Terrible frequent urination and bladder pain prior to my period

[Sabrina00]

Prior to getting my period, I'm experiencing a lot of bladder pain and severe frequent urination especially at night (like every 15 minutes at night when I normally go only once an hour). This usually starts about a 7-11 days prior to getting my period and subsides several days into my period. Essientially, I am completely miserable for almost half the month. I don't know how much more I can take of this. Is birth control the only solution and if I take birthcontrol, do I need to take continuous birth control to prevent these symptoms. Are there any "natural" ways to prevent these symptoms?

Btw, I'm in my late 20s.

Thanks

Sabrina

[musiclover]

I used to get the same thing. Right before my period and then about three days in to my period, I would have to go about every 5 minutes. It was torture. The two things that helped me are continuous birth control so I hardly have a period but every few months. And also Elmiron, but that took quite a while to kick in - about 11 months.

If you can try the continuous bc so you don't have a period, I would definitely recommend that.

[tazzie23]

I as well start a flare about 10 days before my period. And it lasts about 2 weeks, i feel your pain. BC made my symptoms worse so i stopped taking it. I take DH aloe vera, cystoprotek, MSM gel, and MSM oral.It all helps me. Only started 1 month ago so still waiting for it to kick in completely. But i still cant get rid of these flares before my period ouch!!

[eeyorefan82]

I have the same issue. Basically flare all month from period and hormones. I found out I was actually going through meno which makes more sense than just my period causing it. But it def has a lot to do with it. They put me on the pill as well, and I hardly have a period now, which has helped a lot compared to where I was at--bedridden. But it hasn't stopped the flares or the issues around it-frequency and all that. They wanted to do the ablation of the uterus to help, but I haven't done that as of yet. I would suggest trying an endocrinologist to find out which hormones are causing it and if it might be something more. Best of luck to you.

[LA28]

Re: Terrible frequent urination and bladder pain prior to my period

Like tazzie23, I also stopped the pill. I've only been off of it for one month and I just got my period last night. 5 days leading up to my period I started a flare, which was a kind of pain I'd never felt before (different from cramps!). It was worse than the IC pain I had while I was on the pill. Then literally as soon as I started to bleed all the pain and tightness went away. I'm relieved because this was my experience on the pill - no pain during the placebo week. If this is my new "normal" I'm debating which is worse: Being on my previous pill and having almost daily very very mild achey pain, OR being off the pill and having next to no pain until 5 days before, in which case it's more intense pain and discomfort. Maybe my body just needs to adjust more to being off the pill. I'm so impatient though!!

I should note that when I was on the generic form of Alesse my pain was totally manageable. Then I had to switch to a "similar" brand and I started getting daily pain. I know my problem is mostly hormone-driven… what are my options in this case?? I feel like I have to trust the internet to tell me because it's hard to communicate with doctors where I live