"Answers, Period"

Is there any way to decrease the debilitation of cramps?

Some women get such bad cramps that they can hardly do anything but lay on the couch with a heating pad. Is there any way to decrease cramps when they're so debilitating?

"There are a lot of things to do for cramps," Dr. Masterson says. "As a gynecologist, I get asked this question every day. The warm packs are a great thing. The other things you want to concentrate on are diet and exercise. Very simple but it actually helps with cramps. Now the other thing is Motrin, a great pain reliever for cramps. The trick is to take it a day or two before your period actually starts." Dr. Masterson says taking pain relievers and calcium work to help blood vessels in the uterus.

Other ways to control cramps are with acupuncture and contraceptives, she says. "Birth control pills are excellent at taking away cramps because they decrease how much you bleed. And a lot of women take the contraceptives continually so you don't get a period and therefore you don't get the cramps."