Women’s Wellness Wednesday

Why tiptoe around it? This blog is about your period. Premenstrual syndrome, PMS, to be more specific. I put together a list of supplements you can take to help quell whatever symptoms you may have. I notice, now that I am closer to 40 than I am 30, I seem to get ALL OF THE SYMPTOMS. I never had bloating, now I’m a pufferfish. I never had mood swings, now I’m Sybil for a week. It’s pretty new and strange to me, but I am working on getting a handle on it. Some of the stuff I’ve found works great. Here are all the supplements, tools, tips and tricks I use for “That Time of the Month”. Hopefully, it’ll also help any struggling ladies out there!

Okay. Let’s start with the supplements…

I got this at Vitacost!

MCT Oil – “Fuel Your Brain” – Am I the only one who gets a little “fuzzy” around this time? Do you guys also get clumsy with a major case of the dropsies? Well MCT oil may help with this! I add a little to my smoothies in the morning and it adds some nice richness to an otherwise watery smoothie.

The jury is out on this one…

Evening Primrose Oil – “The Old Standby” – This has been touted as the PMS supplement for years. However, recently studies have shown that, well, they don’t do too much. But, why change what has helped so many for decades? Even if it’s a mind over matter thing, well, I believe in the power of positive thinking…

Works! But use caution (please)…

Black Cohosh – “Hormone Control” – I know, I know. This supplement is usually recommended for women who are going through menopause. Well, guess what? The symptoms of menopause and PMS are very similar. Similar enough to use the same supplement that is known to: regulate mood, reduce inflammation (so you don’t have to pop the NSAIDs) and promotes healthy skin (this is important around that time)!

***Yes, there are side effects and warning about long term use of Black Cohosh. I make sure that I only take it the week before my period starts. Consult a doctor before taking this supplement.***

So many ways to take magnesium! Good Day Chocolate is at Whole Foods!

Magnesium – “Keep Calm” – Magnesium is my FAVORITE supplement! I don’t know if it is another “mind over matter” supplement, but after I have a fizzy Natural Calm drink I feel so good! There are lots more benefits to magnesium, some are listed in another one of my blogs. The most important benefit when it comes to premenstrual health is the calming properties. Marketers and supplement makers are on to this and they are putting it in everything – from powders to candy! That makes it easier to find a magnesium supplement that you’ll like. Since it’s calming, sometimes it’s exactly what you need.

Fish Oil has so many benefits!

Fish Oil – “Control the Swole” – Fish oil has lots of health benefits, and most are related to cardiovascular health (Omega-3 fatty acids, etc.). I’ve recently read where it’s effective in preventing bloating, so… Little tidbit: It’s important to use a good fish oil supplement. When I say good I mean one that does not cause “fish burps”. Yeah. That’s not pleasant. Usually the supplement will even say “Does not cause fish burps” because it’s that big of an issue. Don’t say I didn’t warn you!

I am new to this one. My boyfriend introduced me!

Ashwaganda – “Stabilize Your Mood” – I wish I could think of a better headline for this but, this is fine. This supplement is known for its calming effect, something that is necessary when you have period related mood swings.

This brand has more than just melatonin…

Melatonin – “Get Some Sleep” – So, this is a problem for me around that time. Usually a week before my period starts, I sometimes I stay up until 2 or 3 in the morning. That’s even if I have work the next day. Melatonin really helps with that. I like to take two of these gummies – the full dosage – around that time.

My bag is not in good shape!

Maca Powder – “The Wonder Supplement” – I call this a “wonder” because it’s helps with every women’s health issue you can think of! Got a hormone imbalance? Maca powder! Fertility issues? Maca powder! Seriously, this stuff is great. What’s not so great is the taste. The word “earthy” comes to mind. Earthy. As in eating dirt. Yeah, blend it with something with a strong taste to mask it. I add it to smoothies, but most recently I added some to my muffins. With the major flavors being cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger, they taste great!

Here is a product that helps me make it through this time, especially at work:

This is a lifesaver if you have bad cramps and have to go to work!

Thermacare Heatwraps – “Kill Those Cramps!” I remember using these years ago, but I had no idea they still made them! I was so happy when I found them at the FSA Store (side note: if you have an FSA, use those dollars! If you aren’t sure how to spend it, the FSA Store is incredible!)! These heatwraps have adhesive strips so they can be securely placed on the inside of your panties for a warm, pain killing effect on cramps. That’s what you need sometimes to help release the cramps, warmth. I recommend wearing larger panties with these, for effectiveness and for comfort’s sake. I didn’t think I would end this blog with a panty tip.

Doing what works best for you health-wise takes research and a little trial and error. To be better prepared for “that time” you can use some of my tips, do some of your own research and consult your physician if you have existing health issues. Stay healthy, ladies!

 

Feel-Better Friday – Migraine Edition

I have been suffering from migraines since I was about 3 years old. I remember that first one like it was yesterday: I was at the doctor’s office with my mom, who was there for a well woman visit after having my brother (that’s how I know I was 3). The office was packed, and it was so.very.hot. I remember that hot, uncomfortable feeling so well because I have the same symptoms now. I felt sweaty and bloated – like my clothes were getting tighter and tighter, the lights in the office felt like they were pointing directly into my eyes, I could barely hold my head up or walk, almost like I was a drunken 3 year old, and I felt like I was going to toss my cookies. And I did. Right in the waiting room. The nurse gave me one of those teal, kidney shaped hospital-y bowls to vomit into.

Lovely story, I know. I actually went for YEARS having these headache/vomit combos. I started out having memorable ones at least twice a year and then, in my teen years, it was bi-monthly and as I got into my twenties, I started having them once a month. But, what were “these” headaches?

When I was younger, I just thought that I was a nervous person. When I was in elementary school, I would get them when I would stress out about something. Not real stress, things like “Am I going to get a part in the play?”, “Is Tanya still mad about what happened on the playground?”. I also noticed that I would get them when the seasons changed. When back-to-school time rolled around, I was always feeling like my new clothes were tightening up and that I was hot. I thought it was because of the weather AND the anticipation of the new school year (I was on to something). I was a “Nervous Nellie”, so what? Then, as a teen, I thought it was because I was hungry and tired. I was always on some weird diet when I was a teenager (Bagel and V8 Juice diet – blech), so I thought I just had low blood sugar. I used to stay up really late in high school too, so it was just a headache from being tired. Or, if it was weather related, I was having a sinus headache. When I’d eat something, I’d feel slightly better, even though I still had to lie down (another clue). Then, in my twenties, I started having them once a month. It was usually before my period, so I thought “PMS symptom”.

So, I made all of these diagnoses on myself. I was a nervous person, who had motion sickness, heat-and-sleep related sinus headaches, low blood sugar and PMS. On a regular basis. Same feeling, same symptoms. I just lived with it for years. At times, I couldn’t see or I had vertigo along with the headache. That was just a bad headache from not wearing my glasses. “Gotta wear those more…” I thought.

Then one day, when I turned 24, I got a job as a secretary at a high-stress, state run mental health clinic. One of the program coordinators had a particularly crazy meeting. She popped into the “clerical pool”, looking sweaty, worn out like she was about to vomit, when only about an hour prior she was dressed very well, make-up applied. This was a look I was all too familiar with.  She said breathlessly, “I need to take an Imitrex, I am having migraine!”.

DING-DING-DING!!!

The lights came on in a major way! So I looked it up “migraine symptoms” and it listed EVERYTHING I’d ever experienced. It even mentioned a little thing that I noticed, and thought that I was the only one who experienced it, excessive yawning! I thought I was the only one who could not stop yawning when I was about to have a head attack! It was a real revelation for me! I had no idea what was wrong, just an oddball headache sufferer and frequent vomiter (sorry to get graphic, but that’s how I migraine). It has a name – Migraine.

I went to the doctor and it was confirmed. I had a CT scan and nothing was there (rimshot!). She asked me if I wanted a prescription for it. I said, believe it or not, “No.” I had done my research and all of the prescription drugs offered for migraines had side effects worse than the migraine itself.

So, I opted to go for the “take some Advil and lie down in a dark room” route. I’ve been doing that ever since. And, while it doesn’t help prevent migraines altogether (I wish!), it helps ease the pain when I am going through the attack stage, and if I recognize the signs early enough, during prodrome.

I do try to catch my symptoms early, especially before going away or to work. But, sometimes they come on suddenly. This is why I carry The Migraine Kit!

As you can see, it has some OTC meds, some natural stuff, some clean up tools (migraines can get messy). Like…

• Be Koool Soft Gel Sheets – They are for kids? So what! When your head is pounding and you cannot get cool any other way (if it’s brutally hot and humid, or you are on public transportation), this little sheet works. Put it wherever it feels good to your head. I say that because sometimes having something directly in the middle of your forehead feels like death (if you suffer from migraines, you know what I mean).
• Natural Inhaler – Okay, this is one of those things that will work sometimes and will aggravate your headache other times. It depends on if smell is your trigger or not. Sometimes it is a trigger for me. For example, I was on a bus and a woman with heavy, musky perfume sat down beside me when there were several seats available. I actually had to ask her to move, which didn’t seem nice and I didn’t tell her why, BUT it would have been much worse for her (and me) if she didn’t move. Anyway, this inhaler has a menthol-eucalyptus smell that I really only like when I am having a migraine. Something about it is soothing, and it makes me feel cooler. If you can’t find a eucalyptus inhaler, just put some Vicks Vaporub on a tissue and put that into a baggie. You can sniff the baggie (some of this migraine stuff has to be done in private!)…

Before I put in the Be Koool…

• Benadryl – This really works for me when I think that I’ll probably have a motion sickness related migraine (if it’s humid out and I didn’t get enough sleep before a train or plane ride). I know that most people think of Benadryl only as an allergy med (or sleeping pill), but it is great for migraines. I always make sure that I take two Benadryl before I get on a plane!
• Advil LiquiGels – Ibuprofen is my preferred OTC migraine drug. I think that the liquigels work faster. It’s probably a mind over matter thing, but still.
• Mouthwash, Tissues and Wipes – Necessary cleaning materials. I also make sure that I have paper towels and extra plastic bags in my car. I shouldn’t have to explain why.

This is just a 47 cent pencil case from Walmart!

I have two kits. I keep one in the backpack I carry all of the time and one in my car. If I change purses, I put the kit in the purse.

It seems like nothing, but this is important stuff. I have been stuck without things to help me over the years and it’s been pretty terrible. Any little thing that you can do to help yourself, DO IT.

This is what works for me, what it in your “Migraine Emergency Kit”?