a girl and her cramps: the opposite of a love story

[mevre]

alright, straight lady-talk here: i get terrible cramps. always have. when i was younger, the pain sometimes got to be so much that i would even throw up. [sorry if that's TMI...] i would be unable to do anything at all for a full day, sometimes a day and a half. as i got older i mostly got them under control, and for the past several years they haven't been bad at all. [a couple of Midol when i first start always does the trick, and sometimes i don't even need that.] but, as most of you probably could guess, i had the best results when i started running. long distance runs worked the best, and for some reason nothing else [not even long distance biking] had as much of a positive impact. i thought that the sprints i started doing recently would help a little bit, but today i experienced the worst cramps i've had in a very long while, even from back when i was very nearly sedentary. i'm going to start my long runs again, but i'm wondering why this is happening at all.

do any of you know why long runs help the most? what other exercises or tricks have you all found that help you the most? i've also recently started eating paleo - could this have adverse effects on my period? also, i usually get mild cramps a day or two before i actually start [i think this is pretty normal] but this time around i was getting fairly heavy-duty cramps off and on for a week solid before i started. any ideas what this might mean?
any and all discussion of how best to avoid this particular gift that nature has bestowed on women is welcome.  : ]

[I-Jo]

have you tried the pill yet??  They can help level you out a bit. I'm very blessed I have short- and usually not very traumatic periods- but I've had a few rough starts LOL.   

 

and yes- working out has always made mine go away.

[GirlIN]

I usually get cramps in hours prior, and I have found any exercise will help, but I won't go to gym I prefer to stay home so I can curl up with a wheat pack immediately.

Its usually pretty average.

I don't think converting to paleo would have made it worse, unless you are not getting all the nutrients you need...is everything balanced? Have you had any other symptoms that might point to your diet change?

[mevre]

no GirlN, no other weird stuff has been going on in my body. it's just so strange that only running does it for me. but i guess if that's the only change i need to make, it's an easy enough fix...i just have to run more! lol
i have been eating a lot more protein than i used to. previously, my diet was mostly grains and fruits. i've cut out the grains entirely [obviously, since i'm trying to be paleo] and cut way back on the fruits, since they have so much sugar and i'm trying to get my fat percentage down. so now my two main groups are meats and veggies [which i'm pretty sure is normal for a paleo eater...] maybe i just needed to adjust to the higher daily percentage of protein i'm taking in or something. i'm not sure.

[Shereads]

I have 5 older sisters. One got horrible cramps that not even the pill helped. She is a fan of ibuprofen and going to bed since she get's migraines on top of it all. I used to get them pretty bad pre kids but not after. Sex always made mine better pre kids too. If running works I would suggest that it is the endorphin effect. A lot of ladies in my birthing community that still get them bad after kids swear by Cal-mag supplements taken the 2 weeks prior to the expected period . I have nothing else for you  since I always used a hot water bottle or a heating pad when mine were bad and took it as a clue it was time to rest and recuperate for a day. That's usually how long the worst of it was. Often I was back to normal after resting. Something that occurs to me as I'm thinking over it,how well hydrated are you and what is your electrolyte intake like? My one sister that gets them bad as a hard time keeping well hydrated I don't know if that is an issue with you or not.

[katpower]

I had some killer periods back in the day - now I take the pill, and skip them most of the time (maybe have a period 3-4 times a year). Heaven!

[materfortis]

I had this problem for many years. Finally went on a b-vitamin heavy multivitamin (there was other unique qualities about it as well, but that's what seems to have helped the most...designed for pms symptoms) and the cramps went away, never to return, within two cycles. I think the b vitamins are specifically supposed to help with female hormone production (maybe why some have found relief through artificial hormone pills??)

Maybe try a b complex in addition to your multivite? Magnesium helps me a lot, too with general tension, but ease into it or you might get the runs (sorry tmi)

Good luck! And ibuprofen was my painkiller of choice for cramps, too.

[CrisciMalosh]

The only thing that helps my cramps is mineral water with the exercise.... I guess I get deficient on something crucial... but it helps a lot.

[mevre]

all of this is so helpful, thank you all so much! man, i haven't even heard of half of this stuff, and the rest of it would have never occurred to me to try for cramps.
after the 2 day hiatus that was forced on me, i had an awesome workout this morning. so glad to be back to it!

[JessFit]

Wow, that's crazy! Obviously getting the blood flowing helps relax those muscles but something unprecidented and overwhelming and sudden like that makes me think maybe you should call your doctor... There are a lot of things going on under the surface and I've known a lot of people with sudden pain because of cysts and the like. It's probably nothing that major but if it were me I would want to know for sure!

[sheltiechick]

The only thing that ever worked for me was to go on depo provera and not have periods at all.  Which I don't recommend really, especially if you value your reproductive system - like hope to have kids.  Exercise did not help me and usually (surprise!) made the vomiting worse.

IF I caught it early enough, I could take a fistful of Aleve and catch it before it got too bad and spare myself the puking - but sometimes there was no such thing.  I still remember waking up at 5AM and having to toddle to the bathroom to throw up.  How do you catch it before it gets too bad when it happens in your sleep?  Yeah.  Bleh.

 

Mine however we believe is caused by endometriosis, which being on birth control is a "treatment" for.

 

It's strange, I would say the sudden change definitely means something is there that is different.  How's your dairy intake?  I've heard high dairy diets make cramps worse, is that a possibility?  Interesting!  I'm glad you were able to get back at it today.  It's no fun to be sidelined.

[Katinka]

I was the same way - middle school and high school, I'd wake up feeling fine, go to school, get cramps and puke my guts out and get sent home every. single. month. The good news is that it got better as I got older, and in fact continues to get better (I'm 25 now) - even in early college I still had really bad cramps, now they're more of a nuisance than anything.

 

Paleo actually helps my cramps - I don't eat paleo all the time, but I've definitely noticed a correlation between how clean I eat that month and how easy/difficult my period is. If I do end up with cramps, I've become a big fan of ginger tea - apparently some people think it helps with blood flow in general, but whether or not that's true, it at least calms my stomach. And it's tasty

[mevre]

well i started a whole30 [actually a whole42] yesterday for the 6 week challenge, so we'll see what this next round is like.

JessFit, i think i'll see how this next month goes and decide from there if i need medical attention or not. of course, i probably need a checkup anyhow...

that's interesting about the dairy, sheltiechick, especially since i think i'm starting to notice a correlation between my dairy consumption and the likelihood of having mild [but still very uncomfortable and annoying] UTI symptoms.

Katinka, i'm totally with you on the tea thing. i'm a big fan of herbs in general and i love using herbal remedies to ease uncomfortable situations - from burns to colds to cramps. ginger definitely helps calm things down for me too. plus i just generally love its taste. ginger candy is my favorite, and whenever i go out to sushi i always eat the fresh ginger slices as a sort of appetizer. haha all my friends think i'm crazy for the second one since none of them care for the stuff, but that's ok with me, since it means they give me theirs. 

[CrisciMalosh]

I have noticed that during the winter, my PMS is a lot less noticeable... I think it might have something to do with fresh cranberries... I LOVE them. I look forward to getting them, I love them in smoothies, soups, teas, on salad, home made cranberry sauce, just plain, etc. 

[Katinka]

Katinka, i'm totally with you on the tea thing. i'm a big fan of herbs in general and i love using herbal remedies to ease uncomfortable situations - from burns to colds to cramps. ginger definitely helps calm things down for me too. plus i just generally love its taste. ginger candy is my favorite, and whenever i go out to sushi i always eat the fresh ginger slices as a sort of appetizer. haha all my friends think i'm crazy for the second one since none of them care for the stuff, but that's ok with me, since it means they give me theirs. 

 

Haha I usually save my ginger slices for "dessert" - and definitely take everyone else's, too

[Eilyd]

Please take what I'm about to say carefully, especially as you already mentioned a suspicion that dairy interacts poorly with your body. However, when I was in high school I would get pretty bad cramps (though nowhere near as horrible as yours sound), with a crippling bout 1-2 times a year. And mine always were easier to manage and much less painful when I ate plenty of yogurt. I remember reading (years ago) something about how the calcium + other assorted components help balance out hormone levels.  So if dairy is okay with you, maybe give it a try? But not if you think it will make other things worse. Perhaps try to get calcium from other sources, since that is apparently an anti-muscle-cramp solution in general.

[sheltiechick]

I've always heard dairy is bad for cramps, but I have seen studies that say calcium usually seems to help help.  A calcium + vitamin D supplement would be worth trying!  I take one anyway due to the birth control.

 

Eilyd, you should totally market a new kind of yogurt for hormonal balance.  Get Jamie Lee Curtis to be your spokesperson.  You will make millions.  (In all seriousness I'm legit interested in the idea that yogurt an help balance hormone levels.  I'm gonna google this.)

[Eilyd]

I've always heard dairy is bad for cramps, but I have seen studies that say calcium usually seems to help help.  A calcium + vitamin D supplement would be worth trying!  I take one anyway due to the birth control.

 

Eilyd, you should totally market a new kind of yogurt for hormonal balance.  Get Jamie Lee Curtis to be your spokesperson.  You will make millions.  (In all seriousness I'm legit interested in the idea that yogurt an help balance hormone levels.  I'm gonna google this.)

I mean really, it's hard to go wrong with calcium and vitamin D supplements (especially where I live--the legitimate lack of sunshine causes a localized spike in depression cases).

 

That...could totally work. Someone more of a marketer than me should do it, though. My mum and I compared notes (we tend toward similar cycles) and we both noticed that life was better while eating yogurt. Try it

[fadagaski]

I've just come off the pill (Dianette, assigned for PCOS) and have had two normal periods. I've found that hydration is super important, followed by some low-impact exercise, in order to reduce/banish cramping.

 

Definitely keep an eye on your next cycle; a sudden change to the worse can often call for a check-up.

[FrankieNZ]

I'm testing the dairy/yogurt theory. Will keep you posted!

[spezzy]

 I used to get cramps so bad I would pass out.  In class.  It was horrible.

 

In high school I found out that cough medicine helped them, to the point where I ended up in the hospital with a pretty bad dependency on the stuff.  Now I can't use it at all (even though I haven't had any in over 10 years).

 

After that I'd take prescription pain killers for it.  The pill helped a little, but not a ton.

 

I finally found a doctor that would give me an IUD 2.5 years ago, and it's been great ever since.    Being in shape helps, also, and constantly active.  I've found going for a walk helps, even if I don't feel like it, the actual act of walking helps get rid of the cramps.

 

But out of everything, the number one thing I found helped the best (and you're all going to tell me I'm crazy, but I swear by it): Yoga.  Particularly shoulder stand.

 

Or, you know, just laying on the couch upside down with my hips raised.

[I-Jo]

^^^true that

 

I have found when I haven't been working out AT ALL- mine has been worse/bad.  But if I'm active- it's way more managable- or not even worrisome. 

 

I'll go from 5 days- to pretty much 3.5 days essentially.  

 

although damn I don't know how you do an IUD- those creep me out!!!

[mevre]

FrankieNZ, please do keep us posted! it'll be interesting to hear what your experience with it is compared to other people's. especially since, judging from the two pages of this thread, every woman and every cycle is very different and reacts very differently to the various tips and tricks being suggested.

i was considering getting an IUD for a while, but i'm too chicken...

spezzy, i will most def start trying yoga. i can imagine how all that stretching could help keep things nice and relaxed. in fact, i think that's why running has been the most helpful thing for me; something in the prolonged stretching of a long couple laps around the block. so maybe instead of my nightly jogs i can start doing nightly yoga... you know, that actually sounds really lovely! thanks for the tip! it never would have occurred to me otherwise. do you think a routine that focuses on flexibility would work? or would another emphasis be better?

i'm glad to say that this month was almost pain-free. i've been doing a whole30 [or, rather, a whole42] for the six week challenge, so i think the initial change to eating paleo maybe shocked my body a little bit, but once it got all settled into the whole30 it got a lot better. i guess we'll see what happens next month... it's like opening a gift from that weird distance relative everyone seems to have - it's guaranteed to be shitty, but can sometimes be somewhat pleasantly surprising.

[MaestraAnji]

This thread is exactly what I've been looking for.

 

My periods have always been heavy, usually short (5 or so ish days) and BRUTAL. Hellacious cramps and nausea (more than once I've ended up just whining on the floor curled up), mood swings and brain fog, ridiculous  food cravings.

 

Movement is generally not my friend for the first three days, however with the confirmation that I am in fact gluten intolerant, I have the overwhelming feeling that things might improve once I start clearing things out of my system.

[mevre]

Maestra, i'm also pretty confident that cutting gluten out will help a lot. there's also this cream stuff my mom just gave me a few days ago that she uses to level out her hormones [i'm so looking forward to menopause, aren't you?] it's called pro-gest. she doesn't use as much as is directed by the box, but she says it's made her life so much better. anyway, just something else you might be interested in looking into, especially if you tend to be on the homeopathic side.