Period pain crippling Aussie women yet some say GPs are dismissive of their pain

Half of Australian women suffer in silence with this condition - and many claim their doctors are dismissive of their pain. See how you can get help.

Australian women are putting their lives on hold every time they get their period, with many unable to complete the most basic of daily tasks.

Experts believe if men experienced the same pain that women endure during menstruation there would be much more empathy and research into potential treatments but say, instead, the condition is often dismissed, even by health professionals.

“It (period pain) can be like a chainsaw slicing through your uterus,” says Alice Williams, chief executive officer of period care company Ovira.

“Women are definitely suffering and, when they try to get help, they’re left very disappointed.”

BEDRIDDEN

Research by Ovira has found 54 per cent of Australian women are not able to complete every day tasks every single time they get their period, while three in five people who seek medical advice for their period do not find it beneficial.

The most common pain symptoms reported by women are bloating, fatigue, moodiness, back aches and depression, the research shows.

On a scale of one to 10, the average level of period pain is eight, with the pain often lasting two days longer than the periods themselves.

Alice Williams CEO of Ovira.

Williams, a sufferer of debilitating periods, says many women are forced to miss social events while they are menstruating, with some even becoming bedridden.

“It (period pain) can get to the point where you become sensitive to light and you can’t think properly or speak properly,” Williams says.

“The thought of food can make you nauseous, you go through hot and cold sweats and the pain can be so bad that you can’t walk straight – you are walking around hunched or … you can’t even get out of bed.”

MYSTERY PAIN

Lottie Lewis underwent surgery in a bid to determine the cause of the “super painful” periods she has suffered since age 11, with doctors subsequently ruling out endometriosis and polycystic ovarian syndrome.

Now 25, she has been referred to a “mystery pain clinic” for further investigation and is on birth control because health professionals falsely told her it would ease the pain.

“It (the pain) is so intense that I end up vomiting and fainting almost every period,” says Lewis, who was forced to resign her retail job and now has an office role with a supportive employer that allows her to go home when required.

Lottie Lewis has had surgery and been referred to a mystery pain clinic in a bid to determine the cause of her 'super painful' periods.

At times, the pain has been so crippling that Lewis has required a crutch to walk and will often “lie in one spot for 48 hours” until the worst of it subsides.

“Some people think I’m just being dramatic but then once they see the pain I’m in they can understand,” says Lewis, who once bled continuously for eight months.

Even doctors get pretty dismissive.

“I can deal with it – I mean I’ve got two legs that work and a brain that works so there’s people worse off – but it’s still pretty shit, to be honest,’’ Lewis says.

PUT UP WITH IT

Jean Hailes for Women’s Health medical director and gynaecologist, Elizabeth Farrell, says heavy bleeding also impacts women’s ability to participate in social events, while the associated decrease in iron levels contributes to symptoms such as fatigue and dizziness.

She agrees with the research findings that show men are at an advantage by not having periods and says finding a sympathetic medical professional is crucial in getting appropriate help, even if that means shopping around.

If you are not able to function while menstruating, that is not normal. Picture: iStock

“If (period pain) it happened to men, everything (pain medication) would be on the PBS (Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme) or it would be free, tampons would be free, pads would be free and there would be all sorts of services available,” Farrell says. “But there’s

a belief that you are a woman so you have to put up with these things.

“If you are not able to function (during your period) that’s not normal and if you feel that you haven’t been heard (by health professionals) or the therapy or whatever advice you have been given doesn’t work then you need to keep pursuing it.”

FIVE QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF

If you answer “Yes” to one or more of the following questions, talk to a trusted doctor about your periods:

1. Does your period pain get so bad it stops you from going to school or work, or going about your day?

2. When you have your period, do you get pain when you go to the toilet?

3. Does your period pain get so bad that even over-the-counter pain killers don’t help?

4. Do you commonly experience a pain in your pelvic area outside of the times of your period? For example, for a few days every week or every second week?

5. Do you experience painful sex?

Source: Jean Hailes for Women’s Health

Originally published as Period pain crippling Aussie women yet some say GPs are dismissive of their pain