Historical remedies for menstrual period pain and problems.See more remedies here.
See modern home remedies here.
Handwritten letter to a sick woman, Typed letter to a Canadian (1918), Ad from the Salt Lake Weekly Herald (1881) for Mrs. Pinkham, trade cards (flowers, girl with cat), post card of Stanford University, a bottle for Lydia Pinkham's Vegetable Compound, mending kit, booklet Stretching Your Dollar, bottles for her Blood Medicine and (just plain) Medicine, Home Talks, Private Text-Book Upon Ailments Peculiar to Women, Fruits and Candies booklet, and a modern bottle, box and instructions for her Tablets.
HOMEPAGE
CONTRIBUTE to Humor, Words and expressions about menstruation and Would you stop menstruating if you could?
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Read 10 years (1996-2006) of articles and Letters to Your MUM on this site.
Leer la versión en español de los siguientes temas: Anticoncepción y religión, Breve reseña - Olor - Religión y menstruación - Seguridad de productos para la menstruación.

Readers' remedies for menstrual pain, bloating, cramps, etc.
Send in yours.

See also PMS Crunch.

Hello,

To get rid of menstruaI discomfort I take vitamins from the B Complex (one daily) and low iron dose make feel very well. No PMS, no awful pain, tired maybe the first day. I live in a sunny place, so I don't take A, or D vitamins, also I drink milk and derivatives, a cocktail of carrot, beet and orange juice at least 3 times a week, and plenty of water....

But for me the B complex and the iron have been the key to make me feel better.

April 2011


Essential Fatty Acids Pill Prevents PMS, Study Suggests

ScienceDaily (Mar. 1, 2011) - A pill containing a mix of essential fatty acids has been shown to significantly reduce the symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS). Researchers writing in BioMed Central's open access journal Reproductive Health tested the tablets by carrying out a randomised, controlled trial in 120 women.



Calcium stopped her cramps

Hi.

I suffered severe menstrual cramps for 20 years (starting at 16) that left me crying in bed for at least two days a month. Then I read SOMEWHERE (I think it was in a book by Herbalist Rosemary Gladstar but I won't swear to it) that the biggest reason we have cramps is because in the few days leading up to our periods, our bodies become depleted of calcium. This made sense to me as I couldn't drink milk as I was lactose intolerant. She suggested a 600 mg calcium supplement to rid ourselves of the cramps..

I started taking a 600 mg calcium supplement (the Walmart brand Spring Valley has been tested by women's magazines and absorbs well.) I started with the supplement the day my period started, (yes, I should have taken one every day but I was testing her advice)

I took it for two days and had NO cramps! I tried this every period for six months and the cramps disappeared. Never to be heard from again. [I suggest trying also a magnesium and a vitamin D pill with the calcium to increase absorption.]

As the mother of six daughters, I've gone on to recommend this for their cramps too. It has worked like a charm but must be 600 mg. 250 won't work. Our bodies can absorb a maximum of 600 mg at a time so taking more than that in one pill is a waste. I made my discovery nine years ago and am still cramp free as are five of my menstruating daughters

The best kudos came from one of my daughter's friends. She had cramps so bad she threw up regularly while on her period. I asked my daughter if she told her about the calcium. She had, but it hadn't worked.

I asked what mg she took. 250mg was the reply.

I told her she needed more. The friend was picking my daughter up to take her to school that day, and lo and behold she'd just started her period and the cramps were already bad. She'd already thrown up and felt like she was going to do it again. I went and got her a 600 mg calcium supplement, My daughter called from school 20 minutes later telling me her friend was cramp free and she couldn't thank me enough. To this day, her friend still uses the calcium supplement and hasn't had a cramp since that morning three years ago.

One of my daughters forgot her calcium one morning and was in the school nurse's office having horrible cramps. she had me call attendance and get her older sister released to come home and get her a calcium pill. The school nurse called and asked about the calcium thing. I informed her of my discovery several years prior and even after my daughter told her it worked like a charm, she informed me she couldn't "dispense medical advice" to students "by just suggesting they take a Calcium supplement!!"

Try it, it won't hurt, and who knows? you might just feel your last menstrual cramp.

Reach for the sky because if you should happen to miss,

you'll still be among the stars.

Have a great day

February 2007


Hi there,

Just thought I'd share my story. I've got a bicornuate uterus (you can compare it to a normal uterus or research it more on Google). Plus I have a double-lined uterus with each lining twice the thickness of a regular lining. So, I was told that with the double linings I might start having two periods per month at some point. Well, I don't know which is better, two periods per month or one KILLER once a month! Currently I suffer from one HELL of a period once a month. I wonder if the people who have 'heavy' periods could even compare to this. Because of the two double-thick linings, it's like having four times the amount of a regular person. It sucks, but what I do is as soon as I see or feel a hint of my period coming, I load up on Ibuprofen, which lessens the pain. Heating pad helps, walking, sleeping, plus I have a very loving husband, who massages my lower back gently, because it's so very sensitive. I was on the Pill for 10 years and decided that was enough. The Pill also made the pain a bit more bearable, plus my periods were lighter, but I don't know if anything out there is strong enough to eliminate all the pain. I guess I was lucky to be a VERY late bloomer. I didn't start till I was 17. I remember being so upset because my younger sisters had theirs and I didn't. I guess my body knew I wouldn't be able to handle the pain at a younger age. Even with all this, I always welcome my period, it feels like such a cleanse every month. Plus it sure makes me appreciate being pain-free and mobile again when it's all over. It's kinda like my monthly reminder to enjoy life as much as possible whenever you can!

I'm 32, no children, even though everyone's told me to have a child and it would fix it. I've been told by my doctor that I would have a very difficult time getting pregnant because of the bicornuate uterus, plus I have one severely damaged ovary from a cyst that burst. So I decided children weren't for me. So instead I run a daycare centre! Much more fun, plus I get paid for it!

January 2007


Hi,

It's nice to read all the wonderful contributions.

For me when I started initially at 13, I had basically no pains but as I grew older the pains started with cramps, vomiting and all the like. Nothing I took seemed to work. But it's only on the first day and after that I don't really feel pain.

Growing older I realised that taking long walks, taking deep breaths and releasing it again and not stressing myself too much both physically and emotionally just works like magic for me.

A friend introduced me to a painkiller (BrustanN brand name) which I sometimes take - 1 or 2 tablets the first day (6 hourly) and it works.

I also believe if your pain is severe you could start your medication a week or a few days before your period actually starts.

January 2007


Number one cause of cramps for me is caffeine. When I give up caffeine, my cramps become much more manageable and most difficult symptoms of PMS go away. Also, I firmly believe that pain is a message and that looking very critically at my life and making changes in my habits and relationships has done so much to ease my "flow."

March 2006


Kia Ora Harry, ["Hi" in Maori]

Firstly I think your site is marvelous. Thank you for such candor and honest edu-tainment!

I tried to add my thoughts to your "Would you stop menstruation if you could?" section via your Web site but it refused to work with this computer.

Here is what I think. Please add it to your panel.

Or perhaps dismiss it as crazy hippy conspiracy femmespeak - this is what I was inspired to write nonetheless..

I have had my period since I was fourteen. It came late, but I was glad.

While growing up I never felt like a girl, and was an utter tomboy. I felt in fact deeply that I would never become a woman, and dreaded such an occurrence. I sometimes wonder if this is why I developed so late. Girls in the changing rooms at school would laugh at my flat chest and rather than wishing I was like them I would secretly think "Well, I'm glad I don't have those ugly lumpy things on my chest- ugh!"

I grew up on a dairy farm and the sight of women's breasts I related in some weird way to the grossly enlarged udders of dairy cows, forced to expel milk twice most days of the year.

For a long time I guess you could say I struggled with my femininity. For a long time I really thought of myself as "feminist." I liked that women could act like a man, work like a man, drink and do drugs, have sex like a man, work sixty hour weeks, and what of it - screw you - we're the same - we're Equal! I beat my body hard with martial arts and exercise.

During this period -(Ha!) - I suffered extremely bad cramps during my menstruation, to the extent of being bedridden and in agony. I remember screaming and moaning incapably and dreading my periods. Every four months cramps would come along that made me want to die, they were that awful.

Doctors prescribed heavy-duty liver toxic painkillers, contraceptive pills, hormonal adjustment, or even surgery. I was resistant to all these treatments, distrusting this kind of suppressive "medicine."

I tried acupuncture, yoga, herb teas, Tibetan medicine. Stupidly, I tried all this while not changing the way I ate or lived.

After panicking one day in an exceptionally bad period I was ambulanced to the hospital and was left, untreated and in agony, on a bed in the corridor, (they refused to treat me because they thought I was mentally unstable, or on drugs, that's how crazy I was from the pain - staff wouldn't even refill my hot water bottle for the pain) I went into some kind of pain-induced zone of a Zen-like calm, and thought: I've got to do something about this. The medical establishment will not help me. I have to do this by myself. Who am I?

It is obvious to me now my hard, dare I say "male" (though I have no idea what it is like to be male) lifestyle of hard work, late nights, drinking, smoking, eating badly and sporadically, six cups of coffee a day, drugs, etc., were responsible for my state. I had been suppressing my femininity and trying to live some kind of exceptionally driven existence.

I had been duping myself.

Now, several years later I have barely a twinge during my periods, which are light and last for about four days.

This is how I got there.

1. I eat very minimal animal products.

2. I don't drink caffeine.

3. I eat minimal processed foods.

4. I don't drink or do drugs to excess (occasionally I will have half a glass of stout and the occasional joint or brownie).

5. I relax with yoga and capoeira.

6. I walk and cycle moderately for fitness.

7. I drink a lot of water before any other beverage.

8. I work lightly, as a job cooking what is considered "slow food."

And that's it. These things worked for me.

I basically slowed down, and got in touch with my body and stopped being so demanding. I laugh and smile a lot more, for the joy of being.

And there is a bit of an ideology behind this, which I will try to explain.

Basically I think as women we have to engage with our connection to the planet and stop harmful, hurtful (I could almost say demonic) activities.

I don't judge anyone who wishes to stop their menstruation, but I think that modern western existence is fundamentally anti-feminine, and that we are being reshaped into suffering worker drones for capitalism.

Does that sound radical? Scary? Plain ridiculous?

I think the African original woman has a lot to teach us, to stop the pain and the frustration. Of feeling like a ROUND peg in a SQUARE hole.

Women are intuitive, nurturing beings. Our bleeding is a tool for empathy. If we charge our love for ourselves, for all beings and for the planet our natural strength and fulfillment will emerge. Women are strong, sweet mothers of wisdom. Witches of herbs, minerals and stews.

We don't need to compete with men, they have their foci and we have ours.

We are best placed in careers that emphasize our feminine aspects of nurturing, natural wisdom, healing and other kinds of generous giving. I am not trying to demean women in writing this, rather that femininity has been and is continually being demeaned in this society.

I know many women who get very upset at this. I'm not suggesting that we are not intellectual or that we are only mothers and homemakers, rather that we need to give our femininity importance, and breathing space instead of suppressing it for work, or play.

I give thanks to all women who have fought long and hard for our rights - to those bright shining sisters.

But what have we lost in the fight for so-called "equality." Do you feel equal? Really?

It's okay to feel tired - relax, have a bath, a walk, a cup of tea.

It's okay to feel bitchy - let it out in a good chat, a letter, a workout.

It's okay to ask your man (or maybe woman) to be gentle and take time - we need to feel appreciated, loved or respected, to want to make love in the highest sense.

It's okay to not want to have children - it is a marvelous, scary event, but our bodies are undeniable geared to produce offspring.

It's okay to say hey, I'm a woman, I want time with my mother, sister, women, in our feminine pursuits.

It's okay to wear a dress, a beautiful flowing sacred garment, releasing our belly organs from constriction. It's okay to be sexy - to feel our powerful kundalini.

I guess what I am trying to say is that our conception of femininity is a very warped thing in this fast track existence, and that by trying to be men, to compete in their pursuits is a dangerous thing for our cycles, our well-being, our woman-ness.

I wish every woman could observe nature on a daily basis, sit in her garden and tend vegetables, have time to make a simple meal, be able to sit, chat, sew and comfort.

I'm not ashamed of being a woman. I don't desire to climb and claw and cut throat in a race to the top. I'm glad to be educated and respected but I don't need to fight for that - my perception of myself is more important than reality.

It's easy for me to say this, living in a society where woman are not subjugated to terrifying things like circumcision or sanctioned rape. These things are perhaps female suppression of the most extreme.

But what other subtle disharmonies are we subjected to? Perhaps unrealistic and perverted expectations? Perhaps a white Western male order?

(Please, no disrespect intended to any real men, the description of which is for real men to consider)

I made myself very ill trying to fit an unfeminine mold, and I feel very much for the women I know, trying to compete, distancing themselves from their empathy, their connection to the earth, to the ancestresses in pursuit of male fame, glory or success.

What is female success? How about we try and uplift our sisters in pursuit of that? How about we give that cycle, circle, the respect and love it deserves.

In love, sisterhood and humility -
and with my arms open in embrace-

****

March 2006


As far as I'm concerned, diet seems to have a great effect: eating smoked mackerel, salmon (or other similar types of "fatty" fish), mussels, etc., a couple of times during the 14 days before period greatly improves mood and makes menstrual pain almost non-existent. I have also found milk thistle (available in capsules) to be have a very beneficial effect on mood. I also found that after my first (and only) child, bleeding decreased significantly.

Franco-Brit, aged 40

November 2005


"Calcium-rich diets may prevent PMS," 13 June 2005, NewScientist.com news service, by Anna Gosline

"Encouraging women to eat a diet rich in calcium and vitamin D could prevent the development of clinical premenstrual syndrome, suggests a new US study. The findings suggest that by consuming four servings of low fat dairy products a day, women can reduce their risk of developing the disorder by almost 50%." Read the story.


From 13 to 19, I had terrible PMS and cramps that often left me doubled over in pain, plus very heavy flow lasting six days. Nothing seemed to relieve the cramps.

Since 19, when I adopted a vegetarian diet, the PMS almost disappeared, flow decreased by half, and I have much less severe cramps that rarely last more than two days. I try to take some ibuprofen only on the first day, when the cramps are the worst. Drinking ginger and chamomile teas, eating very spicy foods, avoiding caffeine, and increasing my intake of calcium all seem to offer enough relief to make things tolerable.

Californian, age 33, started at 13, regular cycle, no pregnancies

May 2005



I find that either eating a little bit of chocolate helps or having a hot or cold chocolate drink, using milk. Personally I have a milk shake and it always works for me. I don't see the need in taking a drug (paracetamol). It might help but it is still a drug and milk is more natural.

April 2005


Hello Harry, I just chanced upon your site. I really like your artwork page that described your cafe experience - it reminds me of some of mine. And I like your artwork for the fact that it is varied and fun.

With regards to a pain remedy, I am astonished to find that nowhere has it been mentioned (yet) that exercise helps.

I am a pretty regular "bleeder" approximately every 28 days who feels quite lucky that for most of my life, starting from when I was 9 years old, my parents stuck me in all sorts of extracurricular activities: taekwondo, soccer, cross-country skiing, down-hill skiing, and even for a year in high school I took ballet.

I started menstruating around the age of 12. and never really felt too much "pain" about it - you know just squishy discomfort and all the embarrassment that comes with the learning process of how to deal with blood letting go from your body on a monthly basis that you haven't figured out when it might come just exactly yet.

With regards to the pain, I never really experienced it too much compared to my best friend who described severe pain - I never really knew why and felt that I was just lucky I guess. That may be part of it but what I did notice is that after I stopped playing soccer on a regular basis after college (and fell into a state of being severely OUT OF SHAPE) that my pain and discomfort ratio went up significantly.

Now I gauge how much out of shape I may be by how much I feel the ache in my lower back knocking me around my period. I figure it is good sign if it is relatively dull or nonexistent but if it is sharp and annoying I know I better get into a better habit of working out again - sit ups, running, yoga or pilates are the ones that my body seems to prefer best at the moment although I hear swimming (wear a tampon!) is also very relaxing as well.

Well, it won't work for everyone but, hey, I figured I better throw my two cents in. There are all sorts of wonderful effects that come from being in better shape physically. Don't get me wrong, I love to cozy up on the couch too - but when I read of people doubled over from the pain I also just wonder if more exercise might help. I also have a friend who suffered from endometriosis and she managed to KICK IT entirely without surgery. I'll try to get her to send you a note as well since I don't recall exactly all the methods she used.

I'm also reading some really great books about HEALING AND THE MIND (interviews with doctors and scientists) written by Bill Moyers; THE ANATOMY OF THE SPIRIT by Caroline Myss, Ph.D.; and just kind, healing meditations found in THE WOMAN's BOOK OF SOUL by Sue Patton Thoele

Each of these books have really offered some healing insights to me along the way and encouraged me to treat my whole body with more kindness. I would highly recommend them to anyone.

Finally, its funny but for me, since I started having sex on a regular basis with my man, it has been an interesting transformation in my own thinking about menstruation. Since I am not ready to get pregnant yet, and since there have been a few close calls I have come to look upon each menstruation cycle as a true blessing: a time where my body is speaking to me in a different sort of way - telling me what is going on with it.

"In her class "The Positive Power of PMS," Nancy Conger states: "Studies show that a negative attitude about one's body and menstrual cycle is a major factor in PMS. There are times in your cycle when emotional and physical sensitivities are on high - but it is sensitivity to all emotions and sensations, both positive and negative. If your mind set is that your cycle is a curse, you may only perceive it negatively when changes occur. Some women have found relief from PMS in just changing how they value and honor their femininity."

Best wishes.

Age 32, Kentucky. I use: a mix of natracare <http://natracare.com> organic cotton tampons (regular or super) with re-washable glad rags <http://www.gladrags.com> depending on mood, flow and amount of activity. most recently I have been relying on the pads alone which I feel is more healthy for the environment all around.

March 2005


How cool to find this page with all sorts of info on it. Here's my take on it all:

Gentle lower back rub from loving husband on the first and second days is good! It doesn't make the pain go away, but it feels really nice and distracts from the pain. I also drink a fair bit of water (I'm in a warm climate anyway), but nothing I do seems to ease the bloating which is (usually) always quite sudden and very pronounced. 

Diet also seems to have no effect on the severity of the pain/heaviness of bleeding, or the diaorrhea. There are a couple of nice oil blends that help (more with relaxation and calming than anything) and they all have clary sage in them. Nurofen is my painkiller of choice and works a treat, especially on the lower back pain which always accompanies the intense period pain. A warm compress on back/belly helps too.

I occasionally smoke a joint if things are really bad (which is most periods, actually). I find it a  great help with relaxing and distraction from the pain. I know it's not for everybody [or legal in the U.S.A.], but it works for me.

Really bad pain started in my early 20's. Haven't used birth control for over 10 years and very happy about it. But I was diagnosed with endometriosis some years back. It was dealt with and the pain did ease somewhat for a little while, but in the last couple of years, it's as bad, if not worse, than ever. Periods are generally regular - I have a 24 day cycle which goes a little nuts sometimes. 

Sometimes just lying down in a cool, dark room, putting on some fave tunes and deep breathing can be a lifesaver. Conversely, whacking some hardcore techno on the player and having a big dance can be excellent too! Different things work for different months - the common denominator is always the pain, but depending on your mood and situation, there are so many different ways of dealing with it. Really appreciate being able to read about other women's experiences. Thanks.

Queensland, Australia, 38 years old, no kids, started at 10 years. Very heavy flow.

January 2005

I drink a cup of red raspberry leaf tea twice a day on the first day of my period, and once a day after that. It reduces my pain a lot. I find it also helps to take a day off work or school on the first day and do a lot of what I call "power relaxation" (I coined the term to sound like "power walking"). I lie down in a comfortable spot and focus on each muscle in my body, especially the abdomen, and I relax it. This doesn't remove the pain, but simply taking the time to relax makes handling the pain ten times easier for me.

Later she added:

My main method of dealing with PMS is writing in a journal. I find that just before my period I do tend to be more emotional than I normally am. However, the emotions I feel are not irrational. I believe that "PMS" is actually my body's way of letting me know that I have personal issues to deal with. By journalling I am able to explore my feelings and understand the root cause of any emotional discomfort I'm feeling. This introspection forces me to deal with unpleasant situations I may otherwise have ignored and come to a sense of peace with my life. This changes my period from being a time of heightened moodiness to being a time of heightened peacefulness.

From an ethnic Indian (the country of India) woman living in Canada, writing in November 2004 and March 2005


I asked my doctor what I should do about the severely painful cramps that leave me curled up on the floor next to the toilet, with the nausea, fainting, diarrhea and cold sweats that afflict me occasionally when I have my period. I endure these severe symptoms with about three out of 12 menstrual cycles. (The rest of the cycles are simply heavy painful cramps with diarrhea and only a little nausea.)

My doctor told me that "There's a reason why it's called the curse. Some women just have periods like that." There was nothing she could do for me except to tell me to take my favorite painkiller.

Every doctor has told me this, with the exception of when I was a randy teenager. My doctor at that time recommended the [birth-control] Pill, saying we could kill two birds with one stone, my cramps and the chance of pregnancy. (I did take the Pill, my cramps did go away, along with my libido and any chance of a sunny mood. I no longer take or recommend the Pill.)

So my home remedy calls for tracking my period and taking painkiller (Naproxen [Aleve] seems to be the best for me) starting the day before I expect my period. I stay home from work on the most painful days, when painkiller taken at treble the over the counter dosage still leaves me in pain. A hot water bottle helps. Hot baths are a comfort.

I am 36 years old and have tried every diet. I have been a vegetarian, avoided caffeine and sugars and wheats and salts. I grew up on the traditional meat and potatoes and salad diet. I am no longer a vegetarian, but eat whole, unprocessed foods only, organic when I can. Diet does not affect my painful periods. I have had painful periods since I was 13 years old. If anything, the pain and bleeding have grown a little worse as I age.

I have four sisters. Only one of them suffers as I do. She has found that diet does not affect her painful cramps. She also takes painkiller as I do. The other sisters have no idea what we go through. Lucky them. (July 2004)


The things that have worked best for me:

Cramps ­ Analgesic approach: To avoid them entirely, you need to be lucky enough to be awake at that moment when your period just starts, when maybe you feel the first odd little twinge, or when you see the very first faint evidence on the t.p. [toilet paper] when you wipe after using the restroom. Then, you can attack with Naproxen Sodium (trade name is Aleve, but you can find generic formulations). Take two immediately, and they'll last 12 hours, and you'll never feel a thing. Cramping when those wear out? Take another course. I've tried ALL the pain relievers, and these are the best. These are the first pills I've ever tried that can actually relieve the cramps quickly, and the ONLY ones that work after the cramps have already taken hold.

Cramps ­ "Natural" approach: If you're averse to taking pills, the next best thing is those disposable 8-hour heating pads, the ones made for menstrual pain, that adhesively attach to the inside front of your undies. In fact, these are so soothing, that I've sometimes used them even with Aleve. They're like a warm, loving massage that lasts 8 hours; especially wonderful when you have to go to work everyday, cramps or no. When I've had the rare luxury to call in sick, or when the cramps hit on weekends, I've found some relief from walking a couple of miles, or writing on my computer, or playing the piano or even PlayStation. When I was a kid, I used to mindlessly trudge a circle around the first floor of my parents' house, hour after hour, just hoping the pain would cease enough so that I could rest. That was before Naproxen Sodium.

Bloating: Although it sounds counter-intuitive, I seem to be able to avoid most of the bloating by just drinking extra water the days before. Just keeping a bottle at my desk and sipping at it frequently has seemed to eliminate the bloating issue.

Diarrhea or other g.i. [gastrointestinal] issues: Immodium. Or just stay near a bathroom and hope to have privacy when you need it. Diet has no effect, at least not for me. More fiber, less fiber, no cheese, extra cheese, more water, less: no effect. I never noticed this problem, though, until I was about 35.

- Ohio, 41, started at 9, regular cycle, medium flow, no pregnancies (July 2004)


I have been using Depo-Provera for nearly four years, and no monster problems, a little weight gain is all. However, before I started on Depo, I was not taking any birth control and I would have excruciatingly painful first and sometimes second days on my period. My solution for those painful days was always a plain-and-simple hot bath (minus the bubbles), then a cozy spot on the couch, a pillow rolled behind the small of my back, and a hot water bottle wrapped in a pillowcase on my abdomen. (An understanding Mom who makes you soup is always a plus, too). Hope this helps someone out there. (July 2004)


Until the day that I scrape up money and courage to remove my uterus, I have a few more hints for that time of month.

CHIROPRACTORS are my favorite people. A quick adjustment in the week before my period prevents a lot of cramps and backaches. (I don't have insurance, I just shell out for it - oh, so worth it!)

Sleep naked on old/dark towels, and if needed, put under your old sheets a vinyl tablecloth (the kind that are flocked on the underside) to protect the mattress.

Wear really low-slung panties and no clothes with waistbands - even slight elastic or other pressure around my waist causes nausea and vomiting.

Herbs like the Dong Quai and Red Raspberry Leaf tincture from Zand seem to help reduce cramps.

Eating food during the first day or so gives me a stomach ache, so now I just nibble on crackers and drink juice.

Hit the library or video rental shop. If I'm absorbed in a story I'm less aware of my pain. Distraction is great! I survived a really bad period by watching all the Twin Peaks episodes in two days.

Since I've started the chiropractor, movie-day, free-waist regimen, I don't think I've taken any Ibuprofen.

Diarrhea is still a problem though. Fate often takes me to Indian restaurants on the day before my period, and bananas never seem to be in the house at the right time.

Stats: lifetime pad user, regular cycle, medium flow, no pregnancies.

Pennsylvania, 34 years old. [She suggested I start this page - Good idea!]

June 2004


See also PMS Crunch. - Historical remedies for period pain and problems