AF cramps starting with exercise?
Francl27
Posts: 26,371 Member
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?
Wth? I thought exercise was supposed to help with pain, endorphins and all, not cause it?
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Bump because it just happened again... like every single month. I think 15 minutes is the magic number.0
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What are AF cramps? Sorry if this a silly question0
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PMS cramps, TOM cramps, the woman uterus kind lol.0
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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.0 -
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.0
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Have you had a check up lately with GYNO?0
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queenliz99 wrote: »Have you had a check up lately with GYNO?
Yes a year ago or so.0 -
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.)
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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!0
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mamapeach910 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.0 -
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).0 -
What does AF stand for, though?0
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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.0
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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.
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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!0 -
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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).
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!
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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.0
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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.0
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Had the same issue plus an early and brief visit from dear Aunt Flo a couple weeks ago that coincided with taking up bike riding. So maybe that caused it? But it's also the time my genetically cursed female relatives tend to hit perimenopause, too, so I don't know. Then there are fun fun fibroids that run in the family. So yeah, doctor visits all around. Sigh. I don't want to get decrepit yet, I just got over being fat!0
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I just take a couple of Aleve prior, if I can remember. I usually don't though and just deal with it until I get home and can take something if cramps haven't subsided. Vigorous exercise made it worse so I would advise doing moderate to low intensity for those days. I echo the advice to schedule a doctor's appt. since you're within the 1-2 yr timeframe for a check-up, anyway.
I have endometriosis. Although the pain and other symptoms have diminished quite a bit on my eating plan, it's not consistent. It's no fun feeling bad when you are trying to improve your health!0 -
I have noticed that I have been needing to wear 2 sports bras for the week before and during my period and I never usually have that problem. I am 42. I thought it was that my sports bras were getting looser as I lost weight but I am just more achey and sensitive. I have been lucky enough to not suffer from period pains since I was young. i wonder if its not just a symptom of the blood pumping harder as you exercise? I think if you actually have period pain exercise may help but it will also bring it on perhaps?0
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Maybe you have DOMS in your abs and the inflammation is making you more aware of uterine cramping? (Totally made that up ..but it sounds plausible to me )
I call them periods but TOM on here, cos I go with the flow (I got Aunt Flo from parenting forums years back too)
Perimenopause symptoms can start 10-15 years before menopause
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Are you dehydrated? The two times I've been dehydrated, the cramps felt a lot like menstrual cramps.0
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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!
In the past some people didn't think it was okay to talk about. Woman weren't supposed to have messy bodily functions and if they did it was supposed to be secret. Some people still act like women are dirty for menstruating. Some women/girls are very embarrased about it or are just using the term that is common to their peers or family group.
I use the term period. I feel weird calling it anything else.
To the op- I don't get cramping before my period from exercise. I did notice that I got much worse cramps/heavier flow during my period when I did particular exercises so I don't do those during that week.0 -
queenliz99 wrote: »What are AF cramps? Sorry if this a silly question
I've never heard of this either.Maybe you have DOMS in your abs and the inflammation is making you more aware of uterine cramping? (Totally made that up ..but it sounds plausible to me )
I call them periods but TOM on here, cos I go with the flow (I got Aunt Flo from parenting forums years back too)
Perimenopause symptoms can start 10-15 years before menopause
AND I love this explanation!0 -
Thank you Lounmoun and Mamapeach, period it is then! It does resolve one frustration for me and lets me use a term acceptable both for myself and native speakers I may be talking to, so it really does help me.
Perimenopause symptoms can start 10-15 years before menopause
This is the case in my family, grandmother in the 30s, my mother about 36-37, I am already getting the first hints of weirdness at 38. In any case one year is how often one schedules gyn. exams, no? may be it varies by country? I would check with a doctor if it bothers you.
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