Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with cramps

Beach Comfort

trashcan — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 06:03:21 -0800

How can I be comfortable sitting on the beach for a few hours, without my back and arms seizing up? Going on holiday and as much as I love the beach, I really seize up when lying on a beach towel for a long period of time. Any easily packed or widely available items that would aid my comfort. I'm talking where there are no beach beds - but even those after about 15 minutes make me ache!

Obviously I will apply copius high factor - and not stay out for too long....but anyone got any sand implement tips to help me have an even better time??

Ta

Menstrual Cramps/Labor Pains Connection?

RingerChopChop — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 08:54:30 -0800

Is there a correlation between how painful/strong your menstrual cramps usually are and how painful/strong your labor contractions will be/were? My pregnant sister always had extremely painful menstrual cramps accompanied by vomiting, diarrhea and cramping of the extremities (feet, arms, hands, calves, etc.). We're wondering if this is somehow going to be a predictor to how her labor will go.
Do painful cramps mean you have a stronger uterus?
I, on the other hand, have never had any type of menstrual cramping at all, does this mean my uterus is weak? (FYI, I also have a tipped uterus). You would think that the way your uterus contracts during menstrual cramps would be similar (albeit on a much smaller scale) to how it contracts while giving birth.

Leg cramps at the gym

naju — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 11:09:59 -0800

Why do I always get these leg cramps at the gym? At the gym, I almost always get leg cramps when I switch from using an elliptical machine (for 20-30 minutes) to walking or running on a treadmill. The cramps are in the lower muscles of my leg, and usually it only occurs in my left leg. The first time this happened, I ignored the pain and kept going, and ended up with a charlie horse that lasted for over a day. Why is this happening, and how do I prevent it? I always stretch for a few minutes, though it's standing stretches, as there's not much room to sprawl on a mat in this crowded gym. Also, this is never a problem when I just use the treadmill, or just use the elliptical; the combination sets it off.

Ouch. Too many prunes.

Stewriffic — Thu, 25 Dec 2008 15:52:19 -0800

What are some good, non-medicine ways to alleviate pain from intestinal cramps? I ate too much dried fruit this afternoon, including some prunes. (YUM!) Unfortunately, a few hours later I was wracked with abdominal cramps that were so painful I had the cold sweats. It's passed now, perhaps thanks to some pepto, but for future reference, I'd like any remedies you know of that can help that kind of pain without taking medicine.

Walking? Lying on your right side/left side/stomach/back? Massage? I tried it all, and the whole time I was thinking that I wish I'd asked this question here before the pain had hit.

How can we avoid gametime leg cramps?

Breav — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 09:21:03 -0800

What is causing leg cramps in a strong and healthy high school athlete 3rd quarter of every daytime game? My son is a high school athlete playing football. He's not going to the NFL, but he's a big fish in his little pond. He plays offense, defense and special teams (kicking). The problem is leg cramps. Beginning last Fall, in virtually every daytime game he develops debilitating leg cramps in the third quarter. Always daytime games, not night games, not during regular practice or summertime doubles, and always in the third quarter. The first time it happened he ended up on an IV in the ER. Here is what he's tried:
- Stretching (obviously)
- Drinking a gallon of water mixed w/Gatorade each of the three days preceding game day, and gatorade game day.
- Drinking Pedialyte
- Potassium supplements
- Multivitamins
- Bananas
- Pickle juice on game day

Last Saturday was his first season game and, sure enough, down he went in the third quarter. He went to a sports medicine doctor earlier this week, but he didn't offer much help. Bloodwork done earlier this week turned up nothing. The pediatrician didn't have anything else to suggest, either. Neither of the two doctors actually seems to be taking my son seriously.

HS Football is a short season and this is his last year. Can anyone offer any additional suggestions so he can enjoy it?

Swing the pig iron hammer!

ostranenie — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 19:10:43 -0800

Just exactly what does "swing the big-eyed rabbit" (as sung by the Cramps) mean? I like this song by the Cramps, and I'm guessing it's some kind of sleazy metaphor for something sexual, but nobody I've talked to seems know exactly what. (It just seems a little too "on the nose" to assume they're referring to a, ahem, male unit, but maybe I'm just reading too much into it.) The lyrics are here if anyone cares to attempt to decipher them.

I'm thinking it might be some kind of in-slang like "do the dog" (work hard at something) ala Kim Fowley but I can't seem to find any definition online. I see that it's also the title of a book written in 1953, but I can't find any information on said book.

my stomach hurts like its never hurt before!

sardonicsmile — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 15:43:44 -0800

i had a spicy meal last night and this morning woke up in so much pain that i couldn't sit or lie down. is this supposed to happen? please excuse any typos, as i have taken two panadols and a codeine forte already.

last night i was at a thai restaurant and ordered the spicy lamb, which although i had ordered mild, was still a bit spicy for me. usually with these kinds of asian dishes the custom is to share them and eat a bit of each, but being with a caucasian family, i was stuck with my entire plate of spicy lamb.

this morning i woke up with terrible muscle cramps in my abdominals, (not to be confused with period pain) and couldn't get back to sleep again. there was no diarrhea or wind, just constant cramping that wouldn't quit. i couldn't sit or lie down or curl up in a ball because my stomach would just cramp up even more, so i got sick of pacing the room and stretching in the hope that it would go away. took two panadols, which had no effect after half an hour, so went to the cupboard in search of pescription medicine which had been given when i had several teeth pulled out. thankfully that has worked so i can even sit here for more than a minute to type this out.

so the theory is that the spicy lamb caused the abdominal pain. is this correct? but how? i also drank a lot of water to go with it, so could this have caused bloating which strained the stomach muscles?

whatever it is, i am never doing it again!

Birth control blues

madmamasmith — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 23:00:19 -0800

I am in my foruth month of Microgestin pills. I started taking the pills to help control my blackheads but just this month I started breaking out with really bad cystic acne. I tend to get deprresed easily and have always had severe cramps. I was wondering if anyone with matching ailments has any advice on birth control. I have taken several and quit early on due to spotting or worsening cramps. I am thinking of switching to Yasmin because of its reputation with acne sufferers. Any suggestions?

Getting through the bar exam

sorindome — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 12:39:50 -0800

How do I keep my hand from cramping up when writing? I'm taking the bar exam in two weeks. Obviously I'm anticipating quite a bit of writing since the first day is ten separate essay questions.

Does anyone have any advice on how to do this as physically pain free as possible? Any advice on posture/technique; or pens that i should get.

I've been thinking about doing some training like writing for an hour a day or something. Basically I would just copy down outlines, which hopefully would serve the dual purpose of studying while training.

Anyways any advice is appreciated.

Where, oh where has my bits pain gone?

mostlymartha — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 22:22:12 -0800

After years and years of intense menstrual pain due to endometriosis, it has suddenly eased. Frankly, this is so marvelous, but strange, I'm becoming worried. Could something (else) be wrong with my ladybits? I started having wildly, shockingly, in bed drinking kahlua and milk, popping Advil like candy, and waiting to die menstrual pain by the time I was 13 or 14. At 19, I had the laproscopic surgery to diagnose and laser, followed by six months of temporary menopause-inducing Lupron, a year of depo-provera, and finally Yasmin birth control pills, cycled to avoid my period whenever I can afford to. All of these things had little or no effect on my pain. At that time, my endo was at a fairly early stage, a fair amount of "chocolate blisters" but little or no scar tissue or adhesion.

Now I'm 25. About four months ago, I had a really terrible period. It was worse than normal, even for me. Ever since then, they've been sort of easy. Uncomfortable, sure, but I haven't prayed for a bold of lightening to strike me down to safe the suffering in months. It's quite nice, I'm enjoying the break, but after ten years of feeling one way to suddenly feel a different way is disconcerting.

I've always read that that not all phases of endo are equally painful. Later stages with lots of adhesions can hurt less than earlier stages. I know I should go the the gyno and see what's up, but frankly, I've never had a truly helpful doctor in regards to this issue. Plus, I'm not insured right now and am relying on Planned Parenthood for my birth control, so I haven't really got a primary caretaker to consult. How worried should I be by this change of symptoms?

Endometriosis?

miss tea — Tue, 14 Nov 2006 07:47:18 -0800

What kind of treatment have you had for endometriosis, and how were the side effects? I have just been given a tentative diagnosis of endometriosis, pending surgery I have scheduled for late December. I am not that anxious about the surgery. But my doctor is reccomending Lupron for six months afterward, which freaks me out. I don't take the birth control pill because it exacerbates my anxiety/depression, and I am concerned that the Lupron will do so too, if I take the add-back drugs to prevent hot flashes and bone density loss.

I'd also love to hear other women's experiences, about Lupron specifically and endometriosis in general. Although I am happy to have something explain my horrific cramps, I am also very bummed to now have a chronic condition.

Which aches are normal during pregnancy?

hsoltz — Mon, 06 Nov 2006 08:52:50 -0800

[PregnancyFilter] In the second trimester, which aches and pains are a normal part of the experience, and which require immediate medical attention? I'm 18 weeks pregnant, and I'm feeling a lot of stretching and mild abdominal unease in addition to the very identifiable round ligament pain. My doctor isn't too concerned, and explained at my last visit that I'm probably feeling my uterus growing. But she did say to call her if I felt worse.

Now, of course, I'm sensitive to every little feeling in my body, and if I look up any sort of symptom the book or site invariably says both, "Some aches, cramps, and pains are completely normal during pregnancy" and "Contact your doctor if you're feeling any discomfort or pain." Never having been through this before, how do I know which aches and pains are par for the course, and which are truly problematic? (Obviously anything that really hurts is cause for a phone call, but I'm talking about the more middle range, "I feel like staying in bed" discomforts. I don't want to be alarmist, but I also don't want to ignore anything that might be important.)

A period belongs at the end of a sentence

nakedsushi — Mon, 01 May 2006 22:23:46 -0800

Should I use birth control to skip my period? I'm taking the NuvaRing as prescribed: in for 3 weeks, out for 1 week, repeat with a new ring the next week. I'm getting fed up with PMS, cramps, bloating and the lethargic feeling I get whenever Auntie Flow visits so I'm considering continuously using The Ring and skipping my periods altogether (or delaying them for months?). Has anyone else had any success stories with this?

I'm borederline anemic, and IANAD (but I will consult one shortly about this whole thing), but wouldn't it be beneficial for me not to be bleeding each month anyway?

foot cramping weirdness

zpousman — Thu, 19 Jan 2006 19:35:35 -0800

Recurring foot muscle cramps. My fiancee has this weird *foot thing* that happens about 3 or 4 days per week. In the evenings, she gets painful cramps in her foot, usually her left foot but sometimes the right one does the same. It usually takes 10 or 20 minutes to work itself out. It's helped by massage, but it hurts like the dickens while it's going on. What gives? Her diet and exercise habits inside... She's a vegetarian. She eats right, including bananas for potassium. She is on her feet a bit during the day, but she wears good shoes. And it's been going on for quite a while (on the order of years). She exercises regularly by doing yoga. She's in otherwise good health and good shape.

The cramp is usually flexion (the "up" position) if it helps.

Any ideas? Could this be stress? Some weird medical issue?

Abnormal Cycles

Anonymous — Sat, 25 Dec 2004 20:32:08 -0800

I have had irregular, painful menstrual cycles from the age of 14, but in my 20s they basically became inverse periods: a few days of not bleeding, with most at a low, constant flow, and a few like a normal cycle. When it’s bad, I feel like I have a constant low-grade flu, with fatigue, muscle ache, mental fogginess, and wild moods of sadness and anger. Several pelvic exams and sonograms have shown no fibroids nor anything anatomical that should be causing this. I’ve tried birth control pills (that caused weight gain and nausea, even at low doses), and the ring and the patch, which didn't help at all. I spent a few years on Norplant with no cycle at all, but terrible problems with weight gain that I am still struggling with. The only product I have had luck with was Lunelle, which is no longer available in the US. Has anyone else ever dealt with this and found something that worked? I’ve seen many gynecologists over the years and none have an answer. I'm in my early 30s now and seriously considering a hysterectomy because I can't live like this anymore.

Leg Cramps

mattr — Tue, 12 Oct 2004 00:42:28 -0800

[CrampFilter] My son woke up again last night with cramp in his legs...its painful for him, and disturbing for us...(morecrammedinside) He wakes up 2 or 3 times a month, with very painful cramp in his legs...we've tried increasing many of the food things recommended, typically foods that are high in potassium - bananas, oranges (including juice), milk and tomatoes. He eats a very healthy diet (more thanks to his mother than me), and takes a basic Vitamin C tablet each day during the autumn and winter to ward off colds.

The cramps are always in his legs...and wake him (and us) up in a lot of pain during the small hours...we end up rubbing his legs until he can get back to sleep, sometimes an hour later.

I'd love to be able to stop them for him and us...does anyone have any surefire remedies for cramp....either instant when it happens....or better still, prevention.

Menstrual Cramps

alicila — Thu, 26 Feb 2004 11:51:58 -0800

I have the worst cramps of anyone. When it is that time of the month for me, I can barely function because the pain is so bad. I have tried several different things, and my doctor has tried me on several different prescription medicines, but nothing seems to help. Does anyone have experience with this? What helps you? More info inside.