I'm missing work today because of my crippling menstrual cramps. Does anyone have any remedies they can suggest? Has anyone had horrible cramps that theyve managed to cure through diet or something? Because this has been going on for years. Some people say exercise helps, but I do TONS of exercise and this still happens. I dont wanna take birth control because I get massive side effects from it and I dont like the idea of fake hormones in my body. Plus when I was taking it before I still got cramps anyways. My boss is laying the biggest passive aggressive guilt trip on me. I have a high pain threshold but cant even walk down the hallway without stabbing pains shooting through my legs and stomach. I dont understand how she thinks Im going to be able to work.
I have exactly the same problem, including the leg pain (it goes to my back too). Midol extra strength is the only medication that I've found that even slightly lessens the pain (I've been on prescription meds for it too, which help by make my stomach freak out). I've also found that the pain is slightly better when I don't use tampons. I'm not sure if it's because of the chemicals in the material, but I have noticed a small difference. Other than that, the only thing that seems to help is HEAT, and a ton of it. My heating pad is my best friend when the cramps hit. A warm bath helps a tiny bit, but not as much as the heating pad or hot water bottle. I hope you feel better!!
I second everything that aeva has said! I find that hot water bottles really help, or hot baths. It's nice to be able to lay back and soak in it for a little while. I usually make the water as hot as I can stand it lol.
Pretty much everything previously stated by others but Bananas also help. I know it sounds weird but it works.
There are usually three treatments that we recommend- The simplest is bed rest, heating pads and over-the-counter drugs like Midol and ibuprofen/naproxen (Midol extra strength contains naproxen). The second option is to try a prescription-strength anti-inflammatory drug. Your doctor would prescribe this for you. The third option is birth control pills (BCP). You mentioned that you didn't want to go this route but you should at least talk with your doctor about it. Many people don't realize that BCP comes in different formulas and sometimes a low dose BCP is just enough to lessen the symptoms. The hormones in the pill are the same hormones that your body normally produces and for women whose hormone levels are irregular (which can cause both irregular periods and problems with menstruation), the pills help stabilize hormone levels. The thing that sticks out about your post is that this has gone on for some time. Have you talked to your doctor recently about the problem? There are some conditions that can cause worsening menstrual cramps and your doctor may want to run some tests to ensure that the cramps aren't a symptom of another problem like hormone imbalance or endometriosis.
I have also heard that there are certain foods you could try eating or a certain diet you could try to help with the cramps as well. I can't remember what foods it was that are great to incorporate into your diet but you could try googling it or asking your doctor about it. I really hope that you can find something that helps!
I've found that yoga helps. And heat. Lots and lots of heat. And for some reason (maybe it's just me) the more I can stretch out, the better I feel. All I want to do is curl up in a ball, but if I can get stretched out, things seem to relax a bit more.
I work in healthcare, and if you're bleeding a lot, you may have ovarian cysts and/or polyps. The pain can be caused by the blood clotting and not flowing out regularly. If you have symptoms of severe or irregular bleeding, a doctor will do an ultrasound of your pelvic region to determine the problem. Also a biopsy is done if they find anything unusual. Good luck.
