Painful Periods

Many patients I talk to think that a painful period is not a symptom. It is just something they have to endure, something that is normal. But this doesn’t have to be the case. Often there is a hormone imbalance which can be adjusted and periods become lighter, less painful, easier to manage, less mood swings beforehand and less associated symptoms such as headaches, stabbing pains, cramps, sickness etc. I find that many people are put onto hormone contraceptives which reduce this pain. This shows that if the hormones can be balanced naturally then you don’t have to have pain as the norm. For people suffering from very heavy periods or very occasional periods, they may find that they often have a lack of energy, they may be constantly anaemic, they may also have other problems such as fibroids or endometriosis. All of these symptoms may affect fertility. Homeopathy is a natural safe medicine which helps normalise irregularities thus helping your body reach optimum health levels and therefore maximise fertility.

Case Study

A patient came to see me to help her through difficult emotional times when her marriage was going through a difficult period. During the consultation she explained how difficult and painful each cycle was for her and how she had already had medical procedures to remove cysts from her ovaries. I explained that if I could help her body rebalance and adjust the irregularities, she would have more energy to help her through the difficult times. She was delighted, she hadn’t realised that anything could be done and so hadn’t ever asked for help in this matter. Within three months we had completely changed the monthly cycle. It was now lighter, lasted just a few days and with much reduced PMT symptoms. It was such a shame she had had to suffer for so many years, because she thought it was normal and had to be endured. I was recently helping a lady recover after having ovarian cysts removed. She was really suffering from very heavy, painful period with lots of clotting. It was making her life miserable. She was very distressed at having to suffer with so much pain and such heavy periods were exhausting for her. She had always suffered from very painful periods with the symptoms lasting for up to two weeks of a four week cycle. I prescribed a constitutional remedy to work alongside folliculinum which really helps stabilise your cycle and bring it back to being manageable. We then discussed looking at a few first aid remedies which could be taken if the pain returned before or during the flow. Giving back responsibility for your health and pain management is a big bonus with natural therapies. It means you can begin to gain control for your own health. Allowing this lady to recognise when she needed particular remedies proved to be really important in this case. It was a great relief to have the knowledge and understanding to be able to self prescribe. It also meant she was able to manage her symptoms while her cycle reset. Within a few months everything was 100 times better the periods were no longer causing any anguish. Some of the popular homeopathic remedies for painful period symptoms

Menstrual Pain Remedies

Belladonna

cutting pain from hip to hip

Chamomilla

labour like pains, intolerable pain. Distended abdomen, griping pain in the navel and through to the small of the back. Flatulent colic with perspiration

Colocynthis

agonising, cutting pains causing patient to bend over double for relief. Sensation as if stones are being ground together in the abdomen. Intestines feel bruised. Pain in a spot just below the navel. Boring pain the the ovary. Bearing down cramps. Better with pressure.

Mag phos

Flatulent colic which is relieved by bending over double. Relieved by rubbing and warmth. Bloated full sensation of abdomen, must wear loose clothing

Lachasis

pit of stomach painful to touch, left ovary very painful and swollen, abdomen sensitive, coccyx and sacrum pain. Acts well at the beginning and close of menstruation. Liver region sensitive.

Cimicifuga

pain in ovaries, shoots upward and down. Pain immediately before bleeding commences. Back ache. pain from hip to hip. muscular crampy pains. Pains like electric shocks here and there. Pains in the ovarian region shoots up and down the thighs.

Sepia

sharp clutching pains, bearing down sensation, nausea, heaviness and bruised feeling,

Sabina

Uterine pains extend down the thighs. Bearing down constrictive pain. Colic and abdomen distention. Pain from sacrum to pubis bone

Secale

Menstrual colic with intolerance of heat. Burning pains in uterus,

Caulophyllum

Stomach spasms, spasmodic and sever pains fly in all directions. Needle like pains in the cervix. Erratic pains that keep changing

Podophyllum

Distended abdomen, liver region painful, pain in uterus and right ovary. Pain between the shoulders, under the right scapula. Pain in the loins and lumber region, pains shoot down the thighs to the knees. Pain extends everywhere … from top to toe.

Heavy Bleeding Remedies

Mag phos

Bleeding early, dark, stringy

Sepia

late and scanty or early and profuse

Secale

Irregular, copious and dark. Watery blood between periods.

Sabina

profuse, bright red, clotty, discharge of blood between periods. Haemorrhaging

Belladonna

Bright red, hot, profuse,

Cimicifuga

Dark red, profuse, irregular

Coffea

Early and long lasting, large clots of black blood

Chamomilla