Cramps (females)?

Question

Females:
How do you relieve the cramps you get when you have your period...mine are really bad.

Answer 1

Lots of pain killers and a hot bath. If they're really bad, you may want to consult a doctor. Birth control pills really help because it minimalizes your period. Also, if they make you want to throw up, you could have indometriosis which is a very serious disorder where your girl parts get all tangled up.

Answer 2

I found that a heating pad or a hot water bottle has been helpful to my cramps. I also found an additional option about a year ago that seemed to have help and that was to increase the level of iron I take in at that time by eating things like spinach, raisins, and peanut butter (if not allergic to peanuts of course). I also have an herbal pillow that I keep around that I can heat up that sometimes helps as well.

As for medications the two prescription medications I found helpful were Ponstel and Cataflam. If you need something a bit stronger you could try something like Anaprox which also works pretty well I found when I tried it one time several years back.

Answer 3

it relatively is amazingly generic to have your era take you on a curler coaster of a holiday once you first get it for the 1st couple of months, or maybe years. Sitting contained in the fetal place enables the cramping plenty, putting a warm water bottle to the decrease abdomen additionally enables, exercising( have self belief it or no longer) works like a charm through fact it loosens the tensing of the muscular tissues which reason the cramping. yet whilst this persists, and the discomfort will become actually insufferable, then you definately might desire to seek for suggestion out of your community GP and have a try for endometriosis. earlier you do, you may desire to ask a number of your older female family members members if there is any hint of endometriosis on your loved ones through fact it relatively is unquestionably specially a genetic disease.

Answer 4

I take Advil with a glass of milk. The Advil has ibuprofen which reduces swelling. The milk has calcium which helps when women have their periods because you lose calcium.

If your cramps are really bad if this doesn't work, I would encourage you to talk to your doctor to see if they can prescribe you something. Sometimes birth-control pills will help. There are medical reasons why a person may need to take the pill, and this is one of them.

Answer 5

All the answers above are good. I just thought I'd mention that birth control pills cut the pain in half. You also bleed only half as much.

If you are past the age that you want children, then go for a uterine ablation. That takes care of the bleeding and cramps and is an out-patient procedure.

Answer 6

Painful periods
The medical term for painful periods is dysmenorrhoea. There are two types.

Primary dysmenorrhoea
This term is used to describe normal period pain experienced by many women around the time of their period. There is no underlying medical problem. It most commonly affects teenagers and young women. This is the type of period pain discussed in this factsheet.

Secondary dysmenorrhoea
This term is used to describe pain around the time of the period that’s caused by an underlying problem. It is less common than primary dysmenorrhoea, and tends to affect women later in their reproductive lives.

What causes period pain?
Pains may start with the first-ever period. However, they are more likely to begin 6-12 months later, once cycles where an egg is released are established. It's these cycles that appear to cause more pain.

The cause of period pain is not certain. Once an egg has been released from one of the ovaries, natural chemicals produced by the body called prostaglandins are made in the lining of the uterus (womb). Some prostaglandins cause the walls of the uterus to contract. Some women produce higher levels of prostaglandins, which may cause increased contractions of the uterus. These cramps may be more painful because there is reduced blood (and therefore oxygen) supply to the myometrium (muscle wall of the uterus) during the contractions.


Female pelvic organs

Symptoms of painful periods
Cramping lower abdominal pains are the most common symptom. Pain can also spread to the lower back and the thighs. When severe, the pain can be accompanied by nausea or vomiting, diarrhoea, constipation or feeling faint. Some women may also get headaches.

Pain usually lasts two to three days and tends to happen in the first few days of the period, coinciding with the time of heaviest blood flow. Period pains do not cause any damage to the uterus and a pelvic examination or "internal" would show that the uterus and ovaries are normal.

Up to 15% of women have period pains severe enough to interfere with their daily activities. This can lead to missing days at school or work or decreased participation in social or sporting activities.

Period pains are often worse in adolescence and tend to improve as women get older. Many women notice that their periods are less painful after they have had a baby.

Treatment
Self-help
Over the counter painkillers such as ibuprofen and paracetamol often help. There are also painkilling tablets available that contain the drug, hyoscine (eg Feminax), that may help prevent the muscle contractions.

Moderate physical exercise can also be helpful for relieving pain, and may help prevent period pain. Many women find a hot water bottle held to the abdomen or back is comforting. Self-heating patches or heat packs that can be warmed in a microwave are a convenient alternative.

Prescribed medicines
If these measures do not provide enough relief, or if period pains are interfering with daily life, then it’s best to see a doctor. A doctor can usually diagnose period pains easily and several treatment options may be discussed.

Anti-inflammatory drugs
These work by decreasing the levels of prostaglandins. Examples include ibuprofen, naproxen and mefenamic acid. They relieve pain and can also decrease the amount of bleeding. They work best when taken regularly from the time when either pain or bleeding starts or the day before a period is due.

These drugs are not suitable for everyone – for example, people with asthma or indigestion problems may not be able to take them.

Oral contraceptive pill
The combined oral contraceptive pill, which is the most widely used type of pill, prevents ovulation (the release of an egg). This may help to decrease period pains because the lining of the uterus remains thin and fewer prostaglandins build up. It is particularly useful if a woman also wants contraception.

Mirena intra-uterine system
Mirena is the brand name of a new type of intra-uterine contraceptive device (IUCD), or coil. It differs from other coils because it releases a form of the hormone progesterone (called levonorgestrel) into the uterus. This prevents the thickening of the lining of the uterus. In addition to providing contraception, some women find that their periods become much lighter within three to six months of having the coil fitted. In a few cases the periods stop altogether. As a result of this, many women find that they also experience less period pain.

Sometimes the non-hormone releasing coils can cause or increase period pains.

Other treatments
There is some evidence that taking thiamine (vitamin B1) or magnesium supplements can help reduce period pains.

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) is another alternative. This involves a small electrical device, which is taped to the lower back. It releases tiny electrical pulses that aim to "distract" the brain from experiencing pain from the nerves supplying the uterus. It’s most commonly used for labour pains. TENS machines are usually supplied by physiotherapists, but it’s also possible to buy or hire them from local health centres, high street chemists, hospital pain clinics or branches of the National Childbirth Trust (NCT).

Some people find that acupuncture relieves certain kinds of pain, including period pain, but there is little definite scientific evidence to prove this.

Could there be another problem?
As mentioned, period pains can sometimes be the result of an underlying gynaecological condition (secondary dysmenorrhoea). A doctor should be consulted if period pains are particularly severe, or new, or are associated with any of the following symptoms:

bleeding between periods
bleeding after intercourse
pain during or after intercourse
unusually heavy periods.
A doctor will carry out a pelvic examination and may then arrange further investigations or a referral to a gynaecologist. Tests might include, for example, an ultrasound scan of the pelvis to look at the uterus and ovaries. Other tests may take place in a hospital.

Hysteroscopy – a thin telescope is passed through the neck of the womb (cervix) to enable the inside of the uterus to be viewed.
Laparoscopy – where a small telescope is passed through a small cut in the wall of the abdomen allowing the pelvic organs to be viewed. Problems such as endometriosis can be diagnosed in this way (see the separate BUPA factsheet Endometriosis). Further treatment depends on the specific diagnosis.

Answer 7

drugs...the legal kind. It's great to live in an age where a person can take something that eases pain. It's also great to live in an age where a woman can choose not to have children. But that's another topic.

Some women find that exercise alleviates some of their menstrual pain. Such is not the case for me.

Answer 8

Some good ways are to sit in a hot bath or heat a wet washcloth and put it on your stomach....umm some other ways are to maybe just take somthing like advil, motrin, tylonal...whatever one u like...and eating healthy and good exersise will always help with cramps...Hope these cramp remedies work for you...GOOD LUCK!!!

Answer 9

Advil, Tylenol, Pamprin, and Midol helps. I usually go for a walk to help. Most of the time I can't feel cramps when I'm walking.

Answer 10

I am a guy but have 2 sisters eat bananas the vitamins help allot. bananas are good for all kinds of cramps too.