Pamprin is a joke, Midol is worse - somebody help me before I lose my mind!

[Orpingtons4U]

I get bad cramps is it cos i have heavy flow????

 

[Ashdoes]

Hormones are a B! I have what the docs consider mild PCOS, so I go months with no period, but for some reason have all symptoms every month.
Some of the new birth control pills can help with severe PMS, go to a doc and tell them what's going on, that's the best you can do.
Otherwise do what I do, take a nap.

 

[Criskin]

I understand what you are going through. Once things got back to normal after nursing my second son, I started to turn into a crazy person the week before my period. Little things would set me into an irrational screaming, door slamming rage which is totally not like me at all. When I wasn't angry, I was doing silly things like bawling my eyes out because I bought the wrong brand of coffee or because an insurance commercial made me sad. Thank goodness my husband is a patient man or I'm sure he would have either locked me up or packed up and left. Then there were the cramps, which at times hurt as bad as labor pains. My OBGYN put me on hormonal birth control to help with the pain and mood swings. It did help with the pain but instread of mood swings the week before my period, I became depressed all the time. I stopped the BC but eventually went to a regular MD who put me on an anti-anxiety/depression med. Now I sometimes get a little weepy around that time of the month, but nothing like before and I never have those irrational fits of rage. For pain I take Ibuprofen. If it gets too bad I stagger Midol and Ibuprofen...it seems that each wears off before I can take it again but if I time it so that I can take one a few hours after the other, the pain is manageable.

 

[MammasBabies]

Having just gotten mostly through menopause..(sorry about spelling) I can tell you that mood swings are a pain and usually a sign of a hormone imbalance. Talk to your GYN. As for cramps...my grandmother taught me about a tablespoon of ground ginger in a cup of hot water....really does help. Maybe find a "me...special place" to retreat to when it gets bad for personal time out. Going for a walk helps me, or a hot bath...everyone has something that relaxes them. Good luck. I can honestly say that I do not miss my monthlies.

 

[chickenreferee]

First off, I hear you. PMS SUCKS....it's gotten worse for me since I hit my 30's (34 this year). I know it sounds weird, but something that has helped me with the whole mental sanity side of things has been Vitamin D. Truly, when I don't take it, I am up and down side to side. Happy one minute, super angry the next, crying the next. It stinks. And I'm not exactly 100% normal on my good days anyway, but the D has made all the difference!

Of course, I don't have insurance, so I can't really go to the doc for testing and everything, but if you have that option I would definitely take it. Better to be sure than continue being miserable if there is something that will help.

Hang in there! I hope it gets better for you soon.

 

[canesisters]

Ok - THAT is so weird.
I was JUST listening to an interview with this Dr. about vitamin deficiencies and how B and D are key to managing moods - especially in pre & menopausal women !!!

I am SOOO stopping at the drug store and getting a great big bottle of One-A-Day!

 

[Ashdoes]

My MIL worked with a woman who swears by vitamin D. Worth a try.

 

[Livinzoo]

a multi-vitamin is good if you are not already deficient. I would do a B-100 complex, vit D and some Magnesium Malate (or another chelated version not oxide) You will have to find a specialty shop or order offline. her is a link to a study on PMS and mag, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2067759 Skip calcium. If your deficient in magnesium like 70% of Americans taking calcium will prevent you from absorbing magnesium. But the more magnesium you take, the more calcium your body can absorb from foods.

If you want to cover your bases you can take a multivitain in the morning and than at night take Vit D, B-100 and Mag. Mag will also help you sleep.

 

[PlatypusPerry]

I would definitely make sure you are not deficient in any vitamins. I know it sounds absurd but, after going through some (alright...alot) of fertility troubles I began taking quite a few vitamins myself including, at times, D3 (I'm in the PacNW so w/o much sun it helps), C, a SuperB, Prenatal with DHA (you could just take a multi), plenty of fish oil, calcium and I take glucosamine for my knees (my preference).

Something you may want to look into is a tea that is just great in general for women called Red Raspberry Leaf Tea - it has a mild, rather grass-y taste and I prefer to make a big batch, lightly sweeten mine and drink it cold with a slice of lemon *yum*. Especially with summer heat now I love cold tea.

Ibuprofen I agree is great for cramps - better than acetaminophen. I would pair it with some caffeine if you can (Red Raspberry Leaf Tea has no caffeine).

However, if you're having bad mood swings I would talk to your OB about it - s/he may be able to do something like put you on a different birth control (if you're open to that) like the Mirena which will stop your periods over time in all likelihood. I know when I had the Mirena in that's what it did to my periods (AF). So, I would say - definitely worth a visit! There might be a great option that is NOT an antidepressant for you - especially since this sounds hormonal.

 

[gabrielle1976]

I have hormone issues , I get cysts that get so big they rupture , we wont go into how heavy I bleed , As for cramps I can take 2 persciption vicodin and it barely touches it. I have vomited it hurt so bad and have times when I cant stand upright . I have had a baby an I tell you what my cramps are in a tie for pain even with contractions in late stages of labor.
I take 2 excidrine the combo of stuff in it helps for some reason
I also take 2 advil at the same time. (carefull if you have any problems with your kidneys or liver or anything)
I eat chocolate when I want or sweats ( your body secretes chemicals when you eat stuff like that )
I have a square fleece thing not shure how to describe it two pieces of fleece sewn together and filled up enough with rice to have an nice even layer when its on a flat surface. I heat this up in the micro and place it on my abdomen.
Havent found anything to help with the mood swings and crying spells sorry.