I was Today Years Old When I Learned Periods Don't Have to be Agonizing

 A Tale of Menstrual Misery

I am 39 years old. I struggled with painful periods for most of my life and thought this was normal. I thought periods were supposed to suck and be the curse of women's lives. All the women I saw and read about complained about their periods. Some articles recommended going on birth control to reduce or eliminate your period. 

I didn't like taking ibuprofen 2-3 times every month when I felt unbearable period cramps but I felt I had no choice. Starting in my 30s I tried a few different remedies to get natural and come off of my monthly Advil addiction. I tried warm compresses over the abdomen, doing more stomach exercises and eating an apple when the cramps were severe. Those things actually seemed to work at first to alleviate cramps. But then my next cycle would come and I would try those therapies and they weren't as effective as I thought. Nothing consistently worked. 

At one point the flow and cramps seemed to last so much longer and were so painful I was brought to tears and a complete mental breakdown. In my late 30s my cycle began to make me utterly miserable and angry. I half-seriously looked up hysterectomies because I felt there had to be some way out of this trap. 

A Simple Change

And then it all changed. In August 2025 I wanted to begin consuming more fruit and vegetables. I was overweight and felt it was really time to start getting acquainted with the plant kingdom I had ignored for so long. In earnest I started juicing and consuming more fruits and cooking with greens and veggies. I didn't immediately drop weight but something else happened - my next period was suddenly calm. Virtually painless. How could that be?

Now, before I move on, there's a quirk with my body I must explain. Every year I noticed I would have one kind, gentle period that didn't cause me a lot of pain. This was like a gift that would come once every year at different times. I could never predict when it would come but it was like a blessing, a break from horrible cramps.  

So this cramp-less period in 2025 could have been one of those. But then I grew tired of eating so clean and healthy and went back to heavy processed food. And the next period came and it was painful. And something in me was convinced it was the food. So I went back to eating tons of fruit and cutting way back on the bad stuff. And my next cycle was like a calm sea again, no horrible cramps for me. The difference was incredible and dramatic. 

And so it went - the more fruits I juiced, consumed in smoothies and munched on, the more these nasty monthly cramps stayed away. I also began drinking more water, realizing from reading this that I was probably chronically dehydrated my whole life. These two factors - lack of fruit and proper hydration - are what I believe caused me to experience horrible cramps all my life. 

Making Peace with Your Period

I came across a poignant article by Jane Hardwicke Collins that explained painful periods are not normal and the symptoms women experience on their periods are indications that something is wrong or imbalanced in their health, lifestyle or life circumstances. In short, periods are not supposed to be a living hell. If you suffer on your cycle, listen to what your period and symptoms are trying to communicate with you. Look deep at what may be lacking in your life or circumstances, starting with nutrition. Beyond that, look also at psychological or spiritual needs. Your pain is in invitation to examine your life and truly discover what you may be needing. 

In my case, it was a lack of nourishment. My body was crying out for nourishing foods. I only wish I knew this in my early 30s - it would have prevented a whole lot of pain and torment. 

Periods also serve a very cosmic purpose, connecting us to the moon and all, so I also recommend reading about that in the article. 

No Longer Doomed

In summation, one year ago I was terrified - everything I read said periods and mentrual symptoms get worse in your 40s, and being  38, I thought I was doomed. Now I have found release, freedom and control. I am much more neutral towards my cycle and don't dread it. In all fairness, menstruation is still not a walk in the park - my cycles are still uncomfortable and require a lot of rest and slowing down. That part doesn't change - periods are supposed to slow you down. 

But the unbearable pain and much of the bloating is gone now. On a scale of 1 to 10, in former days the pain used to be an 8 to 9, now on the worst days it's at 4 to 5, and in short spurts, which is way more manageable. 

Best of all, thanks to the power of simply getting more fruits, vegetables and lots of water, I'm learning not to hate my body, my uterus or its processes. That is definitely the best gift of all. And I hope my journey healing my period can help heal yours, too.