COX-2/prostaglandin

[badger]

I was told by my gyno that taking ibuprofen 3x/day for a couple of days before and during my period would take care of my cramps.

However, this week I'm 4 days late (def. not preggers!) and now I've been taking it for close to a week. I've noticed an increase in stomach irritation.

So, I've started to do an armchair research on prostaglandins and COX-2 inhibitors.

Couple of questions here:
at what point do I have to worry about gastric damage due to ibuprofen use (super paranoid about that)

I notice there are some herbal supplements that can reduce COX-2, but it seems they're mostly for arthritis pain and nothing acute like uterine cramping.

I'm not interested in going the prescription route.

Any thoughts?