# Hey, gals. Aleve for cramps? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 9, 2004, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-gals-aleve-for-cramps/254271 "2004-07-09T12:42:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![tremorviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47774/32.png) [@tremorviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tremorviolet)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2004, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-gals-aleve-for-cramps/254271/21 "2004-07-09T20:43:05Z")
> [@AskNott](#): > > In Germaine Greer’s _The Female Eunuch,_ a pioneering work of feminism (_seminal_ doesn’t quite work for a feminist book,) Greer cites a source that says orgasm is a very effective way to stave off menstrual cramps. If your partner is squeamish, there’s always the shower-massage, or your fingers. I gave away the book years ago, so I can’t tell you who she cited. Sorry. It works short term but it’s pretty tough to have orgasms for eight straight hours while sleeping… ---
**Author:** ![Podkayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Podkayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Podkayne)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2004, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-gals-aleve-for-cramps/254271/22 "2004-07-09T21:45:30Z")
> [@AskNott](#): > > In Germaine Greer’s _The Female Eunuch,_ a pioneering work of feminism (_seminal_ doesn’t quite work for a feminist book,) Greer cites a source that says orgasm is a very effective way to stave off menstrual cramps. If your partner is squeamish, there’s always the shower-massage, or your fingers. I gave away the book years ago, so I can’t tell you who she cited. Sorry. Sorry, **AskNott** , I don’t mean to go off on you when you’re trying to be helpful, but I just _knew_ I couldn’t start a thread asking a specific question about a specific medication for relief of cramps without somebody chirping up about that stupid orgasm thing. To hell with my “squeamish” partner. I’m gushing like a river (bright red blood dotted with slimy black clots) and my uterus is a like a tiny parasitic organism stirring in my pelvis, about to remind me who’s boss. So of course, naturally, I’m thinking, “Hey, you know what’d be great right now! Masturbation!” Because excruciating pain in my reproductive organs always puts me in the mood for sexual fanatasy. I did actually bring myself to orgasm once with a vibrator when I felt some cramps cranking up, just to see if it would work, and it accomplished about what I expected to do: it took forever, my clit was sore, I felt that sense of emptiness that occurs when you come without any emotional satisfaction, and it did not a damn thing for the cramps. It’s not “very effective.” It does work for some women, but it doesn’t work for others. And all power to women who it does work for, but I find it mildly insulting that in every single thread about cramps, somebody’s gotta suggest that you don’t really need pain reliever, you just need sexual release. I can see why it’s so . . . um . . .appealing to the male mind, and, uh, yeah, hurray for femiminsim and subverting the tryanny of the phallocentric pharmaceutical industry and all, but, seriously, I _asked_ about Aleve. Anyway, thanks to everyone for the information and advice. I’ll get a small bottle in case it doesn’t work, but I will try it out. ---
**Author:** ![herownself](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8baadc/32.png) [@herownself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/herownself)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2004, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-gals-aleve-for-cramps/254271/23 "2004-07-09T23:18:27Z")
Aleve works great for me for headaches (except migraines, but that’s a whole different story), muscle pain, etc. I love that it works all day or all night. However, my cramps laugh at Aleve. I must have ibuprofin for cramps - now they sell Advil liqui-gels at Costco so I stock up. If it’s really bad, I take Tylenol with the Advil, about which I have spoken with my doctor. It’s also important to know that Aleve and ibuprofin are chemically similar so you can’t take them at the same time. ---
**Author:** ![Carm6773](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/2bfe46/32.png) [@Carm6773](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carm6773)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2004, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-gals-aleve-for-cramps/254271/24 "2004-07-09T23:28:28Z")
> [@Dr\_Paprika](#): > > Oh, and Alleve should work like Advil. Both naproxen and ibuprofen are anti-inflamatories (or NSAIDs). Tylenol is good for pain, but not swelling, and is not an anti-inflamatory. If you’re allergic to Aspirin and, therefore, have been advised not to take Ibuprofen or Naproxen, Women’s Tylenol works great. It has a mile diuretic in it, which somehow relieves cramps. YMMV, of course. ---
**Author:** ![Carm6773](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/2bfe46/32.png) [@Carm6773](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carm6773)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2004, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-gals-aleve-for-cramps/254271/25 "2004-07-09T23:29:56Z")
… **mild** diuretic… Preview, Preview!!! ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2004, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-gals-aleve-for-cramps/254271/26 "2004-07-10T05:20:20Z")
People who are allergic to aspirin are not necessarily allergic to other NSAIDs, including ibuprofen and Alleve. As said, they should try to avoid multiple NSAIDs (with the probable exception of those on chronic low dose aspirin for stroke or heart attack). Acetaminophen (Tylenol) is gentler on the stomach, particularly in those over age 55, who of course usually don’t menstruate. I am glad Tylenol for Women does the trick for you. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![nevermore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a587f6/32.png) [@nevermore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nevermore)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2004, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-gals-aleve-for-cramps/254271/27 "2004-07-10T11:40:12Z")
pretty much any drug works on me… I prefer Advil(/ibuprofen) & Aleve(/naproxen) over the others almost interchangeably for pain-in-general, but Aleve’s all I’ll take for cramps. granted, I’ve never really have gotten gut-wrenching cramps; the most I ever have is sickening, just-painful-enough-to-be-annoying sort of pulling sensation in what I assume is my uterus. still, Aleve essentially eliminates the discomfort, whereas any other over-the-counter just dulls it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-gals-aleve-for-cramps/254271.md?page=1)