Category: Health and Wellness
okay, there's a topic about menstrual cups, so I thought I'd just take this in a different dirrection because I'm fed up with lower abdominal pain during periods. I was placed on birth control, so that's probably why i'm hurting a lot worse than I was when my cycles were irregular.
Anyway, ladies, what do you do to aleviate cramping, or at least, make it more bearable? does chocolate actually help? I'm also looking for other suggestions too. Thank you.
Yes, it has been shown through some studies that eating chocolate can help some people. You obviously don't want to eat too much of it, but eating it in moderation does help some.
Also do some heat therapy, whether it be a heating pad, etc.
Exercising also helps.
How long ago were you put on your Birth Control? BC should help alleviate cramps, not cause more. If you've only been on it a short time, your body might be adjusting to a new flow. If it's been a while, you may need to try a different type of pill.
I think I started it at the beginning of May.
Alright. I would contact your doctor about it, but the first few months of starting Birth Control can be rocky until your body gets used to the new hormones.
For now, get a heating pad for your lower stomach, or even just curl around a pillow when you sit. The warmth will ease the tension. You can also take things like Midol and Advil to help with the discomfort.
I already have an appointment scheduled with a doctor at the end of July.
Yes, birth control pills actually took my cramps away. Now that I can't be on them anymore because they would interact negatively with another med I'm on, my cramps are back with a vengance. Eating some chocolate helps, also, I crave more milk during my period, for some weird reason. I agree with everyone else here, heat therapy helps. I believe you can buy these things at Walgreen's, called "Thermocare," or something like that, that ataches inside your clothes and warms up against your body, so you can wear it without anyone being the wiser. I'll have to research that a little more. Midol and Advil do also help. I've heard some herbal teas can, too, but I don't know about that, I've never tried it. When I do drink herbal teas, I like the brand called Traditional Medicinals. i know they have teas specifically designed for women. their site is:
www.traditionalmedicinals.com
Sorry, don't know how to make that clickable, so just cut and paste.
I have to say allot of the same. Heat is your friend whether that be in the for of a heating pad or a hot bath if you can stand it. I've never noticed the milk draw on my period. I have noticed a marked increase in appatite in general which is quite anoying.
I have always had the cramps as well since I started my period when I was 8 years old. I used to take Adville for them, but I switched to Alieve because it seems to work better for me. A friend of mine told me to try Midol, but I did and it did not work for me.
Also, heat is extremely helpful, like wearing a heating pad or taking a hot bath or even the thermocare pads mentioned above, although I like the electric heating pads more because it is reusable. I only use the thermocare pads when I go out somewhere, because they tend to be a little pricy.
I have also found that laying on my back for a little while helps my cramps while I am waiting for the Alieve or whatever medicine I have taken to start working.
Another thing that my mom always told me growing up which seems to work is to always wear socks on your feet while you have your period, because if your feet are cold it makes you crampier because I guess it cools off the rest of your body also. Also, some people have told me that when they wash their hair they feel crampier the next day, but that has never been a problem with me.
Those last two sound like old wives tales, but okay.... Yes, I only use the thermocare pads when I go out, at home, a heating pad and/or a hot bath is more effective.
I take the maximum allowed dose per day of Nurofen Plus, 6 tablets per day that is, I wallow in a hot soaky bubble bath and I wrap myself round a hot water bottle, lol, or life is just living hell for both myself and everyone around me for the first 2 or 3 days of my period if I didn't have these luxuries, lol.
I agree with everyone above as far as alleviating cramps.
I don't know about bare feet making a woman have worse cramps.
I used to take medication to get rid of cramps, but I'm not a stickler for medication anymore, so I don't take anything for it now. I do have medication just in case I make some sudden decision that it's imperative, but I just endure it. I only cramp for the first day, so it's barable.
I agree with everyone above as far as alleviating cramps.
I don't know about bare feet making a woman have worse cramps.
I used to take medication to get rid of cramps, but I'm not a stickler for medication anymore, so I don't take anything for it now. I do have medication just in case I make some sudden decision that it's imperative, but I just endure it. I only cramp for the first day, so it's barable.
I used to have horrible cramps in both my lower back and lower abdomen. I bought two heating pads and had to lie on my back with the one under me and the other on my abdomen.
Hot drinks, whether herbal or green teas or hot chocolate also can help.
This last period iddn't hurt nearly as bad, so I think i'm adjusted to the medication now. I'm on this for three more months, then we'll see what happens.
Well, my periods used to be so bad with the bleeding my mom said it looked like someone got murdered. My problem was that I never knew when I got it because there were no signs and I was very irregular, 3 days or two weeks straight. I never got the cramps until a bouple of days in.
Anyway, I found varying between ice or heat can help, laying on my stomach, and I've never heard of chocolate helping anything except a sweetooth. Some people take tylinall or midol for the pain.
If yours are really bad talk to your doctor about going on a shot called Depo-Provera. This is sort of like birth control, but you get this shot from your doctor every 3 months and that's it. It stops your period alltogether, though some people have slight spotting once in a while. If the doctor says it's safe to get pregnant, just go off the shots and things will resume as before.
Also if you bleed a lot, you might want to have the doctor monitor your iron and hemoglobin as that can become low and there are over-the-counter pills for that or shots you can get every 2 weeks. The pills are cheap, about U.S. $3 to $4 for a large bottle, but be warned that it might turn your poop redish and don't take them on an empty stomach.
Good luck!