A question for the ladies or ladies with teen DD's..

[Live2Ride]

Do you or your dd have/had issues with vomiting from pain at the onset of your monthly friend?

 

Last month we took dd to the ER for what we thought may have been food poisoning or virus/plus some extreme exhaustion (which so far we've managed to get mostly under control). Her white blood count was elevated, she was in a lot of pain, she was given zofran to combat the nausea and vomiting, and and IV for fluids. She also had a scan done on her abdomen and a cyst was found on her ovary. But no mention was made about it's size or anything else...We are now a month later and today was the first day. She vomited from noon until 5pm about every 20 minutes. She couldn't keep anything down, was in a lot of pain. Could not rest. I called her Ped at 2ish and they got a script called in for Zofran. She got it around 4:45, but didn't have anything left she could vomit but her body was trying to. I got her to sip gatorade and finally it stayed down. I gave her a 1/2 pamprin and it stayed down, 20 min later she had the other half and within 20 min she was finally sleeping restfully. Not tossing back and forth in pain. It was terrible to watch and it seems like this may be how it is going to be for her for now. She 'started' when she was 14 and has not had issues until now. I did get a call into a GYN and she has an appt in a few weeks. I already got her records from the ER sent over so that the doc can see them.

 

For those that have had issues like this, what helped to ease this? Or what was going on/course of action after diagnosis if you don't mind telling me? PMing me is fine too.

 

Thanks!

[elfgivas]

poor thing! we have four dds, and none of them have had that particular issue.

both my mom and i get migraines right before, and that can lead to being sick, but not from pain.

 

i'm glad you called the doctor. zofran will help the symptoms, but i'd want to know the root cause.

 

good luck,

ann

[Miss Peregrine]

My dd is 17 and this last period was awful for her, right before. She couldn't stand up and was crying. Couldn't eat or drink. I hope it doesn't continue this way. :(

 

Hugs for your dd.

[gardenmom5]

if this is becoming a regular thing - i'd skip the ped and find a gyn/endo who is familiar with teenage hormone cycles. I'd also demand information on that cyst - I would want to know if that is what is causing this and does it need to come out!

[*Lulu*]

I went through that for about 3-4 months the year after I started my cycle. Twice I ended up in the hospital it was so bad. It has been more than *ahem* 15ish-plus-a-couple-more years since then and I have never had a repeat.

 

I do have PCOS, but at the time they did not check for cysts.

 

[*Lulu*]

I had a friend with ovarian cysts who had similar symptoms when one ruptured. At the time her pain was so severe I thought for sure it was her appendix and took her to the ER.

 

[Stacia]

I used to get that sick (vomiting) during my periods in my late teens & early 20s. It wasn't every month, but quite a few of them. (I haven't had things that severely after I had children.)

 

Take naproxen (Aleve). I had a prescription for it (before it was OTC) & I consider it a miracle drug. It helps immensely w/ the nausea & the pain. Have her take it right at the beginning of her period (even the day before it starts) & take it for the first couple of days.

 

I still take Aleve during my period, if needed. Thankfully, I don't need it all that often anymore. (Usually for a vague sense of nausea -- but not actual nausea -- & pain the first day or two. It is the only time I take Aleve.)

[AndyJoy]

I had horrible periods including vomiting as a teen/young adult, but I never vomited that frequently! That must be miserable. My period started at 12 but I didn't get the more severe symptoms until 13/14. I missed a day of school every month. I spent the day in a fetal position with a heating pad and ibuprofen. We went to the ER twice for suspected appendicitis. TMI, but once I vomited and lost control of my bowels as I passed out at age 14 or so. By age 18/19 my bad periods were about every 3rd month. I almost passed out again in college, but my best friend managed to shake me out of it when I told her I was blacking out. We were on a public bus and she was freaked! Going on birth control pills at 21 was what first helped things for me. Having my first child seems to have fixed it completely. Looking back I wish someone had done something to regulate them sooner! I found out later that going on BC was suggested to my mom, but she didn't like that idea and that was where it ended. It was so miserable and debilitating. At least 3 times I threw up in a public place.

[datgh]

Took my daughter in for her physical today and the Ped. told her to take Two Aleve every 12 hours (bottle says one but Ped. said two was what would do the trick) starting about 48 hours before she might start (She's pretty regular) and then as long as she needs it once things start. Hope your dd finds some relief. I remember being so miserable the first couple of years. No fun at all!!

[Mandamom]

I had issues although i never had the vomiting. a lot of pain, nausea, dizziness and feeling faint. When I was a teenager I would frequently have to leave school due to the pain and the only thing that really helped was sleeping it off.

 

I went to my ped and he gave me a script for 800 mg of ibruprofen (before it was OTC) and as long as I stayed ahead of the pain it helped a lot. So, I got in the habit of taking it the day before or at the first sign. As a teen I wasn't always regular but I got pretty good at figuring it out.

 

My parents agreed to let me try birth control and that completely solved the problem but since I wasn't able to maintain insurance, after college, I still struggle with some very uncomfortable symptoms but I have found that a good multivitamin and d3 helped tremendously.

 

My daughters are 12 (almost 13) and just turned 11. I dread what they are going to face given my history.

 

I hope you figure out something that works.

[J-rap]

My daughters don't have those symptoms, but I remember my college roommate used to have such excruciating pain (don't remember about vomiting) during her periods that she would often end up in the hospital. I do remember her telling me it only happened when she ovulated from a certain side. When she ovulated from the other side, she didn't have the extreme pain.

 

Someone else mentioned migraines, and that's another thought I had. For some girls//women, migraines are triggered by the hormone changes that occur at that time. Migraines can certainly cause nausea and vomiting, and they don't always result in a headache.

[laf919]

I know several women who have had similar symptoms and a year or so on birth control pills has straightened it out. From what I have seen, taking Aleve before needed also is quite helpful. Definitely find out more about the cyst - that could be part of it or it could be nothing.

I had horrible problems with my cycles when I was a teen and in my early 20's - not as bad as your dd, but bad enough. I finally realized that part of mine was a reaction to extreme stress - my symptoms improved when I started eating better, exercising regularly, and sleeping a reasonable amount. I know teens often keep crazy schedules, but it might be worth trying those things in general - even if it doesn't help this, learning to balance oneself in a healthy way is an important life skill that I wish I had learned earlier.

[Live2Ride]

I called the Ped because I knew they were familiar with the last ER visit and they could prescribe her something for the nausea. I called right after speaking with the Ped and made her a GYN appt. She is supposed to be out of town (previously scheduled and paid for) for the next few weeks. We got her appt for the first available day she has :)

 

She is feeling much better this evening after the Zofran worked, and she was able to keep some Pamprin down. Ate some applesauce, drank some gatorade and kept it all down. Watched a movie with brother, laughing and enjoying it, and now she's off to bed again with more pain meds in her. I bought some Naproxen as well. After talking to my friend and seeing that some of you use it as well, we'll use it first off right away next month and tomorrow should she complain of any pain.

 

Oh and there are no headaches. Major cramping though and it makes her have loose stools as well. The cat scan from last month has already been sent to the new GYN to look at.

 

I too had some issues when I was younger, but not quite to this extent. I did have severe anemia and fainted from it at the start as well as some severe pain, but not quite like this. I also had a lot of issues later as well, but thanks to a hysterectomy at 30 I am all good.

[Stacia]

As others have mentioned, BC pills might help too. I did try it for awhile, but I got such severe leg cramps when taking them that it scared me. So, BC didn't work for me because it introduced a whole new set of problems. But, it's another avenue to check into.

 

Definitely try Aleve, though. It provides SUCH relief.

[Mama Geek]

I very much agree that Aleve makes alot of difference. Also, if you go the bc route do know that if she has problems with 1 type, she should be able to find a different pill that would be ok. Not all pills are the same. I am sorry she is going through this. Mine weren't as bad as hers, but i do have pretty bad times with my period and always have.

[Chris in VA]

Glad you have a plan and are so proactive with your dd. I took 800mg of ibuprofen as a teen; it works because it is an antiprostglandin. If she is or becomes regular so you can time her cycles, you might try try taking it a day before her period starts. I'll bet it's related to the cyst, but that's just a guess. Hope you get answers.

[welovetoread]

I wonder if the cyst ruptured?

[Live2Ride]

I wonder if the cyst ruptured?

 

It had not done so last month when she got a scan in the ER. She had the exact same symptoms this time. She is normally pretty regular and so we'll just be staying on top of pain management for now. I have a feeling it's going to come again right before her visit with the new GYN...I'm marking these episodes on my calendar so we can keep track.

 

I feel for her for sure...that is no fun.

[gingersmom]

My daughter has extreme pain and vomiting every month. We have been to gyno/doctor and everything is fine.

 

Birth control made all her symptoms go away but my daughter does not take them (she was on them but "forgot" to take them).

[mamajudy]

I used to have to spend one day each month in bed with severe cramps and vomiting through my teens and twenties. Asprin, tylenol and midol did no good whatsoever, and I couldn't keep them down anyway. After I started having kids, things eased up a lot. My mom was the same way. One of my dds has the same issue. But I learned over the years that ibuprofin works well (Advil wasn't on the market yet when I was younger), and it works best when taken early on. If you wait until the pain takes over, it's too late. My dd has benefited from my experience, and has learned to manage the pain. On the positive side, being in labor was really not too bad for me, since I was so used to that type of pain. The pain wasn't constant, like the monthly routine, and I knew that when it was over, I would have something to show for it! :)

[NotSoObvious]

YES. This was my life for about five years, from about my sixth period until I finally had the sense to go on birth control at 18.

 

I would have these episodes about two put of every three months. I missed a LOT of school because I was terrified it would start at school.

 

I would have no warning and my periods were irregular. All of a sudden I'd start vomiting and I would throw up about every 10-15 minutes for about 4-5 hours, having the most intense pain I've ever felt in my life. It's completely unreal and there is NO relief. I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. I used to hold my breath and bang my head against the wall, trying to force myself to pass out. It is AWFUL.

 

By the time it started, I couldn't hold any pain meds down and there was no way I could get in the car to go to the emergency room for a shot (the only option my dr gave me, idiot).

 

The first month on birth control, I was 100% better. It was a miracle for me! I was only on birth control for one year and since then (15 years), I've only had a bad episode maybe five times.

 

Please feel free to PM me. I think this happens to very few girls and NONE of my doctors believed how bad the pain was.

[flyingiguana]

It's, uh, "normal" for some people. Aspirin and Tylenol won't do a thing. If the Pamprin you're giving her doesn't have an NSAID in it, it also won't do a thing. It looks like there might be several formulations of Pamprin(?), so some may work while others don't.

 

The NSAIDs (ibuprofen, naproxen etc) all seem to work equally well (for me, anyway). They're not for pain relief in this case. Supposedly they actually stop the process that creates the pain (and vomiting and all that).

 

The key is to take it *early*. Before the pain even starts. Once she knows her period is starting, she needs to start taking the drugs. If she waits to see if it's going to hurt, it will be too late. Once she starts vomiting, she won't be able to get them to stay down. Those drugs are a miraculous cure, if taken early enough. She should always carry some with her. Always.

 

If the NSAIDs work, she'd probably be happier not going on birth control pills. They have their own issues.

 

One word of warning -- when I was pregnant, they told me to wait to come to the hospital until the labor pains were worse than the pain from my period. Bad idea. If I'd waited that long, I would have been delivering in the car. Or at home. Fact is, labor NEVER got that bad. (When she says it hurts, she really means it...)

 

BTW - it makes total sense that she's just started having this happen. It does seem to take a few years after menarche before the worst cramps start up. My own observation is that it seems to have some correlation with fertility. The first years of cycles generally aren't fertile cycles. And if a girl/woman isn't ovulating (even if she's still having her period) the cramps *tend* to be less (although not always).

[Mama Geek]

Some have said that ibuprofin and naproxen are about equal in how well they work. That was not my experience. At one point I was taking 6-8 advil. I talked to my dr and he prescribed Naproxen, I didn't know at the time that it was just aleve and he didn't tell me. Once I figured that out I can usually take 1-2 aleve every 6-7 hours for maybe a little more than 24 hours. There was a big difference for me.

[flyingiguana]

And you should be able to find generics of most of the NSAIDS -- ibuprofen and naproxen. All over the counter.

 

Believe me, the world is a different place than when I was in her shoes. Back then, you could only get ibuprofen by prescription. And the vast majority of doctors would never prescribe such a "strong" drug for menstrual pain. I got told off for even asking. The only way I knew about it was out of some crackpot book that some feminist doctor had written (that I found in some leftist bookstore). The information was just not available otherwise.

 

In the end, the only way I got my hands on some was to literally steal it off my ex-boyfriend -- who had been given some for some minor back pain. I rationed that bottle of pills for year until they ran out.

 

I still don't trust doctors.

[ailysh]

Bad periods run in my family. My mom had it the worst. She used to throw up and pass out every time. They had a doctor living next door who would come over and give her shots of morphine. That worked. After she had kids, her cramps/nausea went away. I was hoping it would be the same for me, but not so. I have horrible cramps and migraines. I second the PP who said take NSAIDs early. The only thing that has ever helped my cramps is iboprofen (prescription 800 mg) taken before the cramps start or as early as possible. Sometimes if it is really bad, I will also take otc Tylenol a couple of hours later. The migraines, however, never go away with that. The only thing I can do is lie down and endure. It sucks. I went on three or four different birth control pills in and after college. None of them helped and they made me crazy depressed. My migraines didn't start until I went on birth control. I was hoping they would stop after I went off, but they didn't. Now I just try to suck it up and take all the drugs I can, lol. It's worse depending on the side I ovulate from. Looking forward to menopause. :001_rolleyes:

One thing that has made a little bit of difference is the DIva cup. My periods went from 10-12 days to 5-6 days after I started using it and not using disposable pads or tampons.

[flyingiguana]

Bad periods run in my family. My mom had it the worst. She used to throw up and pass out every time. They had a doctor living next door who would come over and give her shots of morphine. That worked.

 

 

Yes, I had drs suggest morphine to me too -- as if that was somehow less evil than the ibuprofen they refused to prescribe.

[Katy]

Yes, and diarrhea too. Some people's bodies just get nausea and gastric upset from severe pain. I've gone on & off hormonal birth control since I was maybe 12 or 13 for that reason, and many other women in my family have done the same thing.

 

One thing to be aware of - if you put her on the pill, watch carefully for depression. Every teen girl I know who has battled depression (including one in my family) either felt much worse on the pill or blamed it entirely for their depression. I feel this is a very under reported side effect of hormones, so do remember and watch carefully.

 

One thing that helps me a ton (though is much more difficult than taking one pill a day) is changing my diet. Something like Joel Fuhrman's Eat to Live (90% vegan, tons of fruits and veggies and beans and limited sugar/fats/meats). It's not very intuitive, but it's extraordinarily effective. It works in several ways:

1. Soluble fiber in fruits and veggies binds not only to cholesterol, but also to excess estrogens, sweeping them out of the body.
   
2. Sugar increases all kinds of inflammation and pain, including that caused by a cyst.
   
3. Animal products (even organic hormone-free ones) naturally contain the animal's own hormones and increase the estrogen circulating in the body, which makes periods worse and increases the size of cysts.
   
4. Consuming fat increases circulating estrogen in the body as well, so limiting fat intake to the bare minimum of essential fatty acids needed by the body helps reduce estrogen.
   
5. Fruits and veggies contain natural anti-inflammatory compounds that also help fight pain. I read about one study that said 10 cherries a day was more effective than advil for muscle pain relief, for example.
   
6. Eating more veggies typically leads to increased iodine consumption, and iodine reduces ovarian cysts. If your family only eats sea salt, but no sources of iodine such as Iodized salt or seaweed, switch back to iodized salt or consider an iodine supplement for her. I buy mine at Amazon.
   

 

I am not very good about following this for long because it is so strict. The first time I tried it I think I only lasted a few weeks, but it made a dramatic difference. My periods were pain free and much lighter for more than a year after doing this for maybe 3 weeks. I am starting again this month because I'm suddenly feeling worse.

 

I have heard some stories in books and online that some women do better on a paleo style diet instead (The Perfect Health Diet is one book I read), but that made me feel much worse. If you're interested, PM me and I can send you some ideas for foods for her.

[fairfarmhand]

I had issues although i never had the vomiting. a lot of pain, nausea, dizziness and feeling faint. When I was a teenager I would frequently have to leave school due to the pain and the only thing that really helped was sleeping it off.

 

 

This was me. I fainted a few times. I think if I was a puker, I would have done it. I have a very strong stomach and would rather be in nausea than puke.

ITA with those who say that she needs to take meds before the issues start. So if she's regular, she starts taking pills the night before she should start and continue through the next few days. If she's not regular, she should start taking them the MINUTE she realizes that Aunt Flo is coming.

 

Looking back, I cannot believe that my mom didn't DO something for me. Why would she let me just suffer for 2 days each month? I to this day don't get that.

 

This pattern of bad periods lasted till I had my first child. Nowadays they are not too bad. Not really even enough to need meds. But when I was a teen, I typically left school one day per month and had the fainting, shaky, dizziness during my period at least every other month, sometimes every month.

[Live2Ride]

We're going to go with the Naproxen and other pain meds firs,t before we move on to BC. I'd like to stave off the usage of the BC if we can help it. She's already a dramatic child with certain tendencies towards feeling sorry for herself. I'd not like to compound a possible side effect of depression to that. She just took a Naproxen. We'll see how that works today.

[flyingiguana]

We're going to go with the Naproxen and other pain meds firs,t before we move on to BC. I'd like to stave off the usage of the BC if we can help it. She's already a dramatic child with certain tendencies towards feeling sorry for herself. I'd not like to compound a possible side effect of depression to that. She just took a Naproxen. We'll see how that works today.

 

 

What I found with bc pills is that I just felt pregnant, in the worst possible way. I had morning sickness on them. Throwing up and everything.

 

Dr kept telling me to give it another month. I gave up after about 3 months. Didn't want to try another type.

 

If I'd been using them for actual birth control, I never would have put up with those symptoms.

 

However, there are obviously a lot of people who do great on them.

 

Still, if the naproxen works for your daughter, that's a much better solution.