How to manage menstrual pain post surgery?

[Aliana Wood 19]

Wondering how other people manage period pain after surgery.

Before surgery, I would use iBuprofen and that worked perfectly. I would take a couple and it would completely get rid of my pain. Cramps, back aches, discomfort. All gone.

Now, after surgery, I'm not allowed to take it anymore, so I tried Tylenol and it simply doesn't work as well for me when it comes to managing period pain.

Are there any other options?

[ShoppGirl 3,340]

I wish I had an answer to this too. I get sinus headaches and I used to take Alieve for them which worked great. Tylenol does nothing. I started taking allergy pills when I have them and that works for me but I worry about other Aches and pains such as when I threw my back out. The walk in clinic wouldn’t give me anything except for a muscle relaxer which helped some but not as well as Alieve would have and it really just made me sleepy so it won’t work all the time anyways. Makes me worry a great deal about what I have gotten myself into since arthritis runs in my family So I will most likely be dealing with that in the future. Have you looked at the ingredients of midol or one of the period specific products?? Do they contain NSAID’s?? Never mind midol and pamperin are basically just ibprofin. I wonder if we need to go back to our clinics to seek pain management meds??

Edited September 8, 2022 by ShoppGirl

[I♡BypassedMyPhatAss♡ 800]

Although I don't suffer with cramping very often and not at all since my revision, I would think that a heating pad would help along with the tylenol, and if you're not at home, those Thermacare heat patch wraps might help, they have ones specifically for menstrual cramps. And one thing I do use for pain now is cbd oil.

There's prescription pain meds available for conditions like back issues, etc that @ShoppGirl mentioned. Toradol and Tramadol are both non-narcotic, and not an NSAID and would be ideal prescription pain relievers if tylenol isn't working well enough. I'm sure there's others that I'm not aware of. It'd be worth preemptively discussing this with your surgeon before a need arises for a presciption pain reliever, so that you have a game plan on how to tackle pain when it arises.

As for the sinus headaches, I get those due to allergies from time to time and have had a few since my revision. I treated it with tylenol, flonase and Sudafed. There's two types of Sudafed, one with pseudoephdrine (I use this one) and one with phenylephrine.

[ShoppGirl 3,340]

1 hour ago, I♡BypassedMyPhatAss♡ said:

Although I don't suffer with cramping very often and not at all since my revision, I would think that a heating pad would help along with the tylenol, and if you're not at home, those Thermacare heat patch wraps might help, they have ones specifically for menstrual cramps. And one thing I do use for pain now is cbd oil.

There's prescription pain meds available for conditions like back issues, etc that @ShoppGirl mentioned. Toradol and Tramadol are both non-narcotic, and not an NSAID and would be ideal prescription pain relievers if tylenol isn't working well enough. I'm sure there's others that I'm not aware of. It'd be worth preemptively discussing this with your surgeon before a need arises for a presciption pain reliever, so that you have a game plan on how to tackle pain when it arises.

As for the sinus headaches, I get those due to allergies from time to time and have had a few since my revision. I treated it with tylenol, flonase and Sudafed. There's two types of Sudafed, one with pseudoephdrine (I use this one) and one with phenylephrine.

Hummm. I am writing those down. Idk if the walk in clinic never heard of those or what. I brought in a whole bottle of hydrocodone that was expired and said that was what they gave me post surgery that I know I am allowed to take but I figured it was a little stronger than what I needed for this. He said they don’t prescribe pain rx for back pain?? Maybe another doctor would but that being my first experience sorta worried me about future pain issues.

[I♡BypassedMyPhatAss♡ 800]

9 minutes ago, ShoppGirl said:

Hummm. I am writing those down. Idk if the walk in clinic never heard of those or what. I brought in a whole bottle of hydrocodone that was expired and said that was what they gave me post surgery that I know I am allowed to take but I figured it was a little stronger than what I needed for this. He said they don’t prescribe pain rx for back pain?? Maybe another doctor would but that being my first experience sorta worried me about future pain issues.

These days you have to pretty much go see Pain Management doctors in order to get narcotics like hydrocodone or at the ER with something super obvious that would require a narcotic, like a broken bone or something diagnosable via imaging.

I think you'd do better addressing future pain needs or back pain with your primary doctor. Urgent care doctors won't prescribe narcotics because of narcotic abuse and because some people fake injuries and doctor shop for narcotics. So check with your primary doctor, and be willing to try whatever prescription they give you, it'll be something like Tramadol probably, and if it doesn't work, report back. And they will most likely try something else.

[ShoppGirl 3,340]

14 minutes ago, I♡BypassedMyPhatAss♡ said:

These days you have to pretty much go see Pain Management doctors in order to get narcotics like hydrocodone or at the ER with something super obvious that would require a narcotic, like a broken bone or something diagnosable via imaging.

I think you'd do better addressing future pain needs or back pain with your primary doctor. Urgent care doctors won't prescribe narcotics because of narcotic abuse and because some people fake injuries and doctor shop for narcotics. So check with your primary doctor, and be willing to try whatever prescription they give you, it'll be something like Tramadol probably, and if it doesn't work, report back. And they will most likely try something else.

i have an annual exam in October with my family doc. I will definitely bring it up then. I am glad to know that there are non narcotic options now. I wasn’t ever told about those after my accident and I’m surprised because I was afraid to take narcotics. I had no choice because I was in a great deal of pain but I was reluctant and made that known to the doctors.

[The Greater Fool 1,937]

2 hours ago, I♡BypassedMyPhatAss♡ said:

Toradol and Tramadol are both non-narcotic, and not an NSAID and would be ideal prescription pain relievers if tylenol isn't working well enough.

Toradol is a NSAID (https://www.drugs.com/toradol.html).

Tramadol is an opioid (https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements/tramadol-oral-route/description/drg-20068050).

Good luck,

Tek

[Capri81 21]

I’ve had good luck with topical meds. Things like topical lidocaine, icy hot, topical CBD in balm or bath salts. I’ve been trying to cut my reliance and intake of oral NSAIDs. There are muscle Patches like tiger balm can also help. Also there are some studies that indicate things like magnesium help (discuss with your Dr).

[Arabesque 6,442]

I find non NSAID over the counter meds useless too. I was very happy when my surgeon said I could have the rare NSAID. Mind you I was 2 yrs out when he told me that.

Yep, tramadol is an opioid so you want to avoid that & all other opioids like oxy. I used to suffer a lot with cramping, aching legs, etc. with my periods too. Fortunately not anymore. I found boosting my Calcium intake the couple of days before helped but it was the pill that helped best - sorted out those hormones.

You may find as you lose more weight some of your symptoms may reduce simply because you won’t have as much oestrogen stored in your body. Fingers crossed that happens for you. In the meantime, a conversation with your GP & maybe a request to see a pain management specialist.

[ShoppGirl 3,340]

2 hours ago, Capri81 said:

I’ve had good luck with topical meds. Things like topical lidocaine, icy hot, topical CBD in balm or bath salts. I’ve been trying to cut my reliance and intake of oral NSAIDs. There are muscle Patches like tiger balm can also help. Also there are some studies that indicate things like magnesium help (discuss with your Dr).

You reminded me. I totally forgot that the urgent care doctor did first say he was going to give me an injection but then he mentioned an rx and I asked was it an NSAID and told him because I can’t have those and he said I can’t have the injection either then. Well the more I think about it (and yes I will ask the surgeon to verify this) but the injection doesn’t go through the stomach so no ulcer concerns I wouldn’t think. I believe I would have been fine with the injection. Now I’m not sure how long they last or if I could get it again or what but that’s definitely something I will be asking about in advance since I’m in my 40’s now and this sciatic thing seems like it’s going to be a recurring issue. Although the first Couple times it was tolerable, just the once it was really bad so hopefully that was a one off and I won’t have anymore bad episodes, Fingers crossed. Anyways, pretty sure it wouldn’t work for period cramps, sorry op, but for others with more severe back pain those NSAID injections could be the answer??

[ShoppGirl 3,340]

One last thing. Are you on any BC?? If not, you may want to consider it. I went on it to regulate my periods and ever since they have been less Heavy and less cramping, as a result I assume. May be worth asking your Gyno about.

[Dearjanna 3]

I am in the same boat. Tylenol, heat pad and raspberry leaf tea are what I’m doing but not as effective as good ol ibuprofen. Good luck!

[ShoppGirl 3,340]

Update about back pain. Unfortunately my sciatic issue came back so I called and tt someone at my surgeons office. They said that the injections are okay and that they can prescribe narcotics if necessary. Well I went back and got the injections but they really didn’t help much at all. And I asked about the narcotics but they said they don’t prescribe them for back pain. Anyways, I have an appointment Wednesday with my family doctor. I will be asking about this for sure. Seems like our surgeon would be able to prescribe a small amount for pain but I guess they don’t want to get into that business.

The surgeons office did tell me that I could because I’m a year and a half out take NSAID’s on occasion as long as I take the heartburn medicine with them and food if it was the only answer. I just don’t see why I should take the risk associated with that just cause they are afraid I have an addiction that I must not have because I have taken narcotics in the past without any issues. I’m not sure which risk is the lesser evil. I’m hoping by Wednesday I will have gotten through the worst of this by just staying in bed on the heating pad during day and with the icy hot patch at night but of course long term bed rest can’t be a solution for this if it’s a chronic thing.

Ooh. I also got those thermacare heat things to try which I am not well enough to be up and about yet but I noticed they have them for menstrual pain too. Not sure if anyone Has tried those but heating pad always helped me some before BC when my periods were bad so it’s definitely worth a try.

Edited October 14, 2022 by ShoppGirl

[Galore32 5]

I understand your pain, im 6 days post op, and my period came on day 4 post op....I dreaded this but I wasn't due till the following week, but im pretty sure the lovenox brought it down early...but anywhere I've been baring the bullet right now, they did give me tramodol for pain but I havent needed it. And I'm an ibuprofen girl...try a heating pad.

[Nepenthe44 179]

On 9/8/2022 at 10:15 PM, ShoppGirl said:

Well the more I think about it (and yes I will ask the surgeon to verify this) but the injection doesn’t go through the stomach so no ulcer concerns I wouldn’t think. I believe I would have been fine with the injection.

This is not the case. NSAIDs don't increase the risk of ulcers because they go through your stomach and irritate it directly. They work, in part, by blocking an enzyme called Cox-1, which is required for your stomach to produce its protective mucus lining. Less lining, greater risk of ulcer. Injectable NSAIDs do this the same as oral ones.

If you can't find any other alternatives that work, there are prescription NSAIDs called Cox-2 inhibitors which don't do that. They might be an option if you take them with another drug to reduce the risk of ulcer, but I haven't found any research in the long-term use of these meds after bariatric surgery. (As in, there's a single study where they used celecoxib peri-operatively for pain control was published in 2019 and that's the sum total of PubMed results.)