Dealing with bad cramps?

oh boy, here we go
😢

I usually try to steer clear of any talk regarding this subject—heard some rumors about the pain involved—but honestly, I had no idea it was actually at this level😢 I really didn't know

Edward Green said:...

I don't really buy into those cause-and-effect links you're making. 😁

...

😁 Maybe. Or maybe they just don't click for you. 😛 See, even what you're labeling as a "psychosomatic cause" could very well have its own underlying cause. 😉

Yeah. Psychosomatic. 😁
Basically, a psychosomatic disorder or whatever is when your mental state starts messing with your physical body.

Edward Green said:Yeah. Psychosomatic. 😁
Basically, a psychosomatic disorder or illness is when your mental state triggers actual physical issues—what we call somatic symptoms.

I totally get what you mean. I used to put the term "psychosomatic cause" in quotation marks specifically because I feel like what people label as a "psychosomatic trigger" isn't always strictly a cause or even necessarily psychological; sometimes it’s just how we recognize and categorize it after the fact.
But even if we accept that there really is a psychosomatic cause, we can still work under the assumption that something is triggering a mental state, which then leads to those physical, or somatic, disruptions you described so perfectly. 😁

I got a little tangled up in the first part of this post, but I honestly can't be bothered to fix it now. 😁

masterblaster said:We can always assume that something is causing that mental state which then leads to physical or somatic symptoms, just like you so nicely pointed out. 😁

Exactly. Stress, for instance. I don't just conjure up a mental state out of thin air that suddenly makes me nauseous, for example. 😁

Megan Diaz33 said:I used to deal with intense pain too; I couldn't get anything done and just had to stay in bed. Then one day at the drugstore, I picked up some Dismenol N. Honestly, those tablets are great—ever since I started taking them, I haven't had any pain at all. 👍

I used Dismenol for about three or four years, and I have to say, it really helped me out quite a bit. However, it feels like about six months ago, I suddenly became immune to it—or maybe the pain just started getting worse regardless. Nowadays, I’ve switched over to Naproxen, and everything seems to be going fine.

I am losing my mind here.
I’ve been dealing with these absolutely vile menstrual cramps—disgusting, horrific, unbearable... for years now.
I have tried just about everything under the sun, and honestly, the only thing keeping me from throwing up my guts into the bathroom sink is Ketonal and Knavon—which, let’s be real, is a pretty miserable way to live.

Is anyone else out there going through this? Has anyone? How on earth did you (not) deal with it?

😢

Christian Sanchez44 said:How did you guys handle this?

I just started taking birth control pills.

Start working out. And while you're at it, go ahead and dump all those inflamed ovaries right out 🙂

Christian Sanchez44, seriously, you could just start taking birth control. For me, the pain dropped by like 95% and my periods aren't even a thing anymore. They're way lighter. 👍

Before I started birth control (the pill): spending the first 24 hours curled up on the sofa. Ibuprofen, Ketoprofen, and other similar drugs 😁; heating up towels just to press against my stomach because it felt like the only way to cope. Heavy bleeding—I remember having to use double pads during the night in the beginning.
Since starting the pill, it’s like a total reset. The pain is gone. I know exactly when my cycle starts, and it doesn't drag on forever.

🙂

rowdylynx38 said:Before I went on birth control—the pill, specifically—it was just constant curled up on the couch for the first 24 hours. Dealing with Advil, Aleve, or whatever else worked... 😁and honestly, just heating up towels to press against my stomach because it felt like the only way to get any relief. Plus, the bleeding was insane—I remember having to use double pads at night during those early days.
Since starting the pill, it’s been a total game changer. The pain is basically gone, I actually know exactly when my period is coming, and it doesn't drag on forever.

🙂

I dealt with the exact same thing... unbearable pain, cramps, throwing up... dizziness... I don't even know how to describe it. For a while, I was just white-knuckling it with things like Buscopan or Spasmex, etc., but once I started the pill, all those issues just vanished...
😍

I went through those same agonizing pains myself, but now that I know there’s relief on the horizon, things have changed; once the cramps start hitting, I just take some Ketorolac and the discomfort simply vanishes. Honestly, my monthly cycles aren't nearly as brutal as they used to be, though I can't quite tell if that’s thanks to the medication or if it's because I've started walking my dog for two or three hours every single day.

A close friend of mine was actually vomiting and felt like she was in a coma, but she took some Ketorolac and she's doing fine now.

I still haven't found a solution. 😢 Ever since I was fifteen—my cycles have been regular, every 28 days, since then—I’ve dealt with this pain. My periods aren't heavy, and they are always predictable. I’ve seen doctors before, but the answer is always the same: everything is perfectly fine. They tell me I'm healthy and suggest the pain is just due to a slightly smaller uterus that typically expands during pregnancy, so the cramps feel more intense. Their advice is always to stay calm, take an over-the-counter painkiller, and wait for it to pass. That has been my reality for my entire life. I end up relying far too heavily on medication, staying in bed, and praying to God that the pain doesn't strike right before I head to work or in the middle of a shift... 😢 I have come to terms with it, though, because it isn't quite as extreme as some others; I have friends who actually faint or can't keep medication down and require pain injections just to cope.

Roger Palmer2 said:I used to have absolutely horrific cramps—but now that I know I’m going to get them, I just take some Ketonal as soon as they start and everything settles down. Mostly my period isn't even that bad anymore... I wonder if it's actually because of the Ketonal...

I’m right there with you—poisoning myself with Ketonal and Advil for years. As soon as I feel that first twinge, I’m popping a pill and a half of the 100mg stuff... just a routine at this point.
I actually tried switching over to Midol once, but things reached a breaking point the other day—I took four Midol tablets and felt absolutely nothing. By the end of the night, I had three 100mg Advils and five Midols sitting in my system, and I felt completely drugged out.

My doctor prescribed birth control to manage it all, but I just can't bring myself to start taking them... honestly, from everything I've seen my friends go through, it looks terrifying—everything from skin breakouts to sudden weight gain. It seems like every new brand they release has fewer hormones than the last, but I suppose it's highly individual, so I really should just give it a shot...

nymph, I honestly feel for you..:/
Have you looked into birth control yet? Because the constant cycle of Advil and Ketonal... it's impossible. It’s going to wreck your liver...😢 that’s exactly what forced me to finally quit the pills...

After about 15 years of struggling and testing every analgesic under the sun—everything from Advil to heavy hitters—I finally landed on Tramadol. You can only get it via prescription. Tell your gynecologist you need it, then have your primary care doctor write the script. If you see a private specialist, you can ask for a long-term prescription; it’s valid for six months, and you can use it at the pharmacy to pick up either Tramadol or Lumudol—they're the same medication, just different brands—and they cost $13.
You have to be careful with them. Don't drive while taking them; they can tank your blood pressure and leave you feeling dizzy. And for heaven's sake, don't mix them with alcohol.

To be honest, even these don't eliminate the pain entirely. They just take the edge off significantly. I still find myself stuck at home on the first day of my period because I can barely crawl out of bed. For me, it's only the first day like that; by the second or third, something like Motrin or Voltaren Rapid usually does the trick. Good luck!

Christian Sanchez44, have you looked into things like endometriosis, fibroids, or maybe a tilted uterus? Honestly, any of those could be why your periods are such a nightmare.
Beyond that, the most common culprit is usually just a hormonal imbalance. And look, you don't necessarily have to jump straight onto birth control pills—they don't work the same way for every woman anyway. There are much milder hormone therapies out there that don't even act as contraceptives.
Like I said, sometimes the root cause of those painful cramps can actually be an untreated inflammation.
But seriously, whatever the immediate trigger is, getting active is going to be a total game-changer for you in the long run. Especially working on your core strength.
If you’re more into dancing, I’d highly recommend something like belly dance or another style that really opens up your hips and strengthens your pelvic muscles.🙂
Oh, and yeah, there are certain herbal tea blends that can help regulate everything. It would probably help if you let me know whether the main issue is the actual pain, or if you're dealing with heavy bleeding too.👍

When it comes to painkillers, Tylenol still works best for me. Advil is decent too, especially the liquid gels—they really help calm down the aches and tension in my whole "region," though you end up feeling a little groggy all day.
Regarding birth control, I was on Yaz for a while, but honestly, it did way more harm than good for me. I know there are definitely women it works for, though. For me, Primolut helped quite a bit, but you can't stay on that stuff forever.

And of course, you’re always welcome here, Dr. Harni 😉



Check this out—it even lists recommended diet and lifestyle changes that actually help deal with those brutal menstrual cramps. 🙂