I'm having trouble with the time of the month. Advice?
I experience major PMS, depression, and mood swings. I start cramping sometimes five days before I start my period. Take right now for example. I have been cramping the past four days and still no period. I’m sure it’s going to come tomorrow, but then I’ll have to deal with bleeding so bad I can’t go even an hour without changing my tampon. The bleeding is only bad the first two days usually, and I sometimes get clots.
My periods last seven days with major bloating and a temporary five pound water weight gain. I get very cranky and depressed. The cramps the first day are sometimes so unbearable I can’t lay down, I can’t stand up… whatever position I’m in still hurts. Sometimes the cramps are so bad they even go down into my legs, and I get nauseated and I’ve even thrown up before. When it gets too bad, I have to lay in the bathtub with hot water or use a hot pad. I have to take prescription pain killers for the cramps, but even they don’t work too well.
I also experience pain when I ovulate. I can feel very sharp pains in my side. Sometimes it hurts so bad I can’t stand up. I’ve been hospitalized twice for ovarian cysts.
So basically half the month I’m in pain from either ovulating, having PMS, or cramping. It’s so horrible. It’s like I can’t even live a normal life when I feel like this all the time.
I’m 33 years old, almost 34, and it’s been like this ever since I first started my period when I was around 11 years old. I have never been pregnant… I think it’s very possible I have endometriosis (that’s what doctors suspect) and I probably won’t ever be able to conceive. I’ve had unprotected sex on and off since I was 17 and I have never gotten pregnant.
I tried Depo Provera to help with the cramps and cysts, but I had bad side effects and had to stop because I constantly spotted for 17 months. It didn’t stop the cysts anyway. I’m not able to take the birth control pill either. I took it once and had severe vomiting and numbing in my arms like I was going to have a stroke and had to stop that as well. My body seems extra sensitive to hormones. My mom can’t tolerate them either. So basically I use no birth control, but I don’t get pregnant anyway.
I feel like I’m out of options. I don’t do well on hormones so I don’t think I can go that route.
I have seen a specialist and she suggests I get laproscopy. I’ve never had any sort of surgery besides wisdom teeth so I am absolutely terrified and I keep putting it off. I don’t know if I can go through with it.
I am also getting older now and it makes me sad to think I may never have a family.
Most of all, I just want the pain to stop. Is there anything I can do? Anything natural that could help me? Is laproscopy really necessary? I hear if you have endometriosis, it keeps coming back even if you have surgery, and the only way it temporarily goes away is if you get pregnant. Well I don’t think I can get pregnant since I haven’t all these years. I just feel sad and hopeless right now, so if you have any advice I’d appreciate it. Thanks.
I do exercise six days a week (cardio three days, strength training three days).
I still get cramps though… some months not as bad as others. I think my diet can have an affect on it as well. Any foods I should avoid?
