See a GP or nurse for advice if you've had unprotected sex in the patch-free interval, as you may need emergency contraception. Bleeding in the patch-free week The main symptom is crampy pain in your lower tummy (abdomen). Often, the first few periods that you have are painless. Period pains may only begin 6-12 months after you have started your periods. The pain: Nonprescription 4% lidocaine patch: Apply to the skin for no more than eight hours up to three times a day. However, do not take ibuprofen or aspirin if you have asthma or stomach, heart, kidney or liver problems. Aspirin should not be taken by anyone under 16 years of age. Samal D, Mishra N, Meher B, Kar IB, Kar R, Saipooja RH. Comparison of safety, efficacy, patient compliance and cost-effectiveness of transdermal, oral and intramuscular diclofenac for pain control following oral surgical procedures. J Maxillofac Oral Surg. 2021;20(1):63-69. doi:10.1007/s12663-019-01260-7

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) . You can find these drugs over the counter or get prescription-strength NSAIDs from your doctor. See your GP if you have symptoms of endometriosis, especially if they're having a big impact on your life. You can talk to a GP or nurse about when the patch will start to work, and whether you need to use additional contraception in the meantime. What to do if a patch falls offEach patch lasts for 1 week. You change the patch every week for 3 weeks, then have a week off without a patch. Last Updated: 28th November 2023 Shop for the Best Pain Relief Patches and Roll Ons Online at Sirona Adenomyosis. This is a rare condition in which the uterine lining grows into the muscular wall of the uterus, causing inflammation, pressure, and pain. It can also cause longer or heavier periods.

Medicines containing ibuprofen or aspirin are often recommended for period pain. These ingredients are available in many forms including tablets, caplets, capsules and liquids.These are called 'combined' hormonal contraceptives because they contain two hormones - oestrogen and progesterone. They provide contraception (preventing pregnancy), but are still a good option for heavy periods even if you don't need contraception. Heavy and painful periods are much less likely if you take CHC. You can also take them in a way so that you have fewer periods in a year, giving you control over when you have a period. This will reduce the number of times you have pain. See the separate leaflet called Contraceptive Hormone Pills, Patches and Rings for more detail. The intrauterine system (IUS)

Research suggests that people who use the contraceptive patch have a small increased risk of being diagnosed with breast cancer compared with those who don't. But this reduces with time after stopping the patch. Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). PID is an infection of the uterus, fallopian tubes, or ovaries often caused by sexually transmitted bacteria that cause inflammation of the reproductive organs and pain. Other pain relievers . This includes over-the-counter options like acetaminophen (Tylenol) or stronger prescription pain medications. Some women naturally have heavier periods than others, but if your periods are so heavy that they impact your life, there is help available.Another option if you also need contraception is to try another type of contraception that contains progestogen. These might also be recommended if you can't have combined hormonal contraception (some people have medical conditions that make it unsafe). Options include the progestogen only contraceptive pill, the progestogen implant, or an injectable progestogen contraceptive. See the separate leaflets called Progestogen-only Contraceptive Pill (POP), Contraceptive Implant, and Contraceptive Injection which describe these options in more detail. A transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) machine