I honestly don't know what's causing my cramps. Could be ovarian cysts, could be endometriosis, could be both. I could have fibroids. I can't afford the diagnostics right now. I try not to think about the other things it could possibly be. I have no health insurance. Anything worse than a hangnail, I'm screwed.

Well...I always use a heavier pad than I need for that day. Always overprepare, that's my motto, otherwise it's underwear disaster. And I don't really move when I sleep. But it does travel up asscrack mountain when I sleep on the heaviest days (one and two). No avoiding that. There's always the bit that escapes the…

Oh. OK then. I guess I'm not so squeamish then. About blood or things that look like blood, at least.

I find poo grosser. But that's just me.

Ah. Yours must be heavier than mine. When mine is heaviest, I use the largest, thickest, widest pad Always sells. It's the purple one. I don't bother with the extra-thin for such times. I want coverage. They make them long and wide. And I try to wear my old, ratty, already-stained granny panties for such times. Then…

Preach.
Amenorrhea is a sign of a serious problem.

But periods are not strictly blood, per se. They contain blood—and blood vessels for that matter—but a lot of it is uterine tissue which just happens to be red. Call me a pedant if you want. It's not like it's a gushing artery. I have lived with these things for 27 years, so I think I know whereof I speak.

I hope that the estrogen works for you. I hope they let you use a patch.

I can't use estrogen-based anything, since apparently (according to my doctor) I'm producing too much of it. Body no likey. I'm taking progesterone to compensate.

I'm glad cups work for you. I don't want to stick anything up in there that time of the month.

Oh, I get cramps all right. I get 'em all month. They SUCK. I also get other pms symptoms, like getting depressed and weepy and migrainey and anxious and etc. You are lucky that way, sparkallpoo.

@Not Bad for a Robot—Um...empathy much?

If you have insurance, I recommend you try Ponstel. That stuff works like nothing else for cramps.

@gejufa—Call it a love-have relationship. My periods got really wacky when I started on the pill about ten years ago, they went from a week to three days, and they felt different in a wrong way. I need my period to feel normal.

@Indleslut—I can testify from personal experience that this is true. Of course, I'm also a lucky soul who's been known to get cramps all month long.

@HappyBerry—Preach! You are so right. I love the "Ladies, discuss," articles, because we end up learning useful things from one another. :)

@JustClickYourHeelsThreeTimes—Man, that really sucks. Is there nothing they can do for you?

@Caralain—That mucusy business happens to me too (usually on day two) and I use pads. It really interferes with pad absorption, lemme tellya, and is a real pain in the tuchus.

The Always night pads are the shizznit when you are experiencing heavy flow. Of course, I can see that compared to a lot of you here, what I've experienced is nothing. Especially since I've been on the pill. (Even after stopping the pill, my periods have never been as heavy since.)

...and then suddenly the reverse.
Actually, I get constipated when PMSing and then things open up when Aunt Flo arrives.

@lankypanky—We all have a section of our underwear drawer devoted to that...Trust me...

OMG, you are my new hero. I have been using OxiClean. It works, mostly, but there are some stubborn stains it will just not get out.