Ladies, if you feel like your period keeps getting the better of you, this one’s for you.
Skip to the list of natural painkillers if you need them urgently. But if you’ve got time, let’s unearth what’s giving us horrible period cramps.
Why are my periods so bad?
Let’s talk about what level of pain we should be expecting.
Having some discomfort during your period is normal and is called primary dysmenorrhea. It starts off as quite painful when we’re teens, but it should lessen with age. It’s caused by prostaglandins, which are necessary for the kind of inflammation that heals, proper blood clotting and protecting the stomach’s lining (Rogan and Loberg, 2016).
Secondary dysmenorrhea is when the pain persists because of an underlying problem. What you experience monthly is different for everyone, as we know, in where and how you feel pain, mood swings, nausea, loss of appetite and more.
But certain underlying problems are exacerbating your PMS symptoms. These can include things like endometriosis, uterine tumours, cysts, reproductive cancers, or upheavals after operations or infection.
Of course, these should be monitored and dealt with by a professional and for sufferers, it’s about sorting out deeper problems in your body than just painful periods.
But what does research show is causing these health issues?
Well, here’s a new discovery of mine.
On one of my previous posts about back pain, I mentioned the usefulness of NSAIDs – non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. These are common drugs like ibuprofen or aspirin that you can buy over the counter.
Well, that was before I read Kelly Rogan’s enlightening book, Mind of Your Own, that revealed what NSAIDs actually do.
She reported that they completely interrupt the menstrual cycle, with one study showing that these drugs stop ovulation in only 10 days. They also significantly take down your progesterone and can causes cysts.
I was blown away! I’m going to be treading much more carefully around NSAIDs from now on.
Another culprit is endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs).
Key EDC culprits are Bisphenol A (BPA) and its cousin Bisphenol S (BPS), which are part of the fabric of our lives without us realising. They’re in food packaging, hard plastics like water bottles, and even receipts.
Other EDCs are lurking in pesticides, industrial solvents, personal care products and anti-bacterial handwashes.
When these chemicals get into us, they act like hormones in the body and disrupt the function of the ovaries. Many researchers have found that they cause PCOS, ovarian failure, mood disorders and infertility. In the worst cases, they can cause cancer.
That’s why some companies are now producing BPA-free containers.
Last but not least, a major disruptor of your cycle is the birth control pill (Rogan and Loberg, 2016). Women who were bothered with mood swings before they took the pill found that the pill made them worse. The pill is a shot of synthetic hormones, so it messes with your oestrogen/progesterone balance. This is a dangerous path that leads to autoimmune diseases, and destructive changes to your microbiome and inflammatory pathways.
What can i do for my period pain?
That’s all pretty depressing. How on earth are we supposed to avoid all those chemicals and avoid developing secondary dysmenorrhea?
Let’s get into a few ways to fix your period symptoms.
Detoxify
Start by changing up some of the personal care products you use. Go for organic and if you’re suspicious of a chemical on the list, avoid it. There’s a great selection of incredibly healthy personal products here.
Here’s some healthy pads that don’t have chemicals in them. (Pads are the last places chemicals should be in!)
Detoxify your insides. Take an Epsom salts bath now and again. Drink detoxifying tea like barberry tea. Do frequent sweaty workouts. Drink plenty of water.
If you’re on the pill, consider finding out how you can come off it.
And as for dealing with the pain itself, try to avoid NSAIDs (like ibuprofen) and instead rely on the next few healthy painkillers.
Heat up
Ahhh, that feels nice.
Heat is already a pretty common natural painkiller amongst women today, but it’s nice to know that the science proves its worth too.
One study even showed it to be more effective than drugs and unsurprisingly causes fewer adverse effects.
If you’re in need of a new hot water bottle, here’s a link to one to save you a search.
If you’re out and about a lot, here’s some handy heat patches that have a lot of good reviews.
Drink tea
I’m not talking about English Breakfast, although that’s a reliable pep up.
Raspberry leaf
Did you know it’s been used for many generations to help the menstrual cycle?
Don’t go for flavoured or synthetic raspberry tea, but get some teabags that only have real raspberry leaf.
It reduces heavy bleeding, cramping and irregular cycles, while improving regularity and easing pain. Raspberry tones the uterus and pelvic muscles, so it’s even been used to reduce labour pains.
Raspberry leaf tea is one of the first things I reach for on my period and it takes away the pain even after the first few mouthfuls.
Lady’s mantle
This is another discovery of mine from Healing with Plants by Holly Farrell.
It’s reported to be an effective pain remedy for periods and has other valuable properties like being antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal, gastroprotective, neuroprotective, antioxidant and wound healing. Get some here.
Other teas
Try some chasteberry. It restores equilibrium between oestrogen and progesterone.
Ashwagandha can help you, too. It balances hormones and is a great herb for overall reproductive health.
Cardamom tea is good for mood swings.
Liquorice root is also a good regulator of hormones and yes, you can make a tea with it. Here’s where you can buy it.
Exercise
Ugh, maybe this is the last thing you feel like doing.
But it’s so effective for reducing pain that it’s worth it. This study by Armour et al. (2019) found a positive result for exercise on period pain, and this study by Abaraogu et al. (2016) found that regular exercise significantly reduces pain, as well as stretching.
What’s the easiest way for you to build exercise into your routine? Not the kind that you do when running errands, but dedicated time to workout and get your heart rate going.
If you’re not sure, here’s a good place to get started.
Conclusion
I hope you found some relief in this post if you’re suffering at the moment.
Personally, I found it a relief to know that severe PMS symptoms are not ok, they’re not normal, and therefore we can get rid of them. We don’t just have to grit our teeth.
Is there anything you want to add to the discussion? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.
Reference
Brogan, K. and Loberg, K. (2016) A Mind of Your Own: The Truth About Depression and How Women Can Heal Their Bodies to Reclaim Their Lives. London: HarperCollinsPublishers. 337pp. Available at: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25817475-a-mind-of-your-own
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