Poling with cramps!

LizzyLiz810 started this discussion · 8/5/2011

I was wondering how you girls deal with that "time of the month." I get extremely painful cramps, and its something that i have dealt with since i was 12. Ive been to so many doctors about it, but nothing really helps. Sometimes it gets so bad i cant walk for a few hours. Ive heard that you shouldnt invert when you have period, but i have no idea? I definitely lose ALOT of strength during that week, but I teach, so i have to deal with it. If any of you have any tips/secrets to controlling this problem, please share!! Im willing to try anything. Ive taken medication, birth control, gotten massages, used heating pads, epsom salt baths, drank pms herbal teas, and lots of stretching.

9 replies

BACE16 · 8/5/2011
About the inverting during that time thing: It came up in a few yoga classes I've been in. Some teachers call it out, most don't mention it. Here's an article I found about it for yoga: http://www.yogajournal.com/basics/831 ; Medically it doesn't seem to matter, but its all about listening to your body.
MrsNaughtywed · 8/5/2011
Interesting article. Thanks for sharing. Makes me wonder.. when we invert, it's not for that much time right? Maybe for a few minutes off and on for a span of an hour? It's not like we are hanging up side down continuously for hours and hours. So I would just assume that inverting a couple times while having a period shouldn't be enough to cause worry? Now wanna here some TMI? :P Poleing with a pad on is impossible and wearing tampons seems to get pushed out when I do lots of inversions (particularly in a routine), LMFAO! Does anyone else have this problem? I find that I have to go to the bathroom to adjust if you know what I mean. Its so annoying. So on heavy days I just take a break from the pole otherwise it gets frustrating. :p Sorry to heave about your painful crams, Lizzy. Min get pretty painful toosometimes and have to resort to an advil. :(
Dancing Paws · 8/6/2011
Are your periods really heavy??? I have found that on my heavy days I am in agony, but I am fine on light days. I went on certain birth control pills that made my periods really light and voila, no cramps......BUT then I started an anti seizure medication that reduces the efficacy of birth control, so my periods became heavy on the first few days and those first few heavy days hurt like hell. Have you tried any birth controls to lighten the flow???? It MAY help (but it could just be me.) There should be at least one pill that can lighten your periods. Also, you can take Yasmin for 4 packs non-stop (3 months) and not have periods for 3 months. I liked it , but I stopped doing it bc I think it was causing me to get yeast infections a lot.
Runemist34 · 8/7/2011
Unfortunately, I'm in the same boat- ever since I started getting it, it's been painful sometimes. Yes, my cycle is very heavy! I once heard some kind of statistic that a woman will lose 1 pint of blood during her cycle, and I was like "Yeah, I could see that!" and my friend that I told that to was like "Um, no??" :P As for taking birth control continuously, it doesn't work for me. Never has, actually. I used to be on birth control, and I suppose it lightened it slightly, but it also gave me horrible mood swings, and contributed a great deal to my depression, so I can no longer take it. But, when I was on it and didn't want to have my period (say, for my anniversary or my honeymoon!), well, I had no choice! I would be taking the pill at the same time as my period, and still my body was like "No! We're doing this thing!" As for poling with cramps...I imagine that if you can't stand up or walk, pole is right out. Otherwise, perhaps you should just take it easy! I know that it's hard, you want to get up there and do everything and practice, but it takes a lot out of me when I have mine, so generally I don't try to force myself...my body is working on something else!
Charley · 8/7/2011
I get really, really bad cramps and really bad, angry, incredible hulk type PMS too. I tried birth control for awhile but it didn't help me at all. What does help is 2-4 ibprofin and rest, I do teach during that time of the month and if my period hits right I only have cramps for like a day...if it hits a night though I will have cramps both nights :( The first 24 horus are the worst! If I have to teach I find that I use my verbal ques much more, limit demonstrations and have no problem telling people I have cramps I can't fonji up and down the pole all day. Because our clients are women we can just tell them how it is. I've never had anyone be anything but sympathetic. I never pole with a tampon, I use pads for pole time and wear longer shorts, I don't do ab work in class but will direct students to do whatever they need to do. When I have cramps it's almost good in the sense that I have to rely on my words and not my body, I find because I can't jump around that I spend time correcting posture and finer point more because I am grounded. It's still hard and I make sure I have ibprofin in my bag and am sure to take it when the last dose wore off.
Dancing Paws · 8/7/2011
Oh, I forgot to mention, I do get exponentially weaker on my period. It happens to is all. Honestly, that is the days you try your best to demo a move and walk around the class most of the time helping everyone else... Or you make it am easy cheesy fun class.
Dancing Paws · 8/7/2011
I still think if you can try to see if you can lighten that bugger, it will help. Your body won't be cramping as much to pump out all that blood. Worse case scenario isvit does not work. It is worth a try. The depo shot stops your period, so you could look into that??? It does have risks, which I am currently stressed over as well, so talking to the doc about the benefits bs risks is a must. There are weird arm implants too.
LizzyLiz810 · 8/7/2011
I tried 2 types of birth control b4, and i had basically every single side effect possible. It also made me extremely depressed and moody. I literally cried EVERY SINGLE DAY! I would never go back on it. It doesnt agree with my body 🙁
Terpsikhore · 8/7/2011
I don't know about the rules where you are, but here you can buy tranexamic acid (a blood clotting agent that makes your period lighter) over the counter - might that be any help to you? I wish I could help, but the only way I've ever found I can function during the first few days of my period is a combination of tranexamic acid, co-codamol taken religiously every 4 hours and Imodium. I do sometimes feel like a walking pharmacy!