Someone else mentioned crunches... and I would add any form of exercise... I find that being physically active alleviates the pain. I've been known to mow the lawn while having severe cramps - I'm focused on the mowing and moving and when I'm all done I have a glass of ice water and a bath and feel good (and accomplished too!)

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When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and swing.

She must be a real B-I-T-C-H

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The practice of putting women on pedestals began to die out when it was discovered that they could give orders better from there.~ Betty Grable

If I wanted your opinion, I'd remove the duct tape and ask you for it.~ Me
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heat packs.
Green tea.
Evening Primrose Oil (recommended for women with fibrocystic breasts, but I found it also alleviated cramps) (it comes in capsules)
yoga.
Yogic breathing.
Meditating on your center. (I mean sitting cross-legged, eyes closed, with your hands over your belly-button. It helps to focus healing energy on the part in pain, and it calms the muscles of your body that could be tensing)

*jotting all this down*

I'd lay on a bed of nails, smack dab in the eye of a tornado, with a cow and an outhouse pressing down on me if someone said it relieved cramps! I think the only thing that would help me...is for the doc's to finish off that partial hysterectomy they started way back when I was 28!

I wish you all the relief I can't find Summer! I feel your pain and I hope you never feel mine!

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Minds are like parachutes. They only work when they are open.

~Thomas Dewar~

Lixy, I'm not sure if you are open to the idea of taking a pill or not. But here's a suggestion, my periods have become miserable - mostly in the area of mood swings, but also cramps, bloating, break outs, cravings, etc. My doctor put me on a new birth control which doesn't really "fix" any of those issues, but it controls how many times I have to go through the miserable times. It's called Seasonale and it is a three month pill instead of a three week pill. Meaning of course that you only have your period "seasonally" or once every three months. It is FDA approved and much research was done supporting that it is completely healthy and non-detrimental to the body.

So far I really like it, so thought I'd throw it out for an option for anyone else.

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When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and swing.

Thanks for that, I'm going to ask my doc about that. I am on Depo-Provera and don't have a period at all, and would like to have it back... I can't help feeling that not having a period at all is somewhat of a bad thing.. after this long of not having one.

I have to agree 100% with Cheyanne having dealt with this myself. Last year right before my auto accident I ended up so sick and in so much pain I wanted to die. I ended up finding out that I have a tendancy towards ovarian cysts as well as a rather large fibroid. What made me so sick was having a cyst rupture. This is what led the doctors to finding the fibroid which they figure has caused my severe cramping. Please, ladies, listen to your bodies, if something has changed, get it checked out, don't wait. We are all too precious to suffer or even lose our lives to something that can be treated. *big hugs*

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Don't forget to stop and smell the roses *S* @};-