I would highly recommend a diva cup. I have one and it is great. I have really heavy flow days but I can go a few hours before emptying my cup. I used to have leakage problems with tampons but not with the diva cup. Plus it is better for the environment.

I'm another one who LOVES my Divacup. Honestly, I will never use another tampon or pad in my life, if I can avoid it. I had a friend recommend it to me a couple years before I bucked up and bought one, and my first reaction was "why the **** didn't I listen to you sooner?"

I've never tried tampons or a Divacup. I've just been slapping on pads this whole time. Very uncomfortable doing jumping jacks or getting up and off the floor with a big pad on. lol. Thanks for the advice, ladies! Oh, and I think I'll look into that tea, though for some strange reason I haven't had a single cramp this time around. I think it's because I started exercising, and had done it on up until my period got heavy.

I don't have that time of month anymore but my DD swears by the Divacup... It's very flexible and would probably be more comfortable than a tampon... I wish I could try it LOL...

I do keep working out, even though I don't want to. I do have cramps, but usually they are not terrible and that's not what stops me...it's my flow. It is SO heavy and I just feel gross when I'm on my period. I don't want to exercise, but I do, and I'm always glad I did in the end.

Hey, ladies. I have another question. Did anyone's flow get worse and last longer once they started exercising? I don't really have a pattern, anyway, but every time I take exercise up again (after stopping) it always makes my period longer and sometimes heavier.

Saef - You crack me up!
Others - I recommend the doubling up method! Plus exercising does make me feel better during this dreadfulness but, of course, it is the getting going that is the obstacle! As with everything else in my life it is the damn inertia!

I use tampons, double up with a liner or pad if it's heavy flow time, and I like to wear well-fitting underwear or spandex, too. Birth control reduced the flow, but I find that running increases flow. I figured it just had to do with increased blood flow in general, and all the shaking around.

I feel worse if I let my period get in the way of activities I want to do.

When I was younger I used to get horrible 7-8 day periods that were insanely heavy and required going to the washroom every few hours. I don't know if it was because of the weight gain, but I only get light 3 day long ones now.

For me a tampon is just enough to keep me leak free on the treadmill, and I do wear black sweat pants (I keep the white ones in the closet this time of the week).

For working out, I once heard you lose more weight if you exercise on your period. I don't know if that's true, but I tell myself it is and it always pushes me to go. I think it has something to do with the fact that your more tired and sluggish but still pushing through it to work out.

Not sure if it's true though :P haha

Well, that would definitely motivate me.