New treatments for Menstrual Cramps?

OrangeDaisy · 01-12-2006, 07:45 PM

Maybe this belongs on the Other Medications board, and I'm sure the Mod will move it if it does. For 30 years I have lived with horrible menstrual cramps. In my teens, 20s and early 30s, I periodically fainted from the pain. In my late 30s & 40s (I'm 45 now), the duration of the horrible cramps went from 2 days to 4 days, and they nauseated and drained me, although on the 3rd and 4th day, I cramp in the morning and early afternoon, but rarely at night. I take 800mg Ibuprofen every 4 hours although my docs have fussed at me saying that I shouldn't have to take that much but every 8 hours, and that I might be tearing up my stomach. I have tried every OTC med out there, including Alleve, muscle relaxers, Tylenol and various combos of these meds, and even some prescription stuff such as Ponstel (Menfenamic Acid), and Vioxx (now off market). I've never been willing to take narcotic pain relievers for monthly pain. I figure I can function through the pain better than I can through the sleepiness and brain fog of narcotic drugs.

Anyways, last month I was really sick with a bronchial & sinus infection and had been taking 1000mg Guaifenesin twice a day and 600mg Ibuprofen every 6 hours for about 3 days when my period started. My period came exactly on time, but I had barely a cramp. This month, I started taking 600mg Ibuprofen about 3 days before my period. My docs have always told me to do that, but I've never found it made a difference, so I thought I'd try it again based on what happened last month. When the full flow started, the cramps kicked in just like always. When the cramps hit, I got the brilliant idea to take a Guaifenesin. The cramps subsided within about 30 minutes. That made me head for Google to try to find out if Guaifenesin has ever been used for menstrual cramps. I found that it is often prescribed to treat Fibromyalgia and is considered a new treatment for menstrual cramps. This link just mentions it but really gives no other info.
http://www.umt.edu/ce/cps/documents/...dDisorders.pdf

This link talks about a study that was done on 34 women.
http://www.immunesupport.com/library...le.cfm/id/5876

Has anyone out there ever used Guaifenesin for cramps or had similar results during your period when taking Robitussin or other expectorants that contain Guaifenesin?

pcxo · 01-13-2006, 03:21 AM

interesting.....I wish I could remember the name of the pills I was taking for an inflammed tendon in my foot many moons ago. It began with a D and I noticed when I happened to take it on a horrible crampy AF day, it knocked the cramps right out of me. I happend to look over the paper that came with the prescription and it said it was also used for cramps. I wish I could remember what it was though.

anh0810 · 01-13-2006, 03:37 AM

Have you looked into endometriosis as a possibility? If you are fainting from the pain that means it's beyond severe pain. I just thought you might want to look into that as a possibility.

OrangeDaisy · 01-13-2006, 04:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by anh0810

Have you looked into endometriosis as a possibility? If you are fainting from the pain that means it's beyond severe pain. I just thought you might want to look into that as a possibility.

I haven't fainted from the pain since I was in my 30s, but when that stopped happening, the cramps started lasting more days. I've never been scoped for endo, but I don't have any of the other symptoms like pain when I'm not on my period, IBS-type stuff, etc. I've been telling my gyn for years about the pain, and she's never suggested we scope for endo. I figure I've got about 4 more years to endure before menopause, but I could have 9 or 10 since my Mom was about 55 when she went through menopause.