I started my period today, I hate it!! What do you guys do about really really awful cramps?! I just want to lay in bed and I took a nice hot bath but it didn't really help and I have taken Aleve and so far that hasn't helped. For some reason it is really kickin my butt this month. Any suggestions on what to make it feel better?

Exercise helps....I'm serious, they've done studies on it! I know cramps make you want to curl up and not move but if you get out and exercise I can vouch that it honestly helps a lot.

When I changed my birth control my periods got shorter and my cramps are virtually non existent now, perhaps talk to your doc about different types of birth control that could be beneficial to you.

Oof, I wish I had advice for you but I'm the same way-- when I get cramps I want to just curl up in a fetal position and not move until it's over. But sometimes drinking hot tea helps, and if it doesn't, at least it can't hurt!

For me, some Ibuprofen does the trick. In fact, I mentioned it to my doctor and she said if you start taking Ibuprofen a few days before, then it can keep you from getting cramps at all. She also prescribed me some 600 mg ones so that I don't have to take a bunch of the OTC ones.

Ditto. Ibuprofen is the best. I am on BC, and when I first started my cramps went away completely..But now I have been on them a few years and they are coming back. I hate them!

I take Advil Liquigels. They are great. I hope you feel better

Aleve works best for me. If you take it before your period starts and regularly for the first 2 days, you can pretty much prevent cramps altogether.

But once I have them, exercise is the only thing that works....and it really works!

I had surgery last June to help relieve the monthly cramps I get that are severe! And, it didn't help. What is helping me though is starting 800 mg ibuprofen every 8 hours 2 days before I start and the same amount every 6 hours during my cycle. The past few months this has worked (knocking on wood) and I highly suggest it. I feel your pain, hope this helps.

heating pad! or thermacare pads work well. the thermacare pads actually burn my skin though, so i'd always wear a small tight pair of shorts & stick the pad on that instead of in my undies so there's a layer of fabric between it and my skin.

i had to go on the pill to relieve my cramps - they'd be so bad i'd have to call out sick every month i'd be on the floor crying and puking. it was horrid. Yazmin or the new one YAZ help greatly with cramping and heavy bleeding too. I barely have a period at all, mostly just spotting now. It's so nice.

Electric heating pad. Best thing ever. I use mine all the time and I don't know what I'd do without it.

Midol and hot lemon water are my saviours; I don't know where I'd be without them!

Ibuprofen used to work well for me, too. That, and drinking a lot + walking. Walking walking walking. 30 minutes of walk were normally enough to get rid of most of the cramping.

I can't tell what would work now, because I've been on the pill since 2003 and it was like some kind of magic wand was waved on my uterus. Poof, cramps gone. But exercising even slightly is probably still a very valid option for many women, even though the initial wish is indeed to curl and not move at all.

I have this amazing cushion which smells of lavender and wheat that you heat in the microwave. It's amazing!

Well I took some of the advice, I had my sis get me some Midol and that helped but I also got up and went on a bike ride and did some crunches! I really think that it does help to get up and move around. Thanks!!

Streaching helps-- try Abs Yoga by Rodney Yee-- it's a DVD (if you have On Demand cable, it's in the workouts sections this month) I love it!