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Avatar universal

horrible cramps

my periods are very very regular thanks to birth control.  usually, i get a back ache about and hour before i start and i just take some midol to get rid of it and it works fine.  i am due to get my period tommorrow, but last night i woke up in the middle of the night with horrible cramps.  they were so bad that i cried from 1 to 5 in the morning and maidol did not help at all!  i am just curious if this is normal or what because i have never had cramps before in my whole life.  i am 19 years old and have had my periods since i was 11.  if anybody has any suggestions what might be causing this, i would really appreciate any information on the cause or any other tricks to get rid of them because midol just isnt working for me.  thanks!
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Avatar universal
After reading your comment, I have almost the exact same pain that you have. So looks like im headed to the doctors.  i have to take anywhere from 4-6 ibprofen every 4-5 hours the first 1-3 days of my period But after that i dont have to take any. the cramps go away completely. is that how it was for you?
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Avatar universal
See your doctor about switching pills.  That might help.  I'm 33 and can tell you that I've been tested for everything mentioned here and I don't have anything abnormal going on.  I actually found your post as I searched for causes of horrible cramping.  My ARNP told me to take Evening Primrose oil and it works beautifully!  Heating pads can help as well. Try eating foods like salmon, asparagus and watermelon during PMS and during your period as these foods will decrease bloating.  Bloating isn't any fun, especially when you're in a lot of pain.  Premsyn is a fantastic, over the counter drug, that works wonders over midol, pamprin or any other OTC med out there.  Be careful of taking high doses of tylenol or ibuprofen as they can have serious side effects on your stomach (ulcers and peptic upset) and your liver/ kidneys respectively.  Good luck!
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Avatar universal
I've had bad cramps in the past, and what I usually do is pop two pain relivers in the morning and another two during the afternoon. A year ago this lady advise me to drink cranberry juice because it helps break down clogs, and those are what cause craps. I notice less cramps when I drink cranberry juice
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I used to have bad cramps for about 2 years, I was diagnosed with potentially having PCOS. I got on the nuvaring, but began to have some complications and couldn't figure out if it was the nuvaring or something else, so I d/c it. Nice cycle while on it tho. Came monthly like clock work, w/NO cramping ever. Just a horrible mood swing 3 days before. I changed my diet, exercised more, and started acupuncture. My cycle normalized. I had a termination for health reasons, and now my cycle is back with a vengence. It's horrible. I cramp for a week bf and during. I soak pads and underwear. I'm going to consult my gyn at next visit. This is just be helpful and let other ladies know they are not alone, I don't really need a bunch of comments about the termination. I was checked post and there were no complications from the procedure.
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Avatar universal
i have had absolutley horrible cramps ever sinse i can remember. usually the only thing people give me is midol and it doesnt help worth a crap. What helpes me while im trying to find good meds is getting a heating pad and using tht.... !!! BUT WAIT! URGENTLY i must tell yu tht tea does not help most ppl if their cramps are tht are tht bad so dont even try tht... ok as i was saying get a heating mad and lay on your most confortable side..use disraction therapy and watch a movie .. most of the time it helps to get popsicles and eat those.. Everyone might say tht ice cream and popsicles will make your cramps worse but it avtually might help.. So tht is all ima say so just relax and find a medication tht is strong enough to help yu..ps.You might not have to go to a docter he may not be able to help im meen they dnt know what your feeling!?!! :)
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Avatar universal
i used to have the same problem as mimik, until after i had my first born. After i had him, my periods got light and no cramps and only lasted a few days. same with my second child until recent.... the only thing that eases the cramps is a super hot bath, and i will stay in there for about 2 hours. and a heating pad and then a vibrating massage thing, like for the neck. u put the heat pad on, and then the massager ontop, with a blanket... oh does it do wonders....
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possibly get you GP to assess the pill you are on its not good to be on the pill for many years...possibly ask ur GP to change brands....its often a side effect and may come later on
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Avatar universal
I have horrible cramps all the time and nothin helps, it gets so bad I through up and shake violently, i haven't cried but I sometimes scream out in pain. The violent shaking causes me to become really tired and eventually I'll pass out because of lake of nutrients, but when I wake up I don't have any more cramps. I can't eat the day of my period and a couple days after so I usually lose a lot of weight but i am able to keep a good weight. I use prescription medichine but it makes me so tired I fall asleep in class. Most Dr. would suggest birth control or prescription medichine tramadol (which is what i have). There could be a medical problem but I know that I do not want to go through all that. The best way is to experiment, try running the day before and the day of (it doesn't work for me but I've known some it works for). Also try other medications like motrin, ibeprophin, advil, or tylenol. Some medichines don't work for certian people, I know that midol never even helped but my prescription seems to dull the pain a bit. Hopefully this is helpful advice I have delt with my horrible cramps for about 7 years and no it is no fun.
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Avatar universal
I really don't think there is an underlying cause to your cramping - dysmenorrhea (or severe cramping alongside fatigue, vomiting/diarrehea, headaches) is very common during periods depending upon the individual woman.  Dietary changes could alleviate symptoms within time as could birth control.
I woke up this morning with cramps so bad i was kneeled over for hours and kept wanting to throw up/ getting sick, tylenol did not do anything, yet finally i forced myself to eat something and hydrated on a lot of gatorade and water plus IB Profen.  IB profen is the only thing that works for this kind of pain due to how it works in the body, so I suggest to take 2 every four hours with the pain, good luck!
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Avatar universal
I am now 26 and have suffered with horrible cramps since I was in high school. I remember going home from school on about 4 or 5 occasions and just laying in my bed crying, the pain was so bad. I never told my parents what I was sick with and never complained to a doctor, because I assumed everyone had cramps that bad, and I was just weak for letting them get to me. 2 years ago, while trying to conceive, I was finally diagnosed with endometriosis, and ovarian fibroids. I wish I had done something sooner. Midol contains aceteminophen (tylenol), which has always been useless to me against pain. I now take 5 or 6 200mg ibuprofens at the onset of my period, and have to continue that dosage about every 6 hours for the first 3 or 4 days of my period. I can't take prescription pain pills that my obgyn gave me, because of the drowsiness they cause. I wish I had taken better care of my reproductive health when I was younger. It's unfortunate that many girls don't speak up about issues they think are embarrassing.
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Avatar universal
it could be a cyst very very common.  Maybe you should call your dr. Because if a cyst gets too large it can be very painful and they can remove it.  Keep us posted and God Bless

L
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Avatar universal
i forgot to mention that the cramps were not in just one place. they started out on the left and then it hurt on the right and then it ended up hurting so bad i couldnt tell where it was coming from.  i dont know if that matters, but wouldn't a cyst hurt in just one place?  i really don't know that mush about them, so maybe that is it.  i will give my doc a call, though.  thank you!
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I used to get cramps so bad i would get sick and pass out. That happened for many years. Then my dr gave me a muscle relaxer and it has helped. I still get cramps but not as bad. Good luck!!
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Avatar universal
it could be something as simple as a cyst, or uterine fibroid. i had both and sometimes the cramps were unbearable. the only thing that helped a little was a very hot bath, heating pad brought some relief.my fibroid became so large that nothing was working and i ended up on pain pills,and finally had to have a hysterectomy.i agree with the other poster, you should probably give your ob a call,even if you talk to his nurse.to set your mind at ease a little bit.midol and motrin are pretty much the same, but i used to take 800mg of motrin, doctors orders though.maybe you could ask what a safe amount to take is for you. just make sure you take it with a snack or a glass of milk. good luck, and keep us posted. take care
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Avatar universal
I'm sorry I can't realte, I never get cramps.  I just wanted to say that if you are in so much pain that you are crying you should probably see your DR.  At the very least, make a phone call and let him/her know what you are going through.  I know that cramps are considered a normal thing, but like I said, I think the pain you're experiencing is a bit unusual.  Best of luck to you.
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