Does midol really work for period cramps?

Question

i have really bad period cramps... does midol work? i want to try it but im not sure yet, is there any side effects etc? thank you

Answer 1

I use regular Ibuprofen (Advil) and it works just the same, and costs less.

Answer 2

if you want to get rid of all the period problems then midol works. it usualy works for anything with your period. i use it all the time, and within the hour i feel fine ! its great. i love it.

try it, see if it works, if not you can use what you would normally use for your headaches.

Answer 3

WOW!! Menstrual pain/cramps is such a popular question here!

Since this is a commonly repeated question, here is a summary of answers for all the common questions regarding this topic.

EXERCISE: It's another myth. Vascular circulation has nothing to do with the drainage of blood and tissue from the Uterus. Exercise naturally kicks in endogenous endorphins (natural pain-killers similar to Morphine), but who wants to get up and run around when they are completely incapacitated with the extreme agony/misery of period pain? Only a MAN would come up with that kind of insane remedy! It's like saying 'oh, you have kidney stones? Go run it off/it's all in your mind'.!! Exercise can reduce psychological/physiologic stress which indirectly affects the menstrual cycle/system in general, and that is a Traditional Chinese Medicine/ Aryvedic Medicine Medical Theory - see EMOTIONS below.

SUPPLIMENT WARNING - ****Potassium supplimentation is dangerous and can lead to Sudden Death Syndrome ( Heart Attach), from overdoseage. I do not want to see this dangerous advice out there again! **** No western foods can help with menstrual cramps. Ridiculous suggestions like eat-a-banana are pure myth. See below for more on food. The best menstrual cramp medication over-the-counter is not Midol, Tylenol or Motrin. THE BEST OTC IS Naprosyn (naproxyn), also known as Aleve, (OTC). It does not require a prescription, its not a narcotic so there is no addiction risk and is twice as strong and lasts longer than motrin/ibuprofen. Tylenol and Midol are useless, so is a hot water bottle, for really serious mentrual pain.

MEDICATIONS: Take 1-2 tablets of Aleve/Naproxyn every 6-12 hours with at least 1 glass of water and some food. Do not take aspirin, motrin/ibuprofen or anything containing those products as it will increase the risk of bleeding stomach ulcers and peptic ulcer disease. Naproxyn is the OTC drug of choice for menstrual cramps.

You can also check with your doctor about a special birth control pill protocol (Seasonique) that allows only 4 periods a year. It's not perfect but 4 is better than 12, right? lol. Birth Control Pills in general do not make menstrual pain any less painful - that is a myth also. BCP's may regulate the period, but they do not mitigate the pain.

HEAT: Heat helps liquify the blood & tissue clots that cause the pain, easing their passage out of the body. It also expands blood flow (oxygen and immune cells) to the inflammed areas and blocks Prostaglandins that trigger inflammation and pain. It depends on the kind of heat and heat in general is still not as good as NAPROXYN. I recommend NAPROXYN PLUS either those disposable heat pads that last 8-12hrs each, or even better, the far infra-red heating lamps used by massage therapists, acupuncturists and chiropractors. This type of lamp is actually a special ceramic disk that emits a very deeply penetrating heat that does wonders for sprains, muscle and menstrual cramps, back and other orthopedic injuries, chronic/old sports injuries, etc. You may contact me through www.ibasi.org if you wish to purchase one of these far-infrared ceramic heating lamps. Be aware that these are for purchase only by healthcare professional and are at around $350 U.S.D, but seeing that this menstrual cramp issue is such a common and dire occurrence, if you are at your wits end, I am willing to help you obtain one.

EMOTIONS & MIND-BODY-SPIRIT MEDICINE: According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, (TCM)/ Acupucturists, (L.AC), the Liver Meridian governs menstrual flow and associated pathologies. The positive emotion attributed to the Liver Meridian is compassion. The negative emotion attributed to the Liver Meridian is anger and rage. Therefore, L.Ac’s and TCM practioners like myself feel it is important to educate their clients and patients about Anger Management and coping skills for handing the rages and stresses of our modern living. You will find that after a few months of stress-free, anger-free life, period pain disappears. The challenge of-course, is to master this state of being, which is the value of mind-body disciplines like mental-discipline yogas like meditation exercises, mantra yoga, self-healing meditations, hatha yoga, tai-chi and qigong. Do the basics like taking in pure foods, 2-3 Liters of clean water, daily exercise in natural surroundings, 15 minutes of sunshine a day, regular meal and break periods at work, enough good sleep, being pain-free on a daily basis, having a good support system, access to animals and pets to share unconditional love & affection, and most importantly, dedication to a spiritual practice and a Spiritual Preceptor. All the above is a reasonable and effective mind-body-spirit program for reducing general pain/stress, as well as the monthly miseries and agonies of horrible menstrual cramps.

FOOD & DIET: As far as foods specifically in your case - contact me directly through www.ibasi.com if you would like a holistic nutriti

Answer 4

I use midol for my cramps.  It works for me, but everyone is different.  My friend has periods that are so severe she has to take prescribed medications from her doctor.   Hope this helps.

Answer 5

Midol always does the trick for me!

Answer 6

I can't swallow pills to save my life, but I chew 2 ibuprofen when I have cramps... they taste horrible but work really good. just make sure you have something to eat or drink with it.

if you take midol make sure you use the kind with no caffine otherwise it'll just make them worse

Answer 7

Midol was originally sold in 1911 as a headache and toothache remedy that was considered safe since it did not use the narcotics typically used at the time. It was then promoted as a cure for hiccups claiming it controlled spasms, and finally as a remedy for menstrual cramps and bloating.

The primary formulation consists of:

Acetaminophen 500 mg (Pain Reliever)

Caffeine 60 mg (Stimulant)

Pyrilamine Maleate 15 mg (Antihistamine)

I find that just taking an ibuprofin and using a heating pad is the best way to combat cramps. some versions of midol and similar drugs contain a mild diuretic, but I find that just increasing the amount of water that I drink in the days leading up to my period and avoiding salt is the best way to take care of the bloating, which sometimes makes cramps more sever.  

Answer 8

I think it helps with the bloating part but not with the pain.

I swear by aleve and always have. It is the only thing that ever worked for me, and I know many of my friends feel the same.

everyone is different though so it may work wonders on you.

Answer 9

works for me too & is great for body aches as well  

Answer 10

Yeah it does! I am only on my second period but it works for me so far.