I’ve often heard that the pill lessens mentral cramps for women that have bad cases during their period, but my SO just started taking the pill and she’s on her placebos now, and her menstral cramps have not gotten any better from when she wasn’t taking the pill.
So this is a question for a woman who has/had mentral cramps and is on the pill. How did the pill effect your mentral cramps if at all?
Some dosages made them worse. It takes several months for her body to adjust to the pills, so if she just started it may be too soon to tell if they’ll help.
Tis worth repeating.
Seriously, she is on her first month? I know my first month on any new pill/shot/etc. - my cramps were always worse.
The pill lessened cramps for my ex. But she was on the same one for several years, so I don’t know about a lag time for changing.
Hormones affect everyone differently. I’m on the patch and it hasn’t done jack squat for my cramps except make them longer. It’s just the way it is with some people.
I had 8-9 day, shot in the stomach painful, “Elevator doors opening in the Shining,” periods pre hormonal BC. Now they’re usually 5 days long, mildly crampy, and I can use regular tampons, but I don’t because I use the Keeper. Only downside? My GI system gets a little speedy around that time. But overall I think everything has been more manageable since the BC, especially since I skip my period most of the time anyway.
I get virtually no cramps off the pill, but I get some decent ones for a day or so on the ones I’m on now. However, when I was a young teenager I’d get the same ones for several days, so if I only get them for a day, it’s fine. Ibuprofen knocks them out pretty nicely. My only real complaint about the pill is that silly short cycle they package them in. I extend it by a week since I don’t want to not have periods but I can’t stand having them every three weeks instead of every four. Slightly more expensive but worth it.
If this is her first cycle, I’d give it a couple more to see what happens. Some women take longer to adjust.
It also depends on the type of pill. Some work better than others for cramps and it also depends on how the person’s body chemistry reacts to the pill. She sould give it a couple of months and if it’s still not helping, go talk to her doctor again.
The pill worked great for my cramps, lightened my flow, and totally cleared up my face. Miracle drug. But, it totally killed my libido, no matter which version I tried. Works great for birth control when you never actually feel like having sex… :dubious:
It turned my day-off-work on-the-floor-crying cramps in to nothing. It shortened my flow from eight days to more like five. Wonderful stuff.
Relived my cramps hugely, once I found the right brand.
Finding the right brand can be tough. There are zillions, and each reacts to your body in a different way. If she hasn’t noticed an improvement after 3 months she should switch brands.
The Pill was the ONLY thing that worked for my cramps. It won’t necessarily take hold in the first month, though.
Many pills now are low-dose compared to the traditional Pill. Most of the side effects (weight gain, breast tenderness, etc) are lessened by taking a low-dose pill- I wonder if it lessens the good side effects also?
My current low-dose pill (Alesse) reduced my cramps and flow a bit, but I haven’t noticed any other side effects at all.
On the standard Ortho pills (I was on a couple of 'em) I didn’t get cramps. What I did get, which I never got before that, was horrible headaches that would arrive when my period did and not leave until it did. Two of those and I was at the clinic begging for a change. I had no cramps at all on those, but given the choice of the headache or moderate cramps – woo! Cramps all the way!
Thank Og for low-dose pills. They seem to like me a lot better.
My cramps are not too bad, but the pill does not help. It doesn’t make it any worse though either.
It takes about 3 months for the body to get used to the pill. At least that’s what all the leaflets said. Personally, it took about 1.
How bad are her cramps? If she suffers intense pain, she may have endometriosis. She should speak to her doctor, because there are treatment options which may help.
I suffered from hideous menstrual cramps for years. Doctors I discussed this with either shrugged and said I’d just have to deal with it, or said patronizingly that it was all in my head. Birth control pills did nothing for me. I did get some relief from taking Naproxen (Aleve) but they were still pretty bad.
I finally saw a doctor who understood menstrual pain, and she put me on the Depo shot. I no longer have periods, so cramps aren’t much of an issue. (I do have a bit of breakthrough cramping when I’m due for my next shot, but it’s nothing major.)
For me, the Depo shot has been the best thing since sliced bread. No periods, which is a gods-blessing, no PMS, and no worries about accidentally forgetting a pill. Some women react badly to it, but I had no side effects other than an initial weight gain of about two pounds which quickly melted away.
Your girlfriend does not have to suffer! There are so many treatment options out there. If her doctor isn’t trying to help her, get a new one. Some doctors are very unsympathetic and unconcerned with menstrual pain, though it can seriously affect your quality of life. There are better doctors out there, ones who are better-educated about the subject.
Depo is a Og-send for cramps- but it can have severe side effects. It made me horribly depressed for one, and also
TMI warning:
couldn’t get wet enough to have sex without lube and eventually (after 3 years of using Depo) would have horrible cramps when I orgasmed
TMI response:
[spoiler]I have had trouble on occasion with lubrication, but that’s why Og gave us Slippery Stuff.
For me, orgasms make cramping stop. It’s a fun remedy, too! 
[/spoiler]
I agree with everything Lissa said. At 15, my cramps were unbearable. Codeine did nothing. The pill did almost nothing. But I’ve been on Depo for nearly 10 years and I love it. Some other friends had some depression issues from it, but I’ve had no side effects. I can’t recommend it enough.
Another alternative with the pill, though, is to just not take the placebos and skip to the next pack. I know people who’ve eliminated their periods (and cramps) that way.
Seconded. I’ve had my tubes tied for three years now, and dealing with a heavier flow and cramping (which fortunately is pretty minor compared to what some women deal with) is a more than acceptable trade-off for getting my libido back.
But as others have pointed out, there are many ways to deal with periods and contraception. So if the pill isn’t right for your SO, she has many options to choose from.
Cramps and all other symptoms- just as bad, if not worse.
Duration - down to 7 days from 15 days per month!!!
In my opinion, if the pill prevents pregnancy, I count myself lucky. Anything else is just a bonus.