Women on the forum:
Hello! I'm new to the forum and have been browsing for a while. I have noticed people sometimes provide advice for medical situations with no cure and want to give it a shot. I'm 18F and have had practically unbearable period pains since I started my cycle around age thirteen.
Symptoms of these periods include:
- moderate to extreme abdominal pain and cramping
- vomiting multiple times within 30 minutes of starting the cycle
- stomach trouble i.e. constipation, diarrhea, severe food sensitivity
- numbness from the waist down
- muscle spasms and physical shaking from pain
- headaches and/or migraines following vertigo spells
- stiffness and swelling in arms and legs after medication
Symptoms I don't experience:
- irregular or unpredictable period cycles
- heavy or uncontrollable bleeding
- periods that last longer than seven days
- no clotting or random spotting outside of the cycle
For more background info, yes, I have talked to a doctor and seen a gynecologist. Both suggested FIVE different forms of birth control as the only solution, otherwise toughing it out of course. I am unvaxxed (no vax since 1st grade) and don't take any other medication for my cramps besides Midol. In general, I practice healthy habits in my eating and exercise frequently and nothing seems to make my periods any different.
Almost every month is terrible, with the occasional month of peace where my period is "normal" and no extreme symptoms are present. No family history other than my grandma who also had terrible periods, but she passed away and I wasn't able to ask questions.
When I start my cycle, it can be so debilitating to the point of being bedridden all day. I've had to miss work and school for my periods and am desperate for some kind of aid to put a stop to these symptoms before I begin a long-term career. Sometimes during my cycle, I've been known to throw up blood as a result of the vomiting and stomach acid build-up solely because of cramps.
Friends and family are familiar with my issue but no one I know can come up with or recommend any diagnosis or possible solutions. No other medication I've tried besides Midol will subside the cramping, but now the Midol is giving me adverse reactions.
Though this post is aimed at women who menstruate, I ask that anyone with any possible answers, advice, or recommendations comment and leave their two cents. I'd love to read and research anything left below. Thank you for reading!
We pee out excess iodine, so it's not that we overdo iodine (so much misleading crap out there about it) but that it needs to have cofactors with it or it can cause some problems. Read the book, Iodine Crisis and you'll be on the path. Look up Dr Brownstien on youtube, watch his interviews, there are several.
Every cell in our body needs iodine. All of our glands need it, not just thyroid but it's the most thought of when the topic of iodine is brought up. There is a specific iodine protocol that involves taking the right cofactors like selenium, magnesium, vitamin C, etc in pretty high doses. People who jump into iodine and don't take these supplements end up with severe problems because when the iodine starts doing it's work it uses up these nutrients in the body rapidly and if you get depleted you'll start getting worse.
Also there is a detox element involved. Iodine is a halide, like bromine and fluoride. Fluoride and Bromine are toxins found in our food and water supply, and bromine in is everything else from your clothing to mattress, car seats, and other cushions and so on. We are saturated with these toxins. When your body builds up with these two toxins they push out what little iodine we have in our bodies, but when we put iodine it, it will push out those two toxins. This is a very good thing. Toxic bodies are the root of so much disease. But the detox process can make you sick so you need to go slow.
So some people taking iodine think their symptoms were caused by the iodine but that's not quite true, it's either the lack or cofactors causing issues or the detox and in 90% of the cases it's both. Now there is a small portion of the population who are sensitive to iodine, and this could be a problem which is why it's best to start very slow. You'll need to find an iodine literate doctor to guide you (iodine literate is an actual qualification to look for, they would say it on their website), or if you do it yourself or with a parent, read that book, watch dr Brownstein's videos, join the facebook groups, read dr Brownstein's book too. And take it slow. I'm on this particular protocol right now too and I'm struggling with it at the moment but I have so many health conditions, starting since my teens, I've been fighting my health all my life. I'm really hoping iodine will give me my quality of life back.