Hate to ask this question...ladies?

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
N

nope80

Resident
15+ Year Member
Joined
Apr 10, 2004
Messages
1,094
Reaction score
6
Members don't see this ad.
When you are on surgical rotations, like ob or surg, where you have to where scrubs for long periods of time, how does that play into "that time of month"? I'm wondering (maybe I am totally overthinking this and nerves about clerkships are starting) but issues surrounding menstruation, having to wear loose, thin scrubs, running off to the ladies room...does this get complicated on surgery/ob where you have to be in the OR for long periods of time? Any advice?
 
nope80 said:
When you are on surgical rotations, like ob or surg, where you have to where scrubs for long periods of time, how does that play into "that time of month"? I'm wondering (maybe I am totally overthinking this and nerves about clerkships are starting) but issues surrounding menstruation, having to wear loose, thin scrubs, running off to the ladies room...does this get complicated on surgery/ob where you have to be in the OR for long periods of time? Any advice?
Click to expand...

a) Choose cases that won't take long (i.e. the laparoscopic cholecystectomy vs. the multi-organ transplant)

b) If you use tampons, wearing a heavy-flow tampon along with a pad (in case of overflow) can at least set your mind at ease.

c) Wear overnight-flow pads, even when the flow isn't super-heavy. Most surgical cases in the OR, with a few exceptions, should not go longer than 8-9 hours, which is how long an overnight pad is supposed to last.

I didn't find it to be a huge enough deal that I was really worrying about it.
 
nope80 said:
When you are on surgical rotations, like ob or surg, where you have to where scrubs for long periods of time, how does that play into "that time of month"? I'm wondering (maybe I am totally overthinking this and nerves about clerkships are starting) but issues surrounding menstruation, having to wear loose, thin scrubs, running off to the ladies room...does this get complicated on surgery/ob where you have to be in the OR for long periods of time? Any advice?
Click to expand...

This hasn't been much of a problem for me or my female colleagues. Scrubs are plentiful and feminine hygiene products abound in a hospital. Our male colleagues "run off" to the mens room far more often that we enter the women's room. Even with my longest cases, 10 hours or more, I never encountered any problems. If you need to change something, you have plenty of time to get it changed. If you flow is so heavy that you can't keep up with it, then get things checked out before you start your surgery rotation.
 
.
 
Last edited:
nope80 said:
When you are on surgical rotations, like ob or surg, where you have to where scrubs for long periods of time, how does that play into "that time of month"? I'm wondering (maybe I am totally overthinking this and nerves about clerkships are starting) but issues surrounding menstruation, having to wear loose, thin scrubs, running off to the ladies room...does this get complicated on surgery/ob where you have to be in the OR for long periods of time? Any advice?
Click to expand...
My personal philosophy is better living through chemistry. 😉

Are you taking BCP? If you are on combined pills, you can easily manipulate your periods. Just skip taking the week of dummy pills (start a new pack a week early), and you won't menstruate that month. No bleeding, no problem. Another option would be to use minipills or a depo shot, which are progestin only. Then you won't menstruate at all. Some people on progestin only BC still spot, but it probably won't be as heavy as a regular period. If you don't want to use BC, the advice already given above is probably your best bet.
 
QofQuimica said:
My personal philosophy is better living through chemistry. 😉

Are you taking BCP? If you are on combined pills, you can easily manipulate your periods. Just skip taking the week of dummy pills (start a new pack a week early), and you won't menstruate that month. No bleeding, no problem. Another option would be to use minipills or a depo shot, which are progestin only. Then you won't menstruate at all. Some people on progestin only BC still spot, but it probably won't be as heavy as a regular period. If you don't want to use BC, the advice already given above is probably your best bet.
Click to expand...

Exactly.

Suppress your menstrual cycle either with something like Seasonale, the Nuva Ring or patch. The latter two are particularly useful because you don't have to remember to do something every day like take a pill. All my fellow residency colleagues chose one of these approaches.
 
Winged Scapula said:
Exactly.

Suppress your menstrual cycle either with something like Seasonale, the Nuva Ring or patch. The latter two are particularly useful because you don't have to remember to do something every day like take a pill. All my fellow residency colleagues chose one of these approaches.
Click to expand...

Not to butt into the females' conversation, but you should all consider annuale...

Annuale
 
Winged Scapula said:
Exactly.

Suppress your menstrual cycle either with something like Seasonale, the Nuva Ring or patch. The latter two are particularly useful because you don't have to remember to do something every day like take a pill. All my fellow residency colleagues chose one of these approaches.
Click to expand...

Or Lybrel. That's no periods whatsoever.
 
southernIM said:
Not to butt into the females' conversation, but you should all consider annuale...

Annuale
Click to expand...
"That's a play on words. I just got that!" Love it.


One option to decrease the frequency and intensity of your period without estrogen and without having to worry about taking a pill everyday is an IUD. I heard something like 60% of women stop getting their periods when they have the Mirena. If you don't want to get pregnant for a few years, it's a great BC method, too.
 
Winged Scapula said:
Exactly.

Suppress your menstrual cycle either with something like Seasonale, the Nuva Ring or patch. The latter two are particularly useful because you don't have to remember to do something every day like take a pill. All my fellow residency colleagues chose one of these approaches.
Click to expand...

Agreed. I just use regular BCPs (Occella). One less hassle to deal with.
 
MrBurns10 said:
"That's a play on words. I just got that!" Love it.


One option to decrease the frequency and intensity of your period without estrogen and without having to worry about taking a pill everyday is an IUD. I heard something like 60% of women stop getting their periods when they have the Mirena. If you don't want to get pregnant for a few years, it's a great BC method, too.
Click to expand...

But not a good option for the nulliparous (which the OP may or may not be).
 
Winged Scapula said:
But not a good option for the nulliparous (which the OP may or may not be).
Click to expand...

I think they're starting to argue that this is no longer the case. The risk of PID is much lower with current IUDs than it was in the past, and while it might hurt more on insertion, I think that they're starting to say that IUDs (particularly the Mirena) are fine for nullips. You just have to watch and make sure that the device doesn't get expelled.
 
smq123 said:
I think they're starting to argue that this is no longer the case. The risk of PID is much lower with current IUDs than it was in the past, and while it might hurt more on insertion, I think that they're starting to say that IUDs (particularly the Mirena) are fine for nullips. You just have to watch and make sure that the device doesn't get expelled.
Click to expand...

I was thinking more of the issue of expulsion. rather than PID. But even the Mirena site says its not for nullips.

At any rate, I think we all agree that for the OP, suppressing her period is the best and easiest idea. I'm still amazed that women continue to think they have to have monthly periods even when not on something inconvenient like surgery rotations.

I dunno know about you but I like wearing white bathing suits, going horseback riding, trampolining and all the other cliches the commercials for santiary products used to show back in the day. 😀
 
I've heard quite a few women rave about menstrual cups...you can leave them in for about 12 hours or so (maybe even more, I'm not sure). But there are quite a few different brands, so you'd have to research fit/price/material.
 
Winged Scapula said:
I was thinking more of the issue of expulsion. rather than PID. But even the Mirena site says its not for nullips.
Click to expand...

From my understanding, Mirena was marketed for non-nullips because the studies weren't done in nullips. In addition, there's plenty of lingering IUD myths thanks to the Dalkon Sheild fiasco. However, most of the female med students and residents I know who are using birth control are on it, particularly of the ObGyn variety. Sure, it hurts like a &*^ to have it inserted (somehow I imagine childbirth being more painful though...), but once it's in, it's done with - and approximately 20% of women never have a period for the five years they're on it. The maker of the Mirena is studying a "smaller" IUD for nullips that I think is off by a few mm's. So far though, studies have not demonstrated a difference in expulsion rates between nullips and parous women.

I think the IUD is a great option for nulliparous or parous women who want convenient birth control that's more effective than a tubal for 5 years. However, I don't think it's cost effective or prudent to get for someone just looking for a short-term fix to the period problem.

Good luck OP.
 
Winged Scapula said:
But not a good option for the nulliparous (which the OP may or may not be).
Click to expand...
I think it may depend on where you are and what the current practice is. I, in addition to 3 other of my nulliparous friends, have an IUD. Even the insertion pain was variable between us from no pain to near passing out (I was in this group, unfortunately). I think it's becoming more common practice for nullips to get IUDs, at least here.

That said, it's really only a good option if you're in a monogamous relationship.
 
Sympathies: I would also be in the passing out group most likely. I am rather fond of vasovagaling when procedures are done to me.😀

At any rate, I don't see any Mirenas in my nullips here.
 
Winged Scapula said:
Sympathies: I would also be in the passing out group most likely. I am rather fond of vasovagaling when procedures are done to me.😀

At any rate, I don't see any Mirenas in my nullips here.
Click to expand...

You'd better pass me more than "one more" of them thar drinks to get me to have that implant.
 
To add another opinion, the BCP manipulation is a great idea. I had it that I had to take medication every 4-6 hrs so it worked conveniently for me to not have to worry about running to the girls room during my medication break. I also tried to make sure I wasn't in surgeries that didn't last as long so that I didn't have to scrub out to do these things. Believe it or not, the surgery residents were actually okay with this method and encouraged it (the shorter surgeries so I wouldn't have to interrupt the surgery). If it were a longer case I wanted to see, they would allow me to stand in back and not scrub. Not that I'm saying everyone should ask for special accommodations, it's just another idea especially for those that have to take meds, etc, throughout the day.
 
MrBurns10 said:
I think it may depend on where you are and what the current practice is. I, in addition to 3 other of my nulliparous friends, have an IUD. Even the insertion pain was variable between us from no pain to near passing out (I was in this group, unfortunately). I think it's becoming more common practice for nullips to get IUDs, at least here.

That said, it's really only a good option if you're in a monogamous relationship.
Click to expand...

Not on rotations yet, but my OB/Gyn recommended this to me as well. I'm married, but never had kids.
 
With all of the options available today as mentioned above I don't know why any woman would still have a period. It has to be a pain...not to mention it is very irritating to us guys.

Periods are so 1990s.
 
QofQuimica said:
My personal philosophy is better living through chemistry. 😉

Are you taking BCP? If you are on combined pills, you can easily manipulate your periods. Just skip taking the week of dummy pills (start a new pack a week early), and you won't menstruate that month. No bleeding, no problem. Another option would be to use minipills or a depo shot, which are progestin only. Then you won't menstruate at all. Some people on progestin only BC still spot, but it probably won't be as heavy as a regular period. If you don't want to use BC, the advice already given above is probably your best bet.
Click to expand...

This works great. Unless your insurance decides to only pay for 1 refill every 4 weeks. 😡
 
ClusterC said:
This works great. Unless your insurance decides to only pay for 1 refill every 4 weeks. 😡
Click to expand...
You aren't able to get a 3 month supply at a time? You're right, that does suck. In that case, my suggestion would be to skip an extra 2-3 weeks after the end of an earlier pack so that you can hoard pills. In other words, take two or three straight weeks off pills a month or two before you start surgery. That way, you can have six or nine straight weeks of pills for later.

For example, say you have an 8-week surgery rotation. You finish last pack at end of week 0 and obtain first new pack at beginning of week 1. Don't take any pills during weeks 1-3 and start taking first pack at beginning of week 4 (week before or week of start of your surgery rotation). Get second new pack at beginning of week 5, and start taking it at beginning of week 7. Get new pack at beginning of week 9, and start taking it at beginning of week 10. That will get you through the end of week 12, which is enough to finish your rotation.

Of course, if you're sexually active, don't forget the backup BC during weeks 1-3. 😉
 
ClusterC said:
This works great. Unless your insurance decides to only pay for 1 refill every 4 weeks. 😡
Click to expand...

Your physician has to write specifically for it to be dispensed every three weeks to get insurance to cover it.
 
psipsina said:
Your physician has to write specifically for it to be dispensed every three weeks to get insurance to cover it.
Click to expand...

That doesn't necessarily make a difference. Some insurance companies will still refuse to fill it that way. I'm currently at loggerheads with mine over another med that my doc wants me to take one way, but the ins. co. thinks should be taken another way, so it refuses to cover the Rx. as written. I'm currently paying out-of-pocket so I can get the med. What if I didn't have the resources to do so?

Exactly who is the doctor? My real doctor or the bean-counters at "CAREM*RK"? [/rant]
 
Another way that helps to get around the insurance problem (although thankfully for me the physician writing "take continuously" works fine) is to just go back to the doc for your prescription refill when you've still got plenty of pills left from the previous script. Like, I've gone back for my yearly refill when I've still had a couple months left... then filled the new one right away and gotten ahead of their "counting". Works for me, anyway (but that's with my plan being willing to fill 3 packs at a time to begin with...)
 
Or get a script for sprintec amd fill it at kroger/walmart... $24 for 90 days... no insurance involved at all.
 
I went on Yaz and for some reason haven't had a period for over a year now -- all through third year. (Yeah, I know... I've got an appointment in three weeks to get that checked out.)
 
Yeah, a lot of people on Loestrin 24 or Yaz lose their periods... or have 1 day periods. I think this is the best of both worlds--you have enough of a "period" to know you're not pregnant but it's still almost nothing. Also, on those 4 periods a year or no periods a year brands, I've known lots of people to have break through bleeding many times throughout the year. Unexpected bleeding is the worst IMO.
 
so I clicked on this thread for no explainable reason

but what the hell is a menstrual cup
and on another note, my schools health insurance doesnt cover annual paps, my female classmate was furious over this
 
Menstrual_cup_insertion.svg
 
It's not always so simple to just whimsically "skip a period." Several women, including myself, have tried the "just go straight to a new pack" method and then just ended up bleeding for the next 3 weeks straight. Fun!
 
Pinner Doc said:
It's not always so simple to just whimsically "skip a period." Several women, including myself, have tried the "just go straight to a new pack" method and then just ended up bleeding for the next 3 weeks straight. Fun!
Click to expand...

or can't do the pill at all.

bummer.
 
Clarification: I'm a guy

My point is simple: 1) for a lot of rotations, you CANNOT choose your case 2) even tho you can choose your case, an intra-op complication can make a 1.5 hour case to a 6 hour one 3) if you are on vascular, get ready for a 12 hour case to start with
 
Dear Y chromosome,

Thank you very much for preventing me these hassles and allowing me to stand while I pee.

Regards,
Basupran
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Dr. Robb Bassett
What is one question that you wish you could ask your Attending about his/her specialty but you know you NEVER could ??? :)
Replies
3
Views
2K
Stellar Mudd
S
Rachapkis
Question regarding fellowship application dates
Replies
2
Views
877
BigRedBeta
BigRedBeta
D
4th year SUB I question
Replies
0
Views
2K
DrPrincessMe
D
Y
I want to apply for VSLO but had to incomplete and reschedule second half of IM rotation due to it being cancelled
Replies
0
Views
817
yardyknow2025
Y
I
DO applying to EM sub-I/auditions questions
Replies
3
Views
3K
Clerkships
C
Top