momofkhm Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 I remember I had bad cramps as a teen but now I am pain free, hardly know where in my cycle I am most days. But my younger daughter came downstairs yesterday took an advil and plopped herself on the couch for about an hour. I did take her the heating pad. I remember it being my friend. Do they still make pamprin, midol? Is it just as good to give her advil? Dh is getting anti-chiropractor because you just keep going and going and going with no end in sight. Or what else? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edeemarie Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 I always just take Advil. If they get really bad you can combine 2 Advil with 1 extra strength Tylenol (my dad is a dentist and tells patients to use this when they call requesting pain killers- it is very effective!). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 You want an anti-prostaglandin. That would be ibruprofen (Advil). You can give her a bigger dose if you want. Not a Dr here, but I'd be comfortable going up to 600 (3 Advil regular). Start low, go up to see the lowest dose that works for her. You can start Advil the day before the period, too, but I don't like giving meds that way--ymmv. Your dd's Dr would be a good resource--you could call the nurses' line if that makes you more comfortable. Midol was too wimpy for my cramps. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngelaNYC Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 I second the ibuprofin! I've been buying the huge jar from Costco for years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom-ninja. Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 I cannot live without Motrin. I'd hand her that and a pint of Ben and Jerry's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrothead Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 I let dd have Advil. She takes two round the clock for the first two days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
La Condessa Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 Naproxen sodium (Aleve) always worked better for me for cramps than ibuprofen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jackie in AR Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 You want an anti-prostaglandin. That would be ibruprofen (Advil). You can give her a bigger dose if you want. Not a Dr here, but I'd be comfortable going up to 600 (3 Advil regular). Start low, go up to see the lowest dose that works for her. You can start Advil the day before the period, too, but I don't like giving meds that way--ymmv. Your dd's Dr would be a good resource--you could call the nurses' line if that makes you more comfortable. Midol was too wimpy for my cramps. ;) :iagree: With every word. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happypamama Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 IIRC, Midol's main ingredient was ibuprofen anyway, though it might have had something else in it as well. The trick for me is ibuprofen (well, I haven't had cramps bad enough to need it since before I had babies), but with everything, ibuprofen works best for me if I take it and then take a nap. When I was a teen, I used to take meds and nap on the couch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle in AL Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 Advil is great, but to be most effective she should start taking it 24 hrs prior to starting. That might be hard for someone to do if their cycles aren't regular. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curlylocks Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 Naproxen sodium (Aleve) always worked better for me for cramps than ibuprofen. Motrin and Advi are both ibuprofen. Aleve last longer which is nice at night especially. :iagree: I have a lot of issues with my cycle (PCOS) and my doctor recommended Aleve over ibuprofen for a couple reasons. He maintained that ibuprofen actually thins the blood and can make bleeding worse/heavier *and* ibuprofen is pretty rough on stomach, kidneys and liver...especially at higher doses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebel Yell Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 Start with ibuprofen. If that doesn;t work, try Alleve (Naproxen sodium?) After taking double the max. dose (with Dr. permission) of ibuprofen, DD was still in so much pain she was sobbing uncontrollably. After 1 dose of Alleve and 10 mins with a heating pad she hopped off the couch and went looking for food- always a good sign, as cramps make her nauseous. Check with your Dr, but the first dose of alleve can be doubled. Our best trick is to take an ibuprofen at the first signs, and alleve if it's hurting after that. I avoid medicines as much as possible, but in this case, taking 1 pill right away often eliminates the need to take many more for several days to get it under control. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EKS Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 Advil here. It works (or, rather, worked, as I no longer have cramps) wonderfully! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tntgoodwin Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 From Wikipedia... The "Midol Complete" formulation consists of: Acetaminophen 500 mg (Pain Reliever) Caffeine 60 mg (Stimulant) Pyrilamine Maleate 15 mg (Antihistamine) The "Extended Relief" formulation consists of: Naproxen Sodium 220 mg (NSAID, Pain Reliever/Fever Reducer)The "Teen" formulation consists of: Acetaminophen 500 mg (Pain Reliever) Pamabrom 25 mg (Diuretic) The "Liquid Gels" formulation consists of: Ibuprofen 200 mg (Pain Reliever)The "PM" formulation consists of: Acetaminophen 500 mg (Pain Reliever) Diphenhydramine citrate 38 mg (Sedative antihistamine) I had no idea there were so many kinds of Midol, but I guess the one I am most familiar with is the "Complete." Either that or they have changed it. Last I knew, regular Midol was ibuprofen and caffeine. Excederin also has caffeine, but includes aspirin, which probably wouldn't be ideal with it's blood-thinning properties. But yes, they still make both Midol and Pamprin. HTH. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jackie in AR Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 IIRC, Midol's main ingredient was ibuprofen anyway, though it might have had something else in it as well. Midol Liquid Gels are the only ones which contain ibuprofen. Does MIDOL contain aspirin? No. MIDOL Complete, MIDOL Teen Formula and MIDOL PM contain acetaminophen. MIDOL Extended Relief contains naproxen sodium and MIDOL Liquid Gels contains ibuprofen. Aspirin-sensitive patients should not take MIDOL Extended Relief or MIDOL Liquid Gels especially if you have had an allergic reaction to aspirin, e.g., asthma, swelling, shock or hives, because even though this product contains no aspirin or salicylates, cross-sensitivities may occur in patients allergic to aspirin. http://www.midol.com/faqs.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dangermom Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 If you want a supplement that isn't as difficult to take as ibuprofen, I have always found large doses of potassium to be very good for cramps. You can't overdose on the stuff and it's good for cramping in general (thus you will often see someone advise athletes to eat bananas). Anyway I used to take 4 or 5 potassium pills when I had bad cramps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LucyStoner Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 I feel empathy for your daughter as I had severe cramps, especially in high school but right up till I got pregnant with my older son (one bonus of having my son was that when my period came back my cramps were gone.) I had long periods with heavy cramping and a couple of days of vomiting each month. Taking magnesium helped but it did not eliminate the pain, just a slight lessening. I would see what works best for her- ibuprofen or naxopren sodium. Midol is just a name brand label for a variety of OTC pain meds so I would skip it and save the higher cost. I second combining ibuprofen with acetaminophen, that has helped me a lot for different things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kim in Appalachia Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 Take a calcium supplement the week before her cycle starts. Cutting back on dairy also helps, but taking the calcium helps a lot. Other than that lots of Advil or Midol and a heating pad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoot Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 I'm new here but just thought I would chime in on this one. I use Raspberry Leaf Tea and drink it like a fish, particularly on day 2. It works anytime but that tends to be the worst day for me. I try to stay away from synthetic drugs if I can help it and this helps TREMENDOUSLY. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phathui5 Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 There's an herb called crampbark that can help. It's available in tincture form. http://www.sweetherbmedicinals.com/products/Cramp-Bark-Tincture.html http://www.wishgardenherbs.com/products.php?cat=39&page=6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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