Painful Periods, Endo and Anxiety

I am on day 2 of my period, currently sitting in my bed, tunes playing on YouTube, the sun shining brightly outside, yet I sit here feeling completely miserable. 

It’s almost 7 pm and I finally managed to get myself into the shower after two solid days of pain. 

Pain that makes me constantly shift around, desperate for a comfortable position, but never finding one.

I have come a long way from the periods that I used to deal with as a teen and in my early twenties. 

They would be so painful and so heavy that I felt like I was barely even aware of my surroundings as wave after wave of pain pummeled my insides.  

The same tools that helped me finally manage my severe anxiety ended up helping to ease my periods to some degree, but I need to really be on top of my diet, stress management and supplements otherwise I have a month like this. 

My thoughts have been horribly negative, and quite self-pitying, but if you experience heavy, painful periods then I know you will understand and you won’t judge me for it. 

I woke up yesterday morning after a night with mild cramping all night long, only to start my period an hour or two after waking up. 

The pain was still mild and so I optimistically decided to wait before taking Advil. 

This was my big mistake. 

Ibuprofen is the only thing that puts a dent in my period pain, but when my periods have been severely painful, I need to take it at just the right time otherwise I am screwed, for lack of a better word. 

It needs to be taken as the pain is starting.

If I wait even a little too long then it will take hours for it to even make a difference. 

So because my pain was mild (usually it’s already severe once I start bleeding) I thought I would take my time to make something to eat and then take an Advil if the pain got worse. 

It did start to get worse, but was still manageable so I ate and took a pill, confident it would kick in quickly considering the pain wasn’t all that bad.

I kid you not when I say that 5 minutes later the pain had gone from a 4 to a 10 and I was gripped by it in my lower back and stomach as my uterus continued to contract angrily. 

Probably pissed I waited so long to take pills, ha ha. 

Well I certainly learned my lesson as the pain continued on in burning waves for a good two hours before the advil slowly decided to wake up and do its job. 

I always feel such a sense of relief when the pain finally eases and I can just breathe again, but I feel so exhausted too. 

And I live in a state of anticipation for the next round of pain.

As a teen I went to Doctors for my severe periods only to be pointed towards birth control as the only thing that could potentially help to reduce the severity. 

I actually did take one for a while, but had to stop, as it made me nauseous 24/7.

I knew my pain wasn’t normal, especially when I saw girls around me functioning fairly normally when theirs arrived. 

So here’s a funny, actually cringey, story for you.

I only started my period right before I turned 15, while most girls started theirs around 12 or 13 and would proudly announce to each other that they were now “a woman.” I actually used to pray for my period so I would no longer be “just a girl” and because I prayed for boobs haha.

Anyway, one day, one of the popular girls came up to me and told me that her “aunt in the red car” had arrived and that she wasn’t expecting it and I was so confused. I genuinely thought her aunt was waiting outside the school and had no idea it was a period reference. Oh man, I had so much to learn. 

My period started to get severely painful around 16 years old and every month became something I felt this intense dread for. 

I had to skip a couple days of school every month as pain consumed me and I bled so heavily that I would get very lightheaded. 

I then would go back to school and have to endure whispers and girls talking behind my back about how dramatic I was and that I just used my period as an excuse to skip school. 

How I wish that was the case and I was home enjoying snacks and good shows rather than rolling around on the floor praying for the pain to leave me. 

As I got older I started delving deeper into causes of such severe periods and one thing that would come up over and over again was endometriosis. 

Quoting directly from Google to avoid rambling: Endo is a condition in which cells similar to the lining of the uterus, or endometrium, grow outside the uterus.

I’m not going to get heavily into it here, but do recommend looking into it if you suspect you may have it. 

Severe pain and heavy bleeding are some of the top signs, as well as a few other symptoms including:

• Pain with intercourse/penetration
• Nausea
• Intense belly swelling (also known as endo belly)
• Pain throughout the month, not just during your period
• Pain with bowel movement 
• A general feeling of discomfort and you just feel really unwell

There’s more to it than this, but this is some of it and, as you can see, or perhaps experience yourself, in which case I am so truly sorry, it’s not a fun time. 

I get so bloated sometimes that I look at my belly in amazement, having a very clear picture of what I would look like pregnant. 

Something else that people don’t always talk about, because it’s embarrassing, are these shooting pains you get in your butt from it, yeah you read that right. 

It feels like someone is taking a hot poker and sticking it up your bum and they come out of nowhere. Sounds kinda funny until you experience it and go into instant panic. 

Sometimes my stomach goes into a spasm in the lead up to my period and all I can do is curl up into a ball until it passes. Any movement causes severe spikes of pain that I can even feel in my chest sometimes as wind-type pains. 

I get rib pain, leg pain and pain around ovulation too. 

The past two days I have felt really unwell, very foggy and highly emotional. I have been experiencing depersonalization too, which no matter how many times you experience it, I don’t think you ever get used to that unsettling feeling of not being real. 

The pain has finally eased up enough where I am able to sit here and write this post for you, and for that I am grateful. 

Right before I even decided to write this, I just burst into tears as my emotions took over, because I have just felt so horrible. 

I’ve had this constant hormonal kinda headache too and this morning I almost threw up (a big anxiety trigger for me).

I then remembered that I am certainly not the only woman who goes through this, and so, instead of wallowing in my misery on my own, and since I can’t give you the hug you may need right now, I thought I’d write this for you instead. 

I hope it’s helping even a little knowing I am here with you ❤️

Your anxiety levels and emotions may be through the roof too. 

Stress hormones rise before your period, meaning your anxiety may increase, however, with endo your anxiety may be worse than ever. 

Some of the anxiety symptoms that would flare badly before my period included: 

• Dizziness
• Shortness of breath
• Brain fog/forgetfulness
• Extreme fatigue
• Intense heart palpitations

You may also feel like you are on a never-ending emotional rollercoaster, as it really messes with you mentally too. 

I have been told that based on my symptoms I almost definitely have it and there is a hereditary factor too, as my grandmother had it.

She had it so severely that she opted for a hysterectomy in her thirties. 

You can only be diagnosed through surgery and I have been told it can take up to ten years for an official diagnosis. 

I don’t want to go through surgery just to even be diagnosed (hi, I have health anxiety) and so I instead decided to research as much as I can to find ways to manage it naturally. 

OCD flares too

My ocd flares horribly when my period arrives and one way it loves to show up is when I need to take painkillers. 

I will obsess endlessly about whether or not I accidentally took a double dose and then I’ll analyze myself to see if I have any signs of taking too much. 

One time I made some food and took my food and a pill with me to my room to have afterwards. I managed to somehow lose the pill, but instead of just getting another one, I convinced myself that I must have taken it and so I did not take a new one. 

My pain ended up getting severe and not letting up at all, proof I had not taken anything, yet my ocd was so severe I suffered in intense pain all night. 

So if this sounds familiar you are not alone. OCD is known as the doubting disorder, after all. 

It’s all about reducing inflammation

When it comes to managing pretty much any physical or mental condition, reducing inflammation is the key. 

Reducing inflammation will reduce stress hormones and this will reduce the intensity of your anxiety, as well as pain. 

When I am on top of this, I notice a huge difference in my overall well-being. 

I can go on and on, but here are just 5 top ways to reduce inflammation in your body. 

Your food is everything

If I could only recommend one change for you, I’d encourage you to start with your food. 

Everything you eat either fuels inflammation or eases it. 

When I eat gluten, processed foods, too much sugar and so on, I notice far more pain, not to mention my anxiety levels and symptoms climb. 

The minute I eat better, more nutrient-dense foods more of the time, I notice a shift in how I feel overall. 

I am going to be talking a lot more about nutrition moving forward, but if you are ready to fully dive in then I recommend my first book, Help! Why am I so Anxious?!, as I go deep into inflammation and nutrition in it. 

Healthy digestion is key too

Here are my top tips!

Magnesium and fish oil

Magnesium is the one mineral I will never stop recommending, as it is a saviour supplement, in my opinion.

It has a heap of excellent benefits, one of which is helping to reduce inflammation in the body. Start a magnesium supplement and you may be blown away by the results. 

Read everything you need to know here. 

Fish oil is something I have had an on/off relationship with, but when I take it consistently, every day, I promise you that my periods are better overall. I slacked this month, but I will be sure to take it diligently this month. 

Here’s the one I take. 

Adaptogens

Adaptogens are a select group of herbs, and some mushrooms, that help your body better “adapt” to stress. 

Adaptogens are the herbal equivalent of synthetic pharmaceuticals but without the side-effects and a heap more benefits. 

Stress is a huge contributing factor to painful periods and anxiety symptoms, but I know that sometimes it’s hard to deal with stress in our life, especially family stress that may feel hard to escape from.

This is where adaptogens can come in to help. 

I share them all in my Anxiety A to Z Encyclopedia, your daily anxiety reference guide, but my two favourites are ashwagandha and turmeric, which I like to use to make golden milk or “moon” milk. 

Save $20 on this Golden milk blend with my code TAMRYN. I personally love this one.

Staying hydrated and Red raspberry leaf tea

Most people are not properly hydrated and even mild dehydration can cause nasty symptoms including a racing heart, headaches, constipation and nausea.

Just drinking enough water can reduce inflammation by flushing toxins out of your body each day. 

Herbal teas and natural electrolytes count too! Red raspberry leaf contains an alkaloid called fragarine, which helps to relax the uterus, meaning fewer cramps.

It’s also packed in B vitamins to help the body better handle stress, as well as magnesium, my favourite calming mineral!

Movement

I cannot stress enough the impact movement can have on helping you to feel so much better mentally, physically and emotionally. 

Exercise is key when it comes to combating some of those especially nasty PMS symptoms like depression and insomnia because it lowers cortisol levels and boosts serotonin in the brain, but what many people do not realize is that ANY movement counts. 

If your heart is beating like a drum out of your chest thanks to anxiety or you feel so tired that you can barely function then a heavy workout will certainly seem far too intimidating. 

Gentle stretching, swaying and even just deep breathing all count. In fact, deep breathing instantly lowers cortisol and helps to boost your lymphatic system, which in turn reduces inflammation. 

Here’s a bedtime yoga flow you could try tonight to help you feel more relaxed. 

As my period eases up and I start to feel more like myself, I plan on really prioritizing these things over the next month and I hope you do too.

I see you.

I know you may feel at the absolute end of your rope, but try to make even one small change each day and you’ll soon see how they all add up. 

Most months now are much better for me. 

However, since we are only human and sometimes deal with personal stress or fall off our good habits a little bit, we may have some months that are tougher than others. 

This is one of those months for me. I get thrown a wildcard month a few times a year, but I try to see them as reminders for where I need to put more focus in terms of self-care.