Why does menstruation hurt? I want you theories and cures.

[AtYourCervix]

I don't care if they are true scientific fact or your own ponderings.

I don't care if cures are pharmaceutical, holistic, alternative or just a little bit woo.

I don't care for randomised control trials or anecdotes.

The fact of the matter is that every 28 days or so, something to do with moons, tides, calenders or curses makes women hurt. alot. and it's not fair, funny or useful.

Why?

I had horrendous periods as a teenager, really painful, accompanied by migraine, upset stomach, frequent fainting and often throwing up from the pain. I was also told it would improve after I had a baby and was a bit about it, but actually it did. From having ds1 9 years ago I have only ever had a bit of cramping - until recently.

I am not allowed to take hormonal contraceptives of any kind, so they were never an option for me.

In June this year I started a healthy eating and exercise plan. I have lost just over 2 stone, really toned up and lost lots of inches using the 30 day shred video and doing a lot of walking. I don't eat refined sugar or processed food, drink caffeine or alcohol, have a very low sodium intake and work out daily.

So, in theory I am now doing everything right to prevent pmt and period pains, but it seems to have had the exact opposite effect.

I now suffer from pmt for two weeks before my period starts, have started having migraines in the week before again and have ridiculously tender and sore boobs, bloating, water retention, constipation followed by dreadful upset stomachs and finally excruciating cramps, back-ache and as of last month fainting. The only thing that helps alleviate the pain is to do some exercise, but I can only do that after the first day or so because I am so bad with all the other symptoms.

The other odd thing that's been happening is that I seem to stop bleeding completely for a whole day on day 3, then start again on day 4, every single month. I have absolutely no idea why that would happen, or why its always on the same day, but I'm sure it must mean something.

To say I am a bit pee'd off about it would be the understatement of the century.

I can only assume that it has nothing to do with my new regime, but is most likely down to my age (41) and I am probably peri-menopausal and if this is what things are going to be like from now, well I can't bear the thought really.

I'm 34 and have had painful and very heavy periods all my life.I have two DC's but my periods are still agony.
I don't get pmt luckily but I do get the squits!
As soon as I start my period I take very strong painkillers straight away,my pains don't start immediately. I then take them every 4 hours for the first couple of days.
I have just bought some magnesium supplements like someone above suggested as I read this should help.
The Mirena cured my period problems but I lost my sex drive.

Without going into too much detail I find having an orgasm stops my period pains in their tracks.

not a 'western' or 'developed' construct- there are tribes/indigenous groups in Africa who have menstrual huts where women have to stay during their period. But I suppose they'd have fewer periods, assuming more children and longer bf time?

You got me intrigued so I did some googling...
Apparently menstruation is a punishment according to Mayan beliefs and the blood turns into snakes and insects and this is quite interesting

I feel your pain btw, and DS hasn't changed it at all. Labout was far far worse for me though :(

I used to not be able to work when I had periods the pain was so bad and were bad from being a young teenager right up until I eventually had the mirena coil fitted. Now I dont have periods and no pain. Best thing I ever did (but it took ages to settle).

I dont know what causes the pain but no medication every helped and I used to bleed for about two weeks every two weeks and really heavy. They were awful and I was a nightmare to live with for many years.

My theory as to why sometimes the pain is better after childbirth is likening it to elastic.

When you have your period and you have the slight cramping, it's like flexing a rubber band - there is resistance, but your body still has to work at it.

After contractions/pregnancy, your uterus has been stretched a lot so is able to stretch by itself, and cope with the relatively minor cramping without painful tightening (think slightly played with, old elastic band)

EFA's should also be an essential part of your diet if you suffer with pain badly...

I think having a period every month for years is really unnatural actually. It's no wonder women suffer with it.
If you think about traditional societies, women were not as well nourished so started later - 15 or 16 probably. They would be married shortly after & pregnant soon after that. They would breastfeed for about 2-3 years - again with fewer calories to eat they may not have had a period until stopping bf. Then they would be pregnant again straight away. And so on - a baby every 3yrs until the menopause.
They probably only had about 20 periods in their whole life! And makes being on the pill - which partially mimics pregnancy to stop you ovulating - seem more 'natural' than not taking it & having loads of periods.
Of course I wouldn't fancy having 10+ DCs either - I think I'll stick with the periods!

Interesting theory Dragon

Same here UberCat :o

Another one who finds periods much easier with a mooncup - and I was using towels before. I also seem to get more twinges when the mooncup is full.

So I wondered if there's something in the blood-n-stuff which the vagina or some other part actually recognises and triggers the uterus to contract? So that lots of gunk = more contractions, less gunk = lesser contractions?

And the mooncup keeps more of the the gunk off the vagina walls and then whisks it neatly away.

I find bouncing gently on a gym ball is fab for cramps. My best thing to do is a sort of plank on one, like <a class="break-all" href="http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?q=plank+on+a+gym+ball&um=1&hl=en&sa=N&biw=1024&bih=509&tbm=isch&tbnid=fu7o18zpR8ocGM:&imgrefurl=www.tinajuanfitness.info/exercises/plank%2520on%2520stab.htm&docid=EJJqRRJH4lWLxM&w=250&h=188&ei=VWKCTujgMYvesgaPqoX1DQ&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=265&page=1&tbnh=141&tbnw=187&start=0&ndsp=8&ved=1t:429,r:4,s:0&tx=67&ty=34" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">this but with the ball under your tummy instead of your knees. That way the pressure of the ball sort of pushes against the sore bits (if that makes sense). I lie like that and wobble about a bit whilst watching a film and it's normally much better afterwards.

Helps with any trapped wind, too

I can't get on with the mooncup. Mine seems to get sucked too far up and then it leaks

Moon cup is useless for me, it presses on my bladder constantly and I feel as if I'm suctioning out my uterus when I attempt to remove it.

See moosemama - you need sugar, chocolate and alcohol

I have had 3 DCs, bf & early menopause so reckon I've not had that many periods compared to some.

Showing my ignorance here . Does the implant stop your periods completely (post menopausal woman here). DD suffers badly as I did. She is only 15 at the moment but I'm thinking when the time comes this would be the thing for her as she would NEVER remember to take the pill (which helped me by the way, and pregnancy x5 cured me).

Mine feel like my uterus is contracting / cervix opening. Exactly like labour pains. Infact, the labour for DS was only marginally more painful.

They were so bad before children that I had to take horsepills to dull the pain, but have not been so bad since then.

And now I have the joy of the menopause messing everything up completely.

hormones no more.

Unfortunately, my waistline disagrees!

bigscarymum my sister has it and her periods are pretty much non existent. Maybe once every six months she will have a very light period. I asked the doctor because I was thinking about it and he said "people react differently. Some people never bleed, some bleed regularly, some pretty much constantly". The pretty much constantly put me off, but I've never heard of that actually happening.

I decided I was not happy using anything other than condoms, but my sister absolutely loves hers and has been using the implant for about 8 years - the doctor who fitted it was the same one there when she was delivered as a baby!