Women’s issues - bodily functions and such

[TribbleFeeder]

Thanks so much @cosmic mouse and @Silver Bells

@JKM I’m so sorry your doctors made you feel that way! That’s horrible!! I’m glad your condition has gotten better over time. Since you’re not inclined to have children, did you OB talk to you about the medication that shuts down your ovaries? They said I could take it but it hurts your chances of fertility, they only recommend it to people who aren’t trying to conceive. Apparently it helps with a lot of the symptoms.

I’m so sorry you went through so much with this and other health issues. I can’t imagine dealing with all of this as a teenager, when you also have so many other changes going on in life. It’s such a fragile time to be having health issues.

I also have fibromyalgia. Lyrica was awful. It made me have dizzy spells and gain weight. Other than that I’ve been prescribed muscle relaxers, they helped at night but I couldn’t take them during the day because they were a driving risk and I was commuting 45 minutes to work and back (this was right after college). I wonder if the two conditions are related?

 

[T'Bonz]

Endometriosis (and fibro!) suck. When I still got periods, which were regular as clockwork, they lasted a full week. And day one, the cramps were like being in childbirth. How do I know this? I had 3 kids without pain relief. I remember thinking, "this is rather familiar." It was like going through about 2/3 of childbirth every month from 12 to 25.

Then they put me on something, Danazol I think, after I had a miscarriage. I had active endometriosis during pregnancy, which evidently is rather rare. The meds took care of the problem, happily, and then being on the pill when I wasn't having kids took care of the rest.

But those 12 years and 12 times each year, hell I went through partial childbirth 144 fucking times plus the 3 real ones.

 

[TribbleFeeder]

Endometriosis (and fibro!) suck. When I still got periods, which were regular as clockwork, they lasted a full week. And day one, the cramps were like being in childbirth. How do I know this? I had 3 kids without pain relief. I remember thinking, "this is rather familiar." It was like going through about 2/3 of childbirth every month from 12 to 25.

Then they put me on something, Danazol I think, after I had a miscarriage. I had active endometriosis during pregnancy, which evidently is rather rare. The meds took care of the problem, happily, and then being on the pill when I wasn't having kids took care of the rest.

But those 12 years and 12 times each year, hell I went through partial childbirth 144 fucking times plus the 3 real ones.

Oh man. I’m so sorry Bonz. That sounds awful. I’m so sorry to hear you miscarried.

I’m so nervous about having an ectopic. Apparently they’re super common with endometriosis. It’s amazing how many women have it. I didn’t quite realize how common it is.

I’m gonna ask my OB about that medication. Maybe it will help!

 

[JKM]

@TribbleCookie Thank you for the kind words. I'm getting pretty anti-prescription drugs the older I get but no, I haven't heard of that drug. Since the pain levels have improved the last five to ten years, I'm just letting things fall where they may. That's an interesting thought about endometriosis and Fibromyalgia. I wonder if they've ever done any relational studies?

Lyrica is the devil. I was on it for about 12 years and I warn anyone I talk to about it who is thinking of getting on it. Terrible drug. It started causing me to have heart issues which is what sent me to a Cardiologist who told me it was terrible and I needed to get off of it. So I did! I then spent the next two months barely able to hold anything down. What they don't tell you when they put you on it is that it reprograms the part of you brain that controls your stomach, so when you get off it, it has to normalize and that takes time depending on how long you were on it. The dr's office was like 'the drug is out of your system in 3 days,' and while that is true, it takes a lot longer for your brain to normalize. Lyrica can also cause seizures if you get off it too fast. Thankfully I didn't have that problem but I did have to take an antiemetic for a while.

 

[Awesome Possum]

I wear a size 10 shoe. Did when I was skinny; did when I was fat; and now that I'm thinner again, still size 10.

It used to be that one could buy shoes online based on size and they fit perfectly. The last few years, they've wrecked that. My so-called 10 might be an 11 (looking at you, Sketchers), or a 9 or a 9 1/2 might feel like a ten. VERY vexing. I mean come on. My feet are 10. They haven't shrunk. Calling them a 9 won't make me feel dainty; I have big feet. And I couldn't care less.

I tend to stick to Converse or order shoes from China through eBay. I have gotten some nice ones that have held up better than I expected.

 

[TribbleFeeder]

@JKM omg!! I didn’t know it could cause heart problems!! How TF is this drug still on the market?!?!

 

[T'Bonz]

I tend to stick to Converse or order shoes from China through eBay. I have gotten some nice ones that have held up better than I expected.

If you're going for comfort instead of style, Sketcher Go Walks are the best. They're very comfy.

One good thing, since this next generation is taller than mine, it's easier to find larger-sized shoes.

* *
TribbleCookie, it was long ago. And quite common. Many women have had miscarriages. You just don't hear about it until you have one. :/ I went on to have 3 lovely daughters.

So those of you with endometriosis who want kids, have faith. It can happen. I had 3. I had a friend with it who had 3 kids. My own mom, who had it, had 13 or 14 pregnancies (4 kids - lost the rest to miscarriage due to RH factor. I was lucky. By the time I was pregnant, they had the Rhogam shot.)

I must say then, when the menopause came unexpectedly early (42 years old), I was THRILLED. I smile now as I walk past the supplies on the store shelves. Buh BYE! Most of my friends didn't go through the "change" 'til their early 50s. I was a decade early.

Good job though I didn't wait to have kids. The shop was probably closed in my late 30s.

 

[rhubarbodendron]

You were lucky in that respect. I entered the menopause very suddenly at the tender age of 54. So far I rather like it =)

 

[Locutus of Bored]

I might be wrong, of course - I'm a guy, and no expert on feminine hygiene products. But I've gotten the impression from the articles I've seen on this that the problem with that particular product came from them trying to "get fancy", and probably doesn't reflect on the basic tampon design that women have been using reliably for quite a while now. Like Scotty said, "The more they overthink the plumbing, the easier it is to stop up the drain."

 

[JKM]

@TribbleCookie the same way every other drug is on the market. Have you ever listened to the side effects of the drugs advertised on commercials, including Lyrica? Half of them include things like 'Sudden Death,' it's just crazy. I also had a blood clot in my inner thigh a year ago which is also a side effect of Lyrica. I had to dig to find that info, though they tout it as not as common and I have horrible problems with Kidney Stones over the last few years too which IS a listed side effect. I only got off Lyrica a few years back, so I have a hunch most of these issues were caused by it.

 

[USS Triumphant]

I have two grown daughters and a wife, and a mom who *way* overshared, and I've bought feminine products for on a fairly regular basis almost my whole life (I remember being sent to the store to pick up pads on my bike when I was 7 or 8). So it isn't like I have *no* idea what I'm talking about regarding them.

But aside from adding that - point taken.

 

[TribbleFeeder]

Buying a tampon and wearing a tampon are two very different things.

 

[rhubarbodendron]

good point. I guess the same could be said of condoms, though. I'm not scared to buy any (contrary to some of my former partners LOL), but I can't imagine what they might feel like for the wearer.

 

[Awesome Possum]

@TribbleCookie the same way every other drug is on the market. Have you ever listened to the side effects of the drugs advertised on commercials, including Lyrica? Half of them include things like 'Sudden Death,' it's just crazy. I also had a blood clot in my inner thigh a year ago which is also a side effect of Lyrica. I had to dig to find that info, though they tout it as not as common and I have horrible problems with Kidney Stones over the last few years too which IS a listed side effect. I only got off Lyrica a few years back, so I have a hunch most of these issues were caused by it.

I recently found out that one of the medications I take daily has a side effect of short term memory loss, brain fog and may block of the reasons I'm on medication. I have to take baby aspirin to thin my blood because another can cause blood clots. But those side effects making me want to try and switch it, I just don' t know if I can in the US.

 

[RunningValkyrie]

I recently found out that one of the medications I take daily has a side effect of short term memory loss, brain fog and may block of the reasons I'm on medication. I have to take baby aspirin to thin my blood because another can cause blood clots. But those side effects making me want to try and switch it, I just don' t know if I can in the US.

I hope you’ll be able to switch. Those side effects don’t seem very fun to deal with.

 

[JKM]

I recently found out that one of the medications I take daily has a side effect of short term memory loss, brain fog and may block of the reasons I'm on medication. I have to take baby aspirin to thin my blood because another can cause blood clots. But those side effects making me want to try and switch it, I just don' t know if I can in the US.

Yeah Lyrica was like that too. I had people tell me I behaved very different while I was taking it. Not much of a personality is what they said. During and since I've been off it, I've had problems with memory too, just forgetting things I really don't think someone my age should be forgetting. Stuff like that. It's why I said earlier I'm getting very anti-prescription drug. They just generally have so many side effects. I'm on one for sleeping still and one for my Fibro that I'd like to get off of eventually. They dehydrate me like crazy and I know that isn't helping my kidneys out at all.

 

[Awesome Possum]

Mine dehydrate me. I try to keep well hydrated to counteract it, but I still have gotten lightheaded and passed out once after sitting in a hot tub for a while. It also makes me have to urinate a lot, a few times a night.

 

[Marynator]

Many of you probably already know this, but I just want to share: I've had some huge success this week using coconut oil to remove my makeup. Just rub a little between your fingers and put it on a cotton round, and you can remove everything. Lipstick just melts off my lips, even eyeshadow and mascara, like literally everything. And as a bonus my face feels fantastic!

 

[TribbleFeeder]

@Marynator that’s awesome!! I wouldn’t have thought of coconut oil for that. I always used Ponds cold cream, but as I got older my skin became more oily and I needed to use something more dehydrating.

I switched to water and Dove soap, which worked great when I wore lighter makeup. Now that I pretty much cake on two coats in between primer and setting spray I have to use Nuetragena wipes (spell check?)

 

[Marynator]

You could be drying out your skin if you're using a lot of soap, which will make your skin produce more oil, it's such a viscous circle! Dehydrating your skin can make things worse for you

I was using neutrogena facial wipes too, but I think now I'm hooked on coconut oil! My skin's feeling younger and more springy, if you know what I mean? Plus it's so much cheaper!