Sanitary Napkins/pads

[Juliebove]

Very interesting. I have always used Stayfree because they are the only ones now who sell ones without wings. Like some of you here I have DH and my period is so irregular that I have to always wear one on a daily basis basically. (for example: ranges anywhere from 2 - 13 days, and from 8 days to 2 1/2 months between cycles). Can't get much more irregular than that.

Now I have a better excuse to only buy Stayfree...

~ Lisa ~

I thought mine were I had one that came something like 22 days after the other one had started. Sometimes they come late, but generally early these days and I never know how long they will last. Had one that was 3 days and heavy for all three. Most of the time they are 5-7 but some are longer. I figure I have about 2 weeks in there where I can wear pants that aren't black or navy blue. I only feel safe to wear them right after it has stopped and then back to the dark colors.

[num1habsfan]

I thought mine were I had one that came something like 22 days after the other one had started. Sometimes they come late, but generally early these days and I never know how long they will last. Had one that was 3 days and heavy for all three. Most of the time they are 5-7 but some are longer. I figure I have about 2 weeks in there where I can wear pants that aren't black or navy blue. I only feel safe to wear them right after it has stopped and then back to the dark colors.

Yeah I know what you mean about hating wearing light jeans. It's too unpredictable about how light or heavy it will be so I just play it safe. It gets really annoying sometimes .

~ Lisa ~

[NoGluGirl]

Dear Cathy,

That is interesting. Thank you for sharing your experience! I use Stayfree, but irritation is still there. I think it could be my yeast overgrowth, but synthetic fibers may add to the trouble. Maybe I will try some of the Natracare and see how that goes.

I had to go on the Depo-Provera shot at 17 years old due to excruciating cramps, abnormally heavy blood flow (I was anemic, and normally went through a Super-Plus tampon in an hour), and had five cysts on my ovaries in less than a year. The pain I experienced was terrible, where it shoot from my uterus down into my rectum. I could not stand straight for the first three days of my period. I endure enough misery on a daily basis. I do not need more of that again!

Dear Lisa and Julie,

My periods used to be like clockwork. They were always every five weeks and 1 day. Then in early 2005, I began bleeding off and on all the time.

It is very light, but uncomfortable due to having to wear pads all the time. My yeast overgrowth probably is irritated by it. I cannot wear tampons, because there is not enough flow for that.

I am afraid to go off the Depo, because I probably will have to have a hysterectomy when the cysts come back, and go straight into menopause. What kind of a choice is that? These problems run in our family on both sides. My mother had a hysterectomy at 31, her mother at 36, and my grandmother on my father's side had one at 26! Adoption is always a good option for children, but my body is another story.

Sincerely,

NoGluGirl

[ShadowSwallow]

Oh my goodness, I never would've thought of this. That might explain some things.

I've never used pantyliners, but have used Always for ages and ages (need those wings) and have always had hormonal problems.

Of course a few years ago when my flow was fairly heavy, lasted 10 days, and had 2 weeks between each time, I thought it was normal. Fortunately it's lightened up considerably, but they're still long (7-9 days).

[Anna'sMommy]

From a sanitary standpoint she should definitely be washing her hands after putting a pad on. However, we all know how kids are, even the cleanest kids. I stick to tampons because of this issue. The only pads I've ever heard of not being gluten free are one of the Always pads. When I had my baby I used Stayfree and didn't have any gluten issues. I was really careful though just in case. I'd call the company just to be safe.

Hi! I am trying to create a way to communicate on this forum. I have logged in as Anna'sMommy. Have you seen my posting this evening? Could you please give me some instructions on how to post. My daughter is 3.5 years old and just diagnosed w/ Celiac Disease this week.

Thank you!!! Your daughter is a cutie.

[babygirl1234]

i dont have any pomb with pads, i use always and i've been fine with them,

[Nyxie63]

Ya know, this never occurred to me. Could explain why I get the irritation down there. I've been using Always ultrathin overnights with wings. They're the only thing I've found that makes me feel somewhat "safe" from leaks, yet doesn't feel like I've got a roll of toilet paper between my legs. I thought it was because the plastic lining was keeping the area moist and the moisture was causing the irritation. Will look for another brand now and see if that changes anything.

Like a lot of you gals, I have horrendous periods. Honestly, I'm afraid to leave the house the first 2 days of my cycle because the flow's so heavy. Have to use 2 tampons (which I only use if having to go out of the house on the first 2 days), plus a pad and still have to change every 3 hours. Painful cramping and a flow that lasts 7-10 days (usually closer to 10) doesn't help either. Gee, think this could be why I also have an iron deficiency? *snort*

My periods are fairly regular Feb to the end of August. Sept through the end of Jan is another story. Missing periods, cycles 10 days to 6 weeks apart. Ugh. This is the third autumn in a row where I've traded periods for hot flashes (perimenopause anyone?). Guess that's ok since it helps cut down on the heating bills. Hubby has threatened to use me to clear the driveways this winter. Have me stand out there and radiate heat to melt the snow.

[Fiddle-Faddle]

My periods are fairly regular Feb to the end of August. Sept through the end of Jan is another story. Missing periods, cycles 10 days to 6 weeks apart.

Does your exercise routine differ between Feb-August and Sept-January? Or maybe you are outside less? Maybe a Vitamin D deficiency????

There's gotta be an explanation....

[debmidge]

Always has a "stay-dry" liner on top of their pads that feels like a rubbery kind of plastic. I found that that liner is especially irritating. I always thought of it as the same feeling as wearing an old-fashioned slicker (raincoat) next to your skin--ugh.

I always (no joke intended) hated that plastic liner. I felt it repelled the moisture it was supposed to soak up. Give me cotton any old day (however due to surgery, haven 't needed this stuff in years).

[Nyxie63]

Does your exercise routine differ between Feb-August and Sept-January? Or maybe you are outside less? Maybe a Vitamin D deficiency????

There's gotta be an explanation....

I do have a vit D deficiency. Upped my dosage from 2000IU to 4000IU daily at the beginning of Oct. As for exercise, I've been a sofa slug this year, due to severe fatigue and joint/muscle pain. In previous years, I've been fairly active, indoors and out, with the same seasonal cycle changes.

Part of me is thinking maybe its stress, even though I'm not really feeling any more stressed than normal. The holiday season is usually a bad time due to past events (been dx'd with PTSD) and I'm thinking its throwing my system off. I'm pretty sure the vit D has helped to prevent the annual bout of depression I usually get around this time of year. So far, it hasn't hit. Maybe I need to find a way to clue my reproductive hormones in as well.

I'm going to be seeing a new dr next month who specializes in hormone-y stuff, so maybe she has a idea about this. It could just be good ol' perimenopause and the whole seasonal thing is a coincidence. I am 44, after all. At this point, I'm not settling on anything or ruling anything out.

[Fiddle-Faddle]

Wow, Nyxie, I have most of the diagnoses you have except for the CFS and the adrenal fatigue.But what is PTSD?

I feel much more tired when I don't get any exercise or fresh air. I swim and/or walk for exercise, though not nearly as much as I'd like. I never get in more than 20 laps, and usually it's 10 or fewer (I used to do 50), but it still makes a HUGE difference, even if I only get there 2-3 times a week. I sleep much, much better, focus better, aches and pains disappear, etc.

Getting outside just helps my mood and my sleep--but that would help your Vitamin D deficiency, wouldn't it? Maybe a 10-20 minute slow walk around the neighborhood every day? (And then a good nap!)

Are you a vegetarian? That might make it much more difficult for you to get easily absorbable iron, and might have a big effect on your energy, though I would never try to convince you to give up vegetarianism if it's something that is important to you. But you might want to make sure that you're not eating too many of the gluten-free breads and cookies, as I have found that that does slow me down quite a bit. Potatoes and rice don't seem to be a problem for me, though, thank heavens!

[NoGluGirl]

Dear Nyxie63,

I know what that is like! I used to be anemic until they stopped my periods with Depo. Now, it has gone nuts more recently. Vitamin deficiencies may be an issue for me as well. I am no longer anemic, but still suffer from hormone issues.

Dear Alison,

PTSD is Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. This follows an emotionally traumatizing event. You probably knew that already, though! I agree Nyxie could have Vitamin issues. Many of us do! I began doing research on B-Vitamin deficiencies, and was surprised by all of the scary things that go wrong when you are severely deficient in them. Numbness is something I deal with, and although I may have Lyme, maybe taking a sublingual B supplement could help with my weakness and feeling faint.

Sincerely,

NoGluGirl

[Nyxie63]

Alison and Jin,

Oh yeah! I've got deficiencies. Iron, vit D, B5, B12 and folate. Calcium, magnesium, the rest of the B vits are low too. I think I'm finally starting to absorb some of these, now that my diet has changed. Been taking B12 sublinguals for the past few weeks and they're really helping. I can actually get off my butt for more than 5 minutes at a time now without having to rest for a 1/2 hour afterwards. Believe it or not, that's a big thing!

I'm not vegetarian, but about 1/2 of my food intake is veggies and I eat very few processed foods. I've completely cut out gluten, corn, dairy, soy, and sugar. I was eating a lot of brown rice but found it gave me stomach cramping. Switched over to regular rice and that seems to have solved the problem. Don't eat many regular potatoes - simply adore sweet potatoes. I eat one serving of chicken or fish daily and usually have red meat or pork about once a week. Since apples are in season, I'm going nuts with them. Probably eating too many, but they're soooo good!

It seems quite a few of us have a similar set of dx's. I'm not really sure the CFS dx is correct tho. It was done by symptoms alone, with no testing for Epstein-Barr or other virus. In addition, the severe fatigue and most of the pain have passed since I've been supplementing. Think my CFS symptoms were a combination of the vit D/iron deficiencies and the adrenal fatigue. I no longer have long recovery periods after being busy for a couple of hours. It used to take up to a week to recover after going shopping with hubby or doing anything that required a couple of hours of exertion (like walking). Still need to nap in the afternoons, but I look at that as a necessary luxury.

I really do need to exercise more often. Now that I have more energy, I've been using it to deal with the residual household chaos. Can't stand the clutter and mess anymore. Would really love to be able to just go for a walk without having to drive somewhere. We live on a little back country road that's used as a shortcut between two main roads. Lotsa traffic that goes waaaaay too fast for how hilly and twisty this road is. And no sidewalks.

I've had PTSD for about 9 years now. Not going to go into why, since this is an open forum. It first manifested as flashbacks and nightmares. Then I had what is called an "acute depressive episode" which is just a fancy term for a nervous breakdown. Was agoraphobic for 2 years and, even after that passed, would get severe panic attacks. I'm considerably better now, but still have quite a few anxiety disorders left over. I'm sure this helped to contribute to the adrenal fatigue.

Gee, I blabber on! Thanks for listening!

Jin, are you still on Depo? Do you feel faint when standing up or does it just come on suddenly? The dizziness and feeling of faintness when standing up is one of the symptoms of adrenal fatigue. There's another way to check. In a darkend room, get a mirror and a flashlight. Shine the flashlight from the side (not directly into your eyes) and see how your pupils react. If they stay small for 30 seconds or longer, you're probably ok. If they close then open after 30 seconds or sooner, or flutter larger and smaller, then you probably have adrenal fatigue.