Painful menstruation, or dysmenorrhea, is an annoying and debilitating problem for many women. Sometimes menstrual pains (cramps, headaches) start before your period starts due to PMS and other times during your period. There are many systems you could use to prevent pain from occurring, but also to alleviate it. Since the intensity of pain that distinguishes dysmenorrhea is subjective and variable, you must try various remedies until you find the one that benefits you the most.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Adopt Simple Home Remedies
Step 1. Eat a balanced diet
Eating meals at regular intervals throughout the day can help you prevent or relieve menstrual pain. A balanced diet must include whole grains, legumes, fruit and vegetables.
- Foods rich in complex carbohydrates can also be helpful, as they help your body produce more serotonin, which plays an important role in regulating mood.
- Other foods to consider are nuts and seeds, almonds, buckwheat, millet, sesame and sunflower seeds, cane molasses, grapes and red beets.
- In addition to choosing healthy foods, you should aim for six light meals throughout the day, rather than three large meals. The distribution of caloric intake in several parts allows the body to better metabolize glucose, which in turn relieves many symptoms associated with the menstrual cycle, such as pain and cramps.
- For seasonings, use vegetable fats such as olive oil.
Step 2. Eat low glycemic index foods
The glycemic index is a numerical classification system used to measure the rate of digestion and absorption of foods containing carbohydrates. Foods with a low glycemic index require longer digestion times, therefore they do not cause glycemic spikes.
- Low-glycemic foods include wholemeal bread, apples, grapefruit, peaches, watermelons, carrots, lentils, peas and soybeans.
- High-glycemic foods include white bread, cornflakes, baked potatoes and sweet potatoes.
- You can find more information and study the glycemic index of certain foods on this website
Step 3. Avoid foods high in fat and sodium
Foods that are too fatty, along with over-processed foods and caffeinated drinks, should be banned from your diet. In addition, it is also helpful to reduce the amount of sodium. Foods that contain these substances can make pains associated with menstruation (and other premenstrual symptoms) worse.
Foods that contain trans fatty acids should also be eliminated. These are normally found in industrial products such as cookies, crackers, snacks, French fries, onion rings, donuts and margarine
Step 4. Cut down on alcohol consumption
In the days leading up to your period, you should avoid drinking too much alcohol, as it worsens the pain and symptoms of PMS.
Step 5. Avoid caffeine
Caffeine-containing drinks and foods can make swelling and cramps worse. Caffeine can cause blood vessels to constrict and increase cramps.
Eliminate the consumption of tea and coffee in the week before your period
Step 6. Try relaxation techniques
Period pains, as well as many PMS symptoms, are sometimes exacerbated by stress, anxiety, and tension. Using techniques to help you relax and relieve stress could help reduce or eliminate painful symptoms.
- Relaxation techniques include breathing exercises, meditation and yoga. Attending a yoga class at a yoga center or club could help you learn the most appropriate breathing and meditation techniques.
- Massages are another effective way to reduce tension and promote relaxation. A course of massage before or during your period can help you manage pain.
Step 7. Learn to apply acupressure at the correct pressure points
There is a pressure point located on the inside of the leg, approximately three fingers above the talus, which can give you relief from cramps and pain caused by menstruation.
- Apply deep pressure to this spot with your fingers for five minutes to relieve the pain.
- Applying pressure and massaging the lower abdomen where the cramps are most painful may help. You should try the massage along with the application of a heating pad.
Step 8. Use ice to relieve headaches
The hormonal imbalance that precedes the menstrual cycle often causes severe headaches and even migraines. One way to help relieve pain is to apply a cold washcloth or ice pack to the head, neck, or place where the pain is most severe.
If you decide to use a cold pack or ice cubes, wrap them in a cloth to avoid direct skin contact
Step 9. Practice physical activity regularly
Exercise is a key component of a healthy lifestyle, but it can also help relieve cramps and other pains caused by menstruation. The most suitable activities are yoga and aerobic exercises.
Aim for physical activity for 30 minutes a day, at least five days a week
Step 10. Take a hot bath or use a heating pad
These remedies are useful for relieving cramps caused by the menstrual cycle. The heating pad can be applied to the abdomen, below the navel.
Be careful not to fall asleep with the heating pad on. If possible, buy one that turns off automatically after a certain amount of time
Method 2 of 3: Take Medication
Step 1. Take anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen (Brufen, Moment) and naproxen (Aleve)
In order for these drugs to be effective, start taking them one day before the expected arrival of your period and continue (following the dosage on the package insert) even in the days following the start of your cycle.
Step 2. Ask your doctor for advice on some prescription medications
If you feel that the pain is severe enough to interfere with your normal daily activities, you may be able to request a prescription for more potent medications.
- There are many classes of drugs that can help you reduce or eliminate pain caused by your menstrual cycle: the birth control pill, the progesterone coil, anti-inflammatory and prescription pain relievers, antidepressants, and even some antibiotics.
- For migraines caused by hormonal imbalances in the menstrual cycle, your doctor may prescribe triptans. These act on brain receptors, helping to correct serotonin imbalances and can provide immediate relief when you suffer from migraines.
Step 3. Consider taking hormonal contraceptives
Even if you don't need to use birth control to avoid unwanted pregnancy, the active ingredients in birth control methods can help you manage many of the side effects of your menstrual cycle. Here are some things to consider:
- Hormonal contraceptives include the pill, patch, vaginal ring, and Depo-Provera injections.
- Normally the package includes 21 pills that contain the active ingredients and seven placebo pills (some brands do not have the placebo doses, but provide for the pill to be suspended for seven days). Reducing the number of placebo pills may help you relieve symptoms.
- An alternative to reducing placebo doses is to eliminate them completely. This means that you should take the pill containing the active ingredients for 21 days and start the new cycle of 21 pills immediately.
- Each type of contraceptive pill contains different levels of estrogen (as an active ingredient). Reducing estrogen levels by changing the pill can help relieve menstrual symptoms by avoiding sudden spikes or drops in estrogen.
- Replace placebo pills with anti-inflammatory drugs, low estrogen pills, or an estrogen patch. This will help you regulate your estrogen level before and during your period and relieve symptoms.
- Each woman has a different reaction to birth control drugs. If you notice that they are not effective in your case and if you do not need them as a method of contraception, consult your doctor to stop taking them.
Method 3 of 3: Add Vitamins and Supplements to Your Diet
Step 1. Increase your calcium intake
This could help prevent or relieve pain associated with the menstrual cycle, as well as many other symptoms of PMS. Calcium can be obtained from foods such as dairy products, soy drinks, smoked salmon and sardines and green leafy vegetables.
You can also take a calcium supplement in 500 or 1200 mg capsules daily
Step 2. Include more magnesium in your diet
Magnesium deficiency could be responsible for many PMS symptoms, such as cramps and migraines. Increase your intake of foods rich in magnesium, such as sunflower seeds, nuts, legumes, whole foods, soybeans, figs, and green leafy vegetables.
You could also take a magnesium-based capsule supplement. For more benefits, take 360 mg per day for the 3 days prior to your period
Step 3. Increase your vitamin B6 level
This vitamin stimulates the production of serotonin, which helps reduce the anxiety and depression of PMS. Foods rich in vitamin B6 are beef and pork, chicken, fish, whole foods, bananas, avocados, and potatoes.
Although there are vitamin B6 supplements available on the market, be careful not to exceed the dosage of 100 mg per day. Excess vitamin B6 could cause toxic effects
Step 4. Take vitamin D supplements
This helps the body absorb calcium and has anti-inflammatory properties.
Step 5. Try vitamin E supplements
It has been shown that vitamin E, when taken in the dosage of 500 mg per day, relieves pain associated with the menstrual cycle. Start taking vitamin E supplements two days before your period begins and stop three days after your period ends.
Step 6. Increase your intake of omega 3 fatty acids found in fish oil based food supplements
Supplements are available in capsule or liquid form.
Fish oil is an anti-inflammatory and can help reduce menstrual pain
Step 7. Make herbal teas
Many of them contain herbs that help relieve menstrual cramps.
- Raspberry leaf tea can help relax the uterine walls and reduce cramps.
- The antispasmodic properties of chamomile are also useful for counteracting menstrual cramps.
- Viburnum (made by letting a teaspoon of dried bark boil in 1 cup of water for 15 minutes) can help relieve pain. It can be consumed up to 3 times a day.
Step 8. Try evening primrose oil, sold in capsules or liquid
It contains a polyunsaturated fatty acid called gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), which is the precursor to many prostaglandins that can cause cramps during the menstrual cycle.
For best effects, take 500 to 1000 mg per day
Step 9. Use ginger supplements
Taking ginger dry extract (specifically Zintona) could help you relieve menstrual pain.
