Why do some people choose to suffer with cramps rather than take pills to relieve it?
542939
Misinformation is the biggest reason.  A previous answer suggests that every time one takes a pain pill it harms the stomach.  That's an example of misinformation that can scare people away from reasonable steps that could make them comfortable.  Aspirin has a reputation for harming the lining of the stomach. That can happen, but only after taking aspirin in large, frequent doses for many days.  The simple solution to that is to take enteric-coated aspirin, which does not dissolve in the stomach.  If one is allergic to aspirin - and one should NEVER assume on one's own that one is allergic - then there are other over-the-counter medicines that can relieve cramps.  Motrin is one, tylenol is another.  Then there are the medicines meant specifically for menstrual cramps, such as Pamprin.  Several of the women I've known very personally have found that a heating pad or hot water bottle held against the area that's hurting can help the painkiller pills work better. It is foolish to fail to make onesself comfortable when it's so easy and inexpensive to do so because Aunt Myrtle or some other poorly informed person tells you it is dangerous.   Take your pills and brew Aunt Myrtle a nice cup of tea and change the subject!
714299
You could use a heating pad, or take a hot bath.  This will help relax the muscles ease the pain of the cramps.  Good luck.
662372
The words you are looking for are "menses" (or "menstruation") and "vagina."  If you're old enough to ask about menstruation, you should act old enough to use the literal terms instead of derogatory, demeaning slang.  Now then - almost all women have some cramping during their periods, classified as either primary dysmenorrhea (which refers to "normal" menstrual pain) or secondary dysmenorrhea (which is a result of an underlying disease or disorder). "Normal" cramps occur in almost all women due to the release of prostaglandins, which are hormones produced by the endometrium (the lining of the uterus). Prostaglandins cause the uterus to contract (sometimes quite painfully) in order to expel the menstrual debris (and henceforth, start the period). Some women produce higher levels of prostaglandins than others, so they may hurt more.  In the case of a woman who has secondary dysmenorrhea, there are other reasons for her pain, including diseases or conditions like Endometriosis, Adenomyosis, Pelvic Inflammatory Disease, cervical stenosis, structural abnormalities in the vagina or uterus itself, fibroids, etc.  I trust that answers your inquiry.
835069
When we push our bodies to the limit of what they are capable, all of the oxygen in our cells gets used up. This causes the cells to go from aerobic respiration to anaerobic respiration which produces an excess of lactic acid inside our cells. This causes the cramping pain. Your best bet is not to push yourself to hard physically, stay within your limits, make sure you stay hydrated when you are exercising and like other people have said make sure your diet is high in potassium if you want to continue exercising to a high degree. \nHope this helps xx
114592
DRs will advise you to go on birth control to help with severe cramps, but make sure they check you out for Endometriosis first.\n\nFor my cramps I take a warm bath and use a heating pad. \nAnd I take extra strength tylenol sometimes. I'm not a big pill popper, but have on occasion taken a pain killer prescribed by my Doc when the cramps were so bad I couldn't walk.\n\nHydrating yourself is a good idea since muscle cramping can be worse when muscles aren't properly hydrated\nand exercising can help a great deal...assuming the cramps aren't so bad that you can't walk straight.
519461
I had really irregular, painful , heavy periods. i went to my doctor and she told me that i should go on birth control pills to help regulate all that. It has helped. Before when i had serious cramps, I used to lay on my back and put a pillow or a towel under my lower back. i have also found out that when i started exercising regularly, the cramps where not as bad when i had my periods. good luck and i hope you find some relief!
654104
Yes, i'm like that with pain relief when I'm on my period. just try and wean yourself off them. if you don't you may do your body some serious damage.
168088
Light to moderate exercise will help.  Take pain relievers at the FIRST sign of pain, don't wait or they will not be as effective.  Heat is helpful for relaxing muscles.  Warm baths with Lavender Batherapy, available at Walgreens is excellent.  Eat healthy.  Eat fruit, fish, and nuts; avoid starchy foods like bread and pasta which create bloat and discomfort.  Get outside and walk.  Try to relax. A good birth control pill will help prevent cramps also making a habit of exercise and a healthy diet are preventative measures.
318424
From my own experience and a couple friends' experiences, it does hurt quite a bit (imagine your worst menstrual cramps tripled), but the pain only lasts a couple days. The first period or two afterwards can also be pretty bad. My friends and I found that all we needed for the pain was a higher dosage of ibuprofen (600-800 mg instead of the usual 200 mg dose we'd take for cramps). Other painkillers like Vicodin and Lortab might also do the trick, but I'd be surprised if you needed anything that serious.
1187563
the flow is different for everyone and so are the cramps etc. it actually takes approx. a year to get a regular flow but in some cases even longer. i would not worry about it. just let your body do it's thing :)
913495
Getting cramps can mean a multitude of things.\n\nFirst of all, you should always stretch every day.  This should be done even if you are not going to do any type of organized exercise.\n\nAre you dehydrated?  Drinking more water can help the cramping in your muscles.\n\nAre you breathing correctly when you are walking?  When you breathe in, your stomach should go out so that you fill your diaphram completely.\n\nMaking sure that you get enough potassium in your diet can help.  Try bananas.\n\nIf these things do not work, I recommend consulting your physician.
283671
yes, they can put you on a low-dose pill to regulate your period, reduce period pain and make life a lot easier on you.  They can also put you on a pill that means you don't get your period unless you want to get it... and I read recently that this is actually better for you. \n\nThe human woman was only mean to have about 10 periods in her lifetime, starting having children when they were 'ripe' then continuing to have children throughout their life until menopause/death.  See the attached web page for a report on what I'm trying to talk about!!\n\nYes, go on the pill.  I've been on it since I was 14 due to similar problems and would not go back.
364365
I get cramps the day before my period is about to come. My friends goes through weird food craving.  I think it all depends on how you PMS.
46635
Take some midol, wear a pad because tampons make cramps worse and get one of those heating pads to put on your back or stomach whichever hurts more.
1131965
try chewable motrin. i have serious cramps too and i take 2 extra strength tylenol every 4-6 hours those days i have cramps. it helps a lot. i think you should try to learn how to swallow pills. you probably will need to in the future so better to learn now, but try a chewable version of a pain reliever\n\ngood luck
263581
Not sure how old you are or if you are already on them, but birth control pills are supposed to give you less lengthy and less painful periods.  Also, I have found that working your abdomen through the pain (like doing crunches) helps, too.  You can also do abdominal contractions anywhere, anytime.  So if you are having bad cramping or pain, say while standing in line at the grocery store, you can do abdominal contraction of the muscles and nobody even knows you are doing them!  Hope this helped!
413625
I want to say it's ortho evera that does that.  There are many different types of pills, each have different side effects like that.  When you get your prescription, just ask your doctor for the one that helps with cramps.  They will know which one is the best for you.