How do you deal with your cramps?

Contributor: CoffeeCup CoffeeCup
Menstrual cramps. Some women have them worse than others. Personlly, I suffer from dysmenorrhea. (excessively bad menstrual pain)Hormonal contraceptives reduce the severity greatly, but every once in awhile, I still get cramps bad enough to cause an inconvenience.

How do you deal with your cramps?
Answers (private voting - your screen name will NOT appear in the results):
over the counter pain relievers
68
hot water bottle or heating pad
41
prescription pain reliever
8
grin and bare it
33
light exercise
15
other - I will tell you about it in the comments
21
Total votes: 186 (90 voters)
Poll is closed
06/13/2012
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Contributor: mistressg mistressg
I know your pain. Since getting on the pill, my cramps have been a lot more tolerable, some months I don't really get them at all. Before, I would get them to the point of blacking out and/or vomiting. Nobody believed me until they'd see it and they would wonder how the hell I lived like that. Thank god for the pill. Now, when I get cramps, I take pamprin (it doesn't have caffeine like other menstrual pain relievers, which always makes it worse for me). Sex can help, orgasms help, it gets the muscles contracting and is an all-natural fun way to alleviate the pain quite a bit. Sometimes heat packs (or a hot water bottle, or even a warmed up laptop) is helpful. Usually for me, it is in my abdomen and lower back, and a lower back massage can also help me quite a bit.
06/13/2012
Contributor: Rossie Rossie
Ever since I've started taking Damiana leaves (capsules), my cramps have lessen greatly, I only take Advil for my headaches on those worse days.
06/13/2012
Contributor: woodsdragon woodsdragon
I am on birth-control (pill form) and have noticed a change. Some months the cramps are worse than others. I am a big fan of Midol. They make a 12 hour version and I live by it when I am on my period.
06/13/2012
Contributor: shySEXXaddict shySEXXaddict
Quote:
Originally posted by CoffeeCup
Menstrual cramps. Some women have them worse than others. Personlly, I suffer from dysmenorrhea. (excessively bad menstrual pain)Hormonal contraceptives reduce the severity greatly, but every once in awhile, I still get cramps bad enough to cause an ... more
O I hear ya! For some reason with in the last year my cramps have gotten terrible some months. I actually had to call into work one time because of it..I never do that! I usually take tylenol or something but that time I actually had to take a pain pill.I dont ever take them but have them for my back but that month...I had to give in.
06/13/2012
Contributor: unfulfilled unfulfilled
I don't get cramps, but when I was younger and got them I'd take Midol or exercise that always made me feel better.
06/13/2012
Contributor: Ansley Ansley
I'm a grin and bear it kind of girl. OTC pain meds make my next period worse. It's a vicious cycle.
06/13/2012
Contributor: sexxxkitten sexxxkitten
I like to use a homemade heating pad.
06/13/2012
Contributor: CoffeeCup CoffeeCup
Quote:
Originally posted by mistressg
I know your pain. Since getting on the pill, my cramps have been a lot more tolerable, some months I don't really get them at all. Before, I would get them to the point of blacking out and/or vomiting. Nobody believed me until they'd see it ... more
Yeah, that is exactly how bad mine used to be. I remember thinking a hysterectomy with no anesthesia could not possibly be more painful.
06/13/2012
Contributor: kitty1949 kitty1949
ibuprofen and heating pad all the way.
06/14/2012
Contributor: sexystuffeve sexystuffeve
Quote:
Originally posted by CoffeeCup
Menstrual cramps. Some women have them worse than others. Personlly, I suffer from dysmenorrhea. (excessively bad menstrual pain)Hormonal contraceptives reduce the severity greatly, but every once in awhile, I still get cramps bad enough to cause an ... more
Sometimes it is WAY worse then others. But usually I just grin and bare it.... while thinking about sex and the relief it will bring me when I get the chance to have it.
06/14/2012
Contributor: sexystuffeve sexystuffeve
Quote:
Originally posted by mistressg
I know your pain. Since getting on the pill, my cramps have been a lot more tolerable, some months I don't really get them at all. Before, I would get them to the point of blacking out and/or vomiting. Nobody believed me until they'd see it ... more
Haha, the laptop thing I have done(setting it on lower stomach) but that isn't that great for the computer.

Looks like you have lots of ways of dealing with periods.
06/14/2012
Contributor: Kitten has left the site Kitten has left the site
I take pills and put a hot rice sock on my back, or I got for a walk. But tehre are some times where I can stand it, not very often.
06/14/2012
Contributor: Airen Wolf Airen Wolf
Quote:
Originally posted by CoffeeCup
Menstrual cramps. Some women have them worse than others. Personlly, I suffer from dysmenorrhea. (excessively bad menstrual pain)Hormonal contraceptives reduce the severity greatly, but every once in awhile, I still get cramps bad enough to cause an ... more
I groan a bit, stomp around, swill Pamprin, use a heating pad and yell at the guys. They deserve it never having to go through cramps...and childbirth...

Seriously, I tend to take the drugs and just take it easy. My guys are very supportive and generally it only lasts a day or so.
06/14/2012
Contributor: indiglo indiglo
Fortunately for me, continuous hormones have helped a LOT with my cramping. When I do get some cramping still, I use a variety of things to help: OTC pain meds, prescription pain meds, a heat pack, and if I can do it a little light exercise or sex. Mine tend to get kind of "burny" feeling too, so I'd add in some Pepcid or something similar for that aspect too.

It sure isn't any fun, is it?
06/14/2012
Contributor: K101 K101
Quote:
Originally posted by CoffeeCup
Menstrual cramps. Some women have them worse than others. Personlly, I suffer from dysmenorrhea. (excessively bad menstrual pain)Hormonal contraceptives reduce the severity greatly, but every once in awhile, I still get cramps bad enough to cause an ... more
I have suffered from endometriosis, which come with a friend--IBS since my early teen years. Talk about embarrassing! Since my teens, I've always been totally down, out and stuck in bed for about 2 weeks out of each month. Sometimes a few days less, sometimes a few days more. It got so bad that I couldn't have a life, got extremely ill, ended up 70 pounds and in the hospital! That about killed me. It got to where the problems were nearly constant rather than just during my period.

I had surgery with relief for only one week, went back and my OB/GYN prescribed darn pain killers and anti-spasm/anti-anxiet y meds as well as a medication that stops my menstrual cycle and helps slow the endometrial tissue growth. That all helped some, but the meds made me high. Even a year later, I cannot take any more than one pill a day and still get high and zombie-like. The dose I was prescribed was FOUR A DAY! I never was able to do that. I didn't like being on meds everyday. I finally got desperate and tried Virgin Coconut oil. It helped, but I also had herxheimer a lot when taking it. It'd help my menstrual mess a lot, but the herxheimer made me so sick that I couldn't bring myself to take it. I finally started stuffing it inside capsules and taking it because I was getting really sick again. That was helpful, but I finally found something better--Aloe Vera. I began taking it in pill form, which means paying $30 if I wanted actual Aloe rather than watered down crap. About 2 months ago I gave up and started growing my own aloe--$9 for one plant and I now have a HUGE plant, plus baby sprouts. That's much cheaper. Now I prepare the aloe and since I have little extra time and no time for preparing a meal to put the aloe in, I stick the cut up chunks on my tongue, follow with Dr.Pepper--just like a pill.

Aloe has been a life saver for me. I still have endo. I completely stopped taking my crazy zombie meds and haven't even went back to see my OB/GYN in a year! I still do get the injection to slow the process and that combined with OTC stuff, occasionally pain killers and the aloe, I'm like a new person! I rarely suffer to the point of staying out of work or not having my life. I have some bad moments during my menstrual cycle and still have extreme headaches, agitation, and the rest of the PMS sypmtoms, but I'm not in so much pain that I am confined to the bed. I adore my aloe!

With endo, cramps are severe. Each time my period hit--and often when I wasn't even near my period--I'd be doubled over with cramps so severe I couldn't breathe! If I even do get the cramps now, they're pretty moderate or only last for a short few minutes. Aloe is great for problems like this as well as hundreds of others. I'd really recommend trying it. However, never start with large doses. I take pretty small doses, and especially when I'm using straight from the plant since it's so potent. Taking too much can actually cause MORE cramps! It only happened to me once when taking the pills at way to high a dose. I've never gotten cramps while taking it right from the plant.
06/14/2012
Contributor: P'Gell P'Gell
Aleve works well for me, and a heating pad or a large rice sock. I'll take a Vicodin if it gets really bad, but I need the Aleve, too, so I get really goofy. But, those cramps that take your breath away, like Kendra was talking about, are awful. I remember being doubled over in the bed, just moaning. I spent years, doing this, plus migraines for at least 10 days a month. Damn difficult when you want to do ANYTHING else. I finally consented to endoscopic surgery about 14 years ago.

Before I had endometriosis surgery, even Aleve didn't work, and I have to take Vicodin for my migraines, so we had to do something so I wasn't on pain pills all the time. The surgery plus meds to stop my periods for about 2 years helped. Then I got pregnant again, and it seemed to help some. I went 2 years again with no periods with the pregnancy and then nursing. I usually go about a year without a period after I have a baby, even when I nurse longer than a year. Those period free years were good. That first period free year while I was nursing my 3rd baby was so good even my Fibromyalgia wasn't acting up much. Not so good when I was period free from the Depo Provera, though. It sucked.

Ibuprofen doesn't do much for my cramps, but 2 Aleve will help for about 8 hours. Then I need an other dose.

An orgasm helps, too.

I'm sure Fibromyalgia, endometriosis, migraines and IBS are all connected. Maybe a lack of natural endorphins, maybe a huge body-wide inflammatory response, maybe an autoimmune thing, maybe something else. But, in some women (like me and obviously Kendra, too) they are all connected.
06/14/2012
Contributor: digit88 digit88
Quote:
Originally posted by CoffeeCup
Menstrual cramps. Some women have them worse than others. Personlly, I suffer from dysmenorrhea. (excessively bad menstrual pain)Hormonal contraceptives reduce the severity greatly, but every once in awhile, I still get cramps bad enough to cause an ... more
just stay off the part that got cramped
06/14/2012
Contributor: WhoopieDoo WhoopieDoo
I masturbate It always helps me with my cramps.
06/14/2012
Contributor: pootpootpoot pootpootpoot
My cramps usually last for less than a day, but are extremely intense. When my time is coming, I deprive myself of sleep and try to just sleep through them. It's rough, but usually I can pull it off.
06/14/2012
Contributor: tigertiger tigertiger
Quote:
Originally posted by CoffeeCup
Menstrual cramps. Some women have them worse than others. Personlly, I suffer from dysmenorrhea. (excessively bad menstrual pain)Hormonal contraceptives reduce the severity greatly, but every once in awhile, I still get cramps bad enough to cause an ... more
midol and self-pity, mostly. having an orgasm can help a lot, too
06/16/2012
Contributor: gloomybear gloomybear
i try to grin and bear it but when i start groaning and rolling over every 5 seconds in bed my bf grabs the advil
06/19/2012
Contributor: bayosgirl bayosgirl
Ibuprofen and heating pad, but sometimes they don't help. At that point I wish I were a doctor so I could write myself a script for a narcotic (tried, the dr. refused.)
06/19/2012
Contributor: G&L G&L
I usually try to just deal, but occasionally I take an aleve which helps a lot.
06/30/2012
Contributor: Zakkie Zakkie
I don't get them much lately (maybe cause I exercise more? idk), but when I do, I've found eating a banana and laying on my heated massage pad works wonders.
09/21/2012
Contributor: Damaya Damaya
Quote:
Originally posted by mistressg
I know your pain. Since getting on the pill, my cramps have been a lot more tolerable, some months I don't really get them at all. Before, I would get them to the point of blacking out and/or vomiting. Nobody believed me until they'd see it ... more
My doctor didn't believe me until one incident where I threw up at the hospital.

The only ways I've found to deal with the pain is to either take pain med around the time I expect the period (hoping to make a preemptive strike) or to get to an isolated place and masturbate until I can fall asleep if it's already hit. I've often had to leave work because of dysmenorrhea, but after being on the pill (and quitting use before moving abroad) the insane pain now only occurs every other month.

As a side note, if you are ever traveling by bullet train in Japan and experience dysmenorrhea or any other sickness, they have a special private room that you can use if you talk to the crew. It's a really nice amenity! [I had to use it once x_x]
09/21/2012
Contributor: Geogeo Geogeo
Quote:
Originally posted by CoffeeCup
Menstrual cramps. Some women have them worse than others. Personlly, I suffer from dysmenorrhea. (excessively bad menstrual pain)Hormonal contraceptives reduce the severity greatly, but every once in awhile, I still get cramps bad enough to cause an ... more
I dont get cramps thankfully
09/21/2012
Contributor: Vanille Vanille
I only have cramps and discomfort the first day of my period. I find masturbating helps loads and even makes my cycle shorter.
09/21/2012
Contributor: panthercat23 panthercat23
Advil works well for me.
09/21/2012
Contributor: yummyos yummyos
I usually take some over-the-counter medication like tylenol a few hours before the cramps get too bad, I drink A LOT of water, and try to go for walks.
09/22/2012