The Small Stuff That Doesn’t Need a Thread #5

[JGP]

Thank you, Z and Chats. 

[Zorral]

13 minutes ago, Madame deVenoge said:

I couldn’t see it being much help

It works really well for a lot of people's cramps -- but again, how does one compare the individuals' pain? Because some menstrual pain is really dreadful and debilitating, and some is discomfort. JGB's daughter's is debilitating. 

Again, it has to be literally medical cannabis, that has the perfect ratio of THC to CBD, and you get interviewed in depth about what your pain is, how long you have it, where, and what you want in terms of relief.

And it's not that easy to get hold of. You need as legal MEDICAL dispensary.

These CBD - Cannabis stores that are everywhere are geared, no matter what they say (at least in NYC, and most of them are illegal too, not that mayor the clown cares) in their promotion and labels for recreational usage.  And lot of their product is dreadful, such as pre rolls made with moldy weed and so on.  Yes.  I know many people who do recreational, as well as an LA entrepreneur who began her professional life as a chemist and now is a multi millionaire having gone into this business. But she's very serious about quality and quality control, and she spends a lot of time in her lab and writing papers for chemical conventions about THC and pain management, among other things.  Also surfing, scubaing, traveling and boy toying.  

[A Horse Named Stranger]

Not my area of expertise, but you probably want to have your daughter checked for endometriosis (if you haven't done so already).

[dog-days]

1 hour ago, A Horse Named Stranger said:

Not my area of expertise, but you probably want to have your daughter checked for endometriosis (if you haven't done so already).

Yes, this. And maybe find a female doctor. 

Also, you've mentioned the pill, but the mini-pill could potentially work better for her.   

It's good that you're taking this so seriously. As a teen, I wrote off  types of career that I might have enjoyed (inc. archaeologist) because I couldn't imagine being able to cope with them plus the mess and pain of periods. I was quite fatalistic about them – I had no idea, and didn't for a long time, that I could get rid of them by taking a small pill every day. I wish I'd known that when I was fifteen. 

 

[lady narcissa]

@JGP Just going to echo what others have said...find another doctor for your daughter, preferably a female doctor if possible.  Growing up I was led to believe that having painful periods was just something normal to be dealt with but they are not "normal" and she should absolutely see a doctor to make sure nothing else is going on.  I do not think most ob/gyns would see a 15 year old but it really depends and if there is practice near you - with female doctors - possibly inquire.

Others have mentioned endometriosis and that is what I have and one of the causes of painful periods.  More than likely at her young age, its just painful periods.  But things can develop with endometriosis over time such as ovarian cysts which if just treated with heating pads and pain medicine can land you in the ER having major surgery...which is what happened to me.

The pill is more than likely the long term solution for your daughter.  But there are many kinds and different people respond differently to each one.  So you want a doctor who is familiar with the options.  Sometimes one needs to try one for 3 months and see the doctor again and if things aren't better they might switch to another one.  But it takes a least 3 months for a body to adjust, it won't just solve the issue overnight.  But for me, after being on the pill for several months, the painful cramps disappeared.

In the interim, Advil / ibuprofen was the only thing that ever helped with the painful cramps.  Midol did not help me. Tylenol did not help me.  Also dairy, especially ice cream / milkshake - but this seems to be something very specific to me, not everyone responds this way to dairy.  As for the nausea, ginger tea is a possibility.

Best wishes to your daughter.

[lady narcissa]

I just want to add a comment regarding the doctor refusing to prescribe the pill because your daughter isn't sexually active.  To me this is the biggest red flag about that doctor - the idea that the pill is only to be used when sexually active - i.e. to prevent pregnancy.  You don't want a doctor who thinks this treating your daughter.  There are many reasons one would take the pill which have nothing to do with preventing pregnancy and everything to do with improving ones health.  You want a doctor who knows this. 

[Spockydog]

I received my first prescription of medical cannabis via DPD today. 

The THC oil comes with a warning that it might make me sleepy, but also says "Do not drive unless you know how this medication will affect you." 

Curious.

 

[DMC]

4 hours ago, Spockydog said:

also says "Do not drive unless you know how this medication will affect you." 

Heh, quite the curious warning label.  "If you smoke a lot of weed, you should be fine."

[JGP]

11 hours ago, lady narcissa said:

@JGP Just going to echo what others have said...find another doctor for your daughter, preferably a female doctor if possible.  Growing up I was led to believe that having painful periods was just something normal to be dealt with but they are not "normal" and she should absolutely see a doctor to make sure nothing else is going on.  I do not think most ob/gyns would see a 15 year old but it really depends and if there is practice near you - with female doctors - possibly inquire.

Others have mentioned endometriosis and that is what I have and one of the causes of painful periods.  More than likely at her young age, its just painful periods.  But things can develop with endometriosis over time such as ovarian cysts which if just treated with heating pads and pain medicine can land you in the ER having major surgery...which is what happened to me.

The pill is more than likely the long term solution for your daughter.  But there are many kinds and different people respond differently to each one.  So you want a doctor who is familiar with the options.  Sometimes one needs to try one for 3 months and see the doctor again and if things aren't better they might switch to another one.  But it takes a least 3 months for a body to adjust, it won't just solve the issue overnight.  But for me, after being on the pill for several months, the painful cramps disappeared.

In the interim, Advil / ibuprofen was the only thing that ever helped with the painful cramps.  Midol did not help me. Tylenol did not help me.  Also dairy, especially ice cream / milkshake - but this seems to be something very specific to me, not everyone responds this way to dairy.  As for the nausea, ginger tea is a possibility.

Best wishes to your daughter.

Yeah, I don't know. Ibuprofen doesn't work for her. Midol sometimes does, but didn't touch it yesterday. I mean, fuck, I almost took her to emerge last night-- kid was bawling in the bathroom and couldn't lie down. She eventually passed out, but, jesus. This is fucking bullshit. One of my aunt's had endometriosis that resulted in the removal of her uterus and an ovary.

[dog-days]

Forgot to say – baths used to help a lot with the pain, but obviously that won't help her at school. At home it was nice to know there was a temporary escape available. 

I  also took ibuprofen, and that did help, but could take a while to kick in. Also, I needed a lot of ibuprofen on the first couple of days, and I was never happy about that. 

 

Edited June 10, 2023 by dog-days

[Spockydog]

39 minutes ago, DMC said:

Heh, quite the curious warning label.  "If you smoke a lot of weed, you should be fine."

It says the same on the flower label. Eek. 

[Sophelia]

3 hours ago, JGP said:

Yeah, I don't know. Ibuprofen doesn't work for her. Midol sometimes does, but didn't touch it yesterday. I mean, fuck, I almost took her to emerge last night-- kid was bawling in bathroom

I had really bad period pain like this. No painkillers worked, even an extra strong one the doc gave me. One day as a student I was bawling on the bus, almost fainting and had pins-and-needles in my limbs - thought it was impossible to bear such pain without dying. Bus driver diverted to the university health centre and they gave me codeine. Instant relief. After that I took co-codomol (paracodin) which you can get at pharmacies in the UK (though not in US or Spain it seems) - can be addictive and can cause constipation, so take care - but it was the only thing which worked for me (I'm lucky never got addicted since I used it every month).

P.S. Going on the pill helped later so definitely worth trying

Edited June 10, 2023 by Sophelia

[Raja]

On 6/9/2023 at 8:22 PM, JGP said:

Not sure where to better ask:

Will obviously caveat my post with the fact that I'm not a woman & haven't experienced these pains, but obviously have  some experience as we see kids in EDs all the time.

1. I'll echo what some of the others have posted, I think it's probably quite reasonable for you to find another GP/ Paediatrician. Like others have said, doctor patient relationships should never be adversarial or transactional, and the person you say doesn't sound great. Like lady narcissa said, we use OCPs for *lots* of things, not just for contraception.

2. You know your child best - but if you're getting to situations where the pain is at a level that you describe where they're passing out in pain or crying as much as you state, I would take them to the emergency department. However, I do understand that there's questions about costs of these visits in north america.

3. Emphasize to whatever clinician you see how much it's affecting your daughter ( if you havent done so already) - particularly that she's missing school etc - with kids, and sometimes with adults, one of the main things clinicians should look for is affect on daily living, and when that's disrupted, it's something clinicians *should* take seriously.

4. With a lot of the meds you mention, make sure you're giving it not just as a one off but regularly ( i.e. 3-4 times a day or whatever it says on the packet - she's an older child so she doesn't get full doses like adults do, but read the packet)

5. As for things like endometriosis & using medicinal marijuana - look common things are common, and whilst something like endometriosis should be kept in mind (especially as it's a difficult diagnosis to make and it can take *years* for women to be diagnosed with it), but it's not something one can just 'check' for - there's no blood test or physical exam and definitive testing is direct visualization with laproscopy ( ie a surgeon makes an incision and puts a camera in and takes a look at your pelvic organs) - so common things will be what will be looked at & treated first, which is the correct way to do it.

[Zorral]

Really horrible heebie jeebies, dread, apocalyptic visions kept me from sleeping for hours last night.

All day I kept going, "one foot after another," and managed to even scrub the things that need scrubbing all the time, and other domestic chores, worked out -- and then didn't need to think about dinner, for Partner had some good news and wanted to take me Out.  The reservation was late enough that the air, in sort of high moderate air quality zone, had fallen to almost 'good' air quality zone.  We ate outside, could see stars, and had a lovely time, then moved on to have after dinner and dessert in another place, also outside.  Saw some friends, just passing by.

I am a most fortunate person.

That's how people who lived through the 6th and 7th centuries apocalypses must have made it; you just keep trying and doing -- unless the plague whatever killed you, but then you don't care coz you're, you know, out of it.

 

[Teng Ai Hui]

Anybody ever order frozen food from a company called Schwan's? I remember my mom often bought chicken fingers and ice cream sandwiches from them. But that was back in the late 80s / early 90s. I just assumed that they had folded, but I found their website recently. They're still in business.

[Zorral]

This weekend for the first time since covid, it feels like June as I used to experience it. Not even or only because of the temperature and weather. The LGBTQ contingents are Out in force this weekend, the gathering of the tribes for Gay Pride Week, they are happy, enjoying themselves, exploring their ancestral grounds of the West Village, stopping for a libation here and there -- and last night, a Saturday night, oo la la, who knows what might happen!!!!! This weekend's afternoons feel normal! Just what one would be expecting for this weekend of this month.  Plus, even more than usual, we have visitors from so many places where being LGBTQ can be literally life-threatening.  In the days before covid and the dump and the neo fascist/nazi global movements, I had gotten to dislike Gay Pride Week because such a mess, literally.  But this year I am so happy that this city can still provide LBGTQ refuge to have a (relatively) safe party hearty space.

[Sw33t Summ3r Ch1ld]

I am deciding to continue going without makeup most days/every day. I devised this cute little work routine. BUT I don't go anywhere other than shopping with Mom and I do not feel the need to do it or have a great assortment of makeup items. I just had to tell someone I was going to continue doing the same old thing. 

[RhaenysBee]

On the topic of the pill - it can and should be used to regulate periods, ie hormones and handle bad period symptoms. The doctor’s viewing it as a contraception only is ridiculous. 

There are however also herbal hormone regulators which may be worth looking into, not sure if this was mentioned as I only skimmed through, but chasteberry pills are also a common over the counter option for period relief. 
 

I’m trying to purchase a cordless vacuum cleaner that doesn’t cost €500+ but say stays within a reasonable 250-350 range. It appears that Tesla produces a cordless vacuum cleaner at a reasonable price. Anybody ever tried this or owned other Tesla household appliance? 

[Spockydog]

3 hours ago, RhaenysBee said:

I'm trying to purchase a cordless vacuum cleaner that doesn’t cost €500+ but say stays within a reasonable 250-350 range. It appears that Tesla produces a cordless vacuum cleaner at a reasonable price. Anybody ever tried this or owned other Tesla household appliance? 

We recently had to replace our old Dyson V6. Rather than spending £500+ on a new one, we got a Vax for less than £200. Not only is it less than half the price of a Dyson, it is also much more powerful. Plus, we're not not giving that Brexit-loving twat any more cash. 

Here's the model we got.

Edited June 21, 2023 by Spockydog

[Zorral]

Happy First Day of Summer and Summer Solstice everybody!

 

Edited June 21, 2023 by Zorral