What do you ladies do for horrible Aunt flow visits?

puggleperson

I suffer from horrible periods!

Starts off with the PMS where I get extremely irritable. For example, putting on clothes alone is almost unbearable.. It bugs my skin and I’m almost too lethargic to do so. I get seriously bloated and I lose allll motivation to eat right and move.

I think the hardest part for me is the lethargy that I get.. It's hard for me to even go to work and if it falls on a weekend forget about it..Sweats all day.

and then of course the HORRIBLE CRAMPS and LOWER back pain I get month in and month out.

Anyways you get the point MY QUESTION IS, How do you battle this? Do you take any special supplements? Anything for energy? Mood lifters? I'm willing to try anything!!!!!!!!!


I would really like to stay on track too but I am more worried about just having the energy and mood to get up in the a.m...

Thanks in advance

maddymama

You may want to consider getting on a birth control pill. You sound like me when I'm not on a pill.... I'm much better on them. Besides that, I have found that using a Diva Cup and cloth pads also decreases my cramping (and flow, TMI)... versus disposable pads and tampons. Yuck.... wouldn't go back to those ever.

Sheriemae

Do you take any type of birth control? I just started taking Loestrin24Fe a few months ago and it's helped a lot.

GuruOnAMountain

Definately agree with the two people above, the birth control pill is a saviour! I had terrible periods, too, and used to be unable to leave bed some days because I was in so much pain and was very reluctant to go on the pill because I was worried about weight gain.

I tried everything else instead.....evening primrose oil, various different painkiller, hot water bottles, hot drinks, curling up in bed with a book and trying to distract myself from the pain. Eventually I went to the docs and got prescribed a prescription anti-inflammatory called Mefenamic Acid which helped a little at first but is associated with stomach ulcers and after I'd been on it a few years it became less effective and I was also getting stomach pains taking it, so went to the docs again to ask if there was anything else he could suggest and he suggested the pill.

I haven't looked back! My periods are lighter and a lot less painful. I used to have to take painkillers non stop all through my period (usually used to take ibuprofen, then 2 hours later paracetamol, 2 hours later ibuprofen) etc. and would still be in pain. Now, I rarely need to take any painkillers and don't have to be so worried about having a super heavy period that gets in the way of life.

NGMama

Willing to try anything?? Try going vegan for a month. According to traditional Chinese medicine all of those symptoms are liver stagnation signs. I used to be doubled over in pain and sick as a dog every cycle (including brutal migraines). Adopted a vegan lifestyle for other reasons and lo and behold.....aunt flo is a breeze now. Not a cramp or headache to be had. Good luck!

MzBug

After trying nearly every pain med, anxiety med and some anti depressants, I talked the doc into trying a mild muscle relaxer. It took away the cramps and the low back spasms, then I could take motrin for the headache. After the pain was gone I could deal with people and my moods better. A good B complex and D daily seem to help with the PMS. Due to family and personal medical history I can't take hormones of any kind.

Good Luck!

BrittanyErin1217

I agree that a birth control pill is a good idea to help with the heavy flow and PMS. I take a multivitamin and that seems to help my energy. B12 is a good energy boosting vitamin as well. I also take iron and it helps as well because fatigue is a symptom of anemia.
I'd talk to your doctor and see what they can recommend for you as they know you and your medical history.
Britt

annacataldo

Willing to try anything?? Try going vegan for a month. According to traditional Chinese medicine all of those symptoms are liver stagnation signs. I used to be doubled over in pain and sick as a dog every cycle (including brutal migraines). Adopted a vegan lifestyle for other reasons and lo and behold.....aunt flo is a breeze now. Not a cramp or headache to be had. Good luck!

Sucks to be all of u guys that have such trouble (my only symptom is a little emotional right before), but the above comment really intrigues me. I've heard gluten free diets remove food cravings and such but never heard of these types of effects from vegan living. What r we doing to our bodies with all these foriegn chemicals and processed foods? Theres research that shows certain food coloring can cause eratic behavior, and gluten has similiar affects, etc. Ok, completely the wrong forum post to start this kind of talk, but the comment just surprized me

shakybabe

I used to get them bad like that but they have gone much lighter; I don't know if its age (I'm 42), diet and exercise or if my fibroids have shrunk from losing weight as my bladder problems have eased up too (my doctor suspected one was pressing against bladder when I was overweight)

This week I've exercised every day through 'PMT week' and I haven't had the fatigue, the emotional.. finding myself in tears and not knowing why... the cramps have just started to kick in this morning so they just starting for me.. water weight is high but I'm expecting to be back down to 10st 7by Tuesday and hopefully a few more pounds besides! I rest for couple of days once they have started then re-start (exercising) about day 4 when they are much lighter and nearly over.

lthomas42

If you are on a birthcontrol, switch to a new one. If you're not on a birthcontrol, get on one. I was on Alesse for years and it made my periods a breeze. No cramps, no emotional issues, nothing. It was awesome. I switched to Diane-35 to help with acne, and my period wasn't as breezey, but still easy.

I tried nuvaring for a few months when my life was erratic and I was forgetting my pill. It was a disaster. Two week long periods, horrible cramps, emotional distress. Awful.

Now I'm on Minera and I love it, but I wouldn't recommend it for cramping. IUDs can make it worse.

mznisaelaine

I drink tons more water, eat better, and workout even harder during those days... I don't want to feel the "effects" of it so instead of being moody, lazy, dont fell I can be productive during those days, I completely break that and get more active etc. Thats how I deal with it.

servilia

Regarding the lethargy - you might want to look into an iron supplement and take a good multivitamin,
Luckily I don't have cramps or PMS (don't hate me!) so can't help you much there but I'd be wary of going on birth control just for the symptoms. If the cramps are that bad you might want to get checked out for endometriosis.

pandabear_

I take mefenamic acid prescribed by the doctor.

I used to skip school and almost faint, regularly throw up, just from the pain of cramps every month. I didn't want to go on birth control because of the whole gain weight, horrible skin thing. So mefenamic acid was a non-birth control solution that actually works. I never get awful cramps anymore.

They shouldn't ruin your life, see a doctor if it's really bothering you!

SooZ1138

I know that a lot of people are pushing the birth control idea, but I guess maybe it's the holistic side of me that is screaming "no!!!". I went off birth control because the chances of breast cancer go up pretty substantially, plus, you are putting artificial hormones that your body has a really hard recognizing them and shuts down making it's own. It took my body almost a year to get back on track once I stopping taking BC, and it was not a fun experience at ALL. Study up on the hazards of BC, even my gyno says that BC has the most risk than any other form. For PMS, I would recommend trying a natural progesterone cream for about 3 months. Don't use a lot, but just a little to help ease the symptoms you are talking about. PMS is NOT normal. It is caused by a hormonal balance that is caused by mal-nutrition, a sedentary lifestyle or unfortunately, some people are just genetically predisposed to have it. You can ease symptoms as well by supplementing with calcium (won't have immediate relief, but it started to help me after about 3 months) and I take magnesium when I have cramps. I'm not sure what your diet is like, but try eating more natural, less processed (I have a problem with this myself =\).

babykanguruh

I am on Mirena IUD, and I love it. I used to have horrible flow problems, along with terrible mood and all the rest. Now about every six weeks or so I will spot for a day or two and that is it. It's awesome! But I will say that if I weren't finished having children (I have two and we are done) then I probably wouldn't do the Mirena. Also, you do have to go through and initial phase where you are friggin spotting all the time (mine lasted 8 months and there were mood swings) but having come out on the other side, it was totally worth it. It lasts for 5-6 years, so definitely something to consider. Good luck, doll.

califigureeight

Are you sure that it's PMS and not PMDD? I have PMDD and I used to take Yasmin (which I love to death) until I developed a pulmonary embolism (that almost lead to death). What I do now, is chart my cycle and adjust my life during those days of "instability." When I feel horrible (sleepy, bloated, ugly, etc.) I remember that it's not me but my body. I also started taking pics to look back on my "normal" days to confirm that it's all in my head. I also started taking Motrin 800 2 days prior to my period being due and have had a much better cycle pain wise. HTH!

Aviendha_RJ

<sigh> So lucky. My sister got all that in the family. Maybe I just don't understand because I don't really have the mood swings, & physical discomfort... to me it's just another day, plus tampon. Life doesn't exactly change. Well, my first 2 periods, I did have some serious cramping, but it was nothing a little muscle relaxant & a heating pad didn't cure. Even to this day, I find that the only real affects I have from it are a tendency to weep at sappy moments on TV/movies a few days before I start.

My question is... can't you just take a Mydol & ignore it? Go on with your day? I'd think letting something affect you like this that happens every month would be really hard on you, and those around you. Why let it impact you so much? If the Mydol doesn't work, shouldn't you see a doctor?

serinamae97

Mine are really really bad, but last month instead of curling up in a ball in my bed for 5 days i continued to eat right and exercise and i only had cramps the first day and the rest were a breeze.

LavenderBouquet

I would agree with the posters saying to go on BC. It did WONDERS for me, I used to have severe cramping to the point I'd have to stay home from school, a VERY heavy flow for about 5 days (I'm talking switching tampons every 2-3 hours for the first few days), total of 7-10 days in total. Now, I have maybe one day of cramping and it's not bad at all, and 1 day of heavy flow, 4-5 days in total. I'm currently taking Tricyclen Lo, but talking to your doctor would help you pick one that's best for you, and it's a bit of trial and error.

In regards to this:

My question is... can't you just take a Mydol & ignore it? Go on with your day? I'd think letting something affect you like this that happens every month would be really hard on you, and those around you. Why let it impact you so much? If the Mydol doesn't work, shouldn't you see a doctor?

Mydol personally makes me pretty ill, I'm not sure what it is about it, but I get all kinds of nauseous, it's not very nice.


On a side note, I always found that drinking more water, eating more protein, and going for walks and stretching would help with the cramping. I can never seem to push my workouts like I would normally want to during that week, it's a bummer.

Aviendha_RJ

I am on Mirena IUD, and I love it. I used to have horrible flow problems, along with terrible mood and all the rest. Now about every six weeks or so I will spot for a day or two and that is it. It's awesome! But I will say that if I weren't finished having children (I have two and we are done) then I probably wouldn't do the Mirena. Also, you do have to go through and initial phase where you are friggin spotting all the time (mine lasted 8 months and there were mood swings) but having come out on the other side, it was totally worth it. It lasts for 5-6 years, so definitely something to consider. Good luck, doll.

I had one. Loved it... well... except that I hadn't had kids, so my body tried to expel it every time I had my period. THAT hurt like nothing I've ever been through. Sitting on a hospital bed in the ER watching my stomach cramp up into points wasn't fun. Apparently, I was in labour. Without a baby. It was BIG fun. And, it happened every month for the first SIX MONTHS.

Oh yeah, and be sure it doesn't slip. I had to have mine surgically removed after 14 months because it was growing into my uteran wall, & a) I could've gotten pregnant anyway, and b) I could have hemmorhaged & bled non-stop.

Be careful with these things if you haven't had babies yet!

eddyca

I agree with SooZ1138 that BCP is not the best choice for your health. The only reason I take it is so I don't get pregnant. But if you do want to go on the pill for the same reasons as me, then I recommend taking Safryal. It contains a diuretic progesterone that eleviates bloating, also it contains folate a b-vitamin. The only thing I hate about Safryal is the last week of active pills:

I get sooo tired and hungry! I'm actually about to embark on this horrible week
It actually makes my period seem pleasant because I get my energy back and my carb cravings diminish once I stop taking the active pills.

msjones2831

I think you should talk to your doctor. A lot of these are good options, but everyone is different and you may have certain conditions or risk factors for certain conditions that they may not be good options for you. You doctor should be able to help

gwensmamma06

I know that a lot of people are pushing the birth control idea, but I guess maybe it's the holistic side of me that is screaming "no!!!". I went off birth control because the chances of breast cancer go up pretty substantially, plus, you are putting artificial hormones that your body has a really hard recognizing them and shuts down making it's own. It took my body almost a year to get back on track once I stopping taking BC, and it was not a fun experience at ALL. Study up on the hazards of BC, even my gyno says that BC has the most risk than any other form. For PMS, I would recommend trying a natural progesterone cream for about 3 months. Don't use a lot, but just a little to help ease the symptoms you are talking about. PMS is NOT normal. It is caused by a hormonal balance that is caused by mal-nutrition, a sedentary lifestyle or unfortunately, some people are just genetically predisposed to have it. You can ease symptoms as well by supplementing with calcium (won't have immediate relief, but it started to help me after about 3 months) and I take magnesium when I have cramps. I'm not sure what your diet is like, but try eating more natural, less processed (I have a problem with this myself =\).

Totally agree, birth control is not the answer. There are way too many nasty side effects and risks, I am sure if you do a little research you will find that out for yourself. I would look up natural ways to relieve it, and worst case scenario you try a prescription pill.

gtwin

I feel your pain. I have horrible PMS symptoms the week before and during. Not to mention the severe cramping that always causes me to have anxiety attacks where I'm on the floor praying to God to please take my pain away. I've found the only thing to help relieve the cramping is taking 4-5 advil and hydrocdone once I start feeling the slighest cramps coming on. I've tried several birth control pills and nothing has helped. I've even had periods last a month long and the Dr's always say there is nothing wrong with me and that it's normal. Sorry, but month long periods aren't normal.

I think the older I get, the worse my cramping gets too. I dread the first three days of my period...that's when I suffer the most and going to the gym during this time, forget it. Not happening....

prettyfitchick

I use to have awful periods I could sleep the entire day had cramps from hell I even told to the Dr. about it when I had my yearly check up she said it was normal but I noticed they are much better now I really belive they changed thru just having a better diet and exercise I dont have cramps no were near as bad as use to do and after day 1 feel fine and do my normal workouts but if you dont think your period normal go to your doctor

chai_latte

Hi there!!

Mine is just around the corner and I have already started PMS symptoms...so I know exactly what you're talking about, for some of us it's a pain in the *kitten*!!

I don't know if you've tried any of this...but it has helped me over time (pain / uncomfy feelings) have gotten better.

1) pain pills are my best friend - take the pain pills BEFORE your cramps start, don't wait until it's already bad...
2) hot water bags
3) refrain from overdoing on the salty foods, it'll just cause you to bloat more
4) drink lots and lots of hot water
5) i read an article recently that taking vitamin supplements B1 and B2 help reduce PMS symptoms
6) keep yourself busy
7) if it's really THAT bad then surely make a visit to your Doc to get yourself checked out...better to be on the safe side right?
8) these couple of days are my "rest" days, although it goes against what others are saying...but I truly need to rest my body during this time and it helps me

and MOST importantly DO NOT weigh yourself until your period is OVER OVER OVER hehehee you really don't want to see a spike in your weight by 3-4 lbs and feel even worse. I made the mistake once and it was horrible and I just walked around the house all depressed....but after it's all over you pee all the water out, and you might even see a reduction in your weight!!!

sc1572

I find that exercising actually HELPS me!

MariaAlbinaxoxo

honestly, I just try not to kill anyone.

rosalee87

If you're not on BC then stay that way; BC works very different for people and for me it just ruined me - it maybe temporary but it ruined me. I had the major craps, the lack of energy, lower back pains, headaches, vomiting, etc during my monthly cycle and I started BC and yes it took some of those symptoms away but it brought on new ones like depression, fatigue, and headaches...all month long. During my monthly I actually suffered from headaches 2 days before and all throughout my cycle till like maybe 2 days after finishing and my doctor said it was withdrawal. I decided to get off BC because I didn't like the idea of messing with my hormones but now I suffer from daily headaches, neck/back tension, fatigue, nausea after eating, and I feel like I'm in a fog all day and like I'm going to pass out - I've been off BC for 2 weeks and its an everyday thing and my doctor said I can feel like this from 3mos to a year till my hormones balance out again. So think very carefully before giving in to BC - I regret it; we're all different though.

BUT, before settling for BC I used to lay in bed with a heating pad, take Advil, drink lots of water and get lots of rest; and after a nap I'd feel better and I'd get up and workout as hard and as much as I could. I also took iron supplements which my doctor recommended and it helped out a bit; multivitamins and drinking warm teas. I pretty much just had to get past the lethargic feeling; it was there but I really just pushed myself.

servilia

For any women that have HORRIBLE cramps, please don't think this is normal! And if you plan on having children please go get checked out. I know more than one woman whose "cramps" ended up being endometriosis which causes fertility problems and sometimes they end up having hysterectomies. So it could be more serious than just having pain on a monthly basis.

Itsallbs15

Part of this post my sound absolutely gross but facts are facts!! I can not take birth control and my periods used to be just as bad. I have learned over the years that ADVIL is my best friend. I know it is a blood thinner which breaks up the blood clots that cause cramps. This may make you bleed a little more but it has helped me with all my symptoms except the emotional part. It has also made my periods go from 7-9 days down to 3-5 and become almost predictable. For the back pain I am a firm believer in heating pads and the thermo pads that you can get to wear all day long.