...Cramps?

Question

What can you do to make cramps feel better? Are there any types of food or drink that can make it feel better?

I'm like dying.

Answer 1

It's a difficult thing. First, try using a heating pad on the area where you're experiencing cramps. Drink light fluids and don't get up. Just relax in a chair with your heating pad and try to stay calm. If that doesn't work, try taking some Midol (if it's menstrual cramps). If not, there's a product called Levin-SL that you can take to relieve all cramps and discomfort. It can only be prescribed by a doctor, but I use it and it works wonders. Also, if the cramps are perhaps gas pains, take two Gas-X. If you're not sure what the cramps are coming from, take one Gas-X and see if they go away. If that takes it away, you have your answer!

Just take it easy and it should get better with time.

Answer 2

Okay this may sound silly but it worked when i was cramping when i was pregnant. Take a man's tube sock, fill it with UNCOOKED Minute rice about 3/4 full. Tie a knot in the end. Then put it in the microwave for 2 and half minutes. Its a homeade heating pad. Its great.

Answer 3

I have endometriosis and I get some bad bad cramps. I've heard a lot of remedy type stuff, from omega-3 oils to raspberry leaves. Here's my short list of tried and true and relatively easy to get in an emergency methods.

Drink:

- Occasionally, I'll have a glass of wine. I don't drink much at all and the wine makes me sleepy fast. I like sleep when I'm in pain. Sleep is good.

- I make ginger "tea". Ginger helps with nausea and is reportedly a natural anti-inflammatory. One significant caution about ginger is that it also can make it easier for you to bleed a lot. It's like aspirin or ibuprofen in that way. So if you tend to have heavy bleeding, you might want to be careful about the ginger tea.

There are a couple of ways you can make it depending on your tastes and what you have available for supplies.

- fresh ginger root
You can get fresh ginger root at the supermarket (produce). You don't need a lot unless you decide it's super yummy. Buy some a few days before your period to be sure it's fresh and ready for tea when you're cramping.
Cut off a small slice, about a 1/4 inch wide. Peel (just cut the peel off...you're in pain, not in the mood to peel the ginger), and chop up or crush the piece. Put the ginger bits into a cup, add boiling water, steep, sweeten to taste and drink.

- dried ground ginger (spice rack ginger) and warm milk
Not for the lactose intolerant...but nice to soothe the cramps and fall asleep.
pour about a cup of milk into a sauce pan. Add about 1 Tbsp of ground ginger. You can put in other spices too, I add cinnamon and allspice. Heat the milk and spice mixture until it is just about to boil (you'll need to stir it and keep a close eye on it). Remove from heat and pour into a cup/mug. Sweeten as desired (I use honey). It's kind of like a chai but without the black tea and caffeine.

Other stuff:
- Hell yes on the heating pad. The sock full of rice works well in an emergency. Even a plain old towel (w/o metallic stuff on it) in the microwave for a couple of minutes will stay warm long enough to be theraputic (or wet towel, warm, wrap in plastic bag, and apply to sore belly).

- Rocking and humming. No, really. I know it sounds silly, but it puts me into something like a trancey state. I've practiced self hypnosis exercises for pain with a therapist, but I've found rocking and singing/humming is the quickest way for me to go "out".

Answer 4

IBUPROFEN really works. Take 2 with food!! Everything else is guesswork.. Yeah, not eating salt or caffeine helps reduce bloating but for pain, IBUPROFEN. If your cramps are really bad, talk to your gynecologist, who will prescribe something stronger if you need it. THere may be another underlying cause, like endometriosis or fibroids, and it would be important to find out about that. If you have no ibuprofen tonight, heating pads or warm hot towels applied to your tummy can help. Good luck!

Answer 5

Many doctors recommend Motrin (same as Advil), but PLEASE take with food or you can get an ulcer. But of course check with your doctor first. It's the best for cramps, but best to take it every 4-6 hours, usu. 400mg (the higher doses give some more gas). Bec. if pain gets too high, it's harder to bring it back down.
Also, I found great relief from laying on bed or floor and putting legs up on the wall; it relaxes your muscles. Hope this helps.

Answer 6

When I have cramps, I try to avoid salty foods, because they make me feel bloated. Also, I take 2 Motrin when I have very uncomfortable cramps. Maybe this will help you!

Answer 7

Persistent, non menstrual related cramps (like charley-horses) are one of the symptoms of the chronic low blood sugar condition hypoglycemia.

For basic information on hypoglycemia, check out www.hufa.org.

Answer 8

Evening primrose oil - 2 to 3 caplets a day around the time of your period. Also those heat compresses work really well!

Answer 9

When I have cramps, I put something warm on my tummy. It feels much better after.

Answer 10

Do you have Endometriosis? http://www.centerforendo.com, http://www.endocenter.org.

Almost all menstruating women experience some cramping during their periods, referred to as either primary dysmenorrhea, which refers to "normal" menstrual pain, or secondary dysmenorrhea, which arises as a result of an underlying disease or disorder. The condition is among the leading complaint in women who present to their physicians for gynecologic pain. More than half of all menstruating women have pain associated with menses, and studies have shown that dysmenorrhea is one of the most common reasons women miss work and/or school. Nearly 10% of women with the condition are incapacitated for up to three days each month[1].

"Normal" menstrual cramps occur in almost all women due to the release of hormones known as prostaglandins. These are hormones produced by the endometrium (the lining of the uterus), which cause the uterus to contract, sometimes quite painfully, in order to expel the menstrual debris. Some women produce higher levels of prostaglandins than others, so they may hurt more. Increased prostaglandin production can also cause the distressing gastrointestinal symptoms some women may experience. Primary dysmenorrhea most commonly occurs within a few years of menarche (a woman’s first period), while secondary dysmenorrhea can occur years after the onset of menarche.

Pain with primary dysmenorrhea usually begins on or about the first day of a woman’s period and can last up to 72 hours. In a woman with secondary dysmenorrhea, she may have painful symptoms occurring a week or more prior to her period and lasting even after her flow has stopped. In the case of a woman who has secondary dysmenorrhea, there are other reasons for her pain, including diseases or conditions like Endometriosis, Adenomyosis, Pelvic Inflammatory Disease, cervical stenosis, structural abnormalities in the vagina or uterus itself, fibroids, or similar concern.

Dysmenorrhea can be diagnosed based on symptoms, patient history, physical findings, and when appropriate, diagnostic tests such as vaginal or pelvic ultrasound, hysteroscopy (an examination of the inside of the uterus) and/or hysterosalpingogram (an evaluation of the uterus and fallopian tubes). In cases of secondary dysmenorrhea, laparoscopic surgery can be very beneficial at affording a diagnosis and treatment of the underlying cause. Symptoms often include painful pelvic or abdominal cramping, headache, suprapubic cramping (an area of the pelvis overlying the bladder), backache, pain radiating down into the thigh area, nausea/vomiting/diarrhea and even syncope (a temporary of consciousness). Upon physical exam, those with primary dysmenorrhea exhibit normal vital signs and a tender uterus, but no cervical or ovarian abnormalities. Patients with secondary dysmenorrhea may exhibit varied vital signs depending on the underlying cause and may be found to have tenderness, nodules, and/or enlargement of the uterosacral ligaments, the rectovaginal septum or other adnexa (the region of the pelvis that encompasses the ovary, fallopian tube and surrounding broad ligament).

Treatment options are based on the underlying cause of the pain (primary v. secondary dysmenorrhea) and range from medical to alternative therapies. Commonly, Non-Steroidal Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) like aspirin or ibuprofen may be recommended to help with cramping, and more recently, COX-2 inhibitors have also been approved for treatment of dysmenorrhea. Prescription painkillers may also be recommended where appropriate. Combination (ethynylestradiol and progestin) oral contraceptives can also help reduce prostaglandin production, thereby alleviating the cramps. Heating pads can also offer temporary resolve of the pain. Avoidance of smoking (which has been shown increase cramps) and reduced intake or total avoidance of salt, sugar, high fat and dairy products, alcohol and caffeine can also afford relief, as can increasing the intake of fiber, calcium and complex carbohydrates. Recent studies also indicate that Vitamin B6 complex, calcium and magnesium supplements, and Omega III fatty acids (fish oil supplements) also may help relieve cramping. Pelvic massage, exercise (which releases endorphins, the body’s own natural painkillers), Yoga (the cat stretch and the pelvic tilt), visualization techniques, aromatherapy, acupuncture and herbs like Dong Quai, Ginseng, Stragalus root, Ligusticum root and White Peony root are also said to be helpful alternative techniques for managing the pain.

If Endometriosis or another disorder is the underlying or secondary cause for dysmenorrhea, you will benefit most from having the disease diagnosed and effectively removed. It is important to determine if the cramps are "normal," or if they could be due to another cause. Pain that is crippling or incapacitating is never normal and should be investigated as soon as possible so that appropriate diagnosis and subsequent treatment can be rendered.

Reference:
[1] Jamieson DJ, Steege JF. The prevalence of dysmenorrhea, dyspareunia, pelvic pain, and irritable bowel syndrome in primary care practices. Obstet Gynecol. 1996;87(1):55-58.