cramps!

July 19, 2005 12:43 PM

Menstrual Cramps. Help!

My cramps have become, in these past few months... bad. I'm already on a fairly strong b.c. pill. I'm looking for home remedy-ish solutions to ease my suffering.

What will help, besides taking 50 advils/day? Is there a kind of tea that will soothe my uterus? How about caffeine... will it hurt or help? Heating pads, I know, are useful, but while sitting at my desk at work I'd rather not be plugged into the wall...

posted by inging to Health & Fitness (38 answers total)

You might try herbal chamomile tea, my earth-mothery-mentor swears by it.
posted by headspace at 12:46 PM on July 19, 2005

I found that Excedrin Migrane helps my cramps immensly.

So does exercise, if you do it before it gets too bad. When we were in Europe, I spent a day thinking "that's odd, my back hurts a little, I wonder why" only have my period arrive the next day. At home, I would have been in agony. I chalk it up to the fact that we were walking miles and miles a day in Europe, where at home I'd have been tied to a desk.
posted by dpx.mfx at 12:47 PM on July 19, 2005

Avoid caffeine. Try cutting all (or most) dairy out of your diet for a month or two and see if that help; it usually helps at least lessen the intensity of cramps. Exercise regularly! Avoid alcohol too, it makes your estrogen levels fluctuate considerably.

There are many women's health teas available, but you have to remember that you have to drink them regularly to really have an effect. You may want to take cramp bark daily throughout your entire cycle for a month, and see how that changes things. Cramp bark capsules can be found at any health food store. Also, chaste tree berry extract is good for both PMS and cramps.

Immediate relief: four fingers' widths below your belly button there is a powerful anti-cramp acupuncture point. Sit up straight, find the spot, and slowly push your fingers a good two or three inches into your belly. Breathe deeply and slowly, hold for 30-45 seconds. Release slowly. Repeat. (There is a similar point two fingers' widths below the bellybutton, but I've had better results with the lower one.)
posted by Specklet at 12:56 PM on July 19, 2005 [1 favorite]

ThermaCare heat packs are a godsend.
posted by scody at 12:58 PM on July 19, 2005

Playtex HeatTherapy! I swear these are so awesome! There are similar products, but I prefer these because they don't BURN me. I use them as shown on the package, or sometimes on my lower back.
posted by peep at 12:58 PM on July 19, 2005

Thermacare heat wraps (or their equivalant) are helpful. And try to take the ibuprofin just *before* the pain gets bad or you won't be able to catch up to it.
posted by Morrigan at 12:59 PM on July 19, 2005

Wow, Scody's post appeared after I previewed but before I posted! Those are the ones that burn me, but I do have really sensitive skin. The Playtex ones are not quite as hot but last about 12 hours.
posted by peep at 1:00 PM on July 19, 2005

Chamomile tea definitely helps, as does raspberry leaf tea. Raspberry leaf is often recommended for pregnant women, but I've found it to be very helpful in easing my mentrual symptoms too. Traditional Medicinals and Yogi Tea both make good ones.
posted by smich at 1:04 PM on July 19, 2005

Aleve, with anaproxin, is good...

Also, why not go on the pill? I've been on the pill for years and haven't had cramps since.
posted by k8t at 1:10 PM on July 19, 2005

I have been on the pill for eight years, and recently switched to Seasonale for some of the same things you are experiencing. If you're not familliar, it's the kind where you get your period once every three months. I'm loving it. Of course, I had developed nearly crazy mood swings along with the ramped up pain, so there was that. But switching to this type of pill has made things better for me.

And, since no one's said it already, if you're experiencing pain or symptoms that are beyond what you would class as "normal" for yourself, go see your gyno. Good luck.
posted by Medieval Maven at 1:11 PM on July 19, 2005

I'll go up again for exercise. For years I very rarely experienced cramps. The last year I seem to get them every month. I've been exercising regularly for the last two months and my cramps have subsided considerably.

YMMV
posted by FlamingBore at 1:20 PM on July 19, 2005

May I recommend switching from the pill to Depo-Provera (the once-every-three-months shot)? The main side effect is not having your period at all while you're on it. It's pretty nice.
posted by Asparagirl at 1:22 PM on July 19, 2005

The thing I find most important for me is good lumbar support, because the cramps make my lower back ache. When I'm at home, I used a wheat filled bag as a heating pack, that not coincidentally provides excellent support when pressed up against my couch. Because the seat of my car offers the most perfect lumbar support I have ever found, I find going for a drive helps. At work, I don't have good support, but even folding my back of chair cardi and stuffing it back there helps.
posted by jacquilynne at 1:22 PM on July 19, 2005

The one thing I ever got out of yoga is that this pose (or another variation, with your arms out in front of you) provides immediate relief.
posted by kmel at 1:27 PM on July 19, 2005

Two ideas:

1. Try a Pill with less hormones. Today's Pills contain less hormones than they did back in the 60's, yet are more effective. You may find that a different formulation will give you relief.

2. Think about skipping the placebo/no pills week. There is no need to menustrate. It is arguable that monthly menustration is a highly unnatural routine: women a hundred years ago were typically pregnant (and thus not menustrating) most of their lives.
posted by five fresh fish at 1:30 PM on July 19, 2005

Previous thread about cramps.
posted by invisible ink at 1:43 PM on July 19, 2005

Is Depo safe? I was on it while I was traveling and it was okay for that, but I've heard so many negative things.

I had weird bleeding with it as well.
posted by k8t at 1:57 PM on July 19, 2005

Flax seed oil has some anti-inflammatory properties. It helped my cramps (which weren't too bad in the first place, though).
posted by elisabeth r at 2:14 PM on July 19, 2005

Oh honey, I used to have cramps so badly that it would paralyze me from the waist down.
First, go to the doc make sure you don't have that nasty cystic fibrosis stuff. If you're clear for that, try a low-hormone pill. It will lighten your flow and your pain will be manageable with a few Aleve. My Ob/gyn recommended that I start taking that a few days before my period so that it doesn't have to play "catch up" with the pain and it has worked wonders. Ibuprofen (Advil) doesn't really work since it takes about a week's worth of pills to start decreasing inflammation. Asprin thins the blood, don't even try it.
You don't have to live with cramps, talk to your doctor about what is best for you.
posted by idiotfactory at 2:17 PM on July 19, 2005

I LOVE Seasonale. I've tried a few different bc pills (including period suppression with another prescription) but Seasonale worked wonders for me. About every three months I would get brutal falling-down almost-fainting cramps, so only having four (very mild--I pop two advil the first day and I'm fine) periods a year is a godsend. YMMV, of course--I've had some bc pills give me really weird side effects, but I'd definitely talk to your doctor about period suppression, with Seasonale or the bc pill of your choice.

Oh, and the first few cycles on it I did have some spotting in the last month (which is a common side effect)--both with Seasonale and the other period-suppression pill (orthocyclen). No cramps with the spotting, but it's something you might want to keep in mind if you're considering period suppression--it takes your body a while to adjust.
posted by fuzzbean at 2:18 PM on July 19, 2005

-Fivefreshfish-

Watch out for skipping the placebo week and starting a new pack, it only works for mono-phasal pills. Tri-phasal such as ortho-tricyclen will confuse a woman's body to no end and be much less effective against pregnancy.
posted by idiotfactory at 2:20 PM on July 19, 2005

I have to say Naproxen Sodium (Aleve) works wonders for me. After trying a 600MG dose, prescribed by my doctor I wondered why no doctor had tried this before. Also, Yoga helps when they are at their worst.
posted by renyoj at 2:21 PM on July 19, 2005

CYSTIC FIBROSIS?? Perhaps you mean polycystic ovaries or (more likely) endometriosis?

And for every woman I know who loves Depo, I know three more who experienced near-suicidal depression while on it. No exaggeration.
posted by peep at 2:31 PM on July 19, 2005

I've recently had to go to the gyno because of painful periods. Besides putting me on the pill, she said I could use Aleve for the pain. Good luck!
posted by lychee at 2:36 PM on July 19, 2005

k8t: You won't stop bleeding with Depo for many months. It took me a year to stop completely. My main reason for going on it was that I had heinously bad cramps - to the point of puking if I didn't dose myself up on ridiculous amounts of ibuprofen - and now I don't have to deal with that anymore. Some people react badly and there are a ton of complaints sites about it on the 'Net, but I've got nothing but good things to say. I haven't gained weight (in fact I've recently lost about 20 pounds through dieting) and I love love looooove not having a period. I think it's one of those things where the perception is that most people have a bad experience just because it's only people who do who mention it. Other than questions like this, it's not like I go around telling people constantly how great it is. A co-worker was groaning about her cramps the other day though and she was surprised when I told her about my solution. She'd never realized that I didn't go through the same monthly cycle of hell that every one else in the shop does. So there could be happy Depo users all around you; it's just a "squeaky wheel" thing. (Of course, if you *do* have a bad reaction, you're kinda stuck with it for three months, which is understandable if you then ranted about it to everyone.)
posted by web-goddess at 2:55 PM on July 19, 2005

Nuh-uh, I stopped getting my period right away while on Depo. It's faboo. Plus, while on it for nine months (three shots' worth) in college, I went up a bra cup size, permanently. Sweet.

Although I, too, know of several women (all with pre-existing mild/moderate depression) who suddenly turned into uber-bitches or became seriously depressed while on Depo. So, YMMV. But if you don't have depression, it's really worth a shot, no pun intended.
posted by Asparagirl at 3:02 PM on July 19, 2005

I have endometriosis (i.e. agonizing cramps), and I've found that the following tea helps. I just drink it on days when I have pain, or feel like I might get pain.


enough boiling water for 3-4 large cups of tea
one teaspoon loose chamomile
one teaspoon loose motherwort
one tablespoon fresh ginger, crushed
honey to taste
--mix ingredients together and let sit for at least 10 minutes

I've also had luck by cutting out wheat, but that may be endometriosis specific.

This book is geared to endometriosis, but it has a lot of good nutritional suggestions for regulating hormones that may be useful to you. It's probably worth researching the symptoms of endo (and maybe some other things like fibroid tumours that can cause menstrual pain) and seeing if you think you should go to the doctor.
posted by carmen at 3:34 PM on July 19, 2005

While I have no personal experience with taking it, I have seen someone go from cramp-induced agony to giggly with nothing more than raspberry leaf tea, fresh picked from local bushes. It was weird to see--but it definitely worked, at least for her.

On the off chance I didn't get deleted before, and just didn't actually post...
posted by RikiTikiTavi at 3:34 PM on July 19, 2005

In addition to the very good suggestions already made:

* Tylenol. It's in a different class of medication than NSAIDs (Aleve, ibuprofen, aspirin, et al), so according to my doctor it's safe to combine with an NSAID.

* Vitamin E, 2 times a day for several days before onset of your period. This one has been surprisingly effective for me.

* Orgasm, especially right after taking painkillers. Seems to rush the meds right out into the bloodstream. Or maybe the endorphins suppress the pain. Or maybe it's just an excellent distraction. Who cares? As long as it works.
posted by nakedcodemonkey at 3:46 PM on July 19, 2005

I'll chime in again to say that if I haven't started bleeding yet, orgasms will actually prompt cramps for me. Bummer.
posted by Specklet at 4:15 PM on July 19, 2005

Evening primrose oil, calcium supplements, raspberry leaf tea, and lots of painkillers.
posted by Felicity Rilke at 4:34 PM on July 19, 2005

Peep

oops. Good catch!
posted by idiotfactory at 5:27 PM on July 19, 2005

Try exercise equivalent to 40 situps 3 times per week, all the time, even when you're not having your period. Seriously. This really helps me.

Also, aerobic exercise during.
posted by amtho at 6:16 PM on July 19, 2005

idiotfactory: thanks for that warning.
posted by five fresh fish at 6:47 PM on July 19, 2005

Okay, I'm a guy, take that into consideration.

There were two women I used to ride with, who both came to the same conclusion -- they had bad menstrual cramps whenever they had bad muscle cramps after riding, but not when they didn't.

They quickly found the answer was bananas.

(insert Pee Wee music here. No, wait, don't.)

When they ate them while riding, no severe cramping. When they didn't, ouch. To tell the truth, on long rides, I share some of the same issues (obvious, leg and back cramps, silly.)

On hearing this, and knowing what's in bananas, the answer was clear -- Potassium. Im the case of cramping, hypokalemia.

Now, of course, this isn't the only thing that causes cramps, menstrual or otherwise. But part of menstruation is extendend contraction of muscle. Low serum potassium, combined with extended muscle use and dehydration is the magic combination for crippling cramps -- the kind that leave you rolling on the ground as your muscles spasm.

So, my point -- try a banana or three. Or, if you can stand the taste, Gatorade and the like. (Remember, the better Gatorade tastes, the more dehydrated you are.)
posted by eriko at 7:42 PM on July 19, 2005

This sequence of yoga poses from Yoga Journal rocks my world. I also use a heating wrap filled with lavender around my lower back, and I take long baths. Aveda's Blue Oil is pricey but so calming, or a little Tiger Balm on my back and stomach works wonders.
posted by hamster at 8:36 PM on July 19, 2005

Well, huh. I've actually found the opposite of a couple of posts here, so YMMV.

I actually find that judicious use of caffeine alleviates my cramps entirely. Actually, coke works best of all, although I don't usually drink it. Otherwise, heatpacks and advil or aleve are probably your best bets.

Seasonale made my cramps even more terrible and gave me spotting (which is a REALLY inaccurate description of the ridiculous amount of blood issuing forth) for over six months before I quit. Also, I'm with Specklet -- orgasms, particularly before the onset of bleeding, bring on the cramps in a big way. But sometimes it's worth it. ;)
posted by LittleMissCranky at 10:01 PM on July 19, 2005

I just read in my vegetarian cookbook that raspberries and blackberries are useful for relieving menstrual cramps.
posted by sciurus at 7:25 AM on July 20, 2005