My Menstruation Survival Kit
Hey there, chickadees! (Yeah, I really need spring in my life like right now). Hope you all had a lovely Valentine's Day spent with the one you love, or with your best girlfriends, or whoever. I spent mine at home with a sick hubby =(.
Anyways, today we're going to talk about that time of the month. You know, Aunt Flow. The Crimson Tide. Shark Week. Whatever stupid name you call it. The technical term is "menses" or "menstruation", more commonly called a "period" or a "monthly" (shout-out to my British ladies) by most people today. Lasting 4 to 7 days, from ages +/- 11 to 50, menstruation is a very normal, very natural part of a woman's life and health. And, regardless of what mainstream media would have you think, it actually doesn't have to be that bad.
What? But my periods are horrible! Nothing you say could possibly make it any better.
Well, ye of little faith, if you feel that way after reading this post, you may want to speak with your doctor, because you might have a serious problem that I don't have the authority to diagnose. But, yes, how would I know? Well, I am in fact a woman, and I have a uterus, and I have a period once every 28-30 days. It lasts 3 days, sometimes 4.
What?! Lucky!!!
Hahahahaha, think again sweetheart. Imagine all the pain of 7 days being squished into 3. I have terrible dysmenorrhea (which sounds really gross but just means I have painful periods). When I was younger, it was more like 5 or 6 days of little to a moderate amount of pain. Now I have terribly painful cramps that interfere with my daily life if left untreated. If I don't follow my advice which I am about to give you, I will cry, throw up, cry some more, suffer from insomnia, and more. Yes, I have spoken so a couple doctors about this, they all prescribe the same things. Ibueprofen and birth control; the first of which never has any effect on me, the second of which I am morally against.
Within the last few years I've had to get really creative with remedies for cramps and other menstrual symptoms. I have found a few things that really help me and, hopefully, might help you too.
2-3 Days prior to Day 1
Flow-- None
Cramps-- 3/10
Symptoms-- Light PMS (impatience, anxiety), Increased Appetite
I begin feeling some very light cramps a couple of days before my period starts. Here is where I will push my case for keeping a calendar of your menstrual cycle-- if you know when your period is coming up, you can better prepare for it. I highly recommend the app Ovia, which is really for fertility purposes, but I like it because it is incredibly similar to NFP (Natural Family Planning) in that it makes you keep track of ALL symptoms daily throughout your cycle.
So, you've started feeling those first few cramps and good old PMS (which means pre-menstrual syndrome, referring to before you menstruate, not during menstruation-- this really irks me. Get educated, ladies!). Well, the first thing I do is start taking Vitamin E daily. I take anywhere from 1 to 2 300 mg. tablets. Why Vitamin E? To put it simply, Vitamin E helps promote good blood circulation. A major part of why cramps can be so painful is because of poor blood circulation. If enough blood isn't getting to your uterine and pelvic muscles, the muscle contractions will be significantly more painful--thus, creating painful cramps. Vitamin E can also be found in foods such as avocado, pumpkin (and other squashes), broccoli, sweet potatoes, mangoes, papayas, and tahini (found in hummus!!). I have yet to try magnesium, but I have also heard that this helps greatly.
(Side note-- I'll be doing a post about eating according to your menstrual cycle. Fascinating stuff!)
Also, start drinking lots of water. I try to drink 80 fluid oz. a day, but I will up it to 100 fluid oz. a day when my period is coming up. And, for the love of all that is holy, stay away from salty, greasy food. I have a major problem with craving salt a few days out from my period. Salt dehydrates you, so try your best to stay away from it. The best substitute is starchy vegetables (sweet potatoes, potatoes, cauliflower, green beans, etc). Remember; the better you eat, the better you will feel.
(So let's have beans for every meal! I'm so sorry, I had to).
Do some yoga. I have found that I really can't do a lot of yoga during my period due to pain, discomfort, and all around disgustingness, so I do it before. This website has some great stretches, but go ahead and research and find out what you like best. Giving all those abdominal, lower back, and pelvic muscles a good stretch will help get the blood flowing before the...blood starts flowing. *yuck*
1 Day before Day 1
Flow-- brief period of spotting
Cramps-- usually 1/10
Symptoms-- euphoria, extremely talkative
When I start spotting, it's really about 6 hours before Day 1 starts (which is 9 times out of 10 overnight-- worst ever). This is when I start taking a small amount of NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs). The most commonly used NSAIDs are Ibuprofen, Aspirin, and Naproxen. Personally, I prefer Naproxen because it is a little bit stronger than Ibuprofen and Aspirin, but to each their own. Unfortunately, the risk of stomach ulcers is higher with Naproxen, but in general I really try to stay away from medicine when I'm on my period. Sometimes I won't take it at all and I'll be totally fine.
*collective gasp*
Trust me, I'm not anti-medicine at all, I just like to reserve medicine for serious pain (as you'll soon see). Usually, I just have to take one the night before day 1 and I'm good to go.
Keep drinking water, and maybe have a glass of some fruit juice! Why? I don't know, it just makes me feel better. I'm sure there's some medical reason about blood sugar or something, but all I know is I like it.
Day 1
Flow-- Moderate to Heavy
Cramps-- 10/10
Symptoms-- Loss of appetite, lower back pain, headache, intense cramps, nausea
Here we are. Day 1. For some people, this is the worst day of their period. Some people say it's day 2. I say both, or some point in between.
You're going to think I'm crazy, but the first thing you should do is-- workout.
You're insane. I'm not going to read any more of this.
Stick with me, there's a reason. It doesn't have to be a super intense workout, but you should work up a little sweat. Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy and they block pain. Also, many stretches that activate your abdominal, lower back, and pelvic muscles will, yes, hurt at first, but help to keep those muscles nice and loose and ready for battle. I know, I thought this was insane to work out when you're bleeding, but the first time I did it I was amazed at how great I felt.
Make sure you're drinking tons of water on day 1. At least 80 fluid oz. You should feel like you're drowning your insides. Ache-y muscles LOVE water.
You know what else ache-y muscles love? Heat. Heat is my #1 favorite dysmenorrhea cure of all time. Immediately after a nice workout, when I'm all sweaty and disgusting, I make myself a hot bath, maybe with a little epsom salt, maybe some bubbles, and soak for 20-30 minutes while listening to relaxing piano music. Not only does this make your contracting, convulsing uterus feel better, but your brain feels better too. And you'll find that a lot of the pain is in your head (not all of it, I'm not calling you a wimp, calm down).
After a nice hot bath, grab yourself a banana. Why a banana? Because bananas taste wonderful, and they also contain a lot of K, which means potassium, and the K stands for kick-ass (I don't really know what it stands for, okay?). All that water you've been drinking? We don't want it to make you feel bloated. Potassium helps with bloating and water retention-- also, so does staying away from salt.
Drink some cinnamon or peppermint tea. Both cinnamon and peppermint will help with abdominal and stomach pain. Also, drinking tea makes you happy. <3
Use a heating pad. I use mine 3 to 5 times a day on day 1, both on my abdominal/pelvic area and my lower back (totally curious, how many of you get lower back pain something fierce on your period? Mine is horrible!). The heat helps relax those muscles and soothes them.
Finally, go on with your daily life. Do what you normally do. Don't let the pain win! The busier you keep yourself, the better you will feel. Walking helps keep muscles loose and improves circulation.
Day 2
Flow-- Heavy
Cramps--10/10 (untreated) 4/10 (treated)
Symptoms-- bloating, fatigue, loss of appetite, clotting, cramps, digestive tract problems (either constipation or diarrhea, depending on what you eat), lower back pain
For me, if I followed all the steps for day 1, day 2 is a breeze. My cramps are not a problem (about a 5/10), my back pain is almost gone, bloating is minimal, and I'm not nauseous. Most of my problems on day 2 have to do with eating and sleeping. I am exhausted on day 2, so I usually do a pretty easy workout because my body does not want to keep up with me. I don't like taking baths every day, so I take a long, steamy hot shower after my workout. I will use the heating pad maybe once or twice, depending on how much time I have to sit around and how bad the cramps are. (Note how I put my lifestyle first there-- the things I have to do come first, pain management comes second. That's just how I roll!)
Eat another banana, keep drinking water. But what I've found, especially after day 1, is that diet becomes very important in terms of what symptoms you experience. I have to stay away from dairy at all costs-- no milk, no cheese, no yogurt, no sour cream, no ice cream, nothing. This means no lattes *ultimate sad face*. To put it as delicately as I can, dairy makes my stomach and gut act up when I'm on my period. Now, the flip side. If I don't eat dairy, I have the opposite problem-- it hurts too much to go to the bathroom, so I don't. Then you have all kinds of problems--and I'm not a fan of laxatives. So, I try to get enough fiber in my diet (good old veggies!), drink peppermint tea, healthy fats (avocado and fish!), and my favorite magic potion that comes from a bean; coffee.
My advice, again, is to try to keep yourself busy. Get out to the house for a while. Go shopping. Take a walk. Get coffee with a friend. If you do something, you'll get your mind off of the pain and also keep your muscles moving and blood flowing.
Day 3/4-- D-Day
Flow-- Moderate to Light
Cramps-- 3/10
Symptoms-- clotting, mild cramps, bloating
Day 3 has me feeling pretty much back to normal. I don't need as much TLC as usual, so I will get back into a normal, intense workout routine. Staying on my feet and being active helps a lot with clotting. I'm going to say it again-- don't let the pain run your day. You make the decisions. You are in control. Go do something. Make a craft, fly a kite, walk your dog, go fishing, whatever makes you happy.
The key here, ladies, is the phrase "you are in control". I feel that we often forget that, especially when it comes to pain. I'm going to take a page out of my mother's phrase book here and say, "Offer it up". Sorry not sorry for being so tough love here, but there are people all over the world who are experiencing pain much worse than you are. Imagine the pain Christ endured for you on the cross before he died for you! You aren't going to die-- and if you truly think you are, please get off of your computer and go see a doctor. I know you all are strong women and you can deal. I used to lay around and mope when I was on my period, and it didn't solve any of my problems. I just got more tired and more angry and, honestly, I hurt more. I truly believe that the key is eat well, apply heat when necessary, TLC on day 1, and stay active!
Here's where we come to the point when you say,
"Now, Caity, that's all well and good, but what about the people who have serious problems during menstruation?"
I'm not a doctor. If you've tried all the at home cures, if you've used NSAIDs, or if you've tried some other remedy and it isn't working you should talk to a doctor. What I've heard the most is that if your pain is interfering with your ability to live a normal life (i.e. go out and do normal people things or do household work or your job) you need to speak with a healthcare professional. My advice, and the advice of friends, will only get you so far. Some warning signs you need to look out for:
1. Periods suddenly stop (depends on age, sexual activity, and medications you take)
2. Excessively heavy periods (clots bigger than a quarter, more than 5 tbsp. of blood lost)
3. Bleeding between periods
4. More pain than usual
5. Discoloration of blood, mucus, and tissue
6. Bleeding for more than 7 days in a row
I actually experience number 2, which is called menorrhagia. During college I spoke to a couple of nurses and one doctor about this problem, and they encouraged me to improve my diet and stay active. A major symptom I experienced due to this was an iron-deficiency immediately following my period. I would become light headed, incredibly fatigued, dizzy, and sore and ache-y all over. A simple cure? I try to eat some red meat (steak!) on days 4 or 5 in my cycle, as well as spinach and other green, leafy vegetables. Iron rich foods are delicious, people. (The comma is very important right there-- I just cracked up in the coffee shop where I am writing this right now).
These remedies may not work for you, as I am on the low-severity end of menstrual disorders. If you are experiencing any abnormalities that you have been unsuccessful in managing, please see a doctor. If you have an average period, I encourage you to eat healthy, make sure you're getting all the vitamins you need, stay active, give yourself a little TLC, keep doing what you love, and all of your problems should solve themselves in time!