Every month I suffer from PMS symptoms, but the worst are horrible lower abdomen and back cramps at the beginning and end of my period. As someone who has had a period for over 20 years, one would think I found the secret to horrible menstrual cramps by now. Apparently menstrual cramps can worsen with age (according to Google), so I asked my followers for advice. Here are 30 ways to relieve period cramps from real women.
- CBD – Topical Cream or Ointment
- A heating pad – this one looks amazing
- Menstrual Relief Pills
- Watch your diet – avoid red meat, sugar, alcohol and dairy.
- Eat and drink away your pain with wine, junk food, and chocolate
- Biofreeze
- Gentle Movement – like yoga!
- A hot bath or warm washcloth
- Bouncing on an exercise ball
- Naproxen, Advil, Aleve, or Motrin
- Acupuncture
- Squats and Lunges
- TEA: Ginger Tea, Raspberry Leaf Tea, Chamomile Tea, Green Tea, Black Tea – Some recommend the addition of nutmeg or cinnamon (or see tips here)
- Jogging or Running – anything to break a sweat
- Supplements like Vitex (Chaste Tree Berry), Evening Primrose, Cramp Bark
Want to read about the time my period disappeared for 18 months? Check out this post.
More Ways to Relieve Period Cramps
There were over 100 replies to my request for period cramp relief on Instagram. Here are some more ideas to get rid of menstrual cramps:
- Clary Sage Essential Oil
- Peppermint Essential Oil
- Anacin (typically for headaches)
- Icy Hot Patches – the larger the better
- Seed Cycling – Seed cycling involves eating flax, pumpkin, sesame, and sunflower seeds at different times of your menstrual cycle.
- Cut out coffee during your period.
- Jovi – a NEW form of pain relief I’ve seen on Instagram but hasn’t been released yet
- A weighted heated blanket
- Organic tampons and pads
- Greek Mountain Tea with a shot of brandy
- Green Compass Woman’s Monthly Blend
- Magnesium capsules the week before your cycle
- Riding a bike
- Eat a banana
- Drink LOTS of water!
Note: Every woman’s body is DIFFERENT, so remember what works for you might not work for your friend. For me – I’m consulting with my OB-Gyn since I’ve not found consistent relief in the last six months. If something doesn’t seem right with your body you should always consult a medical professional – and not Google!
Neely Moldovan says
Awesome tips! I find that heat and rest help the most for me. Mine aren’t nearly as bad as they were pre kids!
Stephanie says
I’m pretty much out of commission the entire week before, week during, and part of the week after my period. Having a gastrointestinal illness and a LOT of female issues (that are undiagnosed as of yet but are quite similar to ENDO) makes each month quite horrible. I basically live in bed with lots of anti-inflammatories and CBD and peppermint essential oil on my lower abdomen. I’ll have to test out a few of these that I haven’t tried in the past. I’ll take just about any suggestion I can get at this point haha!