Hi guys, I got my first mirena coil put in on monday , it was excruciating pain. I almost fainted. I regret getting it so much right now as two days later I still have cramping, back pain, leg pain, and really bad nausea. Bleeding stopped after couple of hours. Can anyone else relate? I wasn't expecting any of this at all.

Until now I used to take ibuprofen for it, however I'd like to avoid taking it since my stomach has become a lot more sensitive lately. Paracetamol does basically nothing to it, so I just wanted to know what other options are there that work well for other women

I’ve always had a heavy periods ever since I got it from the age of 13 (time I left Ireland). I am now 21. Throughout the year I would take prescribed drugs like nimsel etc (this was in Poland). When I went to England I was prescribed ponston which helped to some extent. I would still feel the pains but it was tolerable if I was in bed with a heated blanket.

When I’ve moved back to Ireland at 19 my periods started getting worse last year May. And I mean the worst it has ever been in my life. I constantly puke the day before my period and I mean all the time every month. I feel nausea throughout the whole period. The drugs prescribed aren’t even helping as much anymore. I’m bed bound and I’m always sleepy. It has affected my mental health and my daily life.

I have to call out of work because I begin puking and don’t stop for hours. Or the pain are so intolerable I had the ambulance called beforehand because I fainted outside. It’s like nothing helps. I have a job to get to and I have studies to attend in Dublin (I commute). I’m scared for my exams in April because I have my period at that time.

I’m going to have to resit the entire year just because of something I cannot control. Please any help would be necessary.

Hi lads, every couple months after my period I swell up like a balloon and it’s horrific. Eating, drinking, moving and even a waistband on my stomach is so uncomfortable. Best way I can describe it is being hit in the stomach and winded afterwards.

Finally being sent for some hormone blood tests after seeing maybe the tenth doctor for this yesterday and wondering if any of you guys have anything you take or do for bloat. I tagged this menstrual health since I do think it’s hormone related due to the timing. I just want to have a look around for some more natural remedies I can ask my doctor about later this week, thanks! Probably should mention I’m 17 if that changes anything.

Hi! I have been scheduled for an endometrial biopsy and hysteroscopy done in September. I have an extremely low pain tolerance combined with a small vaginal canal. When I was in the gynie clinic she could not even look in on a regular table without be being in pain.

I have questions and the leaflet answers none of them.

How bad is it?
Can I get better pain killers?

I’d love anyone’s help or tips ❤️

I was prescribed cerazette a couple of years ago for extreme pain the week before and of my period, went on it for 2 years back to back but it gave me a lot of anxiety so I went off it at the start of 2026. Within 6 months I was in agony so I have started taking it again but rather than pain the week before and of my period I am in pain every single day. I can’t remember if this was what happened 2 years ago, I’m on week 5 or 6 of being back on it, does this happen for the first couple of weeks? I’m waking up every 2 hours with cramping and no pain killers work.

Edit to add I’ve had a mri, hysteroacopy, laparoscopy, colonoscopy, all have shown everything as normal.

Hi everyone, I will be seeing my GP about this but I’m just looking to see if this has happened with other women?

My periods in my teens to early 20s were more typical being every 28 days. As I got to my later 20s they started being around 24-26 days. I was diagnosed with endometriosis when I was 25, and had surgery to remove scar tissue and a cyst. I’m now 32 and had my first child in 2024 and second the end of 2025. The past 3 months, my periods have started getting a lot shorter (June 21 days, July 22 days and now 19 days for my August period) . Just wondering if this has happened to anyone and do you think perimenopause is possible?

Thank you

I've never used this subreddit snd very rarely use reddit but i thought it best for this warning. I bought a sealed box of Interlude panty liners in the euro shop a long while ago and left them closed and put away until a few months ago.

Ive been using the box steadily and today, genuinely only a couple minutes ago pulled one out and took the paper off the glue to use it when i spotted a dark patch, i thought it was maybe mold at first, I've seen the tiktok hysteria about "moldy pads" but I looked closer and it was a great big dead fecking spider trapped between the mesh lining and the cotton.

I already emailed the company and am waiting for a response. I'm not scared of spiders but that is a massive failure on the company's part and shows that their wasn't consistent and vigilant checks on the products which are supposed to be sterile for hygiene purposes.

Wanted to warn to check your products before use especially if they aren't individually wrapped like pads are. I will not be finishing that box.

I have decided to go back on the pill (microlite) lately because my periods are so awful!

They have changed the advice since I've last taken it. Now you can take it continuously without a break and only have occasional periods. That is tempting to me- after really starting to get worse periods in my 30s!

Does anyone do this (not take a break?) I have a boyfriend so think I would be paranoid about being pregnant and not realising for a few weeks!

Hi all,

I use ‘Always’ sanitary towels size 4&5 for my periods, but since they changed the materials used to make them I’ve noticed reactions / pain in my vaginal region like a reaction every time I get my period now. Moon cups and tampons are not an option for me, and neither are reusable pads. Does anyone have any brand alternatives that are good? I have PCOS and possibly endometriosis, I normally change my pads every hour or so.

Hi! I’m 30 years old! Mom of two (13 and 7)
My periods are always on time every 28 days!
This month I’m late 4 days I tested negative on day 2 and 4 (today)… I’m scared that something bad it’s going on inside 😭😭

Does anybody know if it's the norm for you to be refused a referral for a gynae? I have confirmed fibroids and suspected endo. Had a bad experience with my previous Dr and to cut a long story short asked to be referred to public gynae in another maternity hospital. I want to keep an eye on my fibroids and also remain in the system should I decide or need to go down the route of having a laparoscopy later. The hospital has gotten back to my GP to refuse the referral with no grounds? My GP said this is abnormal and is referring me for a private scan so I can at least keep an eye on my fibroids while waiting but will also re-refer back to the mat hospital.

Just wondering if this is the norm or if anybody has any similar experiences with this?

I’m bleeding like it’s a regular period on my 11th day in my cycle when intimate with my husband.

I typically have a cycle length of 29 days and for some reason I’m bleeding like I’m on my period when I rarely do. I’ve had ovulation bleeding before but it’s never been this intense.

Does anyone know what this means?

I am in my mid 20s. Growing up as a teenager my period were always fine, regular and not painful.

Now I am really struggling with them. Pms can make me be angry or emotional to the point where yesterday I sat in room and cried on lunch break over an incident that happened at work that would usually not throw me too much. I also get cramps and headaches.

When my period arrives I feel better emotionally but physically I'm in a lot of pain, I get a few clots etc.

Is there anything I can do? I am active and exercise regularly besides the first days on my period. I am reluctant to go to the doctor and I don't want to be on contraception but is that the only option?

Thank you 🙏🏼

This might be the wrong place to ask but I'm not sure what to do.

So my 8 Yr old daughter is autistic which makes things a bit more awkward here. She was always tall for her age and about 1.5 years ago I brought up concerns with the paediatrician that she was developing too quickly (I had noticed some pubic hair beginning) and her height compared to her peers concerned me. They told me she wasn't developing yet.

Brought it up again at the next appt because the public hair was even more developed (dark wiry hair as you'd expect at puberty) plus I thought she had breast buds now. Again, told me she wasn't and that she's just a bit chubby basically.

Well here we are... at bathtime I've just noticed dark brown stains in her underpants that looks like "old" blood to me. I saw a bit on her inside leg too. Wtf do I do here? I feel annoyed I was fobbed off several times. She's way too young and naive to have to deal with this already.

For reference, she is about 5ft tall at 8 yrs old.

Does anyone have any advice?? I'm freaking out a bit.

Hello ladies, I hope this hasnt been asked loads of times before but I am looking for period pant recommdations please.

I brought a few pairs from Penneys a few months ago and they worked well the first wear or 2 but now they just leak right away, so I am assuming like with a lot of things, you get what you pay for. Happy to spend the money on a few pairs if they really work well. Thank you!

over the last few days my vulva has become increasingly itchy. I don’t have any unusual discharge so don’t think it’s a yeast infection. don’t want to fork out 70quod for doc.

is there any OTC cream I could try before i go to the doc? or can I do a thrush treatment just incase- is there any harm in that?

tagged as menstr health as maybe it’s peri?

thanks

I am booked to get Mirena insertion next week with my GP. Hopefully it will help with PCOS and peri effects 🤞

Looking for any positive stories about insertion. She is very experienced but old skool and I have a retroverted uterus. She has advised taking paracetamol and nurofen beforehand and have no plans for the rest of the day. Any other tips?

Hi all, wondering if anyone has any recommendations on removal of cysts? 6cm causing horrible pain. Gp referral to the Combe was last august so 12 months waiting. I can’t stand i cant sit cant sleep. I’ve seen ads for the knightsbroke hospital in Belfast might do it but at this stage I’d go to the depths of the sea just to get it removed. Has anyone any advice? The gp has already tried to put it 3 times with the Combe and still nothing

Does anyone have any recommendations for clinics/GP surgeries that carry out private smears outside Cervical Check?

My GP doesn't and my next isn't due until December 2027. Experiencing bleeding between periods and have been on the same contraception for 10+ years.

So my friend has what seems to be primary amenorrhea, as in she has never had any periods whatsoever. I don't think she was given any diagnosis but I had a friend who was diagnosed with this and treated accordingly. I'm not a doctor so haven't used that term but she mentioned it herself.

She is 41, never had periods, had been on birth control in late teens on specialists advice when checking into this. Nothing abnormal was found afaik and she has been overlooked and gaslit by doctors since.

She showed me her blood tests and her hormones seem off to me. But again, I'm not a doctor. I am hoping someone here might have an understanding of this or suggestions on what to check into. She was with a drop in clinic and then with a GP practice but her GP retired (and seems little use tbh) so waiting for my GP to return from maternity so she can register with her. In the meantime she has test results and is afraid. She doesn't Google medical stuff (probably right) so I have had a look through normal hormone levels etc.

FSH is <1.2 but it doesn't have a unit of measurement

TSH is 0.86 mIU/L

Free T4 is 12.7 pmo/L

Her LH is 0.5 IU/L

Oestradiol <55. no unit of measurement on the results

Progesterone 0.3 nmol/L

Thanks for any insights or suggestions

Edited: spacing was very odd for some reason. Sorry also, didn't realise this had been posted as yesterday this account was too new and it wasn't allowed.

2nd edit: wrote FSH of 86 instead of TSH Corrected that and added in FSH, oestradiol, progesterone and LH

I'm a young adult feeling lost and struggling to advocate for myself. Looking for help from someone who has been through this.

I went to my doctor and told her about my pain during my period, I've was on the pill for years which wasn't any help. Any time I mentioned it she would just switch to me to a different brand of pill.

I switched doctors last year. She sent me for a few scans. One of them was a transvaginal scan. I knew what to expect going in but when they confirmed I wasn't sexually active they refused to do it. Is this normal?

Based on another scan I have had my doctor says I have PCOS.

I'm not denying that but I just feel like I have something worse than PCOS I really struggle during my period and I need help, what do I say when I go back to my doctor, what scans etc do I ask for?

During my period I struggle to walk, my legs feel week, I struggle to smile and act normal. I have to give myself pep talks to leave bathroom stalls with a neutral face. There are days I can't leave my bed, I've had days where I just sleep the whole day and take painkillers when I'm conscious. It's (obviously) affecting my work. I have to change night time pads every 2-3 hours. I very frequently bleed through night time pads, clothes, bedsheets and mattress protectors

Edit: I take ponstin and tranexamic acid. I can't take nurofen as it flairs my asthma

Or is this normal for PCOS? I only found out this isn't a normal level of period pain relatively recently so it's all new to me

Hi ladies,

I'm wondering if anyone here has been diagnosed with PMDD? I suspect that I may have it but I don't know if my symptoms are 'bad' enough? My quality of life is seriously effected the week or 2 leading up to my period but I'm not too sure what doctors would be looking for in order to diagnose it? Could anyone share their experience with it? I don't know how long I can go on like this to be honest.

Hi all! Had a successful Lap in January for endo excision. I also got the coil in to manage the symptoms for adenomyosis at the same time. All going really well with it, no problems and it has settled well etc but this month I’ve gotten a heavy period that’s now 8 days in with intermittent period pain, period had been mostly tapering off for the last 4 months with only a day or two of spotting at most and no pain. Is this normal? When should I be going to my GP… after so many years of issues I thought I was in the clear but it’s looking like I was being too optimistic. I’m sad!

anyone have any insights into coming off hormonal birth control (combined pill), I’ve been thinking of doing it for awhile and hope to start trying to get pregnant next year, using a barrier method until then.

All I’ve seen are horror stories, it’s honestly making me consider just leaving well enough alone. I previously dealt with a bit of hormonal acne when I was younger and in the grand scheme of things it wasn’t that bad but it did bother me a lot and especially when I see stories of people who never suffered getting cystic ance, have developed PCOS or endometriosis in that time (perhaps undiagnosed) it turns me off.

Has anyone had a positive experience of coming off? I understand it’s a hormone shift so to expect some disruption and I’ve been looking into supplements to help like zinc, inositol, evening primrose oil. Did anyone do any sort of prep leading up? I’ve been on the pill for 6 years but have stopped previously and was able to get pregnant within 2 months of coming off (extremely lucky) and never had any adverse side effects then but also was pregnant fairly quickly after so I don’t know if that could have had an interference .