Tea/"natural" PMS relief

[withoutsums.livejournal.com]

Hello everyone,
My period just started and I find myself dealing with my usual PMS/menstruation symptoms, which generally begin RIGHT before the onset of my period and last for about 48 hours total (roughly the day before it begins through the first day). Usually I just pop a couple Midol-type pills (or a generic form) and it helps. Over the years I've tried to find more natural ways of addressing the symptoms (including eating licorice and drinking peppermint tea) but found them ineffective.

My symptoms almost always include:
-Headache
-Fatigue
-Lower back pain
-Cramps (once my period has actually started, I usually have cramps for the first day)

They aren't debilitating, but they are inconvenient (although it is kind of nice to have these physical cues that my period will be starting very soon).

Over the years I've noticed various types of teas and such that claim to offer PMS relief. If anyone has experience with these products I'd love to hear how they work for you (or didn't work). With tea in particular I'm curious how much you have to drink (i.e. would drinking one or two cups a day be effective? or do I need to drink it constantly in order to keep the symptoms at bay?)

Products that intrigue me:
-Yogi Tea Woman's Moon Cycle Tea
-Mountain Rose Herbs Moon Ease Tea (can be found on this page)
-Lydia Pinkham Liquid To Feel Better During Menstruation And Menopause (not a tea, but rather a syrup of some kind I think?)

I've also seen PMS teas sold on places like Etsy and such--if any of you have a favorite tea/natural product that really helps you I'd love to hear about it.

Thanks! :)

Comments

[sabishii-kirito.livejournal.com]

I've tried the Moon Ease tea. I didn't really care for the taste, and it didn't help my symptoms at all (which sound similar to yours since I have almost no cramps until my period starts, then my uterus goes into overdrive for the next day or two). I don't know if it was related or just coincidental, but one month I drank a bunch of peppermint tea (like a cup a day), and my period was cramp-free. I didn't try it again after that because that's a lotta mint tea, but mint tea does help with pms-related nausea and hot flashes that I get.

If you get heartburn with pms, I found that ginger tea works for me.

One month when I was really late starting my period, I drank a bunch of parsely tea with some rosemary (or maybe thyme? I forget, but one helps stimulate uterine contractions IIRC) and a bit of ginger tea. I didn't have any cramps that month, but I'm not sure I want to force my period to start when I don't really need that push, you know?

[naked-beauty-21.livejournal.com]

Mint helps with hot flashes? Huh. I never would have thought of that. I get hot flashes during my period and from migraines. I might try that!

[sabishii-kirito.livejournal.com]

It might just be a mental thing with me. Mint helps me relax. It's been a favorite scent/flavor of mine since I was a kid, so it might just help by having something familiar and comforting, you know? I haven't really heard of it helping with anyone else, but it's worth a shot since it's cheap.

[kirstenlouise.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure about peppermint specifically, but certain mints at least, like wintergreen (and I think menthol, which, ah, is not really a mint), are methyl esters of salicylic acid, the compound from which Aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) is derived.

So there's some evidence at least that some mints have pain relieving properties similar to Aspirin. You can't take them like Aspirin, of course, as they're highly toxic in pure form, but at the concentrations in teas (or Wintergreen lifesavers!), they're safe to consume.

I'm not really sure about peppermint oil, though.

[lexically.livejournal.com]

My girlfriend swears by raspberry leaf tea for her cramps (which tend to be really bad).

[stick-on-stars.livejournal.com]

I'm just about to brew up a cup of raspberry leaf tea. I've had it as a recommendation from my Mum who suggested a couple of cups a day.

I've tried mint tea and parsley tea. Nothing did anything for the cramps/other symptoms.

I have to say my biggest relief is a shot of gin and a painkiller. But I have to caution against mixing alcohol and painkillers without an okay from a doctor (I jumped for joy when mine said I was fine to do so).

[kirstenlouise.livejournal.com]

With regard to the fatigue, are you getting enough iron? Anemia, which you're at greater risk for during your period, will definitely make you tired.

Have you tried a heating pad for your pain? If you don't have one, you can also fill a sock with white rice and cinnamon and pop it in the microwave until it gets hot. It doesn't smell that great, but the heat is sort of moist and it works really well. That's what my physical therapist recommended for my (non period-related) back pain the last time I had a major issue.

There are certain natural remedies that would probably give you some relief---willow bark comes to mind---but I think the important thing to know is that the reason they help is the same reason that Midol helps. Willow bark, for example, is closely related to Aspirin. Spearmint oil (which is in at least one of those moon teas) is also related to Aspirin.

The fact that many of these products are teas is, similarly, not surprising. Caffeine is often used in conjunction with other analgesics (as in Excedrin) because it facilitates absorption. It's particularly good for headaches.

The bottom line is, though, that you're really not giving your body anything all that different. Or anything that's much better for it. Many pain-relieving components in teas work because they're non-refined forms of chemical painkillers. Some of these are, in fact, harsher than their refined forms. Some of them are poisonous at much lower levels than their refined forms. Does that mean drinking those teas will kill you? Of course not.

But if you're looking for something that will work, it's important to understand why it will work. IMO, if you're only taking painkillers for cramps a few times a month, you really have nothing to worry about. You're not going to destroy your liver. If Midol works for you, I say go for it.

[withoutsums.livejournal.com]

I'm not really worried about the effects of Midol or anything (I know taking two pills per month isn't going to hurt me :) and I generally don't require more than that), but would just like to try some alternative remedies. That's really interesting about the chemical causes for pain relief from herbal tea and pain killers being similar...I didn't know that.

Not sure about Anemia...I generally don't feel fatigued except for that one day right before my period starts and it feels very "specific" to that time of the month; once my period actually starts, and after the first day of cramps, I feel pretty normal. I do take a daily multivitamin with iron.

[gryphonwing.livejournal.com]

Mountain Rose is a good company - that's where I get my herbs.

My own herbal remedy (which I used to harvest myself) is cramp bark; it's also one of the ingredients of their Moon Ease tea. It doesn't address anything but cramps, but it's AWESOME for cramps - it relaxes smooth muscle. Has historically been used to prevent miscarriage, although I don't know how effective it is.

I've also found that yerba (as in yerba mate) has a similar effect, which is interesting - it's got a stimulant in it related to caffeine, but it apparently also relaxes smooth muscles. Strange but wonderful, a stimulant that doesn't make me twitchy. :D

My other symptoms have generally been fairly minor - although the irritability is a bit much lately - and I haven't sought treatment for them.

[chipie.livejournal.com]

I've also used cramp bark successfully for cramps. I'm curious from an earlier comment though: do you know if the component in cramp bark that helps cramps is the same as something in over the counter drugs?

[ripcurled.livejournal.com]

There are two New Zealand herbs that make great teas.

One is Pukatea, this is a natural pain killer.

Another one is Macropiper excelsum, it also has pain killing properties.

[knittinggoddess.livejournal.com]

As an adolescent with awful, on-the-floor-crying cramps, I loved Yogi Moon Cycle tea. The dong quai seemed to be the most effective ingredient for me: I even found a wholesale source in college, and would feel relief shortly after eating it straight out of the bag. (It's SUPER bitter though!) I recall drinking a cup or three a day during the first part of my period.

I have recently discovered cramp bark capsules, which helped more than ibuprofen when I was passing clots and after my Mirena insertion. I'd take one or two as needed, maybe every four hours.