Dealing with painful periods

Maria Barrett53 said:Birth control pills seriously minimize period cramps; you barely even notice the flow. It’s much lighter, just a few drops. Feels great.
When I'm off the pill, I use Voltaren 50 mg suppositories. You just insert it (it's super easy) and within 20 minutes, it acts like local anesthesia for your entire pelvic area. It doesn't mess with your stomach since you aren't swallowing anything... it's amazing. Try it.

You mean Voltaren 50 mg. Medical literature suggests starting ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin...) three days before your period starts, so give that a shot...

I have never quite been able to wrap my head around the underlying logic here; specifically, how medications like Advil actually manage to mitigate menstrual cramps or other types of pain if I start taking them three days in advance. It seems entirely futile when a single dose passes through my system in a mere two hours, leaving me feeling as though I haven't even touched a pill at all. What is the actual mechanism that allows them to exert any influence over a three-day window? If there happens to be someone here capable of providing a sophisticated, professional explanation, I would find it most enlightening.

Susan Vaughn46 said:It really varies from person to person. And honestly, since I somehow manage to gain weight just by looking at a glass of water, I’m pretty sure they’d make me blow up too.

I have spent my entire life gaining weight from literally nothing—water is basically calories to me. The one stretch where I actually stayed slim and could lose weight the second I wanted to was when I was on birth control. 🙂 During those few years, I didn't put on a single pound. Before that, I was constantly fighting losing weight, and once I stopped the pills, I packed on 10 kg in just a month or two.

I was taking Claritin, but I had to quit because the migraines were just brutal. Now I'm back to the endless struggle of trying to slim down again. 🙄

Before the pills, my period was absolute torture on the first day. With them, the pain was non-existent, everything was light, it was short, and my cycle was super predictable...

mellowraven32 said:You mean Voltaren 50 mg. Most medical guides suggest starting on ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, etc.) about three days before your scheduled procedure, then just give it a shot...

Actually, Voltaren 25 mg works even better.
And eventually, you won't even need it anymore.
Honestly, getting some pelvic floor exercises in to strengthen those muscles really helps.
But at the end of the day, it all comes down to your mental state.

I used to deal with such brutal menstrual cramps—honestly, I was popping ibuprofen like they were candy. I was terrified I’d end up with an ulcer if I kept that up, so my doctor suggested switching to Voltaren 50 mg suppositories. They have been an absolute lifesaver for any kind of intense pain, whether it's a killer migraine or a sudden toothache. They kick in fast, the relief lasts for up to eight hours, and most importantly, they don't wreck my stomach. You shouldn't use them long-term, obviously, but for acute pain? Total game changer.

I've been on birth control for about a year now, and since starting, the cramping has completely vanished. It actually cleared up everything from my period pains to my stubborn skin breakouts too. 👍

Megan Peterson87 said:Voltaren 50 mg works better...
Eventually, you won't even need it.
Strengthening those pelvic muscles through exercise helps too.
But honestly, it all comes down to your mindset...

I don't know how much you weigh, but a 25 mg dose is basically for kids.
Though if that tiny amount actually works for you, then fine...

Megan Peterson87 was asking me about nocturn. It usually runs about $10 and you take it for two months. There are several different brands out there, but I’ve been using one from a Canadian manufacturer.

Ugh, here we go again. I’m hanging in there for now, but I honestly don't know how much longer I can do this. It doesn't look good...

My period starts tomorrow, and I have an exam looming over me as well.
Hang in there, Susan Vaughn46, you can definitely pull this off! Just lean on the medication! 🎉

Man, I almost died last night, and all I had in my medicine cabinet was some old Advil.🙏 🙏

Megan Peterson87 said:man, I almost died last night... all I had in the cabinet was some Advil🙏 🙏

😘

Harold Stewart3 said:😘

Thanks, seriously, I was in absolute hell. I just stepped out to run some errands and I swear I was on the verge of tears from the pain. 😁

Megan Peterson87 said:thanks, it was honestly brutal. I just stepped out to run some errands and I was practically on the verge of tears from the pain 😁

😢 I feel for you... saying I know how it feels probably doesn't help much, but... yeah 😘

It’s absolutely brutal at night. During the day, I can sort of distract myself while I'm working or walking around, but once the lights go out? Total nightmare.
I honestly think the pain is flaring up because I picked up some kind of nasty infection down there.

Megan Peterson87 said:It’s the worst at night... during the day I can kind of distract myself while I’m working or moving around.
I think the pain is hitting harder because I caught a cold down low...

Just a cold, nothing more 👍 🙂

I usually take two Advil, then once they start wearing off, I'll grab another one... my doctor suggested just taking two right away to "knock it out" properly.

And try warming up that area of your stomach... I don't know, wrap something warm around it... you'll see, it actually helps. 😘

Ugh, it was brutal... I was home alone, so there wasn't anyone around to give me an injection. All I could do was take pills, but they didn't do a damn thing for me. On the bright side, nobody was there to complain while I was screaming my head off. I kept the hair dryer running for three hours just to stay warm. That helped a little, I guess. Eventually, I just passed out... maybe I took too much 🙂 And now the pain is back. It’s not unbearable, but when is this actually going to end???!!!!!

The absolute worst part is when someone hits you with, "So, is that why you missed school?" Honestly, I wish people like that could feel this pain just once. I don't even know how I'm going to get through today... I need to stock up on meds or I won't make it.

I really feel for everyone going through this... You all are truly brave 🙏 🙏 🙏 🙏 🙏

I have finally survived the exam, and now I find myself huddled under a heavy duvet while this relentless nausea continues its assault.
Good grief, it feels as though there is some phantom hand inside my abdomen, twisting and squeezing everything it touches. And don't even get me started on this pounding headache. 🙂
Mind you, things could have been significantly more grueling, so I suppose I should be grateful to merely be dealing with this.

Hang in there, Susan Vaughn46! 🙂 😘

stormymaker24 said:I survived the exam, now I'm just buried under my duvet, and my stomach is absolutely killing me.
God, it feels like there's a hand inside my gut just twisting everything around. And my head... ugh. 🙂
It could have been way worse, though. At least I'm happy to just be done with this.

Hang in there, Susan Vaughn46! 🙂 😘

That is exactly how it feels!
I'm finally starting to feel better, it hit me all at once just now. Guess that means the worst is over.