The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
Peppermint Oil
Posted by Claudia11 (Santa Clarita Ca) on 11/11/2022
★★★★★
I've been using peppermint oil on my lower abdomen over my uterus and it helps tremendously with menstrual cramps. I don't have sensitive skin so I don't dilute it but if you do have sensitive skin you might want to dilute it with a carrier oil. I've had terrible cramps since my teen years because of endometriosis and this is one of the few remedies that gives me relief.
Blackstrap Molasses
Posted by CT (San Francisco, CA) on 09/29/2022
★★★★★
One tablespoon of blackstrap molasses in a glass of warm milk was what worked for me to eliminate the cramping. I just needed to drink it once a day for the first few days of the period. By itself it tastes kind of gross, but with milk it is delicious. Wish I had known this simple remedy decades ago so I did not have to suffer needlessly!
Blackstrap Molasses
Posted by Regina (Fairfield, CT) on 05/04/2022
★★★★★
My 15 year old teenage daughter was suffering from monthly debilitating pain right before and during her menstrual cycle. I started giving 1tbsp of blackstrap molasses to her and boy does it work! I am so happy I found this website!
Parsley
Posted by Anita (brooklyn, ny) on 11/08/2021
★★★★★
I'm glad to say that this is my second period with relative ease, no NSAIDS required, usually popped 5 pills per cycle to the chagrin of my GP. The only thing that I can attribute to this welcome change after decades of suffering is organic parsley! Recently, I started to add daily, about 1/4c of raw parsley to meals, washed and cut. I have been doing the Taoist deer exercise when not bleeding since the beginning of 2021. If you've tried a lot of different things with no luck, please try and let me know if the parsley works for you.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Sunny (Ca) on 09/05/2021
That's not normal and you need to go to the doctor to get checked. Try to get health insurance or save to go. What if it's serious? No amount of money is worth your life. Continue to take the ACV, but go get checked!
Cramp Bark
Posted by Sunny (Ca) on 09/05/2021
★★★★★
This is a God send herb. It decreases my menstrual cramps by 90%. I like the swanson brand. I take 3 capsules on sight of my cramps. This works like nothing else. But you should still talk to your Dr.t o get to the bottom of the reason why. And try to eat healthily and exercise etc. I know caffeine and dairy can make cramps worse.
Magnesium
Posted by Kayla (Nashville, TN) on 03/26/2020
★★★★★
Magnesium body butter works for me!
After years of taking ibuprofen for a few days each month, I just this month discovered that this works! Magnesium chloride is the type of magnesium in this cream. I tried rubbing some directly on the part that hurt. 20-30 minutes later it started to ease up and went away. Ibuprofen took that long to work and I needed to stop taking ibuprofen because of digestive problems. Magnesium it is from here on out!
Magnesium, Dietary Changes +
Posted by Cat (Austin) on 07/30/2018
★★★★★
Menstrual Cramping:
This is what my daughter does: Takes a 400 mg capsule of magnesium bisglycinate and pain subsides until she can get apple cider vinegar tablets to eliminate pain -- both work excellently for her supremely painful menstrual cramps. She did notice that if she avoided eating high carb/sugar around her period and stuck to a Meat, veggie, berry-fruit regime 2 weeks before, her pain and cramping were at 5-20% compared to 80-100%. SUGAR IS A CURSE!
If you bleed a lot like I once did, take a grass fed capsule of desiccated liver at least twice a week -- you need the iron, minerals & B vitamins. BUT, most important for extreme heavy bleeders, especially those about to enter menopause? Stop eating HIGH CARB / HIGH SUGAR DIETS. High carb eating (over 70grams a day) with SUGAR is damaging to our feminine apparatus. Those with fertility problems should also research Black Seed Oil. Listen to your doctor and check out google and youtubes -- filled with people with your same problem who have found solutions.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Tori (Columbus) on 04/08/2018
Hi Christy,
I have really bad pms and cramps while m in periods. Can you please suggest me, how many days before I shud start taking it? Only ACV or ACV and Molasses both. When do I stop taking it after periods? Ur reply will be appreciated. Thanks.
Curcumin
Posted by Rachelle B. (Toronto, Canada) on 04/02/2018 1 posts
★★★★★
My teen was having the most horrid debilitating back pain, along with seven or eight days of bleeding during every period. Back pain would persist during the full week. For a few months we tried BSM 2x/day, ACV (poor compliance due to taste), cramp bark, raspberry leaf tea, magnesium pills and spray, dmso, aloe, traumeel, osteopathy, massage therapy, chiropractic, (etc) but back pain persisted and was still holding her back from participating in life. It also became a full-time job for me to manage. She was taking extra strength ibuprofen three time per day and her low back was still on fire to touch, We had gone to the doctor and considering BC pills.
I happened across a post about Curcumin (the active ingredient in turmeric) being effective, when nothing else worked. We began at one capsule a day for two weeks heading up to menses and continued during cycle. I also give her raspberry leaf tea in morning of day one and two. She had absolutely no cramping or pain on first try and there's no pain during menses since. Her period has been reduced to three days. This supplement is expensive (as must be bioavailable form) so be prepared, especially compared to using turmeric on its own, but it's changed her life. My daughter asked me to post this "on the internet" so other girls won't suffer as she did!
Evening Primrose Oil
Posted by Bamagirl (Al) on 10/29/2017
★★★★★
I'm 45 yrs old at the time of this review. My menstral cramps had become unbearable - even to the point of me not being able to walk or stand. I found this site and just happened to have Evening Primrose Oil on hand in 1300 mg capsules. Immediately I took two. Within 30 minutes I was able to stand and walk normally. After an hour, the cramps had nearly disappeared. I've been using Evening Primrose Oil for 6 months now and discovered if I take two caps daily, then increase to 4-6 during my period, the cramps are diminished greatly. They still happen, but I am able to function. I found the more capsules I take in a day during cramps, the better it works. I will not go without them now. Thanks Earth Clinic for the recommendation! It works! :)
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Talea (Sherwood, Oregon) on 07/03/2017
★★★★★
My daughter-in-law woke up this morning and said her cramps were the worse they've ever been (like the I-can't-move type). Went on the site and saw Apple Cider Vinegar. I have capsules. Gave her one and within minutes the cramps were down to nothing. She's astonished.
Turmeric, Green Tea, Pistachio, Pomegranate
Posted by Clatterbuck (Beltsville, Md) on 01/30/2017
★★★★★
I had horrible cramps for years. Ibuprofen barely made a dent in the pain. I felt like I was taking too many pills so I started looking for natural alternatives. The first thing I tried was turmeric capsules. They worked great, but if I took too many my pee turned really yellow and burned a little coming out so I researched some more and found out that green tea was used to alleviate cramps. I tried that and even though didn't like the taste of green tea I started drinking that every morning during my period. I also read an Iranian study that recommended eating pistachio nuts to keep away monthly cramps. I tried that and they seemed to help also. Another remedy I discovered was drinking pomegranatejuice.
So my first two days of my cycle go like this:
- Take a turmeric capsule and drink green tea all morning.
- Mid day through the after noon, take a couple of turmeric capsules and snack on pistachio nuts.
- Evening, take a turmeric capsule and drink a glass of pomegranate juice.
Works better than ibuprofen.
Blackstrap Molasses
Posted by Tammy (Ontario) on 12/14/2016
★★★★★
Hey there.
I too suffered from severe cramping. But what I do is just take the molasses beginning the day before my period starts and during my period, only. It works! I make a tea a few times a day and my cramps are minimal!
Also, I have a hard time with the taste, so I make it in a teas, as I mentioned above. My fav is chai tea with a little cream or almond milk, and 1 teaspoon of unsulphered blackstrap molasses (sometimes I add a hint of sugar r honey too lol). If its a night, I use a decaf tea and the same additions.
Try that instead of every day? Good luck :)
Blackstrap Molasses
Posted by Mariana (Ca) on 11/29/2016 11 posts
Hi, I wanted to update my post from 2009 about the blackstrap molasses because it ended up being un-maintainable for me to eat that much molasses every day... and I quit and I guess the results (having not super severe cramps verses. severe) were not worth the daily suffering of downing 2 Tbsp of molasses... Now I've gone back to just popping a couple of Tylenol right at the onset of my period and that seems to work well enough to make life livable. Maybe I'll try the molasses again sometime but taking it for those few months made me not really care if I never taste it again!
Multiple Remedies
Posted by Clatterbuck (Beltsville, Md) on 11/17/2016
★★★★★
I used to have terrible monthly cramps. They were so bad I would walk around the house doubled over crying. I did some internet research started following this regime:
- I take turmeric capsules starting the day before my period. I usually take about 4 capsules during the first two days.
- I drink copious amounts of green tea during the day. Actually the green tea helps all by itself.
- I snack on pistachio nuts during the day. I read about an Iranian study that showed they helped relieve menstrual cramps.
- At night I drink a small glass of pomegranate juice. Pomegranate juice is an anti-inflammatory and it makes me sleepy.
These natural remedies have completely alleviated my cramps and I never need to take motrin or Tylenol now.
Blackstrap Molasses
Posted by Meg (Atlanta, Ga) on 11/04/2016
★★★★★
Amazingly, this really works. For the past four months I experienced terribly painful cramps. Strange for me, given I'm 53 years old and haven't had cramps since I was a teenager. The only thing that relieved the pain was a Chinese remedy that I got from my acupuncturist. But unfortunately since I've had hormone-fed cancer in the past, I couldn't continue to take it (it contained a phytoestrogen, my doctor nixed it). She said instead I should take an NSAID like ibuprofen or naproxen a couple days prior to my cycle, and continue for a couple days into the cycle. No thanks! I gave the Black Strap Molasses a try, starting three days before my cycle started. It was organic, unsulphured molasses. I took a spoonful (about 1-1/2 teaspoons), once a day. On the day my cycle started, I took one spoonful in the morning and another in the evening. No cramps! Yay!! Only a sense of tightness, which is what it normally would feel like in the first day or two of my cycle. I'm not sure if it's just a placebo affect or if it really does ease the pain, but I'll take it! My plan is to continue taking it through the third day of my cycle, then discontinue, then start it again about 3 days before my next cycle.
Hip and Knee Pain
Posted by Meg (Atlanta, Ga) on 10/26/2016
I would experience random joint pains in the day or two before my period.... I considered it my early warning sign that it was about to start. Apparently the prostaglandins that are given off from the uterus are somehow linked up to other areas that are slightly inflamed already, hence the joint pain. I'm an athlete, so there's usually some area of my body that's been overworked and a little inflamed. Anyway, that's my layperson explanation of it. Perhaps your ob/gyn can offer more info?
Blackstrap Molasses
Posted by Isa (Toronto) on 09/25/2016
★★★★★
I had suffered with cramps since I was 13 (I am 21 now). I came across this remedy online and decided to try it as I had severe cramps and was willing to do anything to have them gone. I started taking about a tablespoon of BSM every day mixed in with warm tea once a day for a month. When my period came around I also took a magnesium supplement once a day. For the first time in my life I have been pain free during my period.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Yolanda (Racine, Wisconsin) on 07/19/2016
Hello, I'm going through the same issues with my periods! Heavy bleeding, bad cramps, & about a whole month long being on my menstral! Its very uncomfortable, confusing, & most of all Scared & concerned about this! I have been to see my "OBGYN"!! I was put on a birth control shot! Its been over 18 yrs since I've been on birth control. I've started drinking the ACV with bottled water. Now I do take iron pills, & have been taking ibuprofen pills due to the pain I'm having. Is that safe.....
Dewcup and Yarrow Herbs
Posted by Cibitka (Europe) on 06/26/2016 6 posts
★★★★★
Long story short:
Since I can remember, first day - and more specifically first few hours - of my period always give me hell. I could scratch wall with my bare fingers from pain and often I am sick to my stomach from pain. Basically I lay down dead, unable to do anything, just living from 'contraction' to 'contraction' during the first day.
I used to take Ibuprofen, but I wanted to find a natural solution. I have found it in one book written by European herb specialist Maria Treben.
How I stop my period pain:
It takes 2 herbs:
1. Alchemilla xanthochlora (also known as Dewcup or Lady's Mantle)
2. Achillea millefolium (also known as Yarrow)
I use these herbs in dried form. I take same amount of both and make a VERY STRONG herbal tea.
I usually make one cup of it for instant use (to stop the pain I experience during worst few first hours) and then one jug of it for later use during that first day.
For cup: I put about 6 really knobby teaspoons of each herb
For jug: I put about 6 table spoons of each herb
I boil water and pour it slowly over the herbs. Then I place cover over the cup/jug to stop the important essential substances from evaporating. I leave it to infuse for about 15 min and then drink it slowly.
Both herbs are mild, so this one time concentrated 'shot' should not cause any issues, however in these days of ever-present allergies to everything, I would test first small amount when not on period to see if any allergic reactions occur. Also you need to listen to your body and adjust the amount of the herbs - some might need less, some more, to work effectively.
It is important to learn to recognize the very first signs of the 'apocalypse' coming, so that you drink the tea in time to prevent the biggest pain. The infusion takes about 30 to 45 mins to begin working. When it starts working, you will experience sweet comfort flooding your body. After few hours, you might need to take another shot - from jug, to keep the good result. I drink the cup for the first worst hours and then keep up with the jug content during the rest of the day.
I have advised several girls in my job about this herbal mix and they now swear by it. Some had it so bad that they fainted from pain. They spread it now to their friends and I haven't heard yet about anyone not having a good result with it. They put away pills and do 'my' tea now, for which I am glad, because I strongly believe in Nature as a biggest Healer : )
Availability of the herbs:
I am not sure, whether these two herbs are available outside selected EU countries - I certainly don't see them growing in wild in southern EU.
