Doctor's Advice - Painful periods a nuisance

• Painful periods a nuisance

Q. Hello Doc. I am 18, and I have very bad periods. They hurt so much that I cannot study on those days. I am sure they used to be OK when I was younger, but since age 15, they have been very painful. Doc, I cannot stand any more of this pain. It is killing me! Please advise. Would losing my virginity help?

A. No, losing your virginity would not help your menstrual pain. Sexual intercourse doesn't make menstrual problems better. Like many young women, you found that your periods were OK to start with. But after a year or two, they became painful.

In the first few menstrual cycles which a girl has, she usually does not ovulate, that is, produce an ovum or egg. And cycles in which there is no ovulation are generally painless.

However, as she gets a little older, then she begins to ovulate. It is an unfortunate fact of life that in young women, ovulatory cycles are often accompanied by quite a lot of pain.

So what can you do about this pain? Well, here is a six-point treatment plan:

1. The first thing to try is ordinary aspirin. You may be surprised to hear that this simple, cheap drug will make most period pains appreciably better. But only take it after a meal - never on an empty stomach, because that can irritate the stomach.

2. Another therapeutic agent is paracetamol. This is also known as acetaminophen. It is sold under various trade names such as Panadol and Tylenol. It works well on period pain, but do not exceed the dose stated on the pack. Even mild overdosage can put your life at risk.

3. Try ibuprofen. Also known by trade names such as Advil, this is a useful anti-pain medication. Take it only when you have food in the stomach. If ibuprofen doesn't do the trick, you need to move on to consulting a doctor. See Step 4.

4. Ask a doctor to prescribe you a stronger painkiller. He can prescribe quite powerful things that will reduce most period pains to bearable levels. A useful anti-pain drug prescribed by doctors is mefenamic acid.

5. If the above measures don't work, the doctor can put you on hormone treatment. In particular, a hormone called norethisterone can stop you ovulating, and, therefore, stop your menstrual pain.

6. The Pill stops you ovulating. Therefore, in most cases, it will take away period pain altogether. Admittedly, it can have side effects. But in young women, the risks are low, particularly if you are a non-smoker.

I wish you well. Remember: these days, period pain can nearly always be beaten!

• Need help with my wet dreams

Q. Would you please recommend some tablets that will stop me having wet dreams? They are embarrassing because they make me stain my sheets.  I have to hide the stains from my aunt, who I live with. I am very embarrassed about this.

A. Unfortunately, there is no medication that will stop wet dreams (nocturnal emissions). Quite a number of young men have the same problem as you. They wake up and find that there is a large stain on the sheets.

Some families just accept that male teenagers are likely to leave stains on the sheets. That may not be the case with your aunt!

One time-honoured remedy is to wear an extra garment on the lower part of your body at night. For instance, I was recently consulted by a young man who wears thick swimming trunks while asleep, in order to prevent involuntary staining of the sheets.

• Could I be pregnant?

Q. Doc, I am a female student age 17. Five days ago, I was kissing and cuddling with a boy, and I let him put his organ inside me. I think he discharged. This was the first time I ever had sex. Do you think I could be pregnant?

A. I am afraid that there has to be quite a chance that you are pregnant. You did not say exactly where in your monthly cycle you were when you had sex with this boy. In general, the risk of conception from a single act of sex is around one in 20. But if you were near to your ovulation day, then the chances of pregnancy are much higher.

Unfortunately, it is now too late for you to take the emergency contraception. So you will just have to wait and see if the menses arrive. Please do not take a risk like this again. All young women should try to remember the simple fact that if you give in to a guy, there is a high risk that nine months later, you will be holding a newborn baby in your arms.

• Can I get an STD by masturbating?

Q. Please do not laugh at me, Doc, but I would like to know if a teenage guy can catch a sexually transmitted infection through masturbation?

A. No, that is quite impossible.

• Marriage won't change him

Q. I am engaged to a handsome and successful guy, but it is quite clear that he does not consider our relationship to be exclusive! In fact, Doc, I know that he has seen several other girls this last month, and he has probably had sex with two of them.  Do you think his behaviour will change when we get married?

A. No, I definitely do not. Young women often think that a guy's behaviour will alter when he gets married, but frequently it does nothing of the kind. In particular, a guy who cheats on his fiancée is likely to go on cheating when he is her husband. It is true that the leopard does not change his spots!

I am very doubtful about whether you should continue to be engaged to this young man. And please note that his current sexual adventures are exposing you to risk of STIs.

• Dealing with a 'puckered' penis

Q. I am a guy of 19, and my penis has started getting puckered so that it doesn't point straight. As a result, I have not dared to take off my clothes in front of any girl. Could this puckering be due to circumcision, which was done in another country a few years ago? Although I was too young to be certain, I suspect that the doctor was drunk.

A. Sorry to hear about this. Yes, a badly performed circumcision can cause puckering and scarring. Your best move now is to consult a surgeon-specialist who deals with urology. He may be able to operate in order to remove the scar.

Email questions to Doc at saturdaylife@gleanerjm.com and read more in the Outlook Magazine tomorrow.