Menstruations vs. bike

[Etincelle]

Hi,

I am new biker and I have a weird question... I usually road with lycra and chamois... with no underwear. However, during my periods, there is no way that I can do that. The problem is that a tampax is not sufficient... and the pads.. after some km... well you know... it's not confortable!

How do other women manage this once a month period! To add to it, I have just turned 40 last month.. and now... it seems to be almost twice a month...

Bye

[Irulan]

welcome to perimenopause! I just use super plus tampons and keep riding. A lot of the women here use an internal "cup" device to capture flow. Look in the Tips and Tricks thread under "embarassing questions".

irulan

[KSH]

My solution... I get the depo shot... and I don't have a period at all. Mind you, I get some spotting here and there, mostly at the end of the shot (get it every 3 months), but it is very slight.

It's so very nice.

NOTE: I am 32, and I use to have a period twice a month myself, I got checked out for all possible issues, and the Dr. told me that is just the way it was going to be. So, I went for the depo shot and problem solved.


Now, if you don't want that, go for the super-plus size, and try to carry an extra so you can change during the ride if you need to.

[AutumnBreez]

www.divacup.com
Here it is, your search is over....
you can see many testimonies here on the forum (as already told), and also on the site.

I am on my second month, getting hang of it. Good luck- ABCL

[Grog]

My solution... I get the depo shot... and I don't have a period at all. Mind you, I get some spotting here and there, mostly at the end of the shot (get it every 3 months), but it is very slight.

Instead of DepoProvera, which is usually a shot worth 3-6 months of contraception, I'd strongly suggest discussing with your doctor about taking your pill continuously for 3 months, and then stopping for a week.

I don't think it is accepted in the Canadian guidelines but I'm fairly sure it is in the American ones, and I've heard of a couple of ob-gyn residents that do it for themselves (in Canada), and many doctors will discuss it with you freely.

Although the depo shot does work for many women, great numbers have heavy problems (depression, weight gain, nausea, and more...) with it. The problem is, once it's taken, it's there for months, and so are many of the side effects, while you could just stop taking the pill (Provera exists as regular pills) and stop them as needed.

Other ideas such as the Diva cup or using nothing but your chamois (especially if it is not light-coloured!) if your flow is light have indeed been discussed under the 'embarassing question' thread...

Good luck!

[RoadRaven]

I'm with Grog on this. I know several women who had considerable negative reactions to DEPO. Travel down that path with caution.

[roughingit]

Because I cannot swallow pills and am a shot-weinie, I use the Nuvo-ring for birth control. Since I have heavy-painful periods, the doc told me I can just leave it in all month instead of three weeks on and one week off (it has enough hormone in it for the whole month). Now I hardly ever get a period and it doesn't seem to have any noticable side effects.

If I wasn't using the ring, I would totally try the diva cup, but since I need bc as well and the not having much of a period thing is really nice, I think I'll be sticking with this for a while!

[smurfalicious]

I have an IUD and my periods have gotten super light! Oh sure, I go through pregnancy tests like corn through a goose now seeing as how I used to have super plus periods. Paranoia aside it is nice though, and lasts 5 years. My insurance covered it, but even still the $350 price tag beats monthly birth control. When I got it put in, I was super cramped up for the next day and a half, but it was partially my fault because I forgot to take the 800mg Ibuprofen before hand. Ooops.

Anyway, I've tried that whole cup business, but I just couldn't master it. I've heard sea sponges rock, and they're reusable. Can be cleaned with tea tree oil. I just haven't found any every time I go into wild oats. GRRR!!!!

love and cookies
-smurf

[Irulan]

I"ve heard the new IUDs are much better than the ones' from 20 years ago. You don't hear much about them now. Pharmacetucial companies must make a lot more from marketing ongoing programs vs. a one time deal.

~I

[Technotart]

Continuous birth control as opposed to monthly cyclical control is becoming widely accepted in the US. If you are on birth control continuously, you do not build up an endometrial ling and therefore have no need to have a period. This works regardless of whether it is oral or something like the patch or nuva ring. There are some OB/Gyns who are still on the fence, but it is more and more accepted now. That would be the first place I would head. Depo is a great alternatyive for some women - others spot continuously for months on end with it (like me) and that's no fun either! Some docs have you schedule so that you have a period once every three months, others go longer.

I just want to know if there is a non-surgical way to speed up menopause! Or maybe I don't...not looking forward to the hot flashes, but no period would be NICE!

[AutumnBreez]

Because I cannot swallow pills and am a shot-weinie, I use the Nuvo-ring for birth control. Since I have heavy-painful periods, the doc told me I can just leave it in all month instead of three weeks on and one week off (it has enough hormone in it for the whole month). Now I hardly ever get a period and it doesn't seem to have any noticable side effects.

If I wasn't using the ring, I would totally try the diva cup, but since I need bc as well and the not having much of a period thing is really nice, I think I'll be sticking with this for a while!

The cup is placed closer to the entrance, it is not placed high like a tampon, and would not interrupt your ring for birth control. If you can have sex with the ring, you can use a cup for the week of your period. If you use tampons with the ring in, you will not be interrupting the ring with cup. Q & A on the website is very informative, and you could also contact them with your question if you can not find the question concerning your method. They could use your question it to benefit other persons looking on site.

[Special-Kay]

I"ve heard the new IUDs are much better than the ones' from 20 years ago. You don't hear much about them now. Pharmacetucial companies must make a lot more from marketing ongoing programs vs. a one time deal.

~I

First of all, there are two major types of IUDs - the hormonal ones and the non-hormonal ones made of copper. In the 70s, there was a brand of copper ones that had a flaw in the way they were made (the Dalcon Sheild I believe) in that the cord that hangs from the IUD itself was made of fibers that collected bacteria. There were some deaths caused be infection as a result of this flaw and they were taken off the market. That's why IUDs are not very popular in the US. The flaw was fixed (they now have a single filiment cord, much like a very fine fishline) and they were put back on the US markets several years ago.

However, they have become the most used form of BC world wide. There are many reasons for this (can you tell I did a lot of research before I got mine?), even including the fact that a woman can be on BC without her spouse knowing. Other reasons of course include the fact that it is a one-time expense (well for several years anyway), etc.

I was hesitant to get one because I had heard that they could increase your cramping and flow. While on the pill, I had very light periods and no cramping. I finally realized that if it didn't work out for me, I'd get it removed. I opted for the copper kind because my goal was to A) not use a hormanal method, and B) not have to have it replaced any time soon. Because I'm in my 40s and my IUD will last 10 years, I won't have to have another form of BC - ever.

I've not experienced much in the way of increased cramps and my flow only increased a bit. One nice thing about that is that while on the pill, my periods were so light that I could hardly ever comfortably use tampons. My flow did increase enought that now I can use them again. Other than that, and some normal hormonal fluctuations that are likely the result of my age, things have remained much the same as they did pre-IUD. I love it and would recommend it to anyone.

One thing to note, insertion was rather difficult and quite uncomfortable for me because I have never given birth. Apparently, it is much easier for women who have had children. Still, the discomfort was brief and well worth it.

[roughingit]

The cup is placed closer to the entrance, it is not placed high like a tampon, and would not interrupt your ring for birth control. If you can have sex with the ring, you can use a cup for the week of your period. If you use tampons with the ring in, you will not be interrupting the ring with cup. Q & A on the website is very informative, and you could also contact them with your question if you can not find the question concerning your method. They could use your question it to benefit other persons looking on site.

Ooh, thankies! Right now I'm down to a trickle twice a month. I had been on the patch which worked great at first, but then I started bleeding *all* the time (depo did the same thing, except it also gave me wild mood swings and I dreaded going in for the shot). If that starts happening with the ring, I'll definately give the diva a try! I did look on the website, but didn't see anything there about it. As long as it sits lower all should be well though, the ring is up as high as it can go.

[smurfalicious]

The nuva-rings are soooo awesome! I am terrible about taking pills, both the remembering and the swallowing. I dug that if you kinda forgot the last week, that it actually had enough hormone for the fourth week. Only reason I quit that is my new fascist health insurance company makes me pay $40 out of pocket every month for a $50 prescription. Ummm, thanks for the help. That would be great if I ever used my insurance for anything else, but after my monthly contribution to the insurance cost, and then the $40 for the ring I was essentially paying $120 a month for birth control. Bwahaha, I showed them! Oh, and I did check, they DO NOT cover rogaine or any of the "erectile dysfunction" meds either. If they did, I'd be really pissed!

love and cookies
-smurf

[Special-Kay]

A bit off topic, but does anyone else feel slightly uneasy about the way in which women are seem quite happy to accept all kinds of chemicals/ invasive methods of birth control? My husband and I used good old condoms for at least 8 years ( I'm 30) without any accidents. It's just the though of getting an BC injection or an IUD fitted makes me cringe.

Obviously BC in the hands of women is fantastic but should women be demanding less 'traumatic' methods of control?

PS - The Diva Cup/ Keeper totally rocks.

Well - many people are not so lucky with condoms and there are some of us who wouldn't even be able to function if we had to worry about the condom failing. That being said, I switched from the pill to an IUD because I no longer wanted to use a chemical/hormonal method of BC. Yes, an IUD is invasive in a way, however, the hour I spent getting it once in 10 years time was well worth it and not a big deal to me in the whole scheme of things. And, being on the pill for 12 years prior to that actually has been shown to lower my chances of getting certain cancers that I would be at higher risk for otherwise since I've never had children. So, my answer is yes and no, I guess.