pad/tampon suggestion and iron pills

[Guest guest]

Hello!

Someone was aking for recommendations for products to use because of

going through a super tampon and an ultra thin overnight pad. I have

a couple of suggestions, based on my own experiences.

I tend to have ridiculously heavy bleeding the first three days of my

period. During those days, I usually use a super plus tampon (O.B.

brand... I use the " ultra " absorbency if I can find them, but they

are not always in the stores where I shop), backed up with an Always

pad. I, too, tend to use the ultra thin pads during the day, but

recently I have realized that they fill up too quickly because I

inevitably go through my tampon anywhere between 20-40 minutes on my

heavy days. So, I have started using the regular (as in NOT ultra

thin) overnight pads as backup. They buy me more time to get to the

bathroom (I teach, so often I go through a tampon in the middle of

class, and can't get to a bathroom right away).

My fibroid symptoms and anemia are gradually chipping away at my

notions of vanity and pride, so the other thing that I finally broke

down and did about three months ago was to buy Depends (adult diapers

for urinary incontinence) to sleep in at night, because when I was

trying to sleep with just the tampons and pads, I was having to get

up every half hour, meaning I got no sleep. I hated having to buy

diapers, especially since I am only 29 and thought that it would be a

long time before I would be purchasing them for personal use. But

ever since I started sleeping in those on my heavy days, I actually

can get concesutive hours of sleep for the first time in years.

Because I am rather thin, the smallest size of Depends is still a bit

bulky on me, so I wear spandex bike shorts over them to keep the

diaper from gapping (prevents leakage).

I am still in the process of trying to decide exactly how I will deal

with my fibroids. I am trying to avoid surgery, and have been seeing

a holistic practicioner and an acupuncturist. Things are changing,

albeit very slowly, and I am hopeful that even if I can't avoid

surgery, at the very least I will be physically in better shape pre-

surgery to improve chances of a speedier recovery, etc.

Also, this is just my own experience with iron pills, but I also take

them daily. When I was taking ferrous sulfate, I had a lot more

problems with constipation than I do now with a different form of

iron (amino iron chelate, but I have also heard that carbonyl iron is

easier on the system). It was also IMPOSSIBLE for me to take the

ferrous sulfate pills on an empty stomach. The cramping and nausea

that would ensue was bad. Now, I know that the box says to take with

food or milk, so I am aware that I was not supposed to try and take

them without either of those two things. For me, however, it is

easier to not have to worry about having food or milk with something

in order to take a pill, because I suck at remembering to take pills

at all. The iron pills I am taking now, while they do feel better if

I take them with some food, do not cause the sickening sensations and

the constipation that I experienced with the ferrous sulfate if I do

not. Once again, this is just MY experience.

I just listened to the radio interview, and I must echo the kudos

that others have given to Carla Dionne, Dr. Indman, and Pat. I

am going to point my friends and others to this link so that they can

listen, and stay informed. Great job... would be nice if something

like this would air in land! All day long, 24/7/365

Sorry this message is so long.. I wasn't intending for it to be.

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