Since my mock IVF cycle a few months ago, my periods have been all over the place and more painful than usual. I thought I should write another post about how I try to cope with period pain. My pain is severe enough for me to be bed ridden a lot of the time.
Pain relief
Firstly, I try to ensure I’m taking my painkillers (prescribed by my GP or Consultant) at the right times . If you are taking Codeine, you may need to take a suitable laxative such as Laxido.
Hot water bottle
I have a YUYU hot water bottle - It's a long hot water bottle that I normally hug during my period! It's great for my bladder and abdominal pain, along with my back pain.
Cura-heat pads
If I do need to venture out, I use Cura-heat period pads. You can buy them from Boots or Amazon. You stick them to your clothing and they heat up, hopefully relaxing you and reducing your pain. I normally have one on my front for my bladder pain, and one for my back pain!
TENS machine
TENS stands for transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation. The machine is a small, battery-operated device that has leads attached to sticky pads called electrodes. You attach the sticky pads to your painful areas e.g. your abdomen or back and the machine emits a mild electrical current (like a low pulsing feeling). You can control how strong the current is, depending on your pain.
There are a lot of TENS machines on the market. I use the Elle TENS machine, which is for labour pain relief! To be fair, I have only used it on the lowest setting!
Heated blanket
Any warmth really helps with the pain, and encourages me to try to relax so I use my heated throw e.g. if I'm at my desk working or on the couch watching TV.
I use this one from Dreamland but there are others available.
Distracting myself
Other than the standard pain relief, I have also been trying to distract myself by doing some knitting and crochet. It might sound silly, but I've found it really useful to shift my focus to other things.
Period pants
Not really for pain relief but more for my own comfort. During my periods, I wear 2 pairs of pants as my period is so heavy. I've been using the period pants from Cheeky Wipes for several years now and there is so much choice out there.
Reusable sanitary towels
As with my period pants, I find reusable sanitary towels invaluable. They provide me with extra security during my heaviest bleeds as I use them to supplement my normal sanitary towels. I use the ones from Cheeky Wipes.
Always Infinity pads
Always Infinity pads are the best sanitary towels I've used. They're more absorbent than any others but they're also thin so you don't feel like you're walking round wearing a nappy!
I hope you've found this post helpful.
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