Dealing with bad cramps?

I think people say you should start taking magnesium a few days before your period hits, supposedly that’s when it works best. 🤷 I haven't tried that yet, though I really should. On that first day, I usually just knock back a couple of Advil and some Buscopan throughout the day. I'm not a huge fan of it, honestly—I hate feeling like I have to constantly shovel pills down my throat.

melloworca6 said:I think people say you should start taking magnesium a few days before your period hits, supposedly that’s when it works best. 🤷 I haven't tried that yet, though I really should. On that first day, I usually just knock back a couple of Advil and some Buscopan throughout the day. I'm not a huge fan of it, honestly—I hate feeling like I have to constantly shovel pills down my throat.

But our bodies truly do need magnesium, just like any other essential mineral. After all, menstrual cramps are caused by muscle contractions in the reproductive organs, which we all know.

And magnesium helps those muscles relax.

A pharmacist once suggested I try taking one or two mild pain relievers a day just a few days before my period starts. I haven't actually tried it, though—feels a bit silly to take pills like that 🤷 when I deal with intense pain every single month for at least two days straight. 🙂 Those days usually don't pass without some Ibuprofen (which I probably shouldn't be taking anyway) or maybe two or three Tylenol 500s, and even then, they only work if I catch the pain the second it hits. Sometimes, nothing helps except a trip to the ER for some Voltaren. 🙄
A few friends mentioned they started drinking Evening Primrose tea and swear it’s been a game changer. They said their cramps went from bad to barely noticeable, or even disappeared entirely... so I'm inclined to believe it might work.
Also, that magnesium tip is worth looking into. It can't hurt, and if it helps even a little, it's a win. 🙂

If you can bear the slight bother of wading through some English text, here is a link to an article discussing how plants like Chinese Angelica, (Dong Quai), Black Cohosh, (Black Cohosh), Valerian, (Valerian), Wild Yam, (Wild Yam), Yarrow, (Yarrow), Chamomile, (Chamomile), and Feverfew, (Feverfew), can be quite helpful against menstrual cramps.

Link to article

melloworca6 said:I think people say you should start taking magnesium a few days before your period hits, supposedly that’s when it works best. 🤷 I haven't tried that yet, though I really should. On that first day, I usually just knock back a couple of Advil and some Buscopan throughout the day. I'm not a huge fan of it, honestly—I hate feeling like I have to constantly shovel pills down my throat.

But then again, magnesium can have a bit of a laxative effect, too.🤣 So I definitely don't want to deal with that... especially for someone like me who deals with diarrhea at the same time as their period.😢

Seems like women these days are carrying a little extra cushion around the middle..

gentlesailor25 said:But then again, magnesium can have a bit of a laxative effect, too.🤣 So I definitely don't want to deal with that... especially for someone like me who deals with diarrhea at the same time as their period.😢

Oh, right, I forgot to mention—magnesium is basically useless. 😁 Buscopan is usually my go-to for stuff like cramps or diarrhea. It’s a lifesaver—without it, I’d probably be double-dosing on painkillers just to get through the day. It helps settle those stomach spasms, though it doesn't always kill them completely if they're really hitting hard.

A lot of girls tell me Buscopan or Spasmex works wonders for them. It really helps relax those muscles, so I can see why they swear by it 🙂
But honestly? It does absolutely nothing for my period cramps 🤷 It might help with stomach issues, but for this, it’s useless. Same goes for Spasmex Forte 😳

I remember one time I sent my boyfriend to the drugstore for some Ketoral Forte because I couldn't even roll out of bed. He comes back with Spasmex instead, claiming the lady behind the counter suggested it was just as good. Ugh! And this was back when you could still grab Ketoral over the counter without a prescription 🙂

My menstrual cramps are absolutely brutal. It’s not just the standard pain, either; my lower back takes a massive hit too. I started out taking Voltaren Retard, but eventually, it felt like my body just built up a tolerance to it. Then I tried Zaldiar, then Ibuprofen, then Nelgin. Right now, I’m using Ketonal. That actually helps. Usually, I make sure to take the Ketonal two days before my period even starts. If I wait until the pain actually hits, the pills barely seem to work. It’s like I have to stay one step ahead of the pain with medication; otherwise, it feels like it takes forever—like an eternity—for the tablets to kick in.

I remember one time when I went to lie in a warm bath to help. When I tried to get out, I almost passed out right there. Thank God my mom was close enough to catch me.
:P
I don't really buy into the idea that herbal teas actually do anything.

So, I’ve been lurking and reading through all your posts. First off, just so you know I actually know a thing or two about this stuff—I’m finishing up med school and I’m literally working on analgesics (painkillers) right now. Ever since I started my period, they have been absolutely, brutally painful. For me, the whole PMS situation is a nightmare too; I feel like a totally normal human being for maybe 15 days out of the month—basically from day three of my cycle until ovulation—and then the chaos kicks in. The bloating, the sudden weight gain, the water retention, the swelling, the irritability, the aches... it all starts hitting me about five days before my period arrives. And then I spend the whole time thinking, "Okay, here it comes," only for nothing to happen. My cycle usually runs between 30 and 32 days. Then, when it finally does show up, the real insanity begins: these insane pains, legs that go so cold I can't even feel them, back pain that hits even harder, sweating through everything, you name it. The worst of it lasts for about three days. On that first day, I’ll go through a whole bottle of Diclofenac within 24 hours. I’ve talked to my gynecologist—not just one, but like ten different doctors—and they all tell me everything is "perfectly fine." I tried birth control, but it caused crazy bleeding, and once I stopped, my period didn't come back for three months. I even tried taking painkillers preemptively, but that did nothing either because I end up taking the exact same amount of pills anyway. So, honestly, I’m starting to feel like I have to figure this out on my own. 😢 I’ll try black cohosh, and I take magnesium religiously, but it doesn't do squat; it's only good for the mild stuff. My pain is so intense that even if a pill brings me up to some sort of maximum tolerable level within an hour, the pain is still agonizing. It stays with me while I’m lying down, and the second I try to get up to use the bathroom or grab something to eat, it hits me just as hard as before. To put it bluntly, that first day I am completely incapacitated. The next two days are always painful, sure, but at least they’re somewhat manageable. So yeah, that's my life...

I dealt with all those pains back when my cycle was actually regular—though I suppose they just decided to quit on me or something similar. Everything was perfectly fine while I was on birth control, but ever since that medical coma... things have been weird. My cycle shortened to 21 days, everything feels off, and the PMS is relentless. BUT, I’m a believer in herbal teas and evening primrose oil (only the genuine Egyptian stuff) because it actually worked for me. And as for B vitamins? Stick to fresh royal jelly; skip the capsules altogether.

Gary Kelly9, you really think I’m going to fall for that little stunt you just pulled... honestly, the audacity is almost impressive if it wasn't so incredibly predictable... kaže:
Honestly, the pain is just relentless... like, I take a pill and even after an hour, it only hits some baseline level where I can actually tolerate it, but the actual agony is still right there, pulsing while I’m just lying here... and the second I try to get up to hit the bathroom or grab a bite to eat, it’s like nothing happened and the intensity just spikes right back to where it started. On that first day, I am basically a total vegetable, completely incapable of functioning... then for the next two days, the pain stays constant, just more manageable, I guess... and it just keeps cycling like that...

Gary Kelly9, I’m just sitting here thinking about how some people really outdo themselves when it comes to making things complicated for absolutely no reason... like, honestly, you’d think after all this time we’d have figured out a simpler way to exist, but nope, here we are, still tripping over the same hurdles and acting like it's brand new every single time... it's almost impressive how much effort goes into being difficult... kaže:
My feet are absolutely ice cold right now, like I can't even feel them anymore...

Man, reading your posts actually makes me feel so bad for you! Honestly, my own aches and pains aren't quite that intense, but still... I get this super weird sensation in my legs sometimes too, almost like the blood just isn't circulating right down there...?

David Mitchell4 said:I dealt with all those pains back when my cycle was actually regular—though I suppose they just decided to quit on me or something similar. Everything was perfectly fine while I was on birth control, but ever since that medical coma... things have been weird. My cycle shortened to 21 days, everything feels off, and the PMS is relentless. BUT, I’m a believer in herbal teas and evening primrose oil (only the genuine Egyptian stuff) because it actually worked for me. And as for B vitamins? Stick to fresh royal jelly; skip the capsules altogether.

Now I can't even figure out who wrote that bit about the evening primrose capsules or how to actually order them. I didn't have cysts, just one watery one after I stopped birth control that cleared up right with my first period... so I'm kind of at a loss for what else to do besides shots, and even Ketorolac or Voltaren injections are just okay, but let's be real—having someone jab you with those while you're in that much pain isn't exactly a vibe, especially since they sting so much and just end up making me even more cranky. ...

@ Gary Kelly9:

http://www.iherb.com/evening-primros...4&rcode=dpd027

placidtrucker152 said:@ Gary Kelly9:

http://www.iherb.com/evening-primros...4&rcode=dpd027

Thanks so much! Honestly, that’s not even that pricey, so thanks for the tip—I'm gonna try to get an order in as soon as I can.

Gary Kelly9, you should probably check if you have endometriosis... pain that intense isn't exactly "normal."
It’s pretty brutal for me too—whenever the cramps hit, I have to grab Ibuprofen immediately. If I miss that window? I’m basically passing out—cold sweats, vision going black, ringing in my ears, plus vomiting and diarrhea all at once. Just lovely... but when the Tylenol kicks in, it's like magic; everything just resets and I can actually function again.

Fats derived from Evening Primrose oil consist of Omega-6 fatty acids, and when you look at the intake levels, they sit at a staggering 20:1 ratio of Omega-6 compared to Omega-3.

Could consuming even more Omega-6 fatty acids actually end up making things worse? Indeed, such an imbalance directly impacts your prostaglandin levels.

A much more effective approach would be to opt for a high-quality multivitamin, supplemented with extra zinc, calcium, and magnesium, alongside herbal remedies like Burdock tea or that specific botanical blend I shared a few posts back.

While I have heard there are "good" and "bad" types of Omega-6, if I were a woman, I simply wouldn't touch these capsules regardless.

steelowl9 said:Gary Kelly9, you should probably check if you have endometriosis... pain that intense isn't exactly "normal."
It’s pretty brutal for me too—whenever the cramps hit, I have to grab Ibuprofen immediately. If I miss that window? I’m basically passing out—cold sweats, vision going black, ringing in my ears, plus vomiting and diarrhea all at once. Just lovely... but when the Tylenol kicks in, it's like magic; everything just resets and I can actually function again.

Yep, those are exactly the symptoms I had before my endometriosis diagnosis..

My pain is catastrophic. It’s so intense I end up vomiting, dealing with digestive issues, tinnitus, muscle spasms... I’ve even blacked out a few times. Not a "real" fainting spell, just a total system reset. Like being switched off and then back on a minute or two later.
Nothing worked. Neofen Forte 400 mg—I took two at once—nothing.
Everything else is fine, but when I asked my doctor how it was possible to hurt this much, her response was basically: "Some people get them, some don't. Just take pills, you'll be fine." 🙂
Eventually, I lost it. Went to the pharmacy and told them to give me the strongest stuff they had. Got lucky, though. The woman behind the counter deals with the same brutal cramps and suggested this: Nalgesin is the heavy hitter for period pain. If my cycle is regular, I take one the day before (since I only weigh about 100 lbs, I can only handle two a day max 🙄). She also gave me Dietpharma Magnesium 375, which I start taking 3 or 4 days before my period starts. They're effervescent tablets with Vitamin C and B6. Since they act like a laxative on me, I break the tablet apart and sip it slowly throughout the day to keep my magnesium levels steady. Keeps me from having to run to the bathroom constantly.
All in all, it helped. The pain is manageable now. Unfortunately, it gets worse every single month, so I'm always hunting for a new solution. 🙂🙂🙂