Did anyone's dd start the pill aged 14?

[flumperoo]

I'm wondering if anyone here has experience of the pill improving their young teenage dd's experience of having periods by regulating them, lightening the flow, preventing aches and pains, swollen breasts and other undesirable symptoms that go along with them?

Also, have any of your dd's successfully used the pill to postpone a particularly inconvenient period?

[rainbowinthesky]

I had miserable periods as a teenager and the doctor advised I go on the pill. My mother wouldn't hear of it and I thought and still do that that was unfair as I was suffering and my mother was on some sort of hypocritical moral thing.

[TrillianAstra]

One of my friends at school did, for this very reason. AFAIK she didn't actually have sex until her wedding night, it was purely for medical reasons.

I was on it at 16 for the other reason.

[PCPlumIsMyHomeboy]

I was put on the pill on, by chance, my 15th birthday. I went from having hellish period pain, seriously heavy bleeding and having to miss some school every month, to still painful, but manageable with pain killers, AF.

When I have had the first AF after each of the DCs, I have been reminded of those days of it hurting SO MUCH my legs would buckle, and am very glad I had such an enlightened mum and GP. Then I start taking the pill again very quickly

[Standbyme]

My 14 (nearly 15) y/o dd was given Tranexamic Acid by our GP for heavy, painful periods and she says that it has helped dramatically. She takes it for the first 4 days of each period.

I also give her Evening Primrose Oil which has made a huge difference to her general mood ALL the time, not just at PMT time or dirng a period

[JackBauer]

I went on the pill when I was 14 because of horrific period pain, I was missing school at least one day a month because of cramps.
Doctor had tried mefanamic (?) acid tablets but they did nothing.

We never told my father though!

[brightwell]

My dd went on the pill for 3 months at 13 to regulate her periods, it made her feel sick & did have a few episodes of vomitting, but it did the trick.

[diseyw]

My dd went on the pill well over a year ago and she will only be 15 in July. Previously she had horrendously heavy periods every month with very bad pain and leaks. She tried tranexamic acid for a couple of months but couldn't swallow the tablets, so we had to crush them in to a powder and then it only made a small difference. Going on the pill has absolutely been the best thing for her, she occasionally follows one packet straight on to the next if she has an exam or holiday coming up so she wont get her period during the break week and best of all the pain and heavy flow has decreased significantly. It really has been the best thing to do for her though I did ask lots of questions of the Doctor about any risks and side effects. Hopefully she wont need the pill for contraception for a few years yet but has just got together with her first boyfriend.....

[flumperoo]

Thank you for all of your responses, they are very useful and reassuring.

However, a new problem. We have visited a doctor, who has suggested YAZ. I've just done a bit of research (ie googling) and found lots of strongly negative information about the effects of this particular pill, even some which suggest there has been a lawsuit against the company due to this pill causing very serious, even life threatening, side-effects.

I've had a look on their website and it requires you to choose your country - England and America are not on the list. Does anyone know if it is available in these countries? I'm assuming not.

I am currently in SE Asia and the medical service here is very different to the UK. It is very impersonal and you are not allocated to a particular GP, so see a different doctor on each visit. The hospitals are run as a money-making business and I am not sure I can trust the advice to be relevant and up-to-date. This single packet has cost 15 pounds and I don't want to keep going back and buying different pills and then finding information that suggests they're not a good option.

Is there any way to find out which pill is most suitable for someone? I suppose I'm thinking of a legitimate medical website that can maybe advise.

Maybe I'm over-thinking and the information about other pills is just as bad if you go searching. I suppose I'm just looking for some reassurance that I'm choosing the right pill for dd as we don't have access to the same trusted health services from back home.

[Mistymoo]

I went on the pill at about that age. If I wasn't on it I would be sitting on the loo with my head permenantly over the sink if not (sorry if TMI). My mum was very supportive.

I didn't run them together because if I did I ended up bleeding for about 3 weeks anyway so wasn't worth it.

[Marne]

I was put on the pill at the age of 14 due to heavy periods and it helped a little, it was also great for planning around school trips etc (i used to take a few extra pills to delay period). It took a while to find a suitable one though.

[myfriendflicka]

I'd just like to have a word about von willebrand's disease, which is a mild, inherited blood-clotting disorder that causes heavy bleeding from vascular areas of the body (noses, gums, womb etc).

The main symptoms are easy bruising, nosebleeds, heavy periods, and prolonged bleeding after operations, having teeth out (although maybe not all those will be present - I never had nosebleeds for example).

It is quite common - 1 percent of the population suffer from it, but it is not well known and lots of people have it and don't realise. Because we tend not to talk about how heavy our periods are, and most GPs are ignorant of it, it can take many years to be diagnosed, and people suffer the heavy bleeding for many years, often resulting in anaemia, not to mention the emotional distress.

It can also cause problems in childbirth or if you have an operation/dental work, so it's as well to have it investigated if you think you might suffer from it - or that your child might.

I was diagnosed aged 38 after years of heavy periods, heavy bleeding after operations/teeth out, etc. My daughter, in contrast, was diagnosed aged 5 after tests at St Thomas's in London. so she is able to take transexamic acid/DDAVP and avoid heavy bleeding. Her periods are not too bad so far, (she's 15 now) when she had her teeth out she had DDAVP and hardly bled at all.

Often heavy periods are dismissed as one of those things, when they might need further investigations. It's worth going to your GP and insisting. I am happy to provide further information if anyone wants it.

[Floopy21]

flumeroo, I was put on Microgynon at 14 for this very reason. I know five ladies on it & we all get on well with it. Any contraception is very personal though, what suits one may not another - My friend swears by the injection, but it sent me doolaly! It may be a case of trying one for three months or so & seeing how it goes.

[GetOrfMoiLand]

This thread has been very helpful - I never even considered putting dd on the pill.

She has very heavy periods bless her, they last about 8 days. I didn't know that you could go on the pill to regulate your periods (my periods have always lasted just 1 day, have never been on the pill). She is slightly anameic however drs advise to regulate with diet, however after reading this thread I think I may suggest that we go and see the dr again.

[polkydot]

Flumperoo, I am on yasmin (the uk name for yaz) and have been since I was 18 and came off dianette which I had been on from 16. I have never had any problems at all with it, I am a massive advocate for it with my friends, none of whom seem to have got on as well with the different contraceptive pills they've been on. I think that as Floopy21 says, it comes down to the individual though, for example, I know several people who've been on microgynon, none of whom have liked it, and experienced problems with their moods.
Yasmin is not one of the most commonly prescribed pills in the uk, because it is significantly more expensive than a lot of the others, which is mainly because it is one of the newest (most recently developed) and is not available in generic form. I believe that this (its relative newness) is also why you find a lot of reports of problems/lawsuits on the internet about it, with other pills, this has been and gone. The questions of lawsuits and withdrawal only applies to the US, yasmin has not had those problems in the UK.
All hormonal contraceptives have similar potential side effects, the only additional one with Yasmin I believe is that there is a risk of elevated potassium levels; quite a small risk. A healthy 14 year old who is not overweight and does not smoke or drink is the least likely type of person to experience the possible dangerous side effects of any contraceptive pill.

[borderslass]

my eldest was 14 she had to have time off school every month so she went and asked for the pill worked for a couple of years but now has the implant youngest is getting really bad periods already if it carries on i'll take her as well.They probably take after me I hemorrhaged at 12 and had a d&c but my parents refused to let me have the pill I ended up having a hysterectomy at 30 I was that ill every month, the pill never worked in fact nothing did.

[GetOrfMoiLand]

Borderslass that is awful that you had to suffer all that time.

The implant - is that similar to the Mirena in that it stops your periods completely? That may also be worth lookuing into as one thing I am concerned about is dd forgetting to take the pill (and me forgetting to remind her) which may cause periods to be even more erratic.

[borderslass]

GetOrfMoiLandthe implant goes in the upper arm and you can still get a small bleed with it, my daughter is probably getting hers removed as shes now getting periods its meant to work for 3-5 years she's only had hers 18 months but she is looking at alternatives.

The mirena was worse for me it I was in agony and begged them to take it out after 6 weeks that's when I got my way and had the hysterectomy.I didn't know about the jag stopping your periods if I had I would of tried that.

[GetOrfMoiLand]

Borderslass thanks for that, I will do some research re pills implats etc and go in to the drs armed with info.

I had the mirena foer 10 years and it was great, no periods at all. However they had real probs removing it and had to have an op to get the thing out, so not allowed anotehr one.

I lolled at dd's horrified face when I was talking about coils - she said urgh not having a doctor poke around up there. She will have a shock when she has children

[flumperoo]

Thanks again for all the suggestions and advice. I haven't read this thread for a few days and since writing my last post, on the advice of a gyno friend-of-a-friend, I've put dd on microgynon - will see how it goes