menstrual-product woes

[the-midgetqueen.livejournal.com]

i'm 21 now and i have gotten terrible cramps during my period since i was 15 or 16. tampons seem to make them much worse. it's like my vag muscles are like "foreign object! CLAMP!" so clearly i'm not too keen on that idea. and pads are so messy and even the ultra-thin ones are uncomfy. i feel self-conscious wearing them at least half the time.

i tried the pill (ortho tri-cyclen lo) when i was 18, and that helped tremendously with the cramps, so i'm getting back on it, and stepping up the amount of exercise i get since i've heard that helps too.

i just can't seem to find any way of dealing with period-blood that really works for me. i saw the Instead cup at wal-mart and my first response was WHAT? i had no idea they carried it. so, i tried them this month. i figured maybe the absorbency of the tampons, the way they suck up moisture like crazy, might be what was upsetting my poor vag so much, and maybe the Instead cups would do better. they didn't. i switched back to the pads after two days because, despite all the testimonials that you "can't feel it at all," i could. my vag apparently just does NOT like foreign objects. it wasn't as bad, but things still cramped up. it was just like... i could feel my muscles clenching down around it. and almost right after i removed the cup, it got better.

i don't know if my vag is just... smaller than "average," or just ill-tempered, or what. i would love to be free from pads, and free from having to take enough advil to kill a small horse in order to stand tampons.

for reasons of the "mess" of dealing with pads (it could be argued that the cup is messier, but for some reason i seem to handle the blood better in the cup than absorbed in a mushy pad), plus economic and environmental concerns, i've been dancing around the idea of trying the keeper or divacup or something similar. i know their design is different than the Instead cups. however... given the ill-temperedness of the vag with any other internal things i've tried, i'm really iffy about shelling out 40-ish dollars for the thing, for fear that i won't even be able to use it if my vagina rebels. i couldn't find any info on return policies on any sites, but i figure that considering the nature of the product, it probably can't be returned. how much risk is there and is it worth it?

advice? opinions? is my vagina crazy?

Comments

[terka.livejournal.com]

i think i read somewhere before that you can return the keeper...but i don't know. you could go on one of their sites and contact them?
i don't really know how much the keeper would work for you since you don't have a good time with tampons. the keeper is a lot bigger than tampons. i have it and i've used tampons before that for years and years and i can sometimes feel the keeper in there. my partner on the other hand doesn't use tampons because she can always feel them and they actually make her feel crampy. she tried the keeper but it didn't work out too well, she could feel it etc.
if they have some return policy then i would say go for it!.

[swiggett.livejournal.com]

I would highly recommend the keeper or diva. personally, I have a diva, which I know has a one year return if you don't like it.
Reusable cups are made differently and do sit differently in the vagina, so maybe yours will like it?
You said you couldn't find the return policy... were you looking directly on diva's or keeper's site? There are a number of other, third party sites that sell them, and they may not take them back.

Good luck!

[sarahsvati.livejournal.com]

Go for the Diva cup! (I love it.) The company offers a 1 year money back guarantee.

[sara-t-05.livejournal.com]

Instead cups didn't work for me either. You are supposed to place then between your cervix and pubic bone (I believe) and mine is just too small.
Try the Dive Cup. I've used it for about a year now and I've never had a problem. All I had to do was trim off the stem of it and it's been wonderful ever since. It is definately worth the $40. I got it for $32 off of Ebay, though.

[willow-starr.livejournal.com]

The Keeper and the Diva cup both have return policies for just this reason (three month and one year respectively). Does the tampon/Instead cramping happen more at any given point in your period? I know I can't wear a tampon or now my Keeper for the first day and half but am okay after that. Also, have you tried cloth pads? They are much more comfortable and don't make you feel like you have a wet garbage bag between your legs.

Or what about a sponge? They also absorb but are much softer than any other internal product, if the cramping does affect your vagina you might have to wear a pad in case your vag wrings the sponge out, but it should be better than nothing.

[the-midgetqueen.livejournal.com]

"vag wrings the sponge out"

wow, it can do that? that's pretty cool...

[the-midgetqueen.livejournal.com]

oh, and to answer the question... it's excruciating for the first two or three days, and then it usually calms way down or goes away for the last three. i tried the Instead on the 25th, and my period started the 22nd. so i really shouldn't have cramped up.

i'm going to give it another...month or two, i guess. however long it takes to finish up this box of Insteads, and see what happens after i've been on the pill for a while. if things go better, i'll probably feel better about trying a divacup or a keeper. Insteads are just... big and awkward, if you ask me. the others look friendlier.

[scien.livejournal.com]

That's been the experience of most people who have tried both. I suggest you wander along menstrual_cups, we're very nice, and plenty of people have tried both insteads and reusables and will be able to offer great advice.

I'd just like to add that I personally have horrible cramping and a heavy flow, and my mooncup has been a lifesaver. It took me a period before I could use it properly, but it's been many times worth it. And yes, the Divacup allows for returns within a year, so all you have to lose is the price of shipping.

Best of luck :)

[willow-starr.livejournal.com]

I've never used a sponge (I find sea creatures gross and don't want to put one in my vag) but if the OP's pain is caused by cramping around tampons and cups then with the softness of the sponge it seems to follow that there might be some wringing issues - maybe someone who uses a sponge could let us know if this ever happens.

[twohourdrives.livejournal.com]

just a thought: perhaps you aren't getting the items in far enough? i know tampons are really uncomfortable for me when i haven't got them positioned properly.

[the-midgetqueen.livejournal.com]

i put them in as far as i can... to the point where if i push any more, it starts to hurt.

[twohourdrives.livejournal.com]

hmm. i believe i read something about vaginal muscles seizing up when things are put in it, it pertained more to intercourse but i can imagine the same would happen with other items. are you able to have sex comfortably?

[the-midgetqueen.livejournal.com]

no problems there at all. except in one case where the guy was... well, cartoonishly huge.

[twohourdrives.livejournal.com]

haha, i see. well then disregard my other comment, and good luck!

[twohourdrives.livejournal.com]

http://www.sextherapyinphiladelphia.com/vaginismus.htm

vaginismus. it sounds like it could apply?

[ravrhi.livejournal.com]

I hated tampons as well- they actually made my cramps worse from expansion. I now use a mooncup, and couldn't be happier. Since given your history, a cup may not be right for you (please don't go by your experience with Instead- I had a horrendous time with those!), you may also wish to try a natural sea sponge. You can find them in health food stores and some comsmetic stores- and I think that CVS may sell them as well, but it has been a while since I have shopped in the US, so don't quote me =). Good luck!

[rachelish.livejournal.com]

like others have said, the cups (diva, keeper, and moon) all have return policies. i'm pretty sure the mooncup is three months, and one of the other ones gives you a year to return it. i read on one of the sites (but now can't find it again) that when they get a returned cup, they punch a hole in it and then use it as a sample for educational purposes, for people to look and feel when thinking of buying one

[ceridwen-anwyl.livejournal.com]

Both the instead cup and tampons sit quite near the cervix and if they are coming in contact with your's it could be what is causing the cramping. A lot of women have a tempermental cervix.

The Keeper, Diva cup, and Mooncup rest in the vag in a different way and are much less likely to come in contact with your cervix. I'd say it's still a good shot, especially since you don't seem to have a problem dealing with the ick factor of cups, which is what a lot of women balk at.

[autumn-sylver.livejournal.com]

I had the same thing with Instead cups. Whenever I wore them, I got bad cramps. As soon as I took it out, the cramps went away. Literally within a few seconds.
If you want to try the Divacup (http://www.divacup.com), they have a one year money-back gurantee, and they're not as big as the Instead cups. In fact, they're about half as wide.

[happy-texas-mom.livejournal.com]

Insteads and tampons never worked for me, but I bought a DivaCup a couple of months ago and I love it. I can confirm that they do have a return policy, but it is less whatever you end up paying for shipping (i.e., you have to pay to ship it back, and you won't get refunded whatever you paid to have it shipped). I found a local store and bought it there so I could return it easily (the instructions are to return it to the place that you bought it), but I don't think I'm going to have to.

You also might want to check out menstrual_cups; it's a very friendly and helpful community. If you do decide to try a DivaCup or something similar, we may be able to help you through what we call the "teething" period. It is quite common for people to have trouble the first few months (although not everyone does), so don't let that discourage you.

As far as pads go, I recently bought some Lunapads (for backup or when I don't feel like having anything in my vag). They are pricey, but I like the design and the fact that they have a water-resistant layer (not all pads do). I find them very comfortable, although they do seem a bit hot to me, probably because I have to wear the extra thick kind. That said, I still prefer that to the plastic-y feeling of disposable pads, and I like that they tend to stay in place better than disposables did for me (they always wanted to shift to one side or the other of my bum, causing leakage).

[wingsoflace.livejournal.com]

I know you say you don't like pads, but have you tried cotton re-usable ones? Normal pads are plasticy and disgusting, and give me unconfortable rashes. I bought some GladRags (http://www.gladrags.com) recently and they are THE most comfortable ever. They just feel like your panties- so soft, made from organic cotton. The night pad is pretty huge, but the regulars are lovely. I don't think they're quite as pricey as lunapads.

I know re-usables may sound gross, but menstrual blood isn't dirty, and it's your own fluids after all. You just rinse them with cold water out in the sink to prevent so much staining, and then put them through the washer with a bit of soap to clean them. If you change during the day, you can just keep a plastic bag in your purse :) it's pretty easy once you get used to it. Also, you mentioned a "mushy" feeling.. I never get that with cotton pads. It's absorbed way more quickly into the cotton than that icky plastic topcover most pads have. They are also great for environmental issues as well, not throwing away tons of pads every period is a plus.

Just wanted to put in my .02 among all the cup lovers, but I haven't tried the wonder that is the divacup, so I wouldn't have any firsthand experience. I hear it's awesome, but as you said with the whole cramping issue, I wanted to offer an alternative to having something inside you. Good luck!