How to reduce or prevent menstrual pain?

I sometimes get terrible cramps within the first few days of my period. I usually just pop 2 Advil and wait it out, but I prefer not to take medication (damage to liver, stomach lining and whatnot), so I wait until my pain passes the 'threshold' and I know for sure that it will become incapacitating before I take any medication. Unfortunately, Advil usually takes 40 min to kick in and the pain becomes incapacitating only 15 min after I take the medication. Up until recently, I've been okay waiting for the meds to kick in, but for the past 2 months, the pain's been really, really bad and it's started to make me nauseous. I can bear it for about 15 min before I have to make a mad dash for the nearest bathroom to throw up. I usually feel okay about 10 min after I've thrown up, but throwing up is not pleasant.

Any quick remedies that will relieve the pain so I will not throw up?

I don't drink caffeine at all. Heat packs don't seem to work that well for me. Neither do those Asian warming oils. Curling up into a ball seems to do the trick, but I can't exactly curl up into a ball on the floor of my classroom or workplace.

warm water in a bottle on your tummy.
alcohool (a cancer gf told me this because it expands the blood vessels and it doesn't hurt as much)
stay away from caffeine or any exciting substances
chamomille tea or tea in general

I can barely move the first day, it hurts me that bad. Can't get out of bed.

Advil doesn't work for me.

The only pill that worked is solpadeine but I don't know if you have that there. It's efervescent, you put it in a glass of water and pain gone in close to no time.

I try to stay as far away from pills as possible.

If heat doesn't help, I'd look to diet and some moves..http://www.active.com/yoga/articles/4-yoga-poses-to-ease-menstrual-cramps

Heat usually works for me but I could imagine these yoga poses helping as well. As for diet, I was reading that the cramps are caused by a deficiency in calcium. I am not sure about that, but I know I was feeling like crap earlier until I ate some cooked spinach for dinner. (I'm on my monthly as well.) My point is that maybe,if you don't already; could incorporate more greens in your diet, whether raw or lightly cooked. Or maybe just eat lighter than you would usually.

I do sit ups and core exercises a week before my PMS starts. This makes the cramps bearable and balances my mood. Stay away from caffeine and sweets too. If it hurts, do hot compress.

let me tell you how i do mine.. i just cry it out.. let it go.

Posted by SatoriFierce
I've had debilitating menstrual cramps since I was 13. Now I am learning how to manage it through herbal supplements and diet and exercise, and I don't have bad cramps at all anymore.

+1 (as long as I do the following:

Overall, watching what I eat, but also exactly 7 days prior to my expected cycle I will refrain from any process food or anything containing sugar, drink herbal tea every morning and juice fresh fruit and vegetables every morning (which I do anyway for my skin, but I use a special cocktail for cramps during this time).

Unfortunately, I am allergic to a lot of the compounds found in pain killers, so I had to learn to manage it in different ways.

If you know it's inevitable, just take it as soon as you get ur period, so it'll be in effect while the cramps would have tried to exist.

Is there a way to quote multiple posts?

Posted by SatoriFierce
I've had debilitating menstrual cramps since I was 13. After having a pelvic ultrasound I was finally diagnosed with PCOS at age 26. Now I am learning how to manage it through herbal supplements and diet and exercise, and I don't have bad cramps at all anymore. Have you been to your doctor about it?

But for dealing with the cramps, after years of trial and error, I discovered that taking two aleve, smoking a bowl (this helps with the nausea too) and getting in the shower and letting the pressure of the hot water massage my lower back numbed the pain in no time.

But as you said, you can't really do this in the classroom or workplace lol. I would definitely see a doctor about it, hon. It shouldn't interfere with your life that bad.

I went to the doc's and had a pap done. They couldn't find anything wrong, so they suggested I get on birth control pills. But because I've had some horrible experiences with the pill in the past, I'm trying to keep it as a last resort. There are days when I'll experience every annoying symptom under the sun (cold sweats, hot flashes, lower back pain, you name it). I just hope this isn't an indication of how my future pregnancy is going to be. I imagine it'll be 10x worse.

One of my friends also suggested doing work outs. She said it helps lighten the flow and reduces its duration. I'm going to try this, as well as the other suggestions. Thanks for the helpful feedback, ladies!

i've def learned over the years to refrain from sugar and coffee beforehand and at the start.

there have been a few times though where mine started early, catching me right after i'd downed a latte??_ OUCH! 😢 I was on a long drive one of those times and had to pull over and pass out for a couple hours.

I will look into it, thank you! I do think that adapting a healthier diet and allowing your body to naturally regulate itself is a better alternative to any kind of pills. In my case, especially.

i dont like to minimize my pain. for some reason, i like to feel the pain. makes me feel alive.

I need to look into this stuff because I get cramps alot!!!!

Posted by DMV
i dont like to minimize my pain. for some reason, i like to feel the pain. makes me feel alive.

Sometimes I go through this!! It helps to remind me that my eggs are functioning well so I can soon have my babies! 🙂

But when im sleep, the pain keeps me awake!

Calcium. Take the supplements a few days before your cycle starts and you will feel little to no pain.

Here's a link to an article I found. Some of these were mentioned. Some particularly the first are a bit unusual, but not entirely unheard of. But maybe one of these will work?

http://www.organicauthority.com/health/natural-menstrual-cramp-relief.html

After noticing a great difference in my cramps after starting ti eat more greens and drink herbal teas, I suggested the same to my friend. I have never been that good about taking pills for whatever reason, so teas work best for me. I go to the store and purchase dried nettles, alfalfa, raspberry leaf, chamomile, horsetail, and lavender, and blend them into a tea. My friend said just by her eating more greens and salads, she noticed relief in her cramps.

Advil's the only thing that works for me. On my first two days, I cramp badly so I take 12-14 advils per day on those days (2 advils every 2-3 hours, 'round the clock. Without Advil, my cramps don't come in waves - they're literally nonstop for 48 hours).

Cayenne pepper. I took it years ago for the same reason and it complete transformed my cycle, regularised it, made it shorter and no pain whatsoever. I stopped when I became pregnant and didn't continue after birth as I had normal and pain free periods from then on. I started taking it again last month as my period changed and i suffered a lot of flooding. I took enough to stop that period altogether as I was sick of the heaviness of it. And then reduced to 1 capsule per day two weeks ago and had a normal period this time around.

Cayenne pepper has huge benefits all round - google it and see how good it is for you. An added benefit I have found is a huge increase in libido 🙂.

Herbal tea during pms and day one. I suggest sage and chamomile
Warm water bottle
comfy bed
warm clothes
massage warm olive oil onto your tummy
stay away from dairy

As for pills i used to take ibuprofen or pons tan. Panadol is for babies.