Please Help Me With Menstrual And Ab Pain!

[Liveenjoylife]

The past 3 months every time I get my period or even a few days before I do, I am hit with horrible pain. My uterus muscle contracts pulling down and doesn't relieve its self. When this happens it starts to pull down my ab muscles, then my side muscles and lower back, because they are all attached. The pain is AWFUL. It pulls so much I start to vomit. I feel like I have the body flu every time. My joints and bones and muscles hurt ALL over my body. I am stuck in bed for a week. When I have to get up I have to walk on my hands and knees because my uterus wont relax or my ab muscles. I take tylenol but nothing helps. It has been like this for three months, every period. PLEASE, some one help me on what to do! My period is trying to get kicked started again and my muscles are starting to pull. I know celiac disease does this, but don't know how to get it to stop. Does any one go through this? How can I stop it, please?

[tarnalberry]

Tylenol is unlikely to do a whole heck of a lot - wrong type of pain med for the job. You may find that taking either ibuprofen or naproxyn sodium (Advil or Aleve), starting a two or three days before the pain starts, and continuing until it's over, helps. Starting it ahead of time is very important.

Other things, like taking extra calcium and magnesium can help. You might check into menstrual massage (I preferred the variety where I lie face down on the floor, and my husband uses his foot (with a surprising amount of pressure) in the right spot on my back so there is pressure on the abdomen). And acupuncture is also thought to help.

[JNBunnie1]

  On 3/30/2010 at 3:04 PM, tarnalberry said:

Tylenol is unlikely to do a whole heck of a lot - wrong type of pain med for the job. You may find that taking either ibuprofen or naproxyn sodium (Advil or Aleve), starting a two or three days before the pain starts, and continuing until it's over, helps. Starting it ahead of time is very important.

Other things, like taking extra calcium and magnesium can help. You might check into menstrual massage (I preferred the variety where I lie face down on the floor, and my husband uses his foot (with a surprising amount of pressure) in the right spot on my back so there is pressure on the abdomen). And acupuncture is also thought to help.

I haven't got much more to add, Tiffany's pretty much covered it all. I would try heat therapy though. If you have a bathtub, a very hot bath, or a heating pad to lay on.

[Liveenjoylife]

  On 3/30/2010 at 3:04 PM, tarnalberry said:

Tylenol is unlikely to do a whole heck of a lot - wrong type of pain med for the job. You may find that taking either ibuprofen or naproxyn sodium (Advil or Aleve), starting a two or three days before the pain starts, and continuing until it's over, helps. Starting it ahead of time is very important.

Other things, like taking extra calcium and magnesium can help. You might check into menstrual massage (I preferred the variety where I lie face down on the floor, and my husband uses his foot (with a surprising amount of pressure) in the right spot on my back so there is pressure on the abdomen). And acupuncture is also thought to help.

Tyleol is my only option. I am allergic to all the ones you mentioned. Maybe Pamprin may help. I will get on more calcium. Hopefully this will help me greatly. The menstrual massage sounds helpful too.

[lizzers]

Could be a potassium deficiency too - like a charlie horse - in the uterus? Might also be a sign of something else - maybe you should follow-up with a gyne to make sure you don't have a cyst or something too....?

  On 3/30/2010 at 3:24 PM, Liveenjoylife said:

Tyleol is my only option. I am allergic to all the ones you mentioned. Maybe Pamprin may help. I will get on more calcium. Hopefully this will help me greatly. The menstrual massage sounds helpful too.

[frieze]

  On 3/30/2010 at 3:24 PM, Liveenjoylife said:

Tyleol is my only option. I am allergic to all the ones you mentioned. Maybe Pamprin may help. I will get on more calcium. Hopefully this will help me greatly. The menstrual massage sounds helpful too.

be careful, you want to have balance in your Ca++ and mag++.,, Ca++ helps muscles contract, and Ma++ helps them relax....a sustained release Ma++ such as mag 64 or magdelay might be a thought....also have you been worked up for endometriosis?

[Reba32]

yes, if you take a calcium supplement, you should also take a magnesium supplement. The magnesium is more likely to help relax muscles than calcium is. And calcium without magnesium can cause constipation, which will just add to your pain.

Before I went gluten free my periods were incredibly painful, now, not so much.

[purple]

My dd used to get extreme cramping and blood loss before gluten-free. Doc gave her complex B vitamins (can't remember if it had magnesium) and told her to take it a week before her cycle began. Worked great.

[AutumnSong]

Many years ago I started seeing a Naturopath and he told me to take Jamaican Dogwood and Cramp Bark tinctures for menstrual cramps because Tylenol and Midol didn't help and I was taking way too much Advil. These two herbs are for smooth muscle contractions, which menstrual cramps are, and they work wonderfully! Have been using them for about 19 years now. I get them from the health food store. The brand I use is Herb Pharm. If there is a Naturopath in your area you might want to consider paying him or her a visit.

[lele123]

  On 3/30/2010 at 1:03 PM, Liveenjoylife said:

The past 3 months every time I get my period or even a few days before I do, I am hit with horrible pain. My uterus muscle contracts pulling down and doesn't relieve its self. When this happens it starts to pull down my ab muscles, then my side muscles and lower back, because they are all attached. The pain is AWFUL. It pulls so much I start to vomit. I feel like I have the body flu every time. My joints and bones and muscles hurt ALL over my body. I am stuck in bed for a week. When I have to get up I have to walk on my hands and knees because my uterus wont relax or my ab muscles. I take tylenol but nothing helps. It has been like this for three months, every period. PLEASE, some one help me on what to do! My period is trying to get kicked started again and my muscles are starting to pull. I know celiac disease does this, but don't know how to get it to stop. Does any one go through this? How can I stop it, please?

I don't know what your diet is like but the week before cut out processed foods and allergin foods like corn, soy, chocolate, tomato etc. Eat a bland whole foods diet. Try acupuncture, it can be very effective with pain and if the practitioner knows herbs, they might help. If you are taking calcium, make sure you take the right proportion to it of Magnesium. If you go to a Naturopath, be aware that most of them try to have you come back for multiple visits and its expensive! I have found better cost effective help with an accupuncturist/herbalist or an Ayurveda doctor. I wish you well.