Bummed... (solutions for this girl problem?)

[rubysoho]

Ok... it is a board for women. I don't really feel comfortable talking about this but I am totally bummed out.

I just did the math for the big two day charity ride I've been planning to participate in since last September. It is going to happen during that time of the month for me. And not at the tail end when things are normalizing and I'm feeling better. Pretty much right at the beginning when things have always been worse (cramps, etc...).

I really can't imagine spending 14 hours over two days riding my bike (85 miles each way according to the course map online). There are support stations every 12 miles or so... but really... this could potentially be miserable. It is also my first ever of this type of ride. If it is anything like today - and I'm supposed to be riding right now if that is an indicator to how I feel - I don't know what to do. I guess suck it up and go? But this is supposed to be fun for me.

Sometimes I really hate being a girl.

[Catrin]

{{{Ruby}}} No constructive advice since I've not had this to worry about since a couple of years before I started cycling, but I can certainly remember what this was like. I hope you are able to come up with a way to deal with this that will allow you to approach the event with confidence!

[Blueberry]

If you are on the pill, check with your doc and see if you can take them continuously (i.e., avoid the placebo pills). My doc has prescribed them that way for me for years because of horrid periods. How close in time is the ride? Could you see your doc before then? He or she might have some other options for you.

Have you tried riding on the really sucky days? I was always surprised (even with the horrid periods) at how much better I felt with exercise. I was *so* hard to get out there, but it did help. I know not everyone is that way - but it was true for me.

Otherwise, hugs and sympathy. That sucks

[Owlie]

Ok... it is a board for women. I don't really feel comfortable talking about this but I am totally bummed out.

I just did the math for the big two day charity ride I've been planning to participate in since last September. It is going to happen during that time of the month for me. And not at the tail end when things are normalizing and I'm feeling better. Pretty much right at the beginning when things have always been worse (cramps, etc...).

I really can't imagine spending 14 hours over two days riding my bike (85 miles each way according to the course map online). There are support stations every 12 miles or so... but really... this could potentially be miserable. It is also my first ever of this type of ride. If it is anything like today - and I'm supposed to be riding right now if that is an indicator to how I feel - I don't know what to do. I guess suck it up and go? But this is supposed to be fun for me.

Sometimes I really hate being a girl.

((Ruby)) I understand. I can't actually ride the first two days of my period.
How far out is this ride? Consistent exercise makes mine lighter. The only problem is that my cramps get worse, but it seems to be the opposite for most people.

[Grits]

If you are on the pill, check with your doc and see if you can take them continuously (i.e., avoid the placebo pills). My doc has prescribed them that way for me for years because of horrid periods. How close in time is the ride? Could you see your doc before then? He or she might have some other options for you.(

This is what I do.

[rubysoho]

Ride is in the beginning of June. I've been pretty consistent in my exercise since January. Cramping still varies month to month. Some times there is none and other times I want to curl up and die. Midol is the only thing that can touch the moderate to worst cramps. Everything else is mostly predictable.

I think a lot of this is mental. The ride is already going to be a challenge for me. I've been constantly pushing myself further to meet this goal. I just got done with a very stressful 6 weeks of work where I haven't been able to ride as much as I want for training. Throw this into the mix... and well... do I really need one more hurdle?!? (I'm laughing a little about this.)

My teammates are guys and I know they don't/won't understand. Plus I am not close enough to any of them to even broach this subject. At all.

I'm going to try and meet with my obgyn next week. I'm not on bc because in the past (10 years ago) it made me feel sick enough to outweigh the positives. Plus, I don't like the idea of messing with hormones and my body. This bike riding has been the first thing to make me reconsider.

[withm]

Well you can stay home curled up in a ball and be miserable. Or you can go on a bike ride and be miserable. I would venture a guess that the bike ride and surroundings will be distraction enough that you are able to put the discomfort on the back burner. Even a bad bike ride is better than curling up and feeling sorry for yourself.

[rubysoho]

Well you can stay home curled up in a ball and be miserable. Or you can go on a bike ride and be miserable. I would venture a guess that the bike ride and surroundings will be distraction enough that you are able to put the discomfort on the back burner. Even a bad bike ride is better than curling up and feeling sorry for yourself.

If it is light to moderate cramping, yes. But curl-up-in-a-ball-wanting-to-die cramping where stomach, back and crotch all simultaneously hurt... I don't know about that. Thankfully it is more likely to be the former and in that case the distractions are welcome.

[nscrbug]

Not sure how most women handle this, but exercise always seems to quell the cramping for me...especially bike riding. It's about the only activity that actually lessens the cramping. For me, the 2nd day of my period is the worst (heaviest flow, headache, feeling crappy, etc.) then it improves from there. Last summer, I rode a century on the 2nd day of my period...don't ask me how, but I managed. Afterwards, when I revealed that tidbit to my riding partner (a testosterone-laden male) he actually was impressed that I didn't "b!tch" as much as I usually do on a 100-mile ride.

ETA - I've read/heard that taking Aleve starting 2-3 days out from the onset of your period, can minimize the cramping. The key here is start using the Aleve BEFORE your period starts. Something about the anti-inflammatory properties of it result in less contractions that cause the cramping. Might be worth a try.

Linda

[Tri Girl]

Hard to say exactly though, because I started using cloth pads and the Moon Cup for the first time. Looks different. Plus, those things can change the flow, at least, that is what TE says.

I swear since I started using a menstrual cup and cloth pads my cramps have lessened significantly. I truly believe the chemically-laden stuff we put IN and against our bodies makes things worse. Maybe it's all in my head, but I swear mine have gotten better.
Might be worth a try...

[Grits]

Exercise never helped my cramps. I think it made them worse. Midol didn't touch them either. Ibuprofin and aleve did help. If you don't want to take BC, your OB can suggest the best medication to prevent cramps.

[zoom-zoom]

If it is light to moderate cramping, yes. But curl-up-in-a-ball-wanting-to-die cramping where stomach, back and crotch all simultaneously hurt... I don't know about that. Thankfully it is more likely to be the former and in that case the distractions are welcome.

I have stage 2 endometriosis and adenomyosis. They've been MUCH better subsequent to having thermal ablation done a few years back. Prior to that exercise made my cramping and bleeding MUCH worse (I used to cramp so painfully that when I was in labor with my son I didn't find the contractions--with pitocin--to be significantly worse than what I dealt with as a teenager. I can recall in junior high having cramping so bad that I'd be in a cold sweat and very nauseous while white-knuckling my desk. I had a couple of occasions where I bled through my pants, too, even while wearing massive night-time pads that I'd change every hour or two). It sounds to me like you could have abnormal menstruation issues, too. I also had the crotch pain...it felt like my entire vaginal region had been kicked and bruised. No way could I have even thought about riding a bike back then.

I also found the pill to really help...but the side effects were also not favorable for me. Primarily I found the pill to absolutely kill my libido. Nowadays my biggest issue is 23 day (on average) cycles. Super annoying, but at least I rarely have much in the way of cramping, now.

[Antaresia]

I'm going to try and meet with my obgyn next week. I'm not on bc because in the past (10 years ago) it made me feel sick enough to outweigh the positives. Plus, I don't like the idea of messing with hormones and my body. This bike riding has been the first thing to make me reconsider.

from the conversations I've had, it seems bc rarely works 100% problem free for most women. And there is a difference between brands (I even find a difference between my brand & the generic). Most have different doses, and I've had friends who do well on one type and horrible on another.

Since (I assume) you aren't using it for actual birth control but rather period control, maybe you could ask your doctor for one with a real minimal dose of hormones? Don't know if you consider it worth taking for one ride, but it's an option, anyway.

Also, hey, maybe we SHOULD start calling it "period control" rather than birth control. Maybe less people would be inclined to make laws about it

[zoom-zoom]

Also, hey, maybe we SHOULD start calling it "period control" rather than birth control. Maybe less people would be inclined to make laws about it

I don't see why it can't be termed "hormone replacement" or "hormone adjustment" or something to that effect. Heck, I've been on the pill subsequent to having my tubal and during many years when I was not sexually active.

[Antaresia]

I don't see why it can't be termed "hormone replacement" or "hormone adjustment" or something to that effect. Heck, I've been on the pill subsequent to having my tubal and during many years when I was not sexually active.

Ya, can't say I've ever relied on it as bc 100% for more than a year (and that was a looooong time ago). Not gonna lie, for me the best reason for taking the pill is that it clears up my complexion like mad. Acne medication with a side effect of making my period less awful, I will be taking this stuff forever.