Hi,

my husband and I own a vitamin store and I can give you a few pointers.

I too feel really crappy on my first day- I drink red raspbery leaf tea to help with cramps. Red raspberry is supposed to help tone the uterus and smooth out the contracations. You can take it in a tea, a tincture, or pills and you can find it in any health food store/vitamin store.

Also, a digestive enzyme called bromelain may be helpful- it is an enzyme that comes from pinneapple and it helps with any kind of inflammation. I also have read that a natural progesterone cream you can rub on your abdomen during cramps can also help with cramps.

Hope this helps!

Wow. Your story sounds like mine.

At 13, I had my first period. Light, and only 5 days, with no cramps. I had a period free summer. But when I turned 14, that all changed. I had a "regular" period every month. It was very heavy and it would last for 7 days, 4 heavy days and 3 "lighter" days. By 15, the cramps started to get worse and I started to have two "regular" periods a month (they were exactlly 2 weeks apart, same blood flow, same duration, and same cramps). I went to the doc's and had an ultrasound done because I was "too small for a pap". They couldn't find anything wrong, so they suggested birth control pills to regulate them. I decided to tough it out, but by the time I turned 17, the cramps were unbearable, and I went on birth control for a year. This gave me 4 day periods, heavy-ish on the first day, and mild cramping. I stopped taking the bc almost exactly a year later, but the effects lasted untill the beginning of this year. I realized this because for the three months before I went "normal", there was no pain, they lasted 3 days, and they were light. The month I reverted back to my pre-bc days, my hubby thought I was having a miscarrage; I was in so much pain and there was so much blood, I litterally stayed on the toilet the whole day. When I calmed down, I went to the er, where the doc told me that I was just regulating and that my body was probably *finally* getting rid of the build up from the previous 3 months before. I have since returned to cramps that are so bad, that I have to stay home from work. (i start on the first wed. Of the month and the third wed.) they are now only 5 days long, but the first day is the worst. It is heavy and painful the first day. But for the remaining 4 days, the pain lessens to were I can function without having to down a bottle of pain reliever.... And the bleeding lessens considerably, where on the last 2 days, it is just a light discharge with no discomfort.

I have tried everything from heating pads to dangerous amounts of pain killers (only ib though). I resorted to trying to sleep the whole day to escape the pain, when my grandma called me up saying that she used to suffer this type of period too and suggested something called magnesia phosphoric (magnisium phosphate) pellets that are made specifically for menstrual cramps. For about $7.00 at any health store, you can get a "vial" of about 200-300 pellets (they are very small). You just let them dissolve under your tongue and almost instantly the pain dissipates. They are safe enough to take throughout the day in doses of 3-6 pellets every 4-6 hours. For me (6 foot, 175 lbs) I take 5 in the morning. That gives me enough reliefe to last through work (8 hrs.)

i know its a long post, but I hope this helps you.

Hii
i would recommend chocolate it makes you relax and ends the pain and also try drinking hot herbal drinks like tea, mint and commomile
good luck hope u feel better
i did

Get to a doctor to make sure you do not have a cyst or something....I had the worst cramps of my life and now i am going for xrays and i am pretty scared............please do not let this go good luck!!

I tried a product for PMS and cramping during my period. It is WONDERFUL! Within minutes the terrible cramps, backache and nausea where gone! It is called Femalite by Native Remedies. I have only used motrin in the past. I was ordering a product from this company for my kids and saw the women's products and thought I'd give it a try. Unbelievable. For years my period would have me in bed, heating pad on, and bucket at the bedside. I can only tell you to try it. It worked for me and I was just amazed. Wish I had known about it a long time ago.

OMG i know how you feel. i'm on my first day today and everything you just said about yours i have too. i've wondered about it for years. my grandmother use to have to pick me up from school cause i couldn't stop crying i was in so much pain. this is like a sickness for every woman in my family. my grandma told me to do one thing. you have to lay on your back with your legs straight, just lay there no matter how painfull it is it will make them go away while you wait for the 4 -5 aspirin to kick in. i learned to do this a few years ago cause i would go to her house and be trowing up and OMG if i used heat for it that would just make it worse and i'd be throwing up all day.

just remember that it's a muscle that makes the cramps hurt. if you are crunched in a ball it's going to hurt so much more then if you just lay out.

p.s. i know this is from a long time ago but sorry felt like sharing. hope you're doing better now.

Your cramping because of high levels of progesterone (the evel hormone). You can get progesterone cream and that will neutralize the hormone and the cramps will go away. It worked for me.

I've heard alot of women getting relief from menstrual cramps by avoiding chemicals that act like estrogen and also taking Natural Progesterone.

This is kind of weird, but my sister has terrible cramps and gave this trick to me for my minor, occasional cramps (seriously...I'm lucky. I get them maybe every seven periods). You use the little handwarmer packs and stick them in the waistband of your pants. You know, the ferrous oxide ones...brand name...Little Hotties? I don't know why it works, but it seems that it does.

You will think I am crazy until you try it.

One of the last secrets of womanhood about to be revealed - masturbation helps IMMENSELY, esp. if you can orgasm. Yes, even if you are sick to the point of throwing up, are in a cold sweat, etc. You will initially think that it's the last thing you want to do right now, you won't be able to, etc., but isn't at least trying it better than feeling like you want to die?

Something about the spasms of orgasm calms the uterus. It works better than Aleve (especially if you are throwing up), better than heating pads, better than the ridiculous idea of "taking a walk" when you can't stand up straight.

My family in Korea sent me this new product called Happy Q, which is a patch you stick on your abdomen, and it has helped me a lot. What I like about it is that there are no drugs or hormones. I've tried it all - birth control pills, teas, exercise, Advil, etc. I think it's supposed to be sold in the US pretty soon. Hopefully it helps.

ok listen \ i got my period when i was 12 and nuthinnggg worked that i herd

nooo pillss
and btw taking pills make u 10 time more sick later on

nooo excersie
i cant even frekin stand u want me to excersise

noooooo heating pad
it doesnt help for nuthing

no anyhtinggg

u really haveto go to ure doctor and ask him what to do imm gooing today

I'm 33, and had cold sweats today with my cramps. At one point I was so scared I almost called 9-1-1. I saw on the bathroom floor in unbearable pain. I haven't experienced them this bad since I was 21. I had just taken 1 ibuprofen in the middle of the pain just waiting for it to kick in. After a few minutes I made it to my sofa and took a nap, and was better. But goodness. sigh. For a year in my twenties I was on birth control and that shortened my period from 7 days down to 3. Its still at 3.
My recommendation is to take the ibuprofen or whatever pill you take for cramps BEFORE the pain hit hard. Any sign that this is the first day, take it!. Today I was stubborn and thought I could sleep it out and boy I was wrong!.

Also at 19 I worked at a movie theater that wouldn't let me go home sick with my cramps. I was in a sweat too. So I sat upstairs in the breakroom to wait it out. They gave some pills out of their First Aid box called Pain Aid.
I took 1 and kinda laughed thinking it wouldn't work. Co-workers would drop by and check on me. All of a sudden in 15 minutes (literally), I was back to normal. That stuff rocks. I wish I could buy it somewhere. I guess its only distributed to businesses. Pain Aid.

talk to your doctor about it. its basically where the lining of your uterus that is supposed to come out when you have your period gets stuck and grows in abundance so your body has to cramp abnormally hard to try to get it out. i have had different answers from different doctors but there is a "scraping" that you can have done to help. also there supposedly are some doctors who will recommend medication that i know nothing about.

i have had all of the same symptoms described. the pain, the sweats, the chills, throwing up, the runs, fainting and the list goes on.

something i found that works is to breathe just like when your having a baby. i usually lay down and do the breathing techniques. it works really well for a few reasons.

one, it calms you, two it distracts you from the pain and three the breathing really does relax your muscles and the pain subsides.

also drinking a warm beverage, like dandelion tea helps alot too.

I have endometriosis and Fibroids. I suffer with really bad pain 1 week and sometimes 2 weeks prior to my menstrual. My fibroids are in the muscle which enables me to excercise and run, have sex (orgasim) or even hold my urine during that 1 to 2 week time. I have been suffering this pain since I was 19 years old. I am now 36 and love to see my menstrual because the minute I see it I know my pain is gone! I have no pain during my menstrual only prior. My pain has been so bad where I've had pain beyond belief so bad I've broken out into cold sweats and if not seated, will pass out. I mean, so bad I sweat my hair as if I was excercising. My body had gotten use to every over the counter and prescribed drug so I just stop taking them. I was told to take birth control for the pain. I tried and had a cycle twice a month and went through that with no difference in pain so I discontinued. I had then been put on Lupron (which was the best!!). It put my body through menopause (to stop the estrogen) but it cannot be given more than 6 months. I have been told to have a baby, since I don't have any. I am not ready to have a baby just yet. I am not married nor am I ready to take on that responsibility on my own. SO I just deal with the pain. I get so annoyed when I see how so much money is being put into getting a man to stay up when money can't find cures for these issues with women reproductive systems. In any case, a lot of the pain is associated with what you eat as well. Well I can speak for myself. I had noticed when I had artifical sweetners, meats and dairy, it had intensified my pain. I think its because of what they inject these animals with and the chemicals used. Anyhow, I hope my post helps anyone and if someone can advise me of something please let me know! )

Ibuprofen (motrin) and alternate with acetaminophen (tylenol) You can take each of these every four hours. I would suggest starting with 800mg of the ibuprofen (they generally come in 200 mg tabs or caps and 800 mg is prescription strength) then in two hours take 1000 mg of Tylenol (tylenol ex strength) then alternate ibuprofen 400mg and tylenol every four hours for 24 hours. start the day before your period comes. Dont wait until you already have horrible cramps. Get on top of it before it happens. Get through that first day.

I'm having the worst cramps of my life in my 40s. The doctors say it's perimenopause. Nothing relieves the terrible pain. All I can do is roll around on the floor or in bed with a hot pack on my belly and cry. I'm hurting so much now. May have to go to the ER for a pain shot. I feel like I'm in labor.