ladies, it's that time of the month nvr
Posted by laurabs on Jan 08, 2008 · Member since Jul 2006 · 2610 posts
after many years, it's that time of the month for me. (I haven't had to deal with this because of my low weight - my GP just put me on birth control pills for my bones and to get the hormones back on track . so things are... working again - too much info? whatever) it's been so long, I don't really know how to deal.
I'm not feeling good about this - it's been so convenient to not be bleeding for a week every month. but it's natural. and it's healthy. besides, I can join the diva club now!
what do you guys do to ease things? what helps with cramps, cravings, etc?
Ok so I remembered once that I read somewhere that women crave chocolate when they have PMS for whatever reason, so I went to look for it and found this
http://www.healthatoz.com/healthatoz/Atoz/common/standard/transform.jsp?requestURI=/healthatoz/Atoz/hc/wom/fitn/alert09112001.jsp
it's got a lot of helpful stuff, I didn't know that it would help to eat complex carbs..I kind of usually just eat whatever I'm craving (within reason) but I guess that's not good - it's not like I get my period more than twice a year anyway, not low weight - just a body that resists being a girl, I think
But I know that there are some yoga positions you can do to help with cramps, the only one I've done/heard of is to sit on your knees, put your head on the ground and your hands clasped above your head. It works for me
But I know that there are some yoga positions you can do to help with cramps, the only one I've done/heard of is to sit on your knees, put your head on the ground and your hands clasped above your head. It works for me
Be careful with some yoga poses, though--some can make cramps uber bad! I don't know much about yoga, but I know that I went to a yoga class w/ a friend once when I was on my period and holy shit, I had the worst cramps of my life afterward! I read later that certain poses should not be practiced by women who are menstruating. Ooops...
gah, welcome back to the land of monthly joys! i, for one, am having a heckuva time today - i'm right there with ya. after discovering i'd leaked all over my work pants (joy!), my mood seemed to amplify in annoyance, so i stopped on the way home and picked up my favorite choice when dealing with cramps and such: good beer. yep, it's not a "healthy" remedy per se, but i am feeling much better now that i am in clean comfies and have an i.p.a. by my side.
i think i have the worst of the worst symptoms: i become extremely moody, get starving hungry out of nowhere, have the nastiest of cramps on my first three days, and often start with a bang of diarrhea to boot, with which i usually just try to deal. i am not a fan of taking standard pain relievers, so i too will be on the lookout for others' responses. i will say this: when i'm busy enough to distract myself, i usually find i ignore my cramps. but, if i'm feeling severe, i will surrender to the sofa and read or watch telly as a distraction. i also am a fan of indulging in whatever i am craving, but this carries into my everyday philosophy. everything in moderation! welcome to the love of divahood :-*
i just started getting my "." this year again, too. for the same reasons as yours,it seems.
and it has come back w/ a vengence!!! i get it for over a week and quite heavily for many of those days.ugh. not to mention the cramps.
it is like clockwork though, so its not as horrible. usually, i will start to be emotional, really weepy and depressed and sensitive. the day before i get it, i will have diahrrea and then a cramp or two. then im blasted the next day. i never seem to learn my lesson...to take a pain med as soon as i feel a little start of a cramp, i always seem to second guess myself! if you take it before you get really bad cramps, you can head it off and in the end, take less. usually if i do this, i will only need them for the first two days.
and i dont know if its my imagination or not, but ive been trying to "test" myself w/ this theory: increasing you carbs around your period, increases the cramp pain.
it could just be me, b/c i have diabetes, and presumably, if im eating more carbs, my blood sugar may be higher, and high blood sugar is also related to pain sensitivity... so i dunno. :-\
ah divahood...
I just came from a yoga class. right in the middle of it - my god - I got RIDICULOUSLY PAINFUL cramps. I'm sure my face was sheet white. they've subsided a little, but it wasn't a pleasant experience. a few years ago, when I had a period regularly, I'd never get anything this bad. they were usually short, light, with little discomfort.
ah divahood...
thanks for the suggestions. some of the yoga poses helped, but I can guess which ones might not have. and maybe I'll just lie around and eat chocolate - that might make me feel better. or have some tea. chocolate and tea. that sounds nice. I'm not much of a beer fan :err:
lucidanne, what kind of meds to you take? midol?
I'm definitely going to "treat" myself to a diva cup. to figure out how to make it work... that'll be an entirely different challenge.
i just take tylenol (actually tylenol arthritis, which seems to work)... i suppose midol would be good, esp w/ bloating and all, but i usually just have that tylenol lying around so i use it. i take 2 right away, maybe a third in an hour or so, if it doesnt seem to be working...then follow up w/ one or two more as needed for the next 24 to 36 hours. once the pain gets under control after the first few doses, i seem to need it less.... otherwise, its like trying to put out a fire, y'know? better to put out the smoke early on.
also, there is this topical oil...called Menastil. its in a little roller-vial thingy and has all natural painrelieving oils in it (menthol, peppermint, etc) that you can rub right on your pelvis /abs and it does help! course,it costs 40bucks/ small bottle. there might be other, cheaper brands out there (like that brand that makes "head on")
disclaimer: my bro in law worked on menastil, so i might be biased. but, i think it works pretty good.
when i got on bc, my cramps and emotional instability went away, also, my "period" lasts for about a day! haha. 2 tops! it used to last for about 5. i put period in " " because its not really a period, birth control just confuses your body up thinking that its prego, then you stop taking it and its like, wtf! cleanse! cleanse! and it releases the cell walls or something.
the good thing about taking bc is that you can usually find one level of hormones that will get rid of the cramps and moodieness and cravings.
this is generally speaking from me, a girl with a really bad memory with a best friend who is obsessed with being a dula and getting prego. she knows all this stuff, and tells me, but i forget some parts.
ladies, is this correct? is this generally what happens with bc?
ps- also with bc, this probably isnt a good idea, but i messed up my schedule and now that i take it out on a wednesday, i get my period on a saturday! how convenient! i hate going to work and having to deal with that stuff. gross! if you dont do the sexin a lot, i bet you could slowly ease your way onto different days so you get your period on a more convenient day. haha
this might be the worst advice ever. but this is what i do and im alive and not prego! horay!
My advice is coming from a very heavy bleeder. First, yay on your period! Next, cramps suck but you can take a NON aspirin pain reliever such as Advil. Do NOT take an aspirin or tylonol as they thin the blood making your period heavier! Ugh. Now other blood thinners, like alcohol can be just as bad as well. So despite the need to partake, try to refrain until you are on the last few days.
Onto Cramping! bleh. You can definitely drink teas, Red Raspberry Leaf is supposedly good for cramps. Also indulging in the chocolate needs seems to help me. hehe But that could all be in my head.
the good thing about taking bc is that you can usually find one level of hormones that will get rid of the cramps and moodieness and cravings.
this is generally speaking from me, a girl with a really bad memory with a best friend who is obsessed with being a dula and getting prego. she knows all this stuff, and tells me, but i forget some parts.
ladies, is this correct? is this generally what happens with bc?
I've heard this - unfortunately, it's not working that way for me! I just popped a couple of ibuprofen tablets. I'm hoping they'll ease my cramps so I can get to sleep tonight.
I can't thank you all enough. I still feel icky, physically, but I'm not so scared anymore - I'll be fine. I'm a part of a pretty darn awesome club, to boot.
I feel supported, and more at ease about this (natural) part of being a woman.
:chicken: <-- this little chickin thanks you
I find that my cramps go away with the use of a heating pad. They also make those thermo-care heat wraps that work good too. I typically only use one when I have to work and will be on my feet all day...otherwise I just take the heating pad to work. I also will take Advil if they are really severe (or in my back...I switch back and forth) but usually just tough them out.
But I know that there are some yoga positions you can do to help with cramps, the only one I've done/heard of is to sit on your knees, put your head on the ground and your hands clasped above your head. It works for me
Be careful with some yoga poses, though--some can make cramps uber bad! I don't know much about yoga, but I know that I went to a yoga class w/ a friend once when I was on my period and holy shit, I had the worst cramps of my life afterward! I read later that certain poses should not be practiced by women who are menstruating. Ooops...
Everything I've heard (and I'm no expert) says to avoid inverted positions like headstands and variations thereof during the first few days of.. that.
when i got on bc, my cramps and emotional instability went away, also, my "period" lasts for about a day! haha. 2 tops! it used to last for about 5. i put period in " " because its not really a period, birth control just confuses your body up thinking that its prego, then you stop taking it and its like, wtf! cleanse! cleanse! and it releases the cell walls or something.
ladies, is this correct? is this generally what happens with bc?
That's interesting because I always found differently.. my "regularities" (yes, I'm a repressed weenie and can't say it) went away totally.. which was awesome except the stuff really didn't sit well with my hormones. So the moodiness didn't go away, it just became more unpredictable, and it made me prone to gaining weight. After some chats with a few friends, and my own unrelated research on the pharm industry (esp. how they market to women), I decided to go off it.. and although I hate dealing with.. you know.. I feel so much more myself than I did for years, and I'm happy to deal with the ick and blah.. I just have to remind myself of that sometimes ;)
ha :) I agree that's the most important..
I just wanted to say that I am glad you have your period again! Everyone seems to have given great advice already... And I also wanted to use this new pirate smiley: :pirate:
and i dont know if its my imagination or not, but ive been trying to "test" myself w/ this theory: increasing you carbs around your period, increases the cramp pain.
it could just be me, b/c i have diabetes, and presumably, if im eating more carbs, my blood sugar may be higher, and high blood sugar is also related to pain sensitivity... so i dunno. :-\
I'm diabetic too. My blood sugar normally goes whacky and high before/during my period. That definitely doesn't help with my PMS bitchiness. I'll try out your carb theory next month.
Aw I wish I got a period, I bet its an interesting experience. ::)
Aw I wish I got a period, I bet its an interesting experience. ::)
I wouldn't say interesting....more of a pain in the ass. :boooo:
I'm sorry for all of you w/ icky periods :-\ I used to get really bad cramps when I was in junior high and high school, but I don't know if it was the elimination of dairy from my diet or I just grew out of my cramps, but my periods are really painless. And not even much of an inconvenience since I got my Diva Cup. Not to be all like :w00t!: "my periods rock and yours suck!", but just sorry for those that have a rough time. My mom and aunt are both heavy bleeders and have always had a terrible time w/ menstruating. I guess I got my menstruating genes from my dad? 8)
OK, considering I’m on like day 3 of this month I have tons of suggestions. I tend to get tired & grumpy right before mine starts so I make sure to get plenty of sleep & remind myself that it’s my hormones being grumpy so I don’t take it out on other people. Some things that help improve my mood & alleviate cramps include moderate (not strenuous) exercise like taking my dogs for a walk, taking a bubble bath, reading a book, watching a fun movie, sitting with a heating pad on the tummy for bad cramps. I also think it helps to dress nice & put on some makeup before leaving the house, even though you might not feel like it, it helps your self esteem later in the day. I might even paint my nails. Do things to spoil yourself. As for cravings, I eat whatever I feel like even if it’s chocolate chip cookies for breakfast!
I'm sorry for all of you w/ icky periods :-\ I used to get really bad cramps when I was in junior high and high school, but I don't know if it was the elimination of dairy from my diet or I just grew out of my cramps, but my periods are really painless. And not even much of an inconvenience since I
In high school, I spent a year in Japan and never once got a cramp. 12 periods, not one cramp. I only realised when I returned to the States, and BANG! Very first period and I felt it immediately.
I chalked it down to the great, healthy food that I was eating the entire time there. And they eat very little dairy there (at least I did), so I am inclined to agree with you that for some people, less dairy may mean less cramping.
Oh, and I second the pampering yourself bit of advice!
Shower, take a tylenol, and then go back to bed. When you wake up, put on a facemask, paint your nails, try out your special lotion, whatever. And get a hot water bottle. Man, they're great, and not just for periods. For snuggling up to on winter nights in bed, too.
But I know that there are some yoga positions you can do to help with cramps, the only one I've done/heard of is to sit on your knees, put your head on the ground and your hands clasped above your head. It works for me
Be careful with some yoga poses, though--some can make cramps uber bad! I don't know much about yoga, but I know that I went to a yoga class w/ a friend once when I was on my period and holy shit, I had the worst cramps of my life afterward! I read later that certain poses should not be practiced by women who are menstruating. Ooops...
Everything I've heard (and I'm no expert) says to avoid inverted positions like headstands and variations thereof during the first few days of.. that.
So, I totally thought that the "don't invert in yoga while menstruating thing was an old wives tale or whatever. But I checked with my yoga instructor and she said it SHOULD be avoided because it causes you to stop flowing for a few hours and the toxins just sit in yo bod. :-\ sucks, huh? Well...when my instructor has us invert she usually also says an alternative position "In case you are pregnant or have low back pain" (I guess its code for "if menstrual fluids are gushing from you uterus")
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