Girl Talk : How to Alleviate Menstrual Cramps

As You know every month i shake things up with a series of new exciting features . This month is no different . I'm hoping to be a bit more conversational with my readers which is why i came up with "Girl Talk" . We'll talk about a different issue "plaguing" us as women , then you comment give advice or share your story. I always find it strange how people talk about other issues that are supposed to be private and left in the bedroom but they won't talk about issues they are having and need help with . This week , we'll be looking at ways to alleviate Menstrual Cramps. Yes , Yes , this is a "Taboo" Topic that has been talked about alot but I've never shared my experience with you as i think my situation is unique.

I have really really really bad, gut wrenching cramps . I have all the symptoms . No Joke. Headache , diarrhea , nausea , back pain , fatigue , extreme moodiness .. just everything . I have severe pain for like three days straight and if I'm at work or school i have to sit those days out because of the intensity of the pain. Over the years it has not really gotten better , but I've learnt how to make the cramps more "manageable" . Here are some things that work for me.


Painkillers : Ibuprofen are great to have , there are many different types . I find that the Lasco brand works for me , they are pink and they come in strips of 12 . Just ask your pharmacist for "Lasco Ibuprofen" . However , these may make your flow heavier for like the first 2 days because they are really high dosage pain killers . I would recommend consulting with your doctor to see if Ibuprofen is right for you . If not there is Advil , Midol , Panadol , Pamprin and so on.

Get Iron : Even though they say you only lose like a tablespoon of blood at this time ... you are still losing blood which means you'll be weak and "droopy". To strengthen your walls , you need Iron . You can get Iron from leafy green vegetables such as Lettuce, Callaloo , Spinach , Collard Greens and many other Iron rich foods. If you are not a big fan of veggies , take the iron supplement , available at your local Pharmacy .. again ... ask your doctor which is right for you . Don't just take ones your mother , sister or friends take . We are all different .

       Jamaican Callaloo                Collard  Greens                   Spinach                                Lettuce



Drink Wine! Alcohol is said to thin the Blood . Have a Glass ( not the entire Bottle) of wine . If you have no wine .. any alcoholic drink will suffice .

Heating Pad or A Bottle of Hot Water on your Abdomen: This is said to have the same effect as over the counter painkillers . It helps to ease the tension in the muscles . If you don't have a heating pad or water bottle , place a warm rag/wash cloth on your abdomen , you might have to do this several times . Hot bathes are great too. Or! What i do most times is place my Laptop on my abdomen ... sounds crazy .. but! there's heat coming from that little fan at the bottom . So you can watch a movie while alleviating menstrual cramps all at the same time:-)

Birth Control : I spoke about this earlier. With new age medicine , this is not limited to taking the pills , there is also the injection ( which makes you super sleepy) but its really effective , there is also a patch you wear on you skin , or a ring that is inserted by your doctor into your vagina. You should decide what you think might work best for you. I personally don't think Yaz and Yazmine and all those ones that only allow you to have a period for like 3 times a year is safe ... where is all that blood gonna go? Probably clotting somewhere in your brain! That's just my opinion ...

Mild Exercise:  It increases blood flow which makes the cramps go away . I however hate exercise ... period ( pun intended ) but i find it really does help to alleviate the cramps . However there is no way in heck  that i can do any form of exercise during that time so i try to do it before ... then maybe do something light like walking .

Avoid Dairy: I find that when i consume any thing that has dairy my cramps go crazy! Even though i might be craving chocolate and ice-cream and tons of butter ... i try really hard to hold out on these.

Ladies , there are tons of other ways to alleviate menstrual cramps , these are the ones that i find works for me . Please share the ways you alleviate your cramps as well as any advice or suggestion. Don't be a stranger .. let's chat :-)