Chris in VA Posted April 17, 2015 Share Posted April 17, 2015 (in teens) So a teen I know really well has pretty severe cramps. We've been using ibuprofen, but went to the Dr for other ideas. It's so bad there's crying involved, and she's not wussy in any way. He said Aleve, started several days before the actual arrival. Anyone have success with that? He also gave a scrip for a muscle relaxer, which he said is only because of anecdotal evidence, and it's a low dose only to be taken at night, if needed. Thoughts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snickerdoodle Posted April 17, 2015 Share Posted April 17, 2015 Aleve. Definitely Aleve. Ibuprofen doesn't do a darn thing. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenmom5 Posted April 17, 2015 Share Posted April 17, 2015 I have a dd with severe cramping so I've paid attention to the subject. she also likes heating pads. avoid dairy (organic doesn't contain BGH and seems to be okay) b6 magnesium 3 - 4 x per day - helps to relax muscles and naproxen (alieve) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starr Posted April 17, 2015 Share Posted April 17, 2015 I think the hardest things with teens is getting them to pay attention to their bodies. Doctors have prescribed naproxen before you could get it over the counter. Did he say how much to take? Also, the thought is awful, but exercise often helps. The next thing they will offer is BCPs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chocolatechip Posted April 17, 2015 Share Posted April 17, 2015 Definitely follow what Dr. said to start before the actual arrival. Aleve (and ibuprofen) work to inhibit prostaglandins (pain-causing hormones), but they are both much more effective if inhibition is started before prostaglandin production starts. If she waits till after she feels pain to take something, she still has to wait for the already-produced prostaglandins to clear her system. Other than that, I've heard lying down with a heat pack/hot water bottle can be helpful. Seconding exercise. Also, maybe consider reusable products instead of disposable? The chemicals used in producing the disposables can negatively affect some women, I've heard. And in my own experience, I had much worse pain before I switched to reusables and started running regularly (unfortunately at the same time so I can't really know which was more effective). No fun, though. Hope she can get some relief. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKL Posted April 17, 2015 Share Posted April 17, 2015 Not a teen, but as a young adult, my periods got a lot more bearable when I switched to organic foods. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted April 17, 2015 Share Posted April 17, 2015 A chiorpractor and cloth pads work for me. I've heard a lot of people say they can't eat dairy during that week and the week before too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
imagine.more Posted April 17, 2015 Share Posted April 17, 2015 I've heard lots of people say Magnesium starting a week before their period is supposed to start helps with both the extreme cramps and the flow isn't quite so bad. Occasionally heavy cramping can be from low progesterone too (the natural hormone, not the synthetic version used for BCP). I know my periods are much better when I'm taking progesterone cream. I use Pro-gest cream twice a day from ovulation through my period whenever my progesterone levels get too low because otherwise I have a super short luteal phase and just have awful cramps and such. I'd also suggest trying not to use tampons and see if that helps. I cannot use them because they cause severe cramping for me. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corraleno Posted April 17, 2015 Share Posted April 17, 2015 Definitely follow what Dr. said to start before the actual arrival. Aleve (and ibuprofen) work to inhibit prostaglandins (pain-causing hormones), but they are both much more effective if inhibition is started before prostaglandin production starts. If she waits till after she feels pain to take something, she still has to wait for the already-produced prostaglandins to clear her system. :iagree: When I was a teen (and into my 20s actually) I had horrific cramps, along with cold sweats, nausea, and diarrhea; it was so bad that I would often pass out, and I would miss a couple of days of school/college every month. When I was in grad school, they approved Anaprox (the Rx version of Aleve) for cramps, and it quite literally changed my life. I would start it a couple of days ahead, and it made an unbelievable difference. No more days spent in bed in agony, no more passing out, no more missed classes. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sherry in OH Posted April 17, 2015 Share Posted April 17, 2015 Before Aleve was available as an over-the-counter medication, I had a prescription for it. It was wonderful. I no longer lost two to three days a month due to period issues. When it became available over-the-counter, I switched to that even though it was a smaller dosage. I found that taking a double dose initially (slightly less than my prescribed dosage) and then switching to a single dose at regular intervals worked well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted April 17, 2015 Author Share Posted April 17, 2015 I think the hardest things with teens is getting them to pay attention to their bodies. Doctors have prescribed naproxen before you could get it over the counter. Did he say how much to take? Also, the thought is awful, but exercise often helps. The next thing they will offer is BCPs. Yes, she is to take one every 12 hours for 2-3 days before, and at least once the day of. He said they don't prescribe BCP anymore, which is interesting, b/c I thought they still did. We nixed that idea before we even got there b/c of the hormones. Anyway, she's off on a retreat for the next 2 nights, and I'm hoping it holds off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slipper Posted April 17, 2015 Share Posted April 17, 2015 My daughter is the same way. She's physically active and busy, but her period will lay her out flat. Her doctor prescribed ketorolac for the pain. I'm not overly thrilled with it - it's known to cause ulcers if you don't take it with food. However, dd says it's the only thing that even touches the pain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted April 17, 2015 Share Posted April 17, 2015 I used to take the 800 mg Motrin for menstrual pain. You need a prescription, but it's magical. My teen can't take Aleve; she gets a weird racing-heart reaction to it. She does rely on one of those microwaveable heating things and ibuprofen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
littlebug42 Posted April 17, 2015 Share Posted April 17, 2015 Another vote for aleve. I have period cramps that will knock me down for 2-3 days a month. Aleve helps me so much more than ibuprofen ever did. This is also what I give my daughter when she requests pain meds for her cramps although she doesn't need it every month. If you know it is coming and can start taking it before the pain hits its peak, then it will be the most effective. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snickerplum Posted April 18, 2015 Share Posted April 18, 2015 I second the 800 mg of ibuprofen, obviously with Dr approval. And has anything been said about looking into the why of this? I had crazy pain as a teen (and now, but it started then) and part of it was that I had cysts and endometriosis. Also, I was told to cut caffeine out of my diet(?). Aleeve never did a thing for me. But I do agree with starting whatever you choose to take a few days before hand and just continue until it's over. I was told that way it starts helping before it hits hard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmandaVT Posted April 18, 2015 Share Posted April 18, 2015 :iagree: When I was a teen (and into my 20s actually) I had horrific cramps, along with cold sweats, nausea, and diarrhea; it was so bad that I would often pass out, and I would miss a couple of days of school/college every month. When I was in grad school, they approved Anaprox (the Rx version of Aleve) for cramps, and it quite literally changed my life. I would start it a couple of days ahead, and it made an unbelievable difference. No more days spent in bed in agony, no more passing out, no more missed classes. I had this too and it was horrible. I remember one time almost passing out in the grocery store when I was in my early 20's. Aleve helped a ton - my dosage at the time was 550 mg 2x a day and it was a game changer. The rice microwaveable heating pad helps a ton! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kim in Appalachia Posted April 18, 2015 Share Posted April 18, 2015 If she is aware enough of her timing, and she's regular, taking calcium the week before helps. Taking calcium and cutting out ALL dairy helps even more. There was some study (I have no idea when or where, my dh told me he ran across it) that showed calcium supplements helped alleviate cramps. Unfortunately another study showed that the common advice of exercise does not help. Also, again if she's aware that she's about to start, take the Aleve as soon as possible, before it starts, before there is any pain. I had terrible pain as a teenager. It is awful, :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katy Posted April 18, 2015 Share Posted April 18, 2015 Alieve makes a huge difference. Taking them in advance makes a huge difference. Low fat vegan food made a difference. So did low carb dieting. I wonder if what they have in common is less calories overall or just less sugar? Having a tablespoon or two of unsulphored blackstrap molasses in a mug of warm milk each day (it tastes a lot like a chai latte) makes a huge difference, and also made my periods lighter. Molasses has lots of vitamins, especially magnesium and iron. Some people find caffeine makes cramps much worse. Tampons always made my cramps worse when I was young. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katilac Posted April 18, 2015 Share Posted April 18, 2015 Low dose muscle relaxer for the win here. I can't take Aleve regularly. When I took it several days in a row for tennis elbow, it caused extreme fatigue and muscle weakness. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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