Young people's experiences of periods and period pain
Managing period pain
In this section we hear about the strategies young people used to help with their period pain. This included things they had at home, or bought ‘over the counter’ from the chemist or treatments that they got from doctors. Many of the things we hear about in this chapter could be used at home, or when out or at school. People often used a combination of these things together or at different times. In this section we cover:
- Over the counter medications (medicines that can be bought from a supermarket or pharmacy)
- Physical strategies for managing period pain (heat, rest/exercise/diet/TENS machines)
- Distraction and other strategies for managing period pain
- Managing period pain in school
The support of friends and family could also be an important part of managing periods and period pain which we focus on in ‘Managing periods; peer support you are not alone’.
Over the counter medications (medicines that can be bought from a supermarket or pharmacy)
Paracetamol or ibuprofen were typically the first medicines young people tried for period pain. Lucia, found that paracetamol was the one that helped with their pain, whereas other young people found that ibuprofen worked better for them. Abi, who had ‘tried a lot of stuff and nothing seemed to work’ found that ibuprofen worked for her. Needing to take ibuprofen after food could be tricky if people felt nauseous. Leila can’t take tablets, but using ibuprofen cream on her lower tummy seemed to help with her cramps.
Some people, like Emily X and Iris found that taking paracetamol and ibuprofen at the same time, or in sequence helped them with their period pains.
Rosie finds that paracetamol with ibuprofen works best for her, but needing to have a full stomach to take ibuprofen can be difficult if she is vomiting.
Rosie finds that paracetamol with ibuprofen works best for her, but needing to have a full stomach to take ibuprofen can be difficult if she is vomiting.
Paracetamol’s the way to go, I think. And ibuprofen. But I don’t like taking ibuprofen either because you have to have... you have a full stomach to be able to have them. And usually, I’ve been sick about four or five times, so there’s not much in there.
Yeah, I can see that would be tricky.
So, I would say paracetamol with ibuprofen works the best for me, but that’s in the circumstances where it’s day two and I’m not having to lie in bed and be sick and I can, you know, have some food. Sometimes when I’m feeling a bit better on like sort of afternoon-ish, I’ll have dry cereal and I’ll have an ibuprofen. Yeah, sort of normal painkillers is what I usually turn to.
Now as you said, you've got a system.
Yeah.
If pain medicines worked this could help people get to school or work. This sometimes meant that people had to plan their day carefully or go to school a bit late, once the medicines had started to work.
Bella Z would take pain medicines in the morning before school and wait for them to work before going in. If she knew she was likely to get cramps, she would take medicines in the morning before school to try to prevent them.
Bella Z would take pain medicines in the morning before school and wait for them to work before going in. If she knew she was likely to get cramps, she would take medicines in the morning before school to try to prevent them.
And then like the way I kind of like dealt with it is I’d obviously take that like twice a day, I think it was, or maybe three times a day, so it was like with a meal, and then I’d normally then take that in the mornings. So, like to avoid then... ’cause I know that I would then get cramps in that day, so then I’d take it in the mornings of the next like few days to like prevent that pain from like coming in the first place. But I think there was a couple of times where it had actually like, I’d go into school late it’d be so bad and obviously you can’t do anything about it, and if you’re at school and it happens, it’s like, you’re... you... it’s hard to obviously deal with because you... unless you can go home, you’re just stuck with the pain. But... so you feel a little bit hopeless, but like obviously there is ways that you can make them at ease, but it’s just waiting for them to like kick in.
People told us that if the pain came back when the medicines wore off this could be a problem, for example if it was difficult to take more pain killers at school or work. Hannah X works as a waitress. Ibuprofen works well for her, but it is difficult to keep working when it wears off and she can’t always find a chance to get to her bag to take some more. She observes that there is a menopause locker at work with deodorant in it, but no period locker with pain medicines in it.
While for some young people, over the counter pain medicines worked well Lola said they didn’t really help much. Amalia and Iris noticed that although initially pain medication seemed to work, over time, it became harder to manage their pain. This prompted some to ask for help from a doctor or treatments that they got from doctors.
Physical strategies for managing period pain
Most young people told us they had found it helpful to use heat to relieve period pain. Hot water bottles were popular. Lily says how she has ‘become attached to my hot water bottles now, in fact I take them to school. But I have got now weird heat dependence with them, so... But I think... I think because I’ve had that reassurance there of the hot water bottles, that if I was to wake up in pain, they’re still hot’. Ivy sleeps with one hot water bottle on her back and one on her front, but because they get cold after an hour she is ‘constantly refilling’ them. Other ways of applying heat, that could be easier when away from home, were heat pads or heat packs.
Willow also likes heat packs and finds they help, but were harder to use in the summer or when it was hot. Hot baths, heated blankets, and hot showers were all other ways that young people used heat to help them with their periods and period pain. Some young people used cuddly heat packs, shaped like animals, which they found comforting. Sage was given a gift of a beany cuddly animal which is ‘like weighted and it’s got like beads in it, and you can heat it up in the microwave, and I feel like that’s like helped the most so far, ’cause I’ve got the pressure and the heat’.
Leila finds that cuddling her heat up penguin teddy helps with her period pain.
Leila finds that cuddling her heat up penguin teddy helps with her period pain.
When you feel sad, when your period hurts, what do you... what does it make you do? What do you want to do?
Leila: Penguin.
Mum: Penguin.—
Dad: That’s a...
Mum: She has a penguin hot water bottle.
Oh. Do you give penguin a cuddle?
Leila: Yeah, I love him.
Do you love him?
Leila: Yeah.
Does it... does it feel nice and hot and cuddly?
Leila: Yeah.
OK. And does that help with the tummy?
Leila: Yes, it does.
Oh is that your penguin? Oh, that’s a really nice penguin.
Leila: Oh, penguin.
That’s a very good penguin.
Leila: Thank you.
So, does penguin give you a cuddle?
Mum: She tucks it inside, don’t you?
Ahh.
Leila: This can help.
Mum: And it does help—
And help.
Mum: —when it’s nice and warm, yeah.
OK. So, you have a cuddle with penguin. Yeah.
Leila: Yeah.
Leila loves cuddling Penguin, but also finds cold flannels on her back of neck comforting if she is feeling hot and flushed with her period and period pain. Liv recognises that heat works for lots of people, but for her, she finds it ‘makes the situation worse’. When she has marked pain, she finds that going outside to stand on the cold air can help.
Applying some pressure over the stomach could help relieve pain. This could involve combining with heat, through a weighted animal or hot water bottle, but some people used weighted blankets, cushions or pressure from their hands.
Jayden doesn’t find that heat helps. He pushes on his stomach where it hurts, and if he is out and gets a bad cramp, he will ‘bend over and I like just... but like I said, like push on my stomach for a minute and I’m like: ‘hang on,’ and then I’ll just carry on walking, doing what I’m doing, but like I’ll have to just do that, during like that session.’
Ela has found that pressure over her stomach seems to relieve her period pain.
Ela has found that pressure over her stomach seems to relieve her period pain.
What's really weird that I’ve found is that period pain is sort of like a pressure on your stomach, and I kind of counteract it with more pressure. Now, I don’t know if that makes sense, but sometimes when you press, it gives relief, so how I go about that, I don’t know, whether it’s just squeezing really tight or even lying on my front with like a pillow under – I’ve found that that weirdly helps – I have no idea why… Yeah. I find if I do have a hot water bottle, I’ll lie on my back and I’ll sit it on top so you’ve got that weight and then the heat which kind of makes the pain, not spread out, but like go away a little bit, so I think a combination of the two really helps me.
Lola finds that ‘being curled up in a ball’ relieves some of her discomfort. Liv has heard from others how curling up in the foetal position helps with pain, but for her this doesn’t help. She has learned ‘I have to crouch, I can’t just curl up, or I’ve got to sit up with my knees against my chest, or something like that, because it... I don’t know, it just probably just lines everything up and makes it not hurt as much’. Willow Z found by chance that a yoga pose (called ‘Child’s pose’) whereby she rests forwards and stretches over her knees relieves her period pain discomfort. Bella Z tries lots of different positions, and while being ‘in a ball’ can help a bit, she wonders if this might be because it helps distract her. Certainly, resting and being able to be still was something that could help with period pain when it was feeling overwhelming.
Finding a balance between exercise and rest was something a number of young people tried to work out. Sarenna, Willow and River found that exercise made their pain worse, either at the time, or the next day. Others, like Emily, Eidra and Willow Z found that exercise did help with their period pain, both while they were exercising and sometimes afterwards too. Chloe does ballet classes, and even though she might not feel like going when she has her period, she has learned that she feels better afterwards. Sometimes whether exercise helped or not depended on the day and the kind of exercise. Hannah plays competitive hockey and has noticed that ‘playing hockey as long as it's not too like vigorous wasn't actually that bad and it kind of helps especially getting outside, I think can help. But then other times I've tried to like go to the gym to see if it will help and then it doesn't. So, I think it does depend and also like how much effort like if I go to the gym that's probably more like difficult. But if I was just playing hockey or going for a walk it can definitely help a bit, I think’. However, she does note that for her the difficult bit of getting out to do exercise is ‘getting out of bed that I have to do, which is like the bit I don't want to do’.
Bella finds that exercise really helps with her period cramps, and finds this a really helpful way of trying to manage them.
Bella finds that exercise really helps with her period cramps, and finds this a really helpful way of trying to manage them.
Are there any other things that you’ve done that helped, and the things that you’ve ever noticed?
Water and exercise, those are my... my main two. I did a lot of... I’m not really training anymore, but I did Muay Thai, that was my kind of escape when I felt my rage and my pain, I just go kick some bags,—
Excellent.
—so that’s... exercise helps. Going for a run, stuff like that. Going on a walk even, getting your mind off of things. I find exercise really helps with the cramps. Water, and it stops the headaches, stops the bloating, that sort of thing. Chocolate just helps with the emotional support to be honest.
And how did you di... ’cause... because exercise often helps, but people often also sometimes avoid, so how did you work out that exercise made you fe... was it ’cause you had to do exercise anyway and then you noticed?
Yeah, I had to exercise anyway, so... Me and my Dad used to be really into running, so we used to go on runs a lot and so I’d be like: “Oh, do you wanna go on a walk, do you gonna go run?” I was like: “OK,” and I’d go and I’d notice when I came back, you know, obviously felt the burn, but I... I didn’t really feel my pain, and then when I started going to the gym more often, ’cause I forced to my workout, I found that the pain would go away, so I’d have training and then go... you had to go to the gym afterwards, but I found that by the end of training my pain was gone, so I found that really helpful.
While exercise could help with period pain, managing period bleeding could complicate what people felt comfortable doing. Emily Z doesn’t ‘like the sensory feeling of like periods – I hate them – and it would just be horrible if I was in the sea and like... I couldn’t even imagine it. So, for me personally, I was just like: ‘no, not doing it.’ So, I had to stay... I... I stayed in bed’. Eidra thinks her period pain is better when she sleeps and eats well and exercises. Some people had discovered specific food or drink that seem to help with their cramps. Amelia finds a ‘nice cup of tea’ is comforting while Reham likes a warm tea that her mum makes for her, and also finds that hot milk with honey or ice cream is soothing. Elsa says ‘processed sugar makes (the) cramps really, really bad. But things like... especially, like, almonds and honey, those are fine’. Eve likes eating ice-cream with her mum in front of a movie, and Leila thinks chocolate buttons help. Jian has heard that spicy food can make cramps worse, so she tries to stay away from those (though she finds it difficult!).
Finally, a more specific physical strategy that Scarlett and HannahX had tried for period pain was a transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation or TENS machine (these are devices that use a small amount of electricity delivered to the skin which can work as a form of pain relief).
Ivy has tried a TENS machine for her period cramps. She finds it helpful, but not very practical when she wants to go out, and is concerned about the cost of these and the cost more widely of having periods and period pain, which she thinks is unjust
Ivy has tried a TENS machine for her period cramps. She finds it helpful, but not very practical when she wants to go out, and is concerned about the cost of these and the cost more widely of having periods and period pain, which she thinks is unjust
OK. And have they been like... but you said it started really right from the very first period.—
Uh-huh, yeah. Yeah, so it’s been... the pain’s been consistent since then. So, I’ve always had de... debilitating cramps and had to take painkillers and just try ways. But also, there’s the big cost of these pain measures. So, I recently got a TENS machine from [website name], which goes on the stomach and it gives you TENS pains. And that cost £80.
Wow.
And there’s no funding for that. You just have to fork out for it yourself, but... you know.
How did you find out about that?
I saw that online on like an Instagram advert, or something like that, and then my Mum kindly bought it for me, which was nice of... of her, but I’ve tried countless things.
Countless things. OK, I’m gonna ask you about all of them, but has the TENS machine helped?
I found that it helped my stomach cramps a little bit, but it’s just not very practical when you’re out and about, when you’re at work, because even though it’s described as discreet, it’s not really, and it still, you know, pokes out on your stomach, which can make you feel quite self-conscious. And yeah, sort of poking out a little bit.
OK.
Yeah.
So, it helps at home, but it’s maybe not as easy—?
It can help at home, but yeah, but it just doesn’t help to my, like, leg cramps—
And maybe not as easy to hide.
—or my... my backpain, so...
Distraction strategies for taking your mind off period pain
Young people actively used activities, including exercise, to distract them from their period pain. One good distraction was being with friends, whether they talked with them about their periods or not. Watching TV, listening to music or podcasts, watching movies, and playing games were all things that young people found helpful to get them through their periods and period pain. Hannah X noticed that although being busy helped with pain, sitting and studying felt much harder (see Broader impacts periods and school). For Willow, watching TV helped distract her from her period pain but also from worrying about her period.
Another strategy that some young people found helpful was using time and timings to predict for how long their pain or their period would likely last. This was something that they had usually learned over time. Leila is good at the days of the week. While she might find it hard to predict something that is going to (or might) happen some day in the future, once her period has started, knowing how many days it will likely last is a helpful strategy for getting through her period and period pain.
Abi has learned that for her, knowing when her cramps would come and how long they would probably last, has been a really helpful way of managing her period pain.
Abi has learned that for her, knowing when her cramps would come and how long they would probably last, has been a really helpful way of managing her period pain.
Yeah. So, something about preparing you for the fact that it might happen, but also a bit about telling you what to do if it does?
Yeah, definitely. Like it might happen in situations that aren’t ideal for you and you don’t have... you don’t have your normal ways of coping. So yeah, just things... little things that you can do. Even just things to try and take your mind off it, just things that you can do. Like, for me, the timing thing: nobody told me about that, and I just was like, that’s such a big thing for me, and that helped me out so much, was kind of knowing how long I had left.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. So, yeah, I mean that’s come out really clearly, that... that... that once you kinda can manage, because you knew your body and you could manage the dread of it, that that was actually incredibly helpful.
Yeah. Even like writing down how long they took, and then working out, like, if you have kind of... if they typically last... how long they typically last, and then so you know for future – just things like that. And like what time of day maybe they kind of tend to come on. Like mine would always sort of come in the morning, and then what you can do. I just even found things just like having a snack helpful, just something like that, just to take my mind off it a bit.
Finally, many young people told us that they used these strategies in combination. For example, Sarenna curls up with a hot water bottle after having a paracetamol, and Willow Z does yoga in the shower and then curls up under a weighted blanket.
As well as intense period pain, Rosie vomits and sometimes faints with the start of each period. She has developed her own system which includes sleep, paracetamol, hot water bottles and pillows lining her path to the bathroom at home.
As well as intense period pain, Rosie vomits and sometimes faints with the start of each period. She has developed her own system which includes sleep, paracetamol, hot water bottles and pillows lining her path to the bathroom at home.
Can you tell me about your systems?
So, if I know I’m gonna start my period, I will take... I get cramps for a week before in varying intensity. And that’s actually happening right now. So, what I do during the day is after every time I have food, or I drink water, I take paracetamol, and then if it gets worse, I’ll have a hot water bottle. And that’s during the week before. While I’m actually on my period, I just sort of shut myself in my room, and I have alarms that go off for me to wake up and make another hot water bottle, have some more painkillers, drink some water, then go back to sleep, for the first day. And I sort of have... you know, I leave my door open, I have a bucket next to my bed in case I’m sick. There’s a... like a sort of path of pillows into my bathroom, so if I faint, I don’t like, you know, knock myself out by accident. It’s kind of sort of, yeah, like foolproof plan, really. And then after that, life is back to normal, so... That’s what it does. I get cramps for the week before, I have the week on my period, which is sometimes a week, sometimes longer, and then, yeah, after that I feel emotionally rubbish for the next week. So, there’s a one-week-a-month where I’m symptomless and like, so normal, and then hell resumes again for another three weeks, so...
OK. So, a kinda whole... and pretty much most of them are a lot of the month.
Yes.
And you describe it as kinda hell resuming.
Yeah, it’s sort of like either one thing or another, like it’s all... there’s never any sort of like let up. But then sometimes my periods are irregular, which is... I was supposed to get it on the eighth of this month, and I’m still having the pre-cramps, but I haven’t actually started my period, so I don’t know what’s going on.
How did you kinda come to develop that system?
It happened every month. And the first time it happened, I had no idea what was going on, and I thought I was like sick, I thought I had like food poisoning, but it is just from like sheer pain. It’s like pain induced rather than it being like symptoms separate from. So, if I can sort of reduce the pain, like actual cramps, then I figure that the other symptoms kind of like let up a bit. So, I let myself sort of sleep until I need to like, you know, medicate a bit more, and then usually that works much better.
So, you’ve noticed that if you can get on top of the pain a bit, then some of the other things feel a bit better?
Yeah.
OK. So, you’ve developed this kind of very careful system, and so... with including pillows going to the bathroom in case you faint?
Yeah, that’s kind of a new one. Yeah. So, if I’m sick, usually I feel really lightheaded after and I have to like sit on the floor, but sometimes I do faint, and I like hit my head, so I kind of just have a little cushion around my neck that I keep with me as well.
Managing period pain at school
Managing period pain during school was a big part of many young people’s experiences of periods. The structure of the school day affected how and when young people could use or access strategies to help. Period pain could affect whether young people felt able to be in school or classes, whether they could engage and enjoy them, and whether they could learn and concentrate [see also Broader impacts: school and exams]. Young people worried about having period pain during lessons, assessments and exams. Being able to access treatments for period pain could help reduce some of these impacts and worries but was not always straightforward during the school day. Asking for permission to go to the school nurse or first aid room might mean asking to leave a lesson, or speaking with the teacher in front of the class [see also support systems in schools].
Reham tries to stay in school and be in her lessons when she has period pain, but it can be difficult.
Reham tries to stay in school and be in her lessons when she has period pain, but it can be difficult.
I definitely use painkillers, like I use a specifically paracetamol, but... and I don’t really think it helps that much. I have to like use a lot of it, but I... I don’t really wanna use... and I only take like four... or three pills every single day when I’m on my period because you have to take it hourly, not hourly, but every four hours and I just don’t have the time in school.
Are you allowed to carry it at school or would you have to go to the school nurse?
Oh, I wouldn’t be allowed to carry it at all ’cause it’s a banned item and I might get suspended for it, apparently.
OK. So, if you did need pain relief at school, have you ever had to do that; have you ever gone to the nurse or gone to a teacher?
I’ve gone to a nurse a few times, but most of the time they just don’t really have anything that they can do about it. They usually just make us... they make me sit there for like an... a few minutes and they’re like: “All right, it’s time to go to class now and you’re feeling a bit better, aren’t you?” and you just kind of say yes, and just go ahead.
And are you always feeling better?
Not really. I just... I just get a bit... I just get really worried, I’m like: ‘oh, I don’t wanna... I don’t wanna take up all the time and I don’t wanna act like this,’ I could have just have stayed home, but I went to school, so I might as well just be in class.
Yeah, and try and be keeping up, but it’s hard.
Yeah, mm.
OK. So, getting pain relief when you’re in school is quite hard?
Yeah.
OK. And are there... and does school ever give you anything else, like do you have hot water bottles or things you can borrow?
Not really.
No?
The most you can do is just water and hope you’re doing all right at the end of the day.
While many had experienced positive support from teachers, some had been asked to wait, or not allowed to go to first aid. Some had heard about difficulties at school from their friends and classmates. Jian recalled ‘there was this one time when a girl was in pain and she was like crouching down on the floor, and it was in the middle of a PE class, and the teacher was like explaining something and she was kneeling on the floor because she was in pain, and then the teacher just gets super-mad and super-angry telling her to stand up straightaway, and she was like: “Miss, I’m on my period,” and she goes like: “Well, if it was so painful, then you shouldn’t be here.”’
Sarenna has tried to get pain relief from the school nurse, who was not able to give it. She was advised to carry her own supply, which she now does.
Sarenna has tried to get pain relief from the school nurse, who was not able to give it. She was advised to carry her own supply, which she now does.
OK. Have you ever had any time at school where you’ve kind of had the pain at school and tried to get help when you’re in lessons, or in school?
Yeah. I mean I’ve had... so I’ve been a few times to like the school nurse, and stuff like that, but then she was just saying like there’s not... she... she’s not great and sometimes she’ll be like “oh though, I can’t really do anything about it”, and then she’ll just be like “go back to class”, or something, and then she’ll say like “wait another 15 minutes”, or something like that, and then she’ll just... she’ll just say like: “Oh, drink water,” or something like that, and then even last time like... ’cause then I went... ’cause I knew paracetamol might help or something, so I went to her and asked for some, and she was like: “I can’t give you any,” so... and you have to carry it on you yourself, and stuff like that, so...
OK. So, do you do that? ’cause that’s something I’ve been hearing quite a lot of different stories about, about whether people are allowed to have painkillers with them, or not, or whether they can get painkillers at school?
Yeah. I mean I think we’re allowed... So, my head of year, he actually told me to carry some, ’cause it was during the PE lesson that I had it, so I went to the school nurse then, and when I came back and I told him that she... the school nurse didn’t give me any, he was like: “Oh, she should have been able to give you some because, like, it’s paracetamol and obviously you need it for a reason.” Then he was like... he was the one who told me, “just start carrying it around with you then, and then just take it if you need it,” so...
OK. So, the pain is quite tricky to manage at school, and it...—
Yeah.
—and is that ’cause of how school responds when you say that that’s why you can’t...?
Because like especially my school ’cause they’re really like... they really like go on about the attendance, and stuff like that, so like they’ll... so like they wouldn’t count cramps as something to stay home as... from school from, so... and they would say, “Oh, just come in anyway.” So, it’s more just like, you know, being a bit more understanding about that kinda stuff, but...
So how... how do you kinda manage that if you have asked to go, and you’ve asked a teacher, and they say...?
You know, so some... some of our friends just like... ’cause I’ve not done this yet, but ’cause... and one of my friends... so the teacher said no to them, and then they were just... they just asked to go to the toilet, and then they just went down to medical instead, and then like otherwise we’ll just end up waiting until like break or lunch, or something like that, and then go.
When period pain was expected or predictable, or started before school, taking pain medicines before going to school could be helpful. Taking medicines regularly, to keep on top of period pain could help young people manage at school. However, when pain medicines wear off during the day it is not always straightforward to take more, because of the rules or structures about access to breaks and treatments.
Zaynah has learned that to keep on top of her period pain she had to take her pain medicines promptly and not expect it to go on its own. Working this out for herself made managing things slightly easier for her.
Zaynah has learned that to keep on top of her period pain she had to take her pain medicines promptly and not expect it to go on its own. Working this out for herself made managing things slightly easier for her.
OK. Yeah, how... in... in... in what way did it affect your first year?
Sleep, again. How often I’d be in lessons. How often I’d go home if I was in a lot of pain. Like I was like off lessons for like two or three days because of pain, then I’d just come home because it... it... it’s not that far from [city name], so it wasn’t that bad, yeah.
How was it managing your pain, kind of somewhere new, or...?
In the beginning it was really, really tough because it was like: ‘when should I take painkillers and when should I let this kind of go away on its own?’ and I quickly realised that I had to take the painkillers, like I couldn’t have instances where like I’d just let the pain go away on its own because it just didn’t work like that. I think as soon as I realised that it became slightly easier, it was still quite tough, but yeah, I just think you need to be able to do everything in your power for yourself in order to manage it even slightly, yeah.
Many of the young people we spoke with explained that their schools might not be able to give them medicines for period pain. This could leave them feeling uncomfortable, if they were in pain, not able to have pain relief, and sometimes also not allowed to go home. Hannah X recalled how on one occasion ‘I think I did end up going home ’cause it was quite bad and ’cause I couldn’t get any painkillers in school’.
Young people recognised that schools had a responsibility for safety, but the lack of access to pain medication created a problem.
Elsa understands that schools have to be safe with medications, but can also see that not being able to access medication in schools can be difficult for young people, and why in her experience they learn to support each other by sharing pain relief.
Elsa understands that schools have to be safe with medications, but can also see that not being able to access medication in schools can be difficult for young people, and why in her experience they learn to support each other by sharing pain relief.
And you talked about painkillers and handing them out at school: could you get them in school, or was that something that you all did for each other because...?
Yeah, no, you couldn’t. I mean if you wanted to get them from the reception, or even take them at school while a teacher could see, I guess you... like they’d have to call your parents and sort of be like: “Hey, are they allowed to take this?” blah-blah-blah, which I kind of understand, just because you don’t really want kids taking a bunch of drugs. But it did sort of make it a bit more difficult if nobody had painkillers that day, so it’s sort of mixed, yeah. But like honestly, even for painkillers, I think there, there was definitely a sense of you could go up to any girl and just ask for some, and chances were someone would have them.
Lily, had been at a school that let young people have pain medication if there was previous permission, or a personal supply provided with consent from a parent or guardian: ‘they have to write a letter saying that, you know, that they can keep it there and give it to me when I need it. But they don’t just keep it there for anyone, you have to physically have your parents sign off and you keep it there for them’. Scarlett said that the school would call and speak to a parent each time, to get permission to use pain relief: ‘they say that if it’s so bad, then they’ll ring their mum and like get them to drop off like medicine, or something, and then, the... them... like their parents will tell them what to do with it, ’cause obviously the first aider doesn’t know how much the child should take, and stuff’.
Emily’s parent, who works in a school first aid office, explained their system of being able to give young people a paracetamol tablet for period pain, if it was after 12 noon and they had permissions on the system.
Emily’s parent, who works in a school first aid office, explained their system of being able to give young people a paracetamol tablet for period pain, if it was after 12 noon and they had permissions on the system.
Mum: So, we’re in... I work sometimes in First Aid, and as long as it’s after 12 o’clock and they haven’t had any other paracetamols, and we’ve got parental consent on the system, we can give out one paracetamol to... to anyone experiencing period pains. So that’s quite good. It also, it makes... makes sure that we’re not sending people home for period pains, because otherwise, you know, attendance can be affected on a... on a monthly basis because of it, so we try and help manage the symptoms at school so they’re not missing out on learning time.
For some young people, the difficulties in accessing pain medicine at school, coupled with wanting to be at school (and not able to leave), meant that they developed their own systems, and carried their own pain medications with them. Some noted that there could be risks for young people if they were taking medication without support or supervision.
Ivy took painkillers herself in the school toilets when she had very difficult pain, but was not sure what the correct doses were. She thinks schools should develops safe systems to help young people with period pain.
Ivy took painkillers herself in the school toilets when she had very difficult pain, but was not sure what the correct doses were. She thinks schools should develops safe systems to help young people with period pain.
I remember in high school I literally spoke to one teacher in the, like, learning support unit about it because I was there two or three times a month with this pain, and I remember sort of like just taking loads of painkillers in the toilets, which sounds awful, but I didn’t know about the correct doses either about what... what I was taking. So unfortunately, at one point I did take too many and I was feeling really dizzy, and stuff, and I was sort of having to beg to go home. And yeah, I’ve just never felt comfortable like talking to the teachers a... about it.
Can you remember how they reacted, like when you went to talk to them about...?
Yeah, so I remember the first time, I was probably in like Year 9, or something like that, I remember just going to, like, [erm] the kind of first aid room a... about it and being... and being like: “I’ve got really bad cramps.” Like I didn’t even want to say the word ‘period’ because I felt so ashamed and embarrassed that I’d... that I’d started these pains in school. And I remember being like: “I’ve taken paracetamol, I’ve taken...” I think I’d taken two i... one ibuprofen, but I needed another one at... at that point. And they... they didn’t even have those supplies in college. So, they’d ask one of the English teachers to go to her car and get some painkillers for me, which it shouldn’t be that way. And I was literally made a cup of tea and I was literally shaking, because I get really low blood sugar on my period, yeah.
Oh, absolutely. So yeah, as... as I said, there was that... the one time the... the English teacher had to go to her car and get me... me a couple, which tied me over a little bit. But yeah, there should definitely be... I think schools should be stocking these and almost having a consent form for those who do have the pain, and talking with parents as well to actually be able to dispense those. Obviously, I understand they should be controlled. So I think in high school we were... we were meant to like not really have painkillers in our bags, but I literally had a whole, like, pharmacy in my bag at some point: I had ibuprofen and paracetamol for my leg pain, and then I had, like, headache tablets for the headaches that come with that, and then codeine if it gets really bad, so I had like 12 of those in my bag, and it’s just a lot to have to manage by yourself with GCSEs and all of that.
While many recognised these concerns it could be difficult to find another workable option if they needed pain relief in school. Jade started bringing her own painkillers into school after her experience of ‘times where I’m sat in Medical and like if a kid comes in and asks for a painkiller, or something, they’re like: “Ooh, I’ll have to call your mum and ask if you can have this,” and it’s like: ‘that’s so crazy. Why can’t... why can’t I just have my painkiller?’.
Abi has migraines and period pain. She would be offered the option of going back to class or being collected from school, but sometimes neither were feasible. She knew what dosage of paracetamol she needed to take, and would do this on her own.
Abi has migraines and period pain. She would be offered the option of going back to class or being collected from school, but sometimes neither were feasible. She knew what dosage of paracetamol she needed to take, and would do this on her own.
Were you... and were school OK with you ca... So... and this... but were school OK with you carrying painkillers, or was that more just something that you did ’cause you needed them?
My... my secondary school was really, really strict about what you were allowed to do if you were ill, and it wasn’t just period. Again, I remember when I had a migraine and I get like a visual with it, and they said, “You can either go back to class or go home,” and I said, “But my Mum’s working, she works an hour away and I can’t... I can’t do either,” and yeah, they just... so basically my friend’s Mum had to come pick me up. And yeah, they wouldn’t let me take the paracetamol that I had. So, from then on I just didn’t... I just would go to the bathroom or something to do it because I was just thinking, ‘this is silly,’ like also I knew what was safe for me to take as well.
Yeah.
I knew that... what the dosage was and it was... I was fine. And then when I was at college, I went to... yeah, I went to a sixth form college, and that was really relaxed; they were really, really relaxed there about things like that, they didn’t... they didn’t care. I mean you could just leave college whenever you wanted, you didn’t even have to sign out, or anything.
OK, so then if you needed a bit of space, you didn’t have to tell anyone, you could just kinda leave and come back?—
Yeah, and just go, yeah. Yeah, so that was actually quite a relief going there in terms of that because I did feel... I think also when you feel like you can’t... and you don’t have the freedom to make decisions, or what you wanna do, like you have to stay in class and you have to sit in and get through it, that almost makes it harder in a way as well, like knowing that you don’t have the option to leave.
Sage was not able to get pain relief for period pain in school until she was in the 6th form. She learned to carry paracetamol with her, for herself and also to be able to support other people who might need this.
Sage was not able to get pain relief for period pain in school until she was in the 6th form. She learned to carry paracetamol with her, for herself and also to be able to support other people who might need this.
Well, in sixth form it was great ’cause she was really nice and she’d be like: “Oh, have you had paracetamol? When was the last time you had it? Do you think it’d be best if you sent home? What if you just stayed in class, and like sat out kind of still in class, or would you just prefer to go home? Do you think you can make it home on your own, or do you want me call someone?” So nice, loved her.
Primary: that was not... They offered me an ice pack sometimes, and it’s like: ‘that’s not gonna help at all, but thank you,’ and half the time I’d have to like convince them to let me call my parents so I could go home, which made them think I was faking it, and it’s like: ‘I’m about to throw up on your shoes, I swear I’m not.’
OK. So we’ve... yeah, there’s the bleeding and the worrying about flooding, the unpredictability, but sometimes really severe pain, going to the school nurse. And did... as a matter of... were you ever able to get more paracetamol or pain medicines from the school nurse?
No, because for some reason they like wouldn’t... or they weren’t allowed to like give you medication, which I understand like as a general concept, but like if it’s paracetamol of all things, and I’m telling you I’m in agonising pain, I feel like that should be something that there... they can give you, but like half the time, I’d like end up asking my friends, and if nobody had, I would have to go to the store, which in like primary and secondary like I couldn’t do, I couldn’t leave until the sixth form. So, like it’d be nice if they were able to give you at least paracetamol, like I guess ibuprofen, but it doesn’t really work for me, so I didn’t really think about that. But like ever since like I’ve... ever since? Like since like the first few times when I realised, they’re not gonna give me anything, like I always carry like a crap ton of paracetamol, even when I’m not on my period just so like I can give it to the people who need it; uh, I was like a drug dealer.
No. It sounds like people supporting their friends and trying to manage quite a difficult situation. And if you were going kinda not regularly, but like more than one... like to the same school nurse, did... did they ever say this is a bit of a pattern, or... or have you... did you ever get any kinda wider advice, or was it always more just that episode when you were there? Do you see what I mean?
Well, I would try... like I would try to go to like a different person each time, just ’cause I felt like it was really awkward: if they didn’t help last time, like why would I go to that same person again? And like sometimes I would just end up with the same person, and they’d be like: “OK, like, I still don’t have any way of helping you,” and I’d be like: ‘yeah, this is why I didn’t go to you again.’
Experiencing symptoms that could go with periods and period pain, like fainting and vomiting, could also be difficult in school. These often led to being supported in first aid or medical rooms, and often people were then able to, or asked to, go home. Young people often supported each other when this happened, and were watchful of friends who they knew might experience these difficulties. Sage feels frustrated that they felt they needed to wait until they vomited until they could be offered support, and wished this could happen earlier, saying ‘sometimes I just didn’t bother looking for help until like after I’d thrown up, ’cause it’s like ‘you’re not gonna be able to help me.’
School supports for pain could include other ways of helping young people with period pain in school [see Support structures in schools]. Some young people were able to use heat packs or hot water bottles in class, or were able to have a rest, cold drink or use a quiet toilet. At Bella Z’s school ‘they’ve got hot water bottles that I think they might give out if people did have period pains. ’cause I remember a couple of people in my year like walking around with them if they did have that, and they do help in that way’. As we heard above, Lola had identified heat packs as something that might help others in school, and so she and her friends personally made these available. Chloe recalled sadly that her school had tried to do this, but that ‘people kept on robbing them, so they don’t do that anymore’.
Willow had a good experience of going to see the school nurse for period pain. She had a rest and was given a heat pack and was able to go back to class when she felt better (read by an actor).
Willow had a good experience of going to see the school nurse for period pain. She had a rest and was given a heat pack and was able to go back to class when she felt better (read by an actor).
Yeah, I went to the nurse and they have this like special room where there’s like a bed with a duvet on and it’s got like a sink and some water if you wanna like splash your face in the mirror, and that’s great, and I... and I just lied down there for like, I don’t know, half an hour. I have no conception of time when I... when I’m dozing. And I think I slept a bit, and then I said I felt better, and... and I got a heat pack and then I went back to class.
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