Menstrual Cramps

[kitshalleen]

hi ladies,

does anyone get horrible, horrible menstrual cramps? i absolutely cannot leave the house with them and can also not tolerate birth control pills. sometimes anti-inflammatories and heat will work, but only sometimes. my doctor has given me vicodin and ultram and neither work. i don't know what to do if narcotics don't work.

any suggestions?

julie

[delphicdragon]

I used to get awful cramps. They have since eased after I have gotten older. (Not that old though- only 23) I found that motrin wouldn't ease the cramps necessarily, but it would cut down on the other symptoms. Motrin (Ibprofen) is a prostoglandin inhibitor as well as an anti-inflammatory, so it cuts down on some of the hormone related symptoms. I was taking a decent dose of Motrin (600mg) in order to just be able to walk around. One thing I found that helped was getting out of a bad relationship. I found that the less stress there was in my life, the better my cramps got. Now I'm down to 200mg of Motrin on occasion and some periods I don't need it at all.

I would suggest you go see a gynecologist just to make sure everything is ok. There are some herbal things out there, like natural progesterone that might be a help too. Good luck to you.

Sara

[MightyMouse]

My gyn put me on a bunch of different supplements--vitamin e, evening primrose, and a combination of herbs called "vitex" (I think--haven't taken that one in years).

I was told to take the vitamin e all month, then double the dose and add primrose the week before my period was to start. It helped with both painful cysts in my breasts and also the cramps. I still sometimes get monster cramps where I cannot get out of bed...but not often.

Hope you find some help.

Nina

[JaneEyre9]

I've personally found some relief from starting Motrin several days to a week before my period to prevent the build up of prostaglandin in my system. I continue the Motrin for the first couple days of flow as well. This has made a big difference for me being able to tolerate my extremely painful my cramps. I share your frustration with not being able to use birth control pills. I take a daily vitamin B complex supplement as well, and I think that makes a difference. Any amount of regular exercise you can handle can also make a difference in severity of cramps.

Have you investigated the possibility of endometriosis? That can cause severe pain like you describe.

[pamyla]

I also have horrible cramps. I've had them for as long as I can remember, pre-pots, and the gyno has always said there isn't a problem.

The only things that work for me are mass quantities of ibuprofen, and cramp bark. I added the cramp bark recently, and it has actually reduced the amount of advil I need to take. In the past, I've also tried increasing my SSRI the week of my period, and I'm currently on progesterone cream, but neither one seemed to do anything about the cramps.

Interestingly enough, I am also not able to tolerate birth control pills either. Have you had your hormone levels checked?

I hope you find something to help you.

Pam

[flop]

Birth-control pills have been my saviour in dealing with awful cramps - what problems do they cause for you? There are other hormonal contraception methods that may get arround some of the problems. The following are available in the UK - combined contraceptive patches (just like the pills but you change them once a week)(Evra), progestogen injection (Depo-provera), progestogen implant (Implanon), progestogen containing intra-uterine system (Mirena). My gynaecologist when through all of the options with me, he said the advantages of the progestogen only methods was that your periods usually get much lighter or actually stop all together! The Mirena is supposed to only act locally on the uterus so should have the least hormone side-effects apparently.

The other treatment offered in the UK is Mefenamic acid (Ponstan) an NSAID that is especially good for menstrual cramps and/or Tranexamic acid a medication that reduces menstrual bleeding.

Flop