I suffer from extra bad menstral cramps, but since I am
allergic to muscle relaxants the only relief I have is in
the pill and lots of ASA and that doesnt really help.
I wanted to ask anyone who is reading this is: How do you
cope when your out in the middle of "nowhere" in your tent
and you get your period? If your like me, your sick to your
stomach, and all you want to do is sleep and sit on the
toilet all day. I often watch LP on TV and wonder how do
the female travelers deal with that when they are on 14hr
train rides through India(for example) where you'd rather
"go" in a bucket than risk getting malaria but touching
something by accident in a washroom.
It's because of this, that I am afraid to travel to any
exotic places. When I was in Israel, I was so stressed and
paranoid about what to do if I get it, I ruined a good bit
of my trip. All that worrying made me miss it altogether!
Also, I was wondering if your going to be backpacking for
say, 3 months, do you take a 3 month supply(pads) with you,
in case your somewhere where you cant buy them? Wouldn't
that take up a lot of space in your pack? I sure wouldn't
want to carry all that around with me...
Thanks for listening.
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Have a read of number 22, lots of ideas there to help you. Basically - stay on the pill the whole time you are away! Oh, and have a good trip!
Hi! My name is Ms. Anopheles, and I market Malaria-TM.
At present, Malaria-TM is not marketed inside dirty
bathrooms unless I'm hanging out in them waiting to bite yo'
buns. However, our marketing program is focused on the
nighttime customer market in places such as homes, swing
shift outdoor workplaces, and outdoor rest/sleeping areas.
The airconditioned screened and mosquito netted market is
too difficult for our sales agents to enter so we do not
market very much to these locations.
Our marketing mechanism is consistent anhd emphasizes
personal delivery - one bite from myself [Ms. Anopheles]
and, if my salivary glands are stocked with sporozoites, I
have sold you some product. I consider dirty bathrooms to
be *much, much* below my level as a marketing mechanism.
The product is delivered much like Domino's Pizza, except
that I'm the delivery person and I eat the meal and deliver
the parasites. It's an awesome system for me. That's why
I'm a vector!
If bathrooms in Israel are dirty that is news to me. Like
any salesperson, I prefer clean bathrooms. You may want to
stoop and not sit. My children [Anopheles larvae] tend to
prefer clean water. The product Malaria-TM is not currently
marketed in Israel although a few travelers to Africa or
elsewhere may occasionally purchase it and bring it home as
a souvenir.
To avoid getting problems from unclean fruits and
vegetables, you may want to get your shots before you leave
for things like Hepatitis A and typhoid.
If you are going someplace where I market my product
heavily, such as subsaharan Africa, you might consider
sleeping under one of those d**ed nets that keep me out.
For more information about me and my tropics-wide marketing
program as well as about your shots, visit HREF="http://www.cdc.gov">The CDC.
Well it's been a long night shift [that's MY time to work!]
and I better turn it over to no-one for day shift. Our
product Malaria-TM is not marketed during the daytime. This
is a nighttime product.
P.S. Folks please don't take offense this was meant to be a
post that humorously explains that Anopheles mosquitoes
transmit malaria and that "malaria" does not come from grody
stinky nasty bathrooms unless there are infected Anopheles
mosquitoes in there.
i would have to concur that being on the pill would help.
But you shouldn't bring that many pads, they will be
available. If you're really going to the boonies (like an
uninhabited desert) then but enough for next cycle at last
town. Tampons on the other hand can be hard to get.
Bring good midol,asprin, pain killer whatever, enough for
trip cause its small and you might not be able to get the
best kind for you.
good luck
I too suffer from severe cramps. I take a 100 mg of
Anaprox the moment my either flow starts or cramping does,
whichever comes first. One dose is all I need and this
isn't a muscle relaxant. It is a "cousin" of aspirin, but
if you're like me, aspirin doesn't work. Anyway, I've found
that MDs don't have any problem prescribing this drug. Over
the years, I've given friends a tablet or two. They have
liked it as well as I do. Try this before you travel, so
you'll know if it works for you. Oh, and I used it 10 years
ago when I was in India.
Hi!
As you really suffer from this "period-problem" I do really recomend you to ask for contraceptive tablets. The are not only used for preventing pragnancy!!
If you are out, for let say 3 month, you wouldn't need to have any perid at all. If you are out for longer time, you can decide yourself when to let the period come.
There MANY people who eat those tablets just to delay the period during a holiday.
Take care Anneli
Hi Alisa. Acupuncture and/or herbs can be very helpful. You
don't have to suffer from menstrual distress and
contraceptives, midol, etc. do not really sort out that kind
of problem effectively. Plus they have unwanted side
effects and you have to keep using them.
I agree w/ Mary. I used to have horrendous, heavy periods. The pill helped some. But after acupuncture treatments, I was able to go off the pill and my period is now regular, moderate flow (instead of hemmorhage), and cramp-free. It's pretty amazing. My acupuncturist says not to use tampons, they increase PMS.
I had some very painful and heavy periods last year and decided to try evening primrose oil (EPO). Three months after starting it my periods became pain-free and much lighter, and I even got less PMS symptoms. As I'm a doctor, it's easy for me to be sceptical about alternative therapies and I certainly didn't expect such a dramatic improvement on this stuff (no idea how it works). It may not work for everyone, but I am impressed enough to recommend you try it. Unlike the Pill it doesn't have any side effects so you won't lose out if you give it go. In future I am going to be a lot more open-minded. Taking regular aerobic exercise also helps if you are not fit already.
have you ever tried aromatherapy,
accupunture, deep breathing? these can
give some relief although when i get
REALLY bad cramps i'm ready to
punch someone in the face if they try
and suggest something "natural" like
that. what type of muscle relaxants are
you allergic to? poster #4 is right.
Annaprox is a NSAID. non steriodal
anti-inflammatory drug. these consist
of ibuprofen, naproxen (annaprox),
etc. i find they work WAY better than
just plain asa. have you ever tried
about 600-900mg of Advil
(ibuprofen)? i also found this
accupuncture point around my ankles
that works and deep breathing
REALLY works. anyways. there you
go.
Before asking what to pack for your painful period, see if
you can treat it so it does not become a huge problem on
travel. Read of my experience, maybe it will help. Ten
years of trouble with my period since my teenage, then a
pregnancy and then fifteen years of nightmare cramps (was
in hospital 3 times for this) + severe PMS 17 days a month
and endometriosis and heavy haemorraging for over 9 days
(i.e. 2 Super Tampax + one night sanitary towel = 2 hours
protection), breast like concrete, sex pain, stomach
bloating, nauseas, blood spotting most of my cycle, temper
to the point of brutality to my loved ones, repeat
miscarriages, and 4 C+Ds (during one of which the surgeon
managed to perforate my uterus). Meaning, I had about one-
two normal days in a cycle. I had tried all doctors, in
SouthEast France, Switzerland and London,United Kingdom,
specialists, clinics, naturopaths, all therapies, almost
every single pill, oestrogen, progesterone, painkillers,
diuretics, vitamins, tranquillisers, anti-depressants,
neuroleptics, etc. and herbs on the market, hypnotherapy,
acupuncture, homeopathy, the lot, to no avail. I was told I
was mad, some stupid fool of a doctor once said that maybe
I was a manic-depressive. etc. Several surgeons said that I
had to have my uterus out, my ovaries out, etc. I did a
Masters in Psychology to understand what was wrong with me.
I learnt about hormones and neurotransmitters, and since I
am a herbs enthusiast, I learnt the British Pharmacopeia of
herbs with their chemicals (not easy stuff and I am no
scientist).
Nothing helped.
Until I went to see, by sheer luck, an ENDOCRINOLOGIST i.e.
a hormone doctor (female). She prescribed for the first
three cycles Acetate of Cyproterone 50 mg a day for 20 days
which completely suppressed my naturally completely
unbalanced hormones + estrogen gel so as to keep a slight
provision of estrogen to keep the ovaries in good shape,
then a 7 day break to have my "artificial period". It's
like a semi-artificial menopause without the troubles of
it. We did a monthly surveillance with ultrasound and
determined when my uterus endometrium was very thin, then
made a one month break from the treatment, which we try and
plan during a stress-less period, because some of the
troubles come back during that break. It's been three years
now, and I was able to halve the dosage after two years. I
hope I can quarter the dosage next year.
I HAVE NO MORE PMS, AM NORMAL AT LONG LAST, LIKE A 20-YEAR
OLD (am 41 now), HAVE GREAT LIBIDO, NO MORE TEMPERS, NO
MORE BREAST PAIN, AM DOMESTICATED, A PLEASANT FEMALE, AND
REASONABLE PERIODS WHICH HARDLY HURT MORE THAN A FEW HOURS
AND QUITE BEARABLE, LASTING 5 DAYS, (so bearable that half
the time I forget to buy my sanitary towels in advance!)
AND IT'S CONTRACEPTIVE AS WELL. And if I want to get
pregnant and have children again, no problem (though it's a
bit too late now). All this benefit with one pill a day and
two doses of gel! It takes a few months to adjust the
dosage, and meanwhile until your body adjusts, you'll have
a little spotting or hot flushes, but nothing like you had
before. So you must be persistent, and you MUST ABSOLUTELY
check the thickness of the endometrium because if it
becomes too thin, the uterus will be raw with the blood
vessels and you'll haemorrage during the cycle. Provided
you are sensible and regular with your checkups, there's no
hassle. BUT NOW I CAN LIVE AS A GREAT HUMAN BEING, and
believe me, the constraints of the treatment are nothing
compared to the horrible life I had before and the horrors
I inflicted on my family and friends. I have sent some of
my women friends suffering from PMS to this doctor, with
the same wonderful results; including an 18-year old
daughter of a friend, who had it almost as bad as me, who
only had to take 3 months treatment, then her body bounced
back to normal and she has perfect pain-free, PMS free
cycles now, because she was treated young enough and that
was all the help her body needed to adjust. See if you can
try such a treatment, then you will not have to worry too
much about having periods during travel. Get in touch, I'll
give you more details if you want. Lots of love. Sylvie.
P.S. Had my period yesterday, I don't ever need now to
carry painkillers with me at all times!
Instead of aspirin or anaprox (this requires a
prescription), I recommend any over the counter pain
pill with Ibuprofen (example: Advil).
Ibuprofen specifically works on
prostiglandins which are chemicals in the body which
transmit pain signals to the brain. Ibuprofen contains
anti-prostiglandins and it REALLY DOES WORK on
menstrual cramps and also headaches I sometimes get
with pre-menstrual tension before my period.
I've never had it as bad as Sylvie but I used to have some
really painful days when I was about 18 years old along with
the usual thing of considering this all a nuisance and taboo
problem. Then I read a book (sadly don't remember the title)
about it. The author said that most of the cramps are
actually originate from having a "cramped" attitude towards
the subject (like putting your used pad at the bottom of the
bin, not going for sports or let alone a swim). Well I
gradually
started to be a bit more relaxed with the subject and wonder
over wonder - it helps. Especially I found that treating
yourself to some moderate relaxing sport and cold showers
makes your body almost totally forgetting the pain for the
next 6 hours. After starting on the pill it became even
better - pains only ever 3rd or 4th month. But watch out if
you take the pill without interuption for some month then
the next break is usually a bit more painful. Also I felt
that using tampons helped me feeling more independed and
relaxed about the whole problem. But wearing them too long
or at nights seems to increase bloating and pain due to a
kind of plug effect.
By now I adjusted so comfortably with it that I even go
swimming (using a tampon and definitely changing it to a new
one straight after comming out of the water to prevent TSS)
which is actually very relaxing. Also I found that the cold
shower doesn't only stop the pain for some hours but also
the bleeding for approx half an hour.
Also I find that regular situps training helps you to get a
better grip on your muscles and make it easier to relax them
when cramped. That's it. Hope it helpes.
And thanks for the idea about the keeper. I haven't heard
about it before. Now that I've read the webpage about it
I'll give it a try.
I've posted this on a similar topic, so here goes again -
you might consider getting checked for endometriosis. It's
suspected that 1 in 7 women have it, but since you need to
do a laparoscopy (minor surgical procedure) to diagnose it,
it's totally undiagnosed. Plus many docs don't seem to know
what it is. The Endometriosis Assn. has a website - search
engines can find it easily - and unfortunately, there's no
cure, and there's no one effective treatment, though in the
laparoscopy they generally cauterize the lesions that are
causing the pain. Sometimes the pain never comes back after
the laparoscopy. If your menstrual pain is really impacting
the way you're living, it might be worth getting checked for
endo, since there are treatment options (like artifical
menopause) that aren't used for treating "just plain"
menstrual pain.
Also, you might try taking large doses of Magnesium in the
days before and during your period. It's an anti-cramping
agent and it's helped me a lot.
Hi,
I used to suffer from the same problem, and because of the menstrual cramps, it pained until I could not work - I have to take emergency leave...could not do anything but lie on the bed and try to sleep it off. I fainted twice in the bus. So try this Evening Primrose Oil as recommended earlier by Sceptic.....it really works ! After a month of taking it, there it much less cramps. Choose the 'cold-pressed' tablets as it keeps better.
Good Luck !!!
Hi
I used to have terrible menstrual pains, I'd throw up, take
tons of Ibuprofen containing pills and basically feel sorry
for myself and annoy people around. When I decided to spend
three months travelling alone in West Africa my mother said
Iwas crazy and asked me what I planned to do when I shall
find myself lying in the middle of nowhere going through
one of these terrible period moment. Well, I must admit I
thought she wasn't so far off, but when I was in Africa I
didn't have any trouble at all. No pain, no nausea,
nothing. I do believe that it is all in yourself (and this
is just in my opinion)and your body does take care of you.
I was on my I own and there was nowhere I could turn fot
that sort of help and I didn't get sick. The minute I got
back I got terribly sick for two days and then it was over.
I'm telling you if you can't really afford to get sick you
won't.
The problem I am having is I get really bad cramps that I
cant do anything for two days but lay down and sleep. I also
suffer from constipation when I get my period. The first two
days are the worst but after that it's fine. Heavy bleeding
and blood clots and constipation all at once is what is
really painful. If anyone is having the same problem or nows
what the heck is wrong with me can you get back to me. I
went to my Doctor and he says that some woman go through
this and I happen to be one of them. That cant be right and
I dont know if I can go through this any longer.
Please get back to me
Jeanette
I've had moderately severe problems with my periods since
the beginning (10 years ago), usually consisting of very
debilitating cramps and nausea/diarrhea/vomiting if left
"untreated". That is, I get really bad cramps, starting
in the lower back about 2 hours before my bleeding begins
(believe it or not, this is actually a very convenient way
to never be suprised at work, etc).
If I don't take something for the cramps right away, they
very quickly get worse and within several hours turn into
the nausea/diarrhea/vomiting. It only got that bad once,
while I was "trapped" at work teaching swimming lessons(!).
My traditional treatment, which has worked very well, is
just very high doses of ibuprofen. 600mg (3 tablets) every
2-3 hours for the first 36-48 hours of my period. Then
everything is better.
Unlike some of you who have written, I do not have any
accompanying heavy bleeding. In fact, I go through about
6-10 regular tampons each cycle, which lasts 2-4 days. I
also have noticeable mood swings 7-10 days before.
So, lots of normal, "buy-at-walmart" ibuprofen....and lots
of water. I've noticed my symptoms are worse if I am in
a heavy coffee drinking phase.
Phoebe
I was also wondering how the Lonely Planet women manage as
well. I get terrible cramps and nauseau and all the rest.
Evening Primrose oil helps, and so does staying off of
caffiene, at least for me. Like Phoebe, I find that drinking
tons of coffee makes it so much worse! Dong Quai, a Chinese
herb also known as Angelica is helpful for some women. When
I can't afford to let myself just rest for a day or two, I
find taking lots of ibuprofen helps.
Here is my trick. Take a dose of Ibuprofen as soon as you
get the tiniest twinge of cramps. And keep taking it as
whenever you need it. Because it inhibits the cramp making
proglactins (sp?) it controls cramps. I personally hate
feeling all drugged up though. I talked to a natural healer,
and yes I'm usually skeptical of these treatments, and we
found that it has to do with my attitude towards my body. If
you hold anger towards being female and having to fuss with
all of this, the anger will reflect in your menstruation.
Last month, I did an hour of yoga on the first day of my
period and it was the best menstration I've had in months!!!
(I listened to a guided yoga tape on my walkman and
stretched away.) This might help as well. Best wishes, Dani
Not sure if my original post got on... so please humour me
if this is double posted...
I was also wondering how the Lonely Planet women manage as
well. I get terrible cramps and nauseau and all the rest.
Evening Primrose oil helps, and so does staying off of
caffiene, at least for me. Like Phoebe, I find that drinking
tons of coffee makes it so much worse! Dong Quai, a Chinese
herb also known as Angelica is helpful for some women. When
I can't afford to let myself just rest for a day or two, I
find taking lots of ibuprofen helps.
Here is my trick. Take a dose of Ibuprofen as soon as you
get the tiniest twinge of cramps. And keep taking it as
whenever you need it. Because it inhibits the cramp making
proglactins (sp?) it controls cramps. I personally hate
feeling all drugged up though. I talked to a natural healer,
and yes I'm usually skeptical of these treatments, and we
found that it has to do with my attitude towards my body. If
you hold anger towards being female and having to fuss with
all of this, the anger will reflect in your menstruation.
Last month, I did an hour of yoga on the first day of my
period and it was the best menstration I've had in months!!!
(I listened to a guided yoga tape on my walkman and
stretched away.) This might help as well. Best wishes, Dani
All these suggestions for what might be causing difficult
menstruation, and how to treat it (NSAIDS, herbs,
acupuncture. . .) are great. BUT! I'd like to know if any
seasoned travelling women have suggestions for special
preparations to make (things we might not normally think of
at home) or special circumstances one might encounter. Ffor
example, I'm told in India one sends one's laundry out to be
done by others... is it considered bad manners or taboo or
anything to send bloodied panties to be washed? Are there
places it's taboo for a menstruating woman to go or
activities one should not (culturally) perform? Are there
any special problems with disposal of sanitary products?
When it comes to buying sanitary products in non-western
countries, whom does one ask? These are the sorts of
questions I have... I pretty much know how to manage my own
cycle when I'm at home, what comforts me, things like
that... but when far from home in a country with different
customs, I want to be prepared. Also I'm interested in how
women of other (non-western) countries handle this universal
situation. I'm quite certain that, cramps aside,
menstruation is messy and uncomfortable for non-western
women as well. What customs and routines have they developed
for coping? How might I get this information without
offending the women in my host country?
Finally, a couple of practical ideas which I've already come
up with for dealing with the mechanics of menstruation:
(1) OB brand tampons come without applicators and are
therefore very compact. They are individually wrapped, which
help with cleanliness issues. Alternative collection methods
such as sponges, etc. are all well and good at home, where I
know I can wash and be sure the water's clean, but I can't
see putting myself at risk in an environment my body's not
used to.
(2) On the subject of cleanliness, recently a "waterless
anti-bacterial hand wash" gel has become widely available,
and I highly recommend it for those times when the toilets
seem a bit iffy, and especially if you're menstruating and
using tampons: you can quickly and easily sanitize your
hands before handling supplies and/or inserting your fingers
in your vagina. It even comes in a travel size, small enough
to be unobtrusive in a fannypack. Similarly, moistened
"baby wipes" are available in travel size packs, for those
times when your digestion is giving you fits and the toilet
paper is brutal. Even better than baby wipes, I've found
moistened "Eye Makeup Remover Towellettes" to be a great
alternative: they're smaller, and whatever is on them is
gentler and doesn't smell as strange. I never travel without
these for times when I have diarrhea, my period, or other
hygiene needs.
In response to the question about cultural taboos:
I lived two years in Egypt, and I am nearly finished with a
PhD in Islamic Studies. So I am going to talk to you about
Egyptian culture in this matter and then about Islamic Law.
EGYPTIAN CULTURE AND MENSTRUATION
When I used to have a maid in Cairo who was responsible for
washing my clothes I would carefully separate the bloodied
panties and soak them so that I could wash them myself. She
found and washed them. When I questioned her about this she
said that this was no problem. I have since observed this
to be true - any time I have stayed with any woman, I have
seen people who were washing the family clothes washing
panties, bloodied or otherwise, belonging to other people.
They have a folk saying in Egypt that if someone sees
another person's blood, she will get her period too. This
is, in my opinion, an interesting way to explain the
phenomenon scientists have described as menstrual
synchronization. All of this points to the fact that many
women often live in one dwelling there and that they see
each other's blood fairly frequently.
ISLAM AND MENSTRUATION
Among Muslims, in Egypt and elsewhere, menstrual blood is
seen, as are other bodily fluids, to bring ritual pollution.
The reasons for this are complex but it suffices to say
this: Women who have their periods are generally forbidden
from 1)entering mosques or performing ritual prayers
2)touching a Qur'an or reciting from it 3)fasting during
Ramadan 4)having sexual intercourse 4)circumnavigating the
Ka'ba during Hajj. If traveling in such a country, I advise
keeping secret about one's menstruation if possible. Please
note that it is impossible to "defile" a mosque by entering
it. But most people assigned to guard the doors of these
buildings do not know this.
It should be noted that the periodic inability to
participate in religious rituals makes it obvious to many
people that a certain woman may be menstruating at a given
moment. This *generally* produces a culture which is less
obsessive about "hiding" menstruation than some others.
After all, when the Prophet Muhammad's favorite wife was
menstruating, she wanted to hand him something but was
concerned about handing it directly to his hand (the Jews
had forbidden this), and was reassured by the Prophet that
this was no problem, with the statement, "Your menstruation
is not in your hand." Again, menstruation in Islam creates
ritual pollution, not actual uncleanliness for social
purposes.
PADS AND AVAILABILITY
I used to travel with disposable pads in Ziploc bags and I
still recomend this if someone who uses disposable pads
needs any particular size, as they may have pads where
you're going but not the ones you need. But I want to point
out that in these places you're going where pads are hard to
find, people are still menstruating, right? So they must be
using something reusable. Once I began to use the reusable
pads it made things so much easier. I can soak them
overnight in a big Ziploc bag or even a sink in the hotel
room. And every country sells bar laundry soap with whi to
wash them.
CRAMPS
I have had cramps in some of the most terrible places and in
fact I recommend that you try to drink ginger tea (even if
it's not a standard item, if you can give the local name for
ginger you can probably get some) and take the powerful
painkillers. Explain to your traveling companions before
you go that if you have the cramps you may need to stay a
few days in a place, and that this flexibility is necessary.
Thanks you all for tons of great info.
I have started taking the pill. The first time around was
with a high dose pill that made me throw up a few times, so
I swithced to a low dose pill called ALess. It works fine.
I get stomache aches now,(which is alot better than crampy
back and thigh aches)but it only lasts one or two days.
This pill also seems to control the flow too. Problem is
that you cant take the Pill forever. But I'll worry about
that then. For those who asked I am allergic to Anaprox and
IBprofen which make me break out in hives in my mouth.
Thanks again for great advice!
almost a year after i got my period i started having cramps so bad i couldnt even walk. NO pills work for me and i need suggestions. Warm milk works,but only for a few hours. If anyone knows of something that works e~mail me.
~Stef
I've had severe menstrual cramping for over 20 years and in
recent years it was actually becoming worse. As bad as
labor pains. Read a very interesting book by a Dr. John
Lee called about natural hormone therapy. Basic premise:
petrochemical derivatives (in which our environment
abounds) exert an estrogen-like on living things. Causes a
chronic imbalance in the estrogen/progesterone ratio
producing myriad problems. Like anovulatory cycles,
menstrual pain, etc. Treatment: application of *natural*
progesterone creme on your skin during second half of
cycle.
In the US, natural hormones cannot be patented -- synthetic
ones CAN. So drug companies make more money from synthetic
hormones & thus push them in the marketplace. Natural
hormones (made in a lab from plant products) have the same
chemical structure as the hormones made by your body.
Synthetic ones do not.
Natural progesterone treatment is very safe. It didn't
cure my severe menstrual cramps but made a very marked
improvement. I've been using this creme treatment for over
2 years and the pain and wild irregularity of my cycles has
greatly diminished.
To manage the pain that still occurs I use an OTC product
called Naproxen (Aleve is one brand name). End result -
. Cheap, about $5 for a month's supply.
I have yet to embark on my travels, although I am in the process of planning and saving and gaining information etc. I have recently purchased a reusable menstrual cup called THE KEEPER and made in the USA. I know that they have a web site as well if you wanted to get more info. It is comfortable despite its intimidating size, and very ecological. It is made out of natural rubber, and will last up to ten years. I figure that when I go travelling I wont have to worry and stress out about running out of those products, and wont have a guilty conscious for leaving my garbage behind. Imagine, never having to worry about that ever again.... There is another plus as well, you become more familiar with your body and it's functions than ever before and you will laugh and feel pity for those women in commercials trying to convince us that they are liberated, free and comfortable. Try it!!
Nobody here seems to have heard of Norethisterone. It is
not any form of "the pill" and as such has no contraceptive
properties. BUT you can take it for as long as you want to
delay your period. I have taken it for three months solid
before now and suffered no ill effects. Unlike the pill
which REALLY messes your hormones around, it is not harmful
to do it this way. It just prevents the blood loss (and any
pain) by prolonging the previous part of the cycle. My
doctor has prescribed it to me simply to prevent
inconvenience while travelling, I'm sure yours would let
you have it given the pain you get.
I am 43 and have very heavy periods. Here is what i do..
take ibuprofen from day 1-3; 2 pills in am and 2 in pm. be
sure to drink plenty of water- too much ibuprofen affects
the kidneys. I swear by those Personals panties for the
heavy days. You wear them with a pad and throw them out.
Has certainly saved my linens and clothing and I never worry
about getting up after sitting for long periods. Have good
travels everyone!
is essential oil of Clary Sage - you can get it in chemist's
or health food stores. Dilute a few (only a few!) drops in
oil (ordinary cooking oil will do - it's better if you can
heat it) and rub it on to your back and tummy. It soothes
the pain better than anything I know of. You can also wring
a small towel out it water ( as hot as is comfortable) and
sprinkle a few drops of Clary Sage on it. Wrap the towel
around the affected area and cover it with a plastic bag or
something to stop your bed geting soaked. Lie back and feel
the pain being soothed. If you can't get Clary Sage, try
Marjoram oil, which works nearly as well, and remember,
don't drink alcohol after using Clary Sage: it can have
unpredictable results!
I know the above suggestions may not be very practical when
you're on the road, but I'm posting them here because they
really do work!
I completely and utterly empathise. I have suffered from the
most horrendous cramps since the start of my first period
aged 9(YES 9 yrs old. At 13 I went on the pill and stayed on
it for 5yrs but without much success.The agonising cramps
continued. After taking every painkiller and anti-spasmodic
my doctors could give me and having a laproscapy to look
for endemetriosis a friend suggested going to see a
Nutritionalist/allergist. This wonderfull man tested me for
Candida (a form of yeast that lives in everyones gut). I had
a huge amoun to the extent that it had started to eat
through my gut wall. Candidisis can create immense problems
from depression, just not feeling well, being tiered all the
time to...wait for it....major period pains. The way around
this? Diet. Definately avoid Yeast and Sugar as they
activate the Candida and try to avoid salt, caffein and
dairy products. I know it's a pain in the arse but for me it
was well worth the effort. I am no longer paralised for 5
Days of every month and can now lead a normal life. I would
also add that zinc and omega 3&6 oils really help but
MAGNESIUM is just invaluable-double your dose fromm 2 days
befor you start and continue throughout your period, then
back to the normal dose for the rest of the month.
There are numerouse books on Candida which usually have a
list of treatment centres in the back but be warned not all
doctors recognise Candida so do some research befor.
Befor I go Hormones(ie the Pill) do agrivate Candida as it
stimulates yeast growth.
Don't let this scare you it is actually very easy to get
under control with a couple of months of effort but it's
worth checking out anyway. Hope this has been usefull and
happy travelling!