Cramp remedies: cold therapy vs. heat therapy

[chthonic.livejournal.com]

Just finished my period, so now I can resume thinking clearly. :-)

I only get crampy on the first day. When it used to get really bad (back in my teens and early twenties), the best remedy was to lie down with my trusty ice bag on my belly. I don't even remember why I thought to use ice; perhaps my logic figured that my uterus was swollen and all the blood vessels needed to be constricted. Whatever the reason, it works for me, providing some quick relief until the aspirin/Midol/Pamprin starts working.

Years later, I was talking to a woman at my job, who was feeling crampy, and she said she couldn't wait to go home and crawl into bed with her heating pad.
Which surprised me; but she claimed it helped her to relax and also eased her back pain. Her theory was that all the blood vessels were too constricted!

So, I ask you folks: what are your thoughts/experiences with hot or cold therapies for cramps? If you've never tried either, which one sounds more appealing to you?

--chthonic boom

New

[ex-hamster536.livejournal.com]

Well I found this thru someone elses journal and thought I would join.

After my last period (after I stopped using Depo Provera) in Aug. '99, I was sorta worried when I'd be getting my period the past month. I stopped worrying and thought "When it comes, it comes." and then on Sunday I got my period, after having cramps on Friday and Saturday all day. It's been a long time and I almost forgot what it was like LOL! So I popped in Tylenol Extra strength and survived the first days of crampage. ;-) So now it's only a few more days of being self consious ("Is it leaking? Can you tell?") period days. Ugh. If I weren't gonna get preggers next year, I'd go back on Depo to avoid this shite!