I used to have horrible menstrual cramps. Over the years, I’ve learned five things that help me get through that time of the month with less pain and more comfort.

Some severe cramps woke me up in the middle of the night. They kept me up for a while.
I gently messaged my pelvic area and breathed deeply into that area.
I eventually drifted back to sleep. When I got up this morning, I felt rested, calm and peaceful.
In my 20s, I used to have really bad cramps. I remember one time I had terrible cramps while working at the office. They were so bad I broke down, rolled up in a ball on the floor, trembling, and covered with cold sweat.
It was quite a sight!
Unable to stand up myself, a male colleague had to carry me home. He looked concerned, but also completely bewildered by what I was experiencing.
“If only guys knew what we women go through…” I thought to myself.
I’m in my 30s now, and the cramps are not as bad. They’re still there, but much more tolerable. Doctors say that menstrual cramps lessen with age – surely one of the benefits of getting older.
5 Simple Tips to Relieving Menstrual Cramps
Over the years, I’ve learned a few things that help me relieve menstrual cramps:
Abdominal Massage
Gently message around the lower abdominal area. Apply certain essential oils to help relieve period pains. Deep breathing into this area also seems to help relieve pressure and tension.
Learn how I healed my uterus.
Heat
Apply a heating pad in the pelvic area or lower back. Heat works really well to relieve tension and pain.
Herbs
Certain herbs such as Dong Guai, Chaste Berry and Raspberry Leaf are great at warming and tonifying the uterus.
When I am menstruating, I enjoy cuddling up in bed with a cup of Moon Cycle tea (a tea blend with these tonic herbs). It’s pretty much a cure for almost any discomfort for me.
Nettle tea is another great remedy for menstrual cramps accompanied with heavy bleeding. Learn more about the benefits of nettle.
If you take painkillers to relieve your period pain, try Cramp Bark instead. It’s a natural muscle relaxant without the side effects of making you feel drowsy.
Exercise
Exercise such as walking and yoga, is another cure for all. Life is in the movement. This is the truth.
Check out a simple uterus exercise to relieve period pain.
Supplements
Vitamin D
A Italian study showed that vitamin D may help relieve period pain by reducing the production of hormone-like substances called prostaglandins, which can trigger painful periods. Learn more about the study on vitamin D and period cramps.
Magnesium
Several studies have confirmed the effectiveness of magnesium in improving PMS moods, and in reducing period cramping, weight gain, swelling of the hands and legs, breast tenderness, and abdominal bloating. The U.S. Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for magnesium is 280 mg/day for women.
Personally, I use Calcium-Magnesium Complex 1000mg by Country Life. It’s convenient to get my daily doses of calcium and magnesium in a single capsule. And even though it contains 500mg of magnesium, it’s worked fine for me.
I hope you find these tips helpful. If you have a good one that works well for you, please share with the rest of us. Thank you!
Microwaveable Heating Pad: Warm the Uterus, Relieve Menstrual Cramps
Raspberry Leaf Tea: Support Menstruation, Tonify the Uterus, Relieve Menstrual Cramps
Moon Cycle Tea: Balance Hormones, Warm the Uterus, Relieve Period Cramps
Vitamin D: Promote Overall Health, Relieve Period Pain
Magnesium: Relax Uterine Muscles, Relieve Menstrual Cramps
Omega-3 Fish Oil: Reduce Inflammation, Blood Clotting, and Period Pain
Start Where You Are: A Journal for Self-exploration
Diva Cup: Reusable Menstrual Cup
Bamboo Cloth Pads: Reusable Menstrual Pads
The episode you described with a cold sweat, extreme cramps, and inability to stand could be due to a sudden drop in blood sugar. I experience the same on occasion and found out the way my hormones fluctuate at the start of my period can make my blood sugar regulation go out of whack. Anyways, for anyone who has had similar symptoms, I recommend learning more about hypoglycemic attacks and drinking a glass of high sugar juice/soda inmediately if you ever feel one coming on. They are so painful and scary. I’m glad you were ok!
Thanks for sharing this tip, Marissa! It didn’t occur to me at the time that low blood sugar could have something to do with it. Now I know that low blood sugar is a common cause of hormone imbalance. It’s so important for us women to keep our blood sugar balanced AT ALL TIMES!
Drinking plenty of good quality water helps.
Also if a heat pad doesn’t seem to be working, a nice hot bath does wonders.
Keep good quality water intake high is beneficial also.
Also if the heat pad doesn’t seem to work, a warm bath does wonders.
Isabelle, I’d also add to wash the cloth pads with gentle detergent – to be free from harmful chemicals.