sunshine80 Posted April 17, 2010 Report Share Posted April 17, 2010 Hi everyone, I guess this is directed more towards the ladies, but gentlemen are welcome to contribute in any way that they can. Anyway, I get some pretty terrible cramps during that time of the month. I was prescribed an NSAID a couple years ago, but when it stopped working, my doc told me that birth control is my best bet. I'd like to avoid taking it if possible, so if anyone has any other remedies they can share, or even experiences with taking the pill for cramps, that'd be amazing! Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leap87 Posted April 17, 2010 Report Share Posted April 17, 2010 Ibuprofen always does it. Physical activity helps out as well. Wearing warmer clothes (ie socks) like a week before - because sometimes the cramps may be due to a "cold". These I know usually work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AMmd Posted April 17, 2010 Report Share Posted April 17, 2010 in a nutrition class they mentioned calcium supplements to relieve dysmenorrhea (guess if you have a Ca deficiency) ... could be worth the try. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndreaM Posted April 17, 2010 Report Share Posted April 17, 2010 Like Leap I also find that physical activity helps to relieve cramps for me. I don't get them too bad though and only for a couple of days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewfieMike Posted April 17, 2010 Report Share Posted April 17, 2010 Hi everyone,I guess this is directed more towards the ladies, but gentlemen are welcome to contribute in any way that they can. Anyway, I get some pretty terrible cramps during that time of the month. I was prescribed an NSAID a couple years ago, but when it stopped working, my doc told me that birth control is my best bet. I'd like to avoid taking it if possible, so if anyone has any other remedies they can share, or even experiences with taking the pill for cramps, that'd be amazing! Thanks! why no birth control? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunshine80 Posted April 17, 2010 Author Report Share Posted April 17, 2010 why no birth control? Well i discussed that possibility with my parents, but they didn't really approve. I think our culture is a big factor, and just the stigma of being on the pill. Plus, there are a whole host of new health risks i can face being on it, and I don't know if that's a price i'm willing to pay for a problem like this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Ace of Spades Posted April 17, 2010 Report Share Posted April 17, 2010 Sex. Seriously. I dunno... my girlfriend gets them still. Radical hysterectomy? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leap87 Posted April 17, 2010 Report Share Posted April 17, 2010 Sex. Seriously. Actually I agree with this. Sex does help a lot in reducing cramps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrnursing Posted April 17, 2010 Report Share Posted April 17, 2010 Actually I agree with this. Sex does help a lot in reducing cramps. This information will give the power of leverage to single premed guys. Lady: Pain Gent: Are you okay? Lady: Cramp Gent: I know what can help Gent gets SLAPPPPPed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewfieMike Posted April 17, 2010 Report Share Posted April 17, 2010 Well i discussed that possibility with my parents, but they didn't really approve. I think our culture is a big factor, and just the stigma of being on the pill. Plus, there are a whole host of new health risks i can face being on it, and I don't know if that's a price i'm willing to pay for a problem like this. of course your parents aren't going to approve with you being on birth control, lol. Wait, I'm sorry, can you please elaborate on what the "stigma" is of being on the pill? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrnursing Posted April 17, 2010 Report Share Posted April 17, 2010 of course your parents aren't going to approve with you being on birth control, lol. Wait, I'm sorry, can you please elaborate on what the "stigma" is of being on the pill? In some cultures, parents don't want to know if their daughter is having sex with others before marriage. Even though, it's a "seemingly" common knowledge that a lot of people have pre-marital sex. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leap87 Posted April 17, 2010 Report Share Posted April 17, 2010 This information will give the power of leverage to single premed guys. Lady: Pain Gent: Are you okay? Lady: Cramp Gent: I know what can help Gent gets SLAPPPPPed Not during it. LOL. Gross... Before and after. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunshine80 Posted April 17, 2010 Author Report Share Posted April 17, 2010 of course your parents aren't going to approve with you being on birth control, lol. Wait, I'm sorry, can you please elaborate on what the "stigma" is of being on the pill? Well they know why I've been suggested to take it, but yeah i think many parents would feel the same way. In terms of the stigma, I mean more in terms of my culture (Indian). It's a quite conservative culture and sex isn't typically discussed very openly. Being on the pill would sort of associate me with that stuff I guess, and though I know it shouldn't mean anything, i think that forms a large part of my parent's attitude towards it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewfieMike Posted April 17, 2010 Report Share Posted April 17, 2010 Well they know why I've been suggested to take it, but yeah i think many parents would feel the same way. In terms of the stigma, I mean more in terms of my culture (Indian). It's a quite conservative culture and sex isn't typically discussed very openly. Being on the pill would sort of associate me with that stuff I guess, and though I know it shouldn't mean anything, i think that forms a large part of my parent's attitude towards it. cool, just interested in hearing your response. I'll leave it at that. I try my best not to **** with culture. For some people, family > individual. I'll never understand it, but I respect it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunshine80 Posted April 17, 2010 Author Report Share Posted April 17, 2010 cool, just interested in hearing your response. I'll leave it at that. I try my best not to **** with culture. For some people, family > individual. I'll never understand it, but I respect it. haha thanks, I do appreciate that! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunshine80 Posted April 17, 2010 Author Report Share Posted April 17, 2010 Not during it. LOL. Gross... Before and after. LOL yeah I was about to say.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dumblydorr Posted April 17, 2010 Report Share Posted April 17, 2010 For some people, family > individual. I'll never understand it, but I respect it. I guess it depends on how much your family has done for you. In my case, my parents went through countless troubles and extreme situations (voluntarily) with the express purpose of protecting me, my brother and ensuring we got a good life. They hardly ever buy anything for themselves and spend everything on us. Once I was old enough to realize what was going on, I made sure everything went the other way, naturally. If my parents asked me to do, or not do, something today, I could never refuse them. How could I, after all they have done and sacrificed for me? I would be the most arrogant and ungrateful **** to refuse their requests and not honor their views purely for my own reasons. Hence family> individual for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
astrogirl Posted April 17, 2010 Report Share Posted April 17, 2010 Honestly, birth control is the only thing that has helped with mine. I've been on it since I was 13 because of my horrible cramps after every pain killer I tried did nothing. My problem was a bit more than just cramps, though. I always had really heavy periods that lasted for at least two weeks, sometimes longer, and left me really anemic. Birth control was the thing that let me actually function again. If you have side effects from it, you can just try a different pill. I tried a few different pills before I found the one that worked best for me, but the side effects were never horrible. Just some nausea and spotting at weird times. One of the big side effects that people complain about is a reduced sex drive, so maybe you should tell your parents that. But it really is a good option, and from talking to other people I've realized that quite a few teenage girls end up on the pill to manage their periods. So I would really recommend trying it, especially since your doctor thinks it would be good for you. No one will even know you're on it unless you tell them, and there aren't that many health risks unless you're also a smoker. As an added bonus, it usually also clears up your acne! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deeman101 Posted April 17, 2010 Report Share Posted April 17, 2010 I guess it depends on how much your family has done for you. In my case, my parents went through countless troubles and extreme situations (voluntarily) with the express purpose of protecting me, my brother and ensuring we got a good life. They hardly ever buy anything for themselves and spend everything on us. Once I was old enough to realize what was going on, I made sure everything went the other way, naturally. If my parents asked me to do, or not do, something today, I could never refuse them. How could I, after all they have done and sacrificed for me? I would be the most arrogant and ungrateful **** to refuse their requests and not honor their views purely for my own reasons. Hence family> individual for me. You make me feel like a bad son. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewfieMike Posted April 17, 2010 Report Share Posted April 17, 2010 I guess it depends on how much your family has done for you. In my case, my parents went through countless troubles and extreme situations (voluntarily) with the express purpose of protecting me, my brother and ensuring we got a good life. They hardly ever buy anything for themselves and spend everything on us. Once I was old enough to realize what was going on, I made sure everything went the other way, naturally. If my parents asked me to do, or not do, something today, I could never refuse them. How could I, after all they have done and sacrificed for me? I would be the most arrogant and ungrateful **** to refuse their requests and not honor their views purely for my own reasons. Hence family> individual for me. Myself and my sister were raised by a single mother in a lower middle-class family. My mom worked as a lab tech and didn't make a TON of money, but knew all the right things to do with the money she made. While I never was given everything I needed, and had to work to buy the things I wanted since I was about 11, my mom was smart enough to start putting money away to get myself and my sister through college. She is the smartest, most caring person I have ever met. And if she wanted me to do something I was against, Would I? Absolutely the **** not. Your parents made the choice to have kids, and the choice to raise them the way that they wanted. You are 50% of the genetics of both each of your parents. Dawkin's selfish gene theory says (with a lot of evidence to back it up) that your parents raised you to give you the maximal opportunity to reach reproductive success. In turn, by you going on to survive and repopulate, your genes (and thus theirs) stay in the gene pool. Raising you not only benefited you, but it indirectly benefits them. If there was no benefit for them, no one would have children and our species simply would not exist. So, you shouldn't feel that you owe everything to your parents. They have done everything they can to raise you to be a healthy adult, and you now are able to go off and live the world as your own person to do your own things. I respect my mother immensely. And I appreciate everything she has done for me and my sister. But I am my own person, with my own thoughts, beliefs, morals, and actions. And my mother should respect that, as well. When I was 12, I had doubts about the faith I was being raised in (Roman Catholic), so I told my mother I didn't wish to attend church with her anymore. She was accepting of that, because I am my own person. The start of your post seems to infer that I choose individual > family because I had a bad go with family life and feel I owe nothing to them. On the contrary, I appreciate everything that was done for me. But we live about 80 years of complete, pointless existence. If someone else in the world wanted me to spend that time doing something I didn't want to do--I'm sorry, but that is just not happening. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dumblydorr Posted April 17, 2010 Report Share Posted April 17, 2010 One respects the wishes and desires of other family members to show that one cares for said family members. Judging by your post, you would not take anyone's wishes into account, and do only things that you want to do. On a more simplistic level, suppose you hate music concerts but your wife or gf loves them and asks you to attend one that's she's been looking forward to. You would decide that since you hate concerts, you would ignore the desires of those you care about and not attend? If it were me, I would go just to satisfy my SO, despite my own dislike for such events. On a similar note, the OP decides to avoid birth control because her parents don't approve. If you just go steamrolling through your life, making decisions based 100% on your own conscience, it's hard to have anyone in your life who cares about you at all. How can they, if you blatantly refuse to meet their wishes? I don't know how it's even possible to exist that way. Your parents made the choice to have kids, and the choice to raise them the way that they wanted. You are 50% of the genetics of both each of your parents. Dawkin's selfish gene theory says (with a lot of evidence to back it up) that your parents raised you to give you the maximal opportunity to reach reproductive success. In turn, by you going on to survive and repopulate, your genes (and thus theirs) stay in the gene pool. Raising you not only benefited you, but it indirectly benefits them. If there was no benefit for them, no one would have children and our species simply would not exist. This implies that all humans have some inner urge to take care of their children, hence increasing the chances of the children living well and passing on their genes. This makes no sense if you consider the extremes in good and bad parenting. By this statement, you're insulting the people who invest heavily in their children, by saying that it's all due to some natural instict and not their own consicious decision. There are MANY bad parents out there who don't care about their children. Where is this instinct in them? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deeman101 Posted April 17, 2010 Report Share Posted April 17, 2010 Mike, do you always quote evolutionary theories when making decisions? Do you never, like, use your humanity? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewfieMike Posted April 17, 2010 Report Share Posted April 17, 2010 One respects the wishes and desires of other family members to show that one cares for said family members. Judging by your post, you would not take anyone's wishes into account, and do only things that you want to do. On a more simplistic level, suppose you hate music concerts but your wife or gf loves them and asks you to attend one that's she's been looking forward to. You would decide that since you hate concerts, you would ignore the desires of those you care about and not attend? If it were me, I would go just to satisfy my SO, despite my own dislike for such events. On a similar note, the OP decides to avoid birth control because her parents don't approve. If you just go steamrolling through your life, making decisions based 100% on your own conscience, it's hard to have anyone in your life who cares about you at all. How can they, if you blatantly refuse to meet their wishes? I don't know how it's even possible to exist that way. This implies that all humans have some inner urge to take care of their children, hence increasing the chances of the children living well and passing on their genes. This makes no sense if you consider the extremes in good and bad parenting. By this statement, you're insulting the people who invest heavily in their children, by saying that it's all due to some natural instict and not their own consicious decision. There are MANY bad parents out there who don't care about their children. Where is this instinct in them? I believe there is a serious difference between choosing a life path for someone else and deciding to let them pick what we have for supper. I'm talking about big picture things, not trivial every-day nonsense. w.r.t your last point, there's something called "residual reproductive success". Basically, if you are a woman in your 20's, you're more able to reject raising an offspring because of all the residual years you have left to go. However, the 35 year old mommies with ticking biological clocks will be more likely to invest in their kids, because there isn't really much time left. If you look at the data, you see that infanticide is more common in young mothers than older, supporting this idea. edit: to counter-argue your 'concert-going' example, why would you go with them? You say you go to please them. But will pleasing them have any indirect benefit to yourself? I think it would, as they will be more likely to do things with you in the future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cnb88 Posted April 17, 2010 Report Share Posted April 17, 2010 To the OP: Like others have said, ibuprofen works wonders. I find exercise also helps when it gets really bad. That and a really hot shower. If ibuprofen doesn't work for you, I believe Midol has (or used to have anyways) some stuff for cramps, and it might help a little more than just ibuprofen because it has caffeine in it. When I was younger that's the only thing that helped. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewfieMike Posted April 17, 2010 Report Share Posted April 17, 2010 Mike, do you always quote evolutionary theories when making decisions? Do you never, like, use your humanity? humanity is our evolution. They are one in the same. What you are considering 'humanity' is the social norms we have construed in the 21st century. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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