Dealing with bad cramps?

Man, you’ll see how incredible it feels once you get there... everything just shifts after you have the baby. All those aches and pains? Gone. And the period comes back like clockwork, usually within a month. It’s honestly such a relief.
When I finally got my first one after giving birth, I seriously couldn't believe it. I was actually sitting in the bathroom crying tears of joy because I just went in there and realized, "Hey, it's happening!" It was the first time in my entire life that happened naturally. Before that, I’d spent days dealing with cramps, knowing full well it was coming. Oh, and one more thing—I used to go get a tanning session right before my cycle started because my doctor suggested it might help. I have no clue if it’s science or just luck, but maybe that warmth from the tanning bed actually helps dull the cramps. Who knows, right?☕

I’ve been relying on Voltaren for years—Lord knows I wouldn't survive a day without it😲. Right now, I'm switched over to Neofen, and honestly, if it weren't for those pills, I probably wouldn't have made it through those first two brutal days. I was reading up on it and saw that Stolisnik might actually help with this kind of mess... so maybe give it a shot...👍

restlessfox34 said:Oh man, if you only knew how much I relate to you...
Every single month is a struggle for me. Every single one. I'm 25 now, and I finally realized that the era of popping pills every hour was over, so I decided to finally grab that magnesium today. Why? Because I’m finally starting to listen to the signals my body is sending me. My cycle has always been irregular, too. This month, it showed up about 15 days late. Total nightmare! I never know when it’s going to knock on my door. Sometimes I used to take pills a week early just in case, but it was useless. Now, I can just *feel* it. I know exactly when it's coming, so I know exactly when to take my meds so they actually work.
There were times when my parents literally had to dress me in the middle of the night and drive me to the ER, where they basically had to clean up after me because I couldn't stop throwing up. God, it was awful. You just want to die. You're sitting in the waiting room on those hard plastic chairs looking like a war casualty, and people are staring at you like you're crazy, but you're just having your period.
Personally, I love it when someone stays with me during that first day, no matter how gross it looks to them. It makes everything so much easier, and honestly, it hurts a little less (it's all mental).

I read this post and was basically like, "OH MY GOD, THAT IS LITERALLY ME." So, does this mean magnesium actually works?

Hey ladies, I just had my baby and honestly, the cramps are even worse than before. Every single month I’m thinking about how much easier it would be if I could just skip this part and go straight back to being pregnant again. Try taking some Aspirin, it really helps me out.

analogcobra13 said:It’s my first time jumping into this thread. I’ve been lurking and reading through everyone else’s experiences, and honestly... there are just so many...

Here is what my pain actually looks like:
About three or four days before everything hits, my lower back starts aching. It’s a constant dull throb, but nothing I can't handle without reaching for the medicine cabinet.
Then, things start to shift... slowly at first. For those first two or three days, while I am 🙂 praying to God to spare me from the absolute agony that's coming.
Then, on day three or four, I’ll wake up feeling totally fine. I eat breakfast, life seems normal. Then, out of nowhere, I have to sprint to the bathroom because this brutal diarrhea kicks in. And while I’m sitting there—sorry for the TMI, but this is the reality of it😍—I get these unbearable back spasms so intense they actually make me vomit. At some point in the middle of that chaos, I’ll swallow two Advil, but of course, once the vomiting starts, they don't even stand a chance of kicking in.
At the same time, I’m sweating buckets, looking pale as a ghost like I’m literally dying, and shaking because I’m hit with these massive chills all at once.

And then, quite literally, I am dying from the pain. It’s hitting me from every angle, but the agony is so soul-crushing that I would gladly let them strip me naked and rush me to the ER just to get a shot of something for the pain. But I can’t go anywhere because I can't stop vomiting and running to the bathroom. In those moments, you lose every ounce of dignity. Nothing matters except someone, somewhere, helping me.
The only thing that keeps me sane is knowing it’ll pass in an hour or two.
But even then, it drags on. I can't even begin to describe it or do it justice here. It is pure, unadulterated torture. I start mumbling nonsense from the pain, I’m twisting and turning, I can’t even sit on the toilet... It is a total NIGHTMARE!
Last time, I was actually negotiating with my husband (after one of these episodes, which, by the way, happen every month or two) about just buying a heavy-duty inflatable lounger so I could suffer lying down. Honestly, it sounds easier.

After that, the whole ordeal drags on for another five or six days, and that’s if I’m having a "good" one!
I even get similar pains around ovulation. No vomiting then, but everything else is exactly the same.
I have seen every gynecologist in the state, and they all tell me everything is perfectly normal. I’m at a healthy weight, and nobody in my family has ever dealt with pain this extreme...
I usually start popping Advil every single morning during those days...

So, yeah... that's my life.

It feels like I’m reading someone else's diary, except I’m only 19 and the only thing I *don't* deal with is that whole stomach issue. Honestly, the digestive stuff feels a bit much for me, but my mom? She’s been fighting this battle her entire life. It got so bad she was basically living off injectable meds—and if you know anything about what those do to your stomach lining, you know that’s a nightmare. I don't even know what to do with myself. I’m barely out of my teens, and when I stop to think about how many more cycles I have to endure before menopause hits... ugh, just gagging. Currently, I'm popping 600mg Ibuprofens like they're Tic Tacs—probably three or four a day—and it doesn't even matter. I'm still breaking out in sweats, shaking like a leaf, and throwing up on a regular basis. And the kicker? Everything comes back "normal" on the doctor's tests. No infections, no inflammation, nothing. Just pure, unadulterated misery. Luckily, I work at my mom’s company, and she actually gets it. She isn't one of those bosses who thinks you're faking it, so I can just stay in bed for the first few days until the worst of it passes. Small mercies, I guess.

The only one I haven't messed with is Ketonal, mostly because everyone keeps swearing it’s absolutely brutal on the system... but honestly, I feel like it can't possibly be worse than slamming 1800 mg of Advil a day, right???

Why on earth wouldn't you opt for an injection on the very first day? If you simply reduce the sheer volume of medication needed, those agonizing pains will either vanish entirely or, at the very least, diminish to a manageable level.
And honestly, stop wasting your time with ibuprofen when dealing with cramps of that magnitude—Ketorolac and Advil are what actually rule the scene here. Though, I suspect you'll still end up popping far too many of them regardless. You truly ought to give injections some serious thought; even suppositories should be highly effective (assuming you don't harbor a paralyzing fear of anything involving your backside, much like I 😁 do, in which case I can certainly step in to help), and then there are the standard pills. Furthermore, magnesium is your absolute best friend! Take it in effervescent tablets if you don't want to deal with this for the whole month; otherwise, take it daily starting from ovulation until the pain finally subsides.

Hey everyone!

I’ve been dealing with some brutal period cramps lately. I've had two kids, and after that, I was on birth control for almost 13 years, which kept the pain totally at bay. Now that I've hit 42, my OBGYN decided to pull me off it, saying I'm "too old" now—and honestly, the pain is back with a vengeance. It’s unbearable... intense lower abdominal cramping, bloating, and this constant pressure on my bowels. Of course, I went to see the doctor, but his big solution was just to suggest stronger meds like Voltaren Rapid or heading to the ER for an injection. To make matters worse, I’m already on daily corticosteroids and Diclo Duo for my RA, and even those aren't touching these menstrual pains. The only thing that actually works is Voltaren Rapid, but I can't even take that because of my other prescriptions. The pain lasts from the very first day until two or three days after my period ends, even though the bleeding itself only lasts about 4 or 5 days.

I'm at a total loss for what to take... I started taking magnesium to see if that helps, but I'm not holding my breath.

What if you just went to see a different OB-GYN? You know, just to get some standard tests done and everything...
Going to the ER every single month for five days straight isn't really a solution, I guess. :/

I mean, maybe look into the risks and benefits... there’s contraception, hormone therapy—and honestly, if things are really bad, I don't see why doctors wouldn't suggest surgery if they're dealing with serious issues. You shouldn't have to spend your whole life in pain until menopause, right? You need to be able to function normally...

The thing is—you might actually have an underlying issue, like PCOS or something else entirely. Just go get checked out... and hey, don't be afraid to switch doctors until someone actually figures out what's going on.
Don't just live with the pain—pain isn't "normal," and it definitely shouldn't be something we just accept. 😁
And seriously, going in for injections every month is definitely NOT the answer!

Anyway—good luck with the magnesium, maybe it’ll do the trick 🙂 you might want to look into some other options too...

But honestly, given what you're dealing with, I’d definitely suggest getting a proper checkup—not just one of those "hop on the table, spread your legs, you're fine" kind of visits...

Just please don't let it hurt too much 🙂

Usually, my period cramps are pretty manageable—they mostly hit hard for the first day or two. But this is different. I’m worried about this pain that happens every single month. It absolutely wrecks my back. It feels like menstrual cramps, but more intense—like labor pains. Anyone who’s given birth will get what I mean. I don't know what it could be. Honestly, I felt like I was dying yesterday; the pain gripped me for an hour before finally letting up. What else could this be if it isn't just ovulation?

I am unsure if this provides any actual relief
but I have heard that women who deal with painful periods tend to handle pregnancy and labor better, since it just feels like another intense cycle to them🙂
Is that true, moms out there?

Meanwhile, those who haven't experienced these pains are often faced with that same hell for the first time right in the hospital room😁

hiddenviper17 said:I am unsure if this provides any actual relief
but I have heard that women who deal with painful periods tend to handle pregnancy and labor better, since it just feels like another intense cycle to them🙂
Is that true, moms out there?

Meanwhile, those who haven't experienced these pains are often faced with that same hell for the first time right in the hospital room😁

That wasn't my experience. It was pretty painful... but I definitely had more issues with my periods before having kids. Once I gave birth, things eased up quite a bit. I used to rely on painkillers constantly, and now I barely need anything during my cycle.
I think the theory you mentioned might apply here:
if you struggled with bad periods beforehand, things might settle down after you give birth. At least, that's what I've heard.☕

Don't crush my hopes!!! 😁
Yes, I heard the theory too 😁 that it hurts less.

By the way, redpilot37, how much stronger is childbirth pain compared to menstrual cramps?

I've been dealing with painful periods since middle school—honestly, the first day is always a total disaster if I don't take something right away, since it takes about 20 minutes or so to actually kick in.
The only thing that really does it for me is Ketoral Forte; everything else is just... well, obviously too weak for my needs.

For these first two days, I am literally dying—and there aren’t enough words in the English language to actually describe it.
It's just... nauseating. 😢
I collapse into bed, tossing and turning, groaning, sweating, babbling, screaming, crying, moaning—it's a whole thing. My vision goes black for minutes at a time; I can't even see the outlines of light, just pure darkness. (I haven't ever fully passed out, but it was once incredibly nasty when I felt the world go dark while I was right up front at church—I barely managed to stumble out and explain to people that I desperately needed to get outside.)
I’m shaking all over, and honestly, in moments like this, I just want to die. If someone left me alone in a room with a handgun on day one of my period without any medication, I don't even want to think about what would happen to me.
I can barely stretch a single box of Advil to last through two cycles.
I am completely incapable of doing anything for those two days. I can't even focus on a movie, I can't read, and I have to practically force myself to swallow food or tea (though chamomile helps a bit).
And the meds? They all feel exactly the same—from Voltaren to Advil. The pain never actually stops, it just settles down to a "normal" level—meaning I can finally stop sobbing and maybe watch a movie or hold a conversation with another human being.

Things were definitely better when I was on the pill, but even then, it was still pretty brutal.

The weirdest part is that every other month is like this. Today's cycle is actually arriving almost pain-free, but I am already dreading the one waiting for me in 29 days. Brrr. 😢😲👎

hiddenviper17 said:By the way, redpilot37, how much stronger is childbirth pain compared to menstrual cramps?

That’s a debate that could go on forever...😱😬
Don't worry, you'll find out soon enough.😁

redpilot37, your response didn't comfort me at all 😁

hiddenviper17 said:By the way, redpilot37, how much stronger is childbirth pain compared to menstrual cramps?

Honestly, you’re probably better off just not asking and definitely not knowing. 😉