’t appeal to me for that reason, i.e. I could well have some kind of nuts reaction, and have to have the damn things removed early (or wait for Depo to wear off). Mirena is in the long-term plan after I have babies. As periods make me faint and vomit, Mirena insertion would be unwise for me until I’ve had kids.
I’ve talked to my doctor about having Mirena now and the words “bradycardia”, “cervical shock” and “resuscitation” came up, so I’ll just have to wait for a while.
I hear ya on that. I know I went through countless birth control prescriptions before I found one that didn’t make me physically ill. I’d hate to take depo and have to wait it out. Ugh.
I’m really interested in Mirena as well. I know there were a few threads about it a while back, and I’m planning on discussion with my OB after the birth.
Depo turned me into a horrible, awful person - I’m waiting it out now! I wouldn’t recommend it if you’ve had a hard time finding birth control you can happily take. I’ve never had that problem, and I still had a lot of emotional side effects from the depo. It’s like PMS magnified times 10, except instead of a few days, it’s a few weeks. Then I bleed for two weeks. Good times! It’s also the only BC that ever made me nauseous.
irishgirl, have you tried raw almonds? I can’t speak from experience, but I’ve heard them recommended to pregnant women to help with nausea. Also, were the anti-nausea meds you tried prescription or OTC? Maybe some good old-fashioned dramamine could help, if you haven’t already tried it.
It’s also the only BC that ever made me nauseous.