AF cramps starting with exercise?

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Francl27
Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Second time in 2 days that I'm fine, then I workout, and 20 minutes in, I get horrible AF cramps (it is due soonish, I suppose).

Wth? I thought exercise was supposed to help with pain, endorphins and all, not cause it?
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  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    Bump because it just happened again... like every single month. I think 15 minutes is the magic number.
  • queenliz99
    queenliz99 Posts: 15,317 Member
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    What are AF cramps? Sorry if this a silly question :#
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    PMS cramps, TOM cramps, the woman uterus kind lol.
  • PeachyCarol
    PeachyCarol Posts: 8,029 Member
    edited February 2015
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    Well, I'm past the age of AF happening, but exercise exacerbates my chronic migraines and has been giving me fits the past three months. I had previously had them under control somewhat and would exercise just fine, even if I had a mild migraine. Now? If I try to work out and have one of those simmering just beneath the surface headaches? Forget it. It will turn into a full-blown need the rescue injections deal.

    I recently went through an intervention protocol to stop this nonsense and it had no effect. I'm at a loss with the whole thing, to be honest.

    As for you, OP, could you be perimenopausal? All sorts of interesting things start to happen around that time of the month when it gets to that certain time of life.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    Well I don't think so, I'm 36, and nobody in my family had menopause before 50. I just notice it now I guess because I didn't use to exercise before, lol.
  • queenliz99
    queenliz99 Posts: 15,317 Member
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    Have you had a check up lately with GYNO?
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    queenliz99 wrote: »
    Have you had a check up lately with GYNO?

    Yes a year ago or so.
  • PeachyCarol
    PeachyCarol Posts: 8,029 Member
    edited February 2015
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    Francl27 wrote: »
    Well I don't think so, I'm 36, and nobody in my family had menopause before 50. I just notice it now I guess because I didn't use to exercise before, lol.

    Peri can start waaaaaaaaaaaaaay before actual menopause. We had trouble conceiving, so I had lots of bloodwork done. I was diagnosed perimenopausal at 30!!! I still have to get to May before I can say I'm officially menopausal, and I'm 52. That's 22 years that I've been messing with hot flashes and my periods being weird. Granted that I'm outside of the norm, but there ya go! (BTW, I had 2 kids during that time.)

  • Wiseandcurious
    Wiseandcurious Posts: 730 Member
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    Forgive me for saying this outright, and if it is a rude word in the English language I will edit it, but why is it that people never say e.g. "menses" or "menstruation" here?! In my country (of origin) hardly anyone uses euphemisms for that! It gives me a horrible impression that women are somehow considered dirty every time I see a new one. It's a big pet peeve but if someone can explain the linguistic/cultural reasoning may be I can make peace with it? Not a native speaker obviously. Thank you!
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    edited February 2015
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    mamapeach910 wrote: »
    Francl27 wrote: »
    Well I don't think so, I'm 36, and nobody in my family had menopause before 50. I just notice it now I guess because I didn't use to exercise before, lol.

    Peri can start waaaaaaaaaaaaaay before actual menopause. We had trouble conceiving, so I had lots of bloodwork done. I was diagnosed perimenopausal at 30!!! I still have to get to May before I can say I'm officially menopausal, and I'm 52. That's 22 years that I've been messing with hot flashes and my periods being weird. Granted that I'm outside of the norm, but there ya go! (BTW, I had 2 kids during that time.)

    All my GYN said is that it's normal to have 10 periods a year, although I'm back to 12 now.

    I guess I'll mention that to my doctor too next time I have a check up... my PMS has been insane lately too.

    I don't have a GYN anymore since my insurance dropped her (that's two in 3 years, I'm getting sick of it and it's a pain to find one!).

    Out of curiosity, is there any way to fix it? I wouldn't mind, lol, but I also don't react well at all to any kind of hormonal treatment.

    ETA: I did a google search and I have most of the symptoms. Hurray. You might be on to something.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    Wiseandcurious wrote: »
    Forgive me for saying this outright, and if it is a rude word in the English language I will edit it, but why is it that people never say e.g. "menses" or "menstruation" here?! In my country (of origin) hardly anyone uses euphemisms for that! It gives me a horrible impression that women are somehow considered dirty every time I see a new one. It's a big pet peeve but if someone can explain the linguistic/cultural reasoning may be I can make peace with it? Not a native speaker obviously. Thank you!

    I don't know. I'm not a native American either. I just picked up on the words others have been using I guess (and apparently 'AF' isn't 'in' anymore either, lol).
  • fatcity66
    fatcity66 Posts: 1,544 Member
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    What does AF stand for, though?
  • queenliz99
    queenliz99 Posts: 15,317 Member
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    Weird things start to happen as we get older, I would get a check up if I were you. Peri-menopause can happen at your age.
  • PeachyCarol
    PeachyCarol Posts: 8,029 Member
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    Wiseandcurious wrote: »
    Forgive me for saying this outright, and if it is a rude word in the English language I will edit it, but why is it that people never say e.g. "menses" or "menstruation" here?! In my country (of origin) hardly anyone uses euphemisms for that! It gives me a horrible impression that women are somehow considered dirty every time I see a new one. It's a big pet peeve but if someone can explain the linguistic/cultural reasoning may be I can make peace with it? Not a native speaker obviously. Thank you!

    Menses and Menstruation aren't really used colloquially in English. Most women call it their period.

  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    mamapeach910 wrote: »
    Wiseandcurious wrote: »
    Forgive me for saying this outright, and if it is a rude word in the English language I will edit it, but why is it that people never say e.g. "menses" or "menstruation" here?! In my country (of origin) hardly anyone uses euphemisms for that! It gives me a horrible impression that women are somehow considered dirty every time I see a new one. It's a big pet peeve but if someone can explain the linguistic/cultural reasoning may be I can make peace with it? Not a native speaker obviously. Thank you!

    Menses and Menstruation aren't really used colloquially in English. Most women call it their period.

    On MFP Tom gets the blame for EVERYTHING!
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    fatcity66 wrote: »
    What does AF stand for, though?

    Aunt Flo. It's how everyone called it 10 years ago when I was reading infertility forums, lol. But I guess nobody uses that anymore!
  • queenliz99
    queenliz99 Posts: 15,317 Member
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    Francl27 wrote: »
    fatcity66 wrote: »
    What does AF stand for, though?

    Aunt Flo. It's how everyone called it 10 years ago when I was reading infertility forums, lol. But I guess nobody uses that anymore!

    LOL
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
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    Francl27 wrote: »
    Wiseandcurious wrote: »
    Forgive me for saying this outright, and if it is a rude word in the English language I will edit it, but why is it that people never say e.g. "menses" or "menstruation" here?! In my country (of origin) hardly anyone uses euphemisms for that! It gives me a horrible impression that women are somehow considered dirty every time I see a new one. It's a big pet peeve but if someone can explain the linguistic/cultural reasoning may be I can make peace with it? Not a native speaker obviously. Thank you!

    I don't know. I'm not a native American either. I just picked up on the words others have been using I guess (and apparently 'AF' isn't 'in' anymore either, lol).

    I am guessing AF means "Aunt Flo" but that was never used in my age group. We always just called it our periods. Menses and menstruation just sound so scientific so nobody used them except in health class. I am a 58 year old American, and I never heard many of the euphemisms people seem to have grown up with. I think they are more of a family thing than a cultural thing across the board.

    Also, I started getting my first perimenopause symptoms in my mid to late 30's and didn't actually hit full menopause until 52. I was so looking forward to menopause that I was really disappointed that it took so long and celebrated when it happened! Now I am in that perfect window of time where I am too old to need sanitary protection but too young to need incontinence protection. That is one aisle of the store I never go down!

  • MLNelson01
    MLNelson01 Posts: 1 Member
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    Franc127, I have always gotten cramps from vigorous exercise just before and the first day of my period. I thought it was normal, but from the responses you are getting it must be rarer than I thought. My mother and sister are the same as me. You asked what helped - and for me, nothing helped once the cramps started, but if I knew to expect them I could take 2 ibuprofen before exercise and avoid getting them. Whatever your medicine of choice is for cramps taken before the workout might help, if you use ny medicine - I realize not everyone does. That's been my experience.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    I wasn't cramping this morning so I didn't think to take Ibuprofen beforehand... I just try to avoid it when I'm feeling good. We'll see next time.

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