Painful Periods – my story and solution

Painful Periods – my story and solution

Published January 14, 2011

Every month my anxieties would grow in anticipation of my period starting. When was I going to suffer the pain of my period?  I worried that I might have to work or be on a school field trip or even worse be on vacation.  The pain I suffered was so bad that I would get dizzy, nauseous and confused.  On top of that it caused diarrhea. Time and time again I would be told by my doctor that this was all NORMAL.  It just never made any sense to me. Month after month, year after year I suffered this horrible routine and it was  NORMAL?  I get so irritated just thinking about all those painful days and how I did not  need to suffer.

In the book “Once a Month” Katharina Dalton MD explains the three main causes of this monthly pain.

Dysmenorrhea is the term to describe period pain.  There are three categories of pain.

Spasmodic Dysmenorrhea:  spasms of abdominal pain. No pain or discomfort prior to the onset of menstruation but sets in on day one.  The pain comes about every 20 minutes and will last about five minutes. They are similar to true labor pains.  Many find relief by curling up with a hot water bottle and over-the-counter pain medication.  Bed seems to be the only refuge.  School may be missed.  The pain eases on day two and is usually gone by day three or four.

“It seems that spasmodic dysmenorrhea is caused by there being insufficient estrogen for maturing and streching the muscles of the womb. During pregnancy there is an abundance of estrogen from the placenta for a full nine months, and the muscle wall of the womb is stretched by the fetus. As a result, this type of period pain usually ends after pregnancy, and it is rare for the woman to subsequently suffer from PMS.”

Congestive Dysmenorrhea:  has all the characteristics of PMS, in addition to period pain. Pain begins days before menstruation and becomes much worse on day one of your period.  As days progress the pain and PMS symptoms diminish.  This type of pain will continue throughout a woman’s menstrual life. Symptoms occur whether or not ovulation occurs. Stress will make this pain worse.  Pregnancy may even make this type of dysmenorrhea worse.

Endometriosis:  Misplaced cells is another cause of monthly pain.  This can start with the onset of menstruation or begin years later. Endometriosis has become more and more common.  What is endometriosis?

“Cells of the lining of the cavity of the womb, or endometrium, become displaced, and may be found either in the muscle wall or outer coat of the womb itself; in the ligaments around the womb; in the ovary or tubes; in the bladder or bowel; or anywhere in the lower abdomen….However, the misplaced endometrial cells are not able to pass out of the body, so they tend to accumulate as tiny cysts. In time these become inflamed, covered with scar tissue and adhesions. Each time thickening of the lining occurs during the prementruum, these cysts become larger, and as the cells shed at menstruation more room has to be found within these cysts for extra cells.”

This cyclical event causes severe pain which worsens after each shedding period. Endometriosis can affect the bladder and bowel.

“A doctor will generally perform a laparoscopy, a keyhole surgery in which a minute periscope is inserted through a small cut in the abdominal wall, which allows the surgeon to see the tiny cysts and surrounding scar tissue.”

No one really understands why this misplacement of cells happens.  Many times the problems is relieved after a pregnancy.

I happen to know a woman who had endometriosis that attached on the outside of her cervix.

In my case I believe that I suffered  the congestive form of pain which did somewhat start a few days before my period with pressure and discomfort.  I used to say I have two good weeks ( right after my period ) and two bad weeks (the week before my period and the week during my period).  That was my life from about age 13 – 34.

At 34 years old I began to listen to a radio show that discussed PMS and natural progesterone cream.  I heard this show a few times but never did anything about it.  About the same time I decided to see an infertility doctor.  The first thing she did was to test my progesterone levels.  Lo and behold, I was severely low in progesterone.  This was an indicator that I was probably not ovulating.  That was the first step.  All other tests came out normal, including the tests on my husband.  I decided to go with the fertility drug Clomid to induce ovulation. I was anxious to get pregnant and twins sounded like a lot of fun.  The irritation came when I realized that I needed to go to the doctor every month to get my prescription.  They first had to make sure that I did not have any ovarian cysts so an ultrasound was done every month.  About every other month I would have a cyst so no Clomid.  It became so frustrating because I lived in the mountains of So. California and my doctor was down the mountain.  I hated driving that road so it became an even bigger deal each and every month.  I also had to test for LH which determines whether or not I was ovulating – and the Clomid was working.  My LH began to regulate on the Clomid.  I guess this meant that I was ovulating…but no pregnancy occured…as far as I knew.  I did have some severe periods with clotting. I now think back and wonder if maybe I was pregnant but could not hold the pregnancy.  The doctor determined that I was severely low in progesterone but never gave me progesterone. She never tested my progesterone levels again.  If I became pregnant on Clomid what  assurance did she have that I could carry that pregnancy?  She assumed that ovulation would solve the progesterone problem completely. That is not always true.

It was after several months of this up and down the mountain with ultrasounds and cysts and waiting etc that I remembered that radio show.  I bought the book by Dr. John R Lee MD WHAT YOUR DOCTOR MAY NOT TELL YOU ABOUT MENOPAUSE.  Yes, I bought this book when I was 34/35 years old and trying to get pregnant.  The lady on the radio was talking about infertility, progesterone cream and even thyroid disfunction, PMS, depression and mood swings.  I NEEDED this book ASAP.  When I began to read it my mind went in two directions. I was excited but also angry.  I was excited because this books was making sense. It was describing my life and offering a very simple solution.  I was angry because I was realizing that this simple solution was never presented to me over the years and I suffered needlessly!!

Dr. Lee explained so much including why he thinks doctors don’t understand this simple solution – pharmaceutical companies won’t prosper from a natural solution so doctors don’t know or care to know about it.  Dr. Lee found out about progesterone because he decided on his own to go to a seminar and learn from an expert.

About half way through the book I bought my first jar of natural progesterone cream.  I started using it after my next period was over.  1/4 tsp at night was how I used it.  The first thing I noticed was that I was able to fall asleep. I did not lay in bed trying to fall asleep.  I also noticed that I woke up bright and ready to go in the morning. No snooze needed.  This was amazing in itself!

It wasn’t until the next month when I realized that I did not feel the pressure before my period and then NO PAIN on day one!!  How could this be.  So soon too?  I was amazed but still skeptical.  I did more research online and found a web site selling a pure, all natural progesterone cream with no added herbs for menopause. I was not menopausal so I did not want the black cohosh that could interfere with pregnancy.  I found AIM Renewed Balance. I called and spoke to a man on the phone who gave me great information.  I bought a jar and told him that if it works as good as I think it will I will be shouting it from the roof tops and telling every female I know.   Well it was wonderful.  This cream was a higher concentration than the first cream which meant that I only needed 1/8 tsp at night (to get the required amount needed). (Dr. John Lee recommends using it twice per day.)  This jar lasted twice as long as my first jar which made it very affordable.

Not only did I continue to sleep well and wake up alert, my severe pain never returned. This was miraculous to me.  No more 1600 mgs of Motrin! No more pain meds at all for my periods ever since! No more missing work? No more curling up in bed miserable?  It was gone. I could go shopping on day one of my period?  This was an impossibility before the cream.  After about 4 months of using the cream I also noticed that my breast fibrocysts were not bothering me anymore. They used to inflame and scare me every month.  They were shrinking and going away? Dr. Lee did mention in his book that they could improve and that they tend to go away completely at menopause…which is where I am now.  This will be another post but I am not suffering like many women do.

With all the good news and good reports I decided to join AIM to sell this pure natural cream.  In about 2 months I think I sold 18 jars!!  Women would call me after a month or two and sing praises of relief.  I have so many reports stored in my head from these women.  One woman even told me that her husband loves her so much more….or could it be that he just looks so much better to her now!  Yes this cream can improve libido…and this goes for men too!

In my next post I think I will insert a few tidbits about progesterone and its benefits for men.

If you are interested in learning more about natural progesterone cream, please contact me. I have the Dr. Lee books here or you can also find them online on my book page.  http://betterway2health.com/books.htm.

 

Its been about 13 years and I am still using natural progesterone in a topical transdermal cream.  If you want to learn more about my favorite cream just click here.

Other complimentary  supplements from AIM would be BaleyLife, AIMega (omega fatty acids), Herbal Fiberblend, Composure.

Teens with PMS and pain might benefit from Evening Primrose Oil.  Teens should not use hormone creams since their hormones will be fluctuating for years. Improving diet and exercise is key.  Eating fresh fruits and vegetables and basically eating pure foods and avoiding processed and fast foods. Many meats and dairy products contain synthetic hormones. Choose hormone-free meats and dairy.  I also like the book about health by  Jillian Michael’s called Master Your Metabolism.

It is always important to discuss any pain you have with your doctor.  Keep in mind that there are other very serious conditions that can cause abdominal pain.   It is good to learn all you can about  your body and your health but it is a good idea to discuss it with your doctor.