h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Is it my imagination or do tampons make my period pain worse? I don't use them very often, I just have a box on the shelf for the rare occasions when I want to go swimming, but the other week I'd run out of towels and had to use them for a while and boy, the cramps were something else (and they're pretty bad normally)!

Wondered if the tampon might make the muscle spasms worse somehow - I get shooting pains in the vagina just as the flow's about to start, and so do other women I know. Thought the tampon make accentuate these.

I loe the hot water bottle as a remedy for belly pain but in summer it makes you too hot... ;-(

I have heard that that can be true about tampons, because supposedly they restrict the flow a bit.

Funny you mention that!

I was getting my hair done on last week and was taking to the hairdresser about my horrendious period pains. ANYWAY, seems she also is a bad suffer of the intense crippling pains.

She suggested not to wear tampons, as they make the cramps worse! So maybe there is some truth on this.

For anyone out there that has any advise on how to help period pains, I m all ears!

I went on the pill this is my first period (been on it a month) and the period was fighting its way though before I was due. It hasnt helped my pains, if anything its worse and not to mention the most shocking headache to go with it today!!! I will give it more time, as this is only a month.

Any advise let me know

It wake up in the night with the cramps it cripples my life for a week. I feel sorry for my boyfriend as I just cannot do anything but lay in bed and overdose on Advil.

Heh overdose on advil. I knew exactly how you feel.

Try a Mooncup. http://www.mooncup.co.uk/index.html

You can get them from Boots. They don't work on everybody, but they did reduce my cramps quite a bit.

I find that sanitary towels make me feel really uncomfortable, like a baby in nappies, and that tampons reduce my period pain if anything. I don't usually get bad period pain, but when I do I find that ibuprofen, some brisk exercise, some heat on stomach/lower back and possibly some chocolate all help. There are, however, occaisionally still times when the only thing I can do is curl up, bite my lip and explain to my (usually male) friends why I'm not paying much attention to the conversation!