LUNA Explains : How To Live Better With Your Periods

Menstruation is often a difficult time for women because it can be a time of great fatigue, lack of self-confidence, and a time of stress due to the pain that certain periods can cause. In this article, LUNA will try to give you all the possible solutions and our little advice to live with your period in all serenity in different situations.

Having your period at work is often a sign of taboo and shame. Some lucky women don’t feel embarrassed by their period while at work, but not all of us are equal when it comes to this rule. So for all of you who are struggling to manage your period and work, here’s what LUNA recommends. You need to know your cycle and how your brain and body react when it’s present, so you can organize your work according to your moods. Just because we’re at work doesn’t mean we shouldn’t take care of ourselves. We should try to do the tasks we enjoy, wear comfortable clothes, don’t be ashamed to talk or ask for help, take herbal teas to help reduce our stress. Finally, for those days when your period is really painful, try telecommuting if it’s possible in your job, it would make you feel more comfortable and be more productive.

When you have your period at home, it’s much easier for you to reduce your pain by practicing methods that are more complicated to do outside. Heat is a good element to reduce cramps by vasodilatation, one of the things that we can hardly do at work is to use a hot water bottle or to take a good hot bath. So when we go home we take advantage of it. Menstruation is an additional source of stress to the other daily worries, one of the methods to reject this load is to practice anti-stress meditation, many applications and websites offer yoga positions favorable to the reduction of pain. (But just because we’re at home doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t actively move around and try to be physically active.)

Contrary to many preconceived ideas, practicing physical activity is essential during your period and it can even prove to be a very good asset to avoid cramps and bloating. So, obviously practicing a sport that is too violent during your cycle should be avoided. But by adapting your sports training, it’s quite possible to practice the same physical activities as usual (except in the case of heavy periods: Menorrhagia). Many sports applications and websites offer fitness exercises adapted to menstruation, these exercises are often associated with movements to be performed in the lower body to reduce pain due to bloating and cramps. We recommend sports such as brisk walking, cycling or swimming to help you get through this period peacefully, because sports release endorphins that relieve many pains, including those associated with menstruation.

Whether it’s on the beach, in an amusement park or even during a trip, menstruation can come at unwanted and inconvenient times. And some sanitary pads aren’t adapted to all the activities we had planned. Especially during long trips, the stress due to transportation, novelty and sometimes even culture shock can create a disturbance of your menstrual cycle; indeed this one being closely linked to your body and your feeling. So, to travel with peace of mind, we advise you to use sanitary protection that you’re used to, so that you don’t find yourself even more stressed and distorted by your new protection.

When menstruation occurs, many pains can be regulated by taking painkillers (ask your doctor for advice before taking these medications). Here is a non-exhaustive list that may help you choose the right medication for you:

Paracetamol (Dafalgan, Doliprane) it will take effect after about twenty minutes and this for about 4 hours, be careful, however, if you have serious liver problems, it may be contraindicated.

The antispasmodics (without prescription: Spasfon®, DoloSpasmyl. With prescription: Trimébutine®, Mebeverine®, Dicetel [Pinaverium®]) actively fights against muscle spasms and is therefore very effective against cramps caused by menstruation. Effective for about 60 minutes, it’s still necessary to respect an interval of 2 hours between each intake. Beware of side effects that can lead to an increase in heart rate, dry mouth or poor eye acclimatization.

Ibuprofen, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NurofenFlash, Spedifen, Advil Caps) which helps reduce pain, dysmenorrhea, etc. For a 400 mg tablet its effectiveness is about 8 hours, so it’s recommended not to exceed 2 doses per day and to space its intake by about 6 hours.

Flurbiprofen (Antadys®, Cebutid, Ocufen…), a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug that acts effectively on intrauterine devices. It has an action that lasts approximately 6 hours with a recommended tablet intake every 4 hours. Side effects are often digestive: nausea, vomiting, etc.

The contraceptive pill to reduce pain or stop menstruation completely is a very effective technique, but it isn’t recommended for the long term. This technique requires the follow-up and approval from your doctor or gynecologist before choosing this technique.

Scientifically validated by Dr Jean-Philippe Estrade,

Gynecological surgeon and expert in endometriosis at the Clairval Private Hospital and the Bouchard Clinic in Marseille