Every woman’s favorite time of the month...
Sarcasm and euphemism aside, a woman’s period is an uncomfortable time that never ceases to disrupt normal day-to-day activities to some extent (tampons, PMS and bloating… oh my) and even if you’ve had many more periods than you could care to count, you probably still have some questions about how to prepare, deal and recover from Aunt Flo’s visit.
Enter Dr. Lissa Rankin, a.k.a. “Your Girlfriend M.D.”. She’s the author of several books including ‘What’s Up Down There?’ and is also headliner of owningpink.com. GalTime asked Lissa to share her answers to 4 of the most commonly asked period questions.
1. Do symptoms like cramps, moodiness, headaches happen every month until menopause? And is there a way to control or maybe even eliminate these effects?
Most women have the roughest time with their periods at the extremes of reproductive age -- meaning they suffer most during puberty and then again in peri-menopause. Usually, after the first couple years, periods get easier, and the cramps, moodiness, and headaches lighten or even go away completely.
If the symptoms are severe talk to your doctor. Things like ibuprofen -- or in more severe cases birth control pills -- can relieve many of your symptoms.
If pharmaceuticals aren’t your cup of tea, there are natural things you can do to reduce your menstrual cramps:
-Cut out caffeine, alcohol, sugar, and salt. Cutting back on gluten may also help.
-Make sure your diet is high in B vitamins, particularly B6 (but not more than 100mg/day), as well as calcium, zinc, and omega-3 fatty acids.
-Take a hot bath.
-Do gentle yoga poses specifically aimed at helping with painful periods.
-Do gentle exercise, like walking or swimming.
-Drink lots of water.
-Bioidentical hormones can mimic the benefits of birth control pills – naturally.
2. The week before my period I get hungry 24/7. Can I really blame my uncontrollable appetite on 'that time of the month'?
You’re eating salads, taking daily walks and making progress nurturing you body towards your optimal body weight, then THWACK! That time of the month hits, and you’re jonesing for chocolate. Sounds like you suffer from what we docs call PMS-C, a type of PMS characterized by cravings for sweets, increased appetite, fatigue, headaches, and hypoglycemic episodes that may lead to dizziness, lightheadedness, or- in severe cases- fainting.
To avoid weight gain during the luteal (second half) of your menstrual cycle, resist the urge to indulge in sweets and carbs and stabilize your blood sugar with low glycemic index foods that don’t bump up your insulin levels much.
Healthy choices include lean proteins (fish, chicken breast, eggs), veggies, and whole grains such as brown rice, quinoa, or barley. For even more effective blood sugar stabilization, drink green vegetable juice. Keep healthy snacks, such as almonds, olives, or carrot sticks, on hand to combat cravings. This kind of diet will knock out most of your cravings, so that, even if PMS hunger leads you to consume more food, you should still be on track for your weight loss goals.
3. Why do I get clots when I get my period? Should I be worried?
Some women get all wigged out about passing blood clots, but actually, clots are good news. They mean that all of your clotting factors are doing exactly what they’re supposed to do when you bleed. I’ve had patients fish clots out of the toilet, put them in little Tupperware containers, and bring them in to show me. While I appreciate the, um, gift, rest assured that clots are nothing to worry about.
All a clot means is that the blood has pooled somewhere and coagulated before coming out. For example, it’s not uncommon for blood to pool in the vagina when you’re sleeping at night. The blood clots, then voila! When you wake up and go to the bathroom, clots come out. Also, what may look like clots is often clumps of uterine lining you have naturally shed, rather than clotted blood. Sometimes the two can mix together into scary-looking (but usually harmless) goombas.
As a gynecologist, what matters more to me than clots is the amount of blood you lose during a period. Liquid blood pouring out of a vagina like a soda foundation spewing cherry soda makes me more nervous than clots on a maxi pad. Sometimes, but not always, clots may mean you’re bleeding more heavily than usual. I care how big the clots are. Are they the size of a blueberry? A grape? A strawberry? A lemon? An orange? A grapefruit? A canteloupe? A week-long period full of strawberries could be a problem. By the time we’re talking about citrus fruits and melons, I’m definitely worried.
If you’re bleeding heavily, with or without clots, call your doctor right away. If you’re also dizzy, lightheaded, pale, or passing out, get thee to a hospital. But don’t stress about the occasional clot. It’s just nature doing its job.
4. Why do I get itchy, red and sore down there for a few days after my period?
Oh no! As if menstrual cycles aren’t bothersome enough. It sounds like you might be suffering from contact dermatitis, a condition that occurs when an irritant inflames the sensitive tissues of the vulva. Chances are good that your sanitary products are to blame. As you’ve probably noticed, contact dermatitis symptoms tend to abate within a week after exposure to the irritant stops, but your best bet is eliminating the offending irritant in the first place. Consider using chemical-free pads or tampons. Stay far, far away from deodorants sprays, bubble baths, perfume, or scented bath gel (it’s supposed to smell like vagina, not like rain or rose petals!).
If you’re uncomfortable in the meantime, lay a cold washcloth across the affected area for 10 minutes 2-3 times a day or as needed. This will cause blood vessels in the vulva to constrict and reduce swelling. To soothe itchiness, fill your bathtub with 2-3 inches of water and 4 tablespoons of anti-inflammatory baking soda, and soak in a sitz bath for 20 minutes once or twice a day.
Dr. Lissa Rankin received her BA at Duke University, her MD at University of South Florida, and her OB/GYN residency certification at Northwestern University. Dr. Rankin is a board-certified OB/GYN physician who worked as a traditional OB/GYN doctor for 9 years in San Diego, CA before founding the Owning Pink Center, an integrative medicine practice in Mill Valley, CA.
Later, as she became more of a public figure with other demands on her time, she transitioned into a smaller private medicine practice to continue working one-on-one with patients in a very personal way, helping them navigate health crises and counseling them about self-healing.
In addition to practicing a whole new kind of medicine, Lissa is also the founder of OwningPink.com, an online community of people committed to healing, connecting, and thriving. She is also the author of What’s Up Down There? Questions You’d Only Ask Your Gynecologist If She Was Your Best Friend, and Encaustic Art: The Complete Guide To Creating Fine Art With Wax, and she is now writing her third book, The Prescription: How To Heal Yourself.
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