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.
Oregano Oil
Posted by Jill (Bronx, New York, United States) on 12/18/2009
★★★★★
I find that a couple of drops of wild oil of oregano in a cup of water takes the edge off my cramps.
Papaya
Posted by Shedacares (Philippines) on 12/13/2015 1 posts
★★★★★
Papain found in papaya relieves menstrual cramps. This fruit also is one of nature's best in cleansing the colon, and preventing constipation. There are so many products in the market that is rich in fiber but find one with papaya.. discover the healing wonders of herbs!
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.
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.
Pickle Juice
Posted by Jessica (Los Angeles, CA) on 06/15/2008
★★★★★
In desperate need of relief from menstrual cramps I looked up your website answers. Scared as I was to down to pickle juice, I am ecstatic to report IMMEDIATE RELIEF! Menstruation is the loss of the muscle wall of the uterus, so it made perfect sense to give this remedy a try. So glad for the advice, thanks to all who voted yea!
Replied by
Joyce (Joelton, Tn)
06/17/2008
490 posts
Red Raspberry Tea
Posted by Iluvshoes! (San Francisco, Ca) on 08/28/2012
★★★★★
I had very painful cramps with Very Heavy bleeding that lasted for 5 days! And this cycle repeated every 21 days! So I would have a full period twice a month!! I was miserable and had to schedule my life around my cycle, because I was doubled over in pain or afraid of the embarrasment of bleeding onto my clothes! A friend recomended drinking this tea and my life changed!! I no longer have ANY Cramps!! The bleeding has subsided to 3 days with a normal flow and now my cycle is regulated to every 26 days or once a month. I have more energy and vitality and dont have to call in sick anymore!! This tea is blessing not only for pregnancy but for your menstrual cycle as well!! I tell every woman I know about this tea!! No need for birth control pills or other hormonal intervention. I love its pleasant light taste and enjoy drinking a cup a day.
Replied by Elsaeasterly
(Elsewhere, Ca)
08/28/2012
Replied by Iluvshoes!
(San Francisco, Ca)
08/29/2012
Red Raspberry Tea
Posted by Sandra (L.a., California) on 08/21/2012
★★★★★
I have been having menstrual cramps to a varying degree for the past few years and thought that I just had to live with them for the rest of my life. Fortunately I found this website and tried red raspberry tea. Wow, I could not believe that it worked. It seemed too easy. I drank one cup of tea in the morning and one in the evening 2 days before my period started until 2 days after it started and I had no cramps at all. I highly recommend giving this a try. I will keep doing this for the next few months and if anything changes I will let you know.
Red Raspberry Tea
Posted by Tim (Cincinnati, Oh) on 08/08/2012
★★★★☆
My girlfriend has been getting menstrual cramps for the past year and it has been annoying for both of us. I have tried a few different things like molasses, magnesium and crampbark, none of which helped. I finally tried red raspberry leaf tea, with a bit of licorice root for flavor, and this was the one that worked. I have her drink 2 cups of tea per day starting about 1 week before her period and 2 days after it starts and that seems to work well. She still gets a bit of gas and constipation, so if anyone has a suggestion for that then please let me know.
Red Raspberry Tea
Posted by Hannah (Northampton, Ma, Usa) on 02/26/2010
★★★★★
I was hesitant to use molasses (sugar) to ease menstrual cramps, as I'm already prone to candida. Instead, I sipped a cup of red raspberry leaf tea. I used loose leaves, less than 1 tbsp in hot water with a bit of lavender and peppermint. Within minutes the cramping has subsided. Definite "yea!"
Red Raspberry Tea
Posted by A (Smalltown, Bc Canada) on 02/04/2010
★★★★★
I agree with using raspberry tea for menstrual cramps. As soon as I feel any sort of cramping coming on, I make a very strong cup and drink it (with or without honey). Within half an hour, my cramping has eased.
Apparently it is the calcium/magnesium content in the leaves that helps, so if you have cramps, taking a regular supplement would probably also be beneficial.
If you have access to raspberry bushes, you can make your own tea by drying the leaves. Otherwise, any store-bought raspberry leaf tea will do.
Tea
Posted by Michelle (Lamora, Mexico) on 03/01/2008
★★★★★
When I get bad cramps I make me a quart of hot tea and sit down and sip it slowly, Also my sister says drink alot of liquids.
Tea
Posted by Kristina (Waukesha, WI) on 03/20/2007
★★★★★
Hi, my grandma used to make us drink strong black tea each time we had the flu, as it would stop vomiting and help settle the stomach. I have tried it with green tea as well and it works the same, and usually you don't need more than a few sips before it starts working. Now I don't even wait for the vomiting to start--I go straight for the tea upon first symptoms of the flu.
I have also used this remedy for severe menstrual cramps and diahrrea and those times when painful gas gets in the way of elimination. One time I even tried it for a headache and it went away. Works wonders!
Tonic Water
Posted by Elaine (Edmond, Oklahoma, Usa) on 10/30/2014
★★★★★
A few years ago I was suffering from leg cramps at night. My doctor wrote me a prescription for a muscle relaxer. While I was filling the prescription the Pharmacist's tech recommended Tonic Water. He told me it had quinine in it which was good for leg cramps as well and was much cheaper not to mention fewer side effects. I did eventually try the Tonic Water and it worked. Not did it work for leg cramps, but it worked on stomach cramps due to the flu. Last night my daughter was suffering menstrual cramp. I suggested she drink a glass of Tonic Water. Within 15 minutes she was doing fine. Inexpensive and no problems with feeling sleepy, euphoric or any other side effect that we've found. You can find Tonic Water on the soft drink aisle of the super market. I would recommend anyone look up quinine for it's pros and cons. So far we've had great results with it.
Turmeric
Posted by L. G. (Minneapolis, Mn, Usa) on 07/06/2011
★★★★★
I have known for quite some time that my menstrual cramps are worse on an empty stomach/when my blood sugar is low. I also tend to have low-to-medium grade (I've never actually vomited from cramps) nausea, extremely low energy and a complete lack of appetite during the worst of my heavy bleeding/cramping. All of this is exacerbated by hot, humid weather (Hello July in Minnesota! ) which has sometimes made me completely unwilling to stand or sit upright as all of the muscles in my back and legs throb and tremble in sympathy with my contracting uterus. One memorable August morning 5 years ago I was making breakfast for guests when, in the middle of scrambling eggs, I was forced to go back to bed because the pressure of my HEELS AGAINST THE FLOOR, along with the above symptoms, caused such agony that I thought I was going to pass out. Explaining that was fun.
I usually try to "get on top" of my symptoms by forcing myself to eat something simple like toast or a banana when I first wake up so that I can take 3 ibuprofen, wait 45 minutes or more for blessed relief, and spend the rest of the day trying to keep enough painkiller in my system to function. And also remember to eat because I have no appetite and an empty stomach makes me nauseous and increases the cramping pain- even if I'm on painkillers. I'm not at all happy about all the pills I take just to cope, but who can afford to check out of their life for 2-3 days a month?
And now the important part of my story: Today is a typical hot and humid summer day in MN and it is the first day of my period (yay?) I wake up with cramps, nausea, headache, irritability and aching, trembling back and leg muscles. After staggering around for a while and whimpering, I remember that I have a new bottle of turmeric and didn't I read something about it getting rid of cramps? I quickly mix a heaping 1/2 tsp with a cup or so of warm water and drink it down. (It did not taste bad at all! It kind of tasted like how crushed dandelion stems smell. ) At this point I have not eaten yet or even had a glass of water. After TWO MINUTES, I feel a wave of well-being wash over my body and then, suddenly I realize that ALL OF MY SYMPTOMS ARE GONE. At this point, I am completely giddy with disbelief and relief.
The pain and other symptoms DO began to return again after about 40 minutes. I still hadn't eaten anything, so I quickly fix a little left-over spaghetti with some extra olive oil (turmeric is fat soluble), drink down another dose (1/2 tsp in warm water) as I'm eating and it's now been 4 hours with out any symptoms.
I'm impressed with how quickly this works (on an empty stomach) and the nausea relief is incredible! I wonder if turmeric would help women with morning sickness and anyone else who suffers with nausea and lack of appetite?
Replied by Sunny
(South Gate, Ca)
04/28/2013
★★★★★
Replied by Sunny
(South Gate, Ca)
04/28/2013
Turmeric
Posted by Leelannee (Sussex, Nj) on 09/08/2009
★★★★★
I have been taking a teaspoon of turmeric (for inflammation & liver function) every day for about 3 weeks, and this month my period was shorter (48 hours) and less painful than usual. Among its many benefits & effects, turmeric keeps the blood from clotting. Maybe this is why it helps with the menstrual cramps--the uterus doesn't have to work so hard when the blood is thinner? I didn't take the turmeric during my period as I was very busy & concerned that the turmeric might cause excessive bleeding, but next time I'm going to try taking it if I get cramps and see if that relieves the pain.
