Over-the-counter drugs like Midol even claim to treat PMS symptoms like tension and irritability, even though they only contain a diuretic, a pain reliever and caffeine.
Ibuprofen is commonly used to treat mild to moderate aches and pains such as headache, toothache, period pain, and sports injuries like sprains and strains.
And that's why I brought all the ingredients to make her a traditional Colombian period poultice, and she can rub it on her belly when she gets cramps.
Something I learned researching for this podcast though, is that the most effective way to take ibuprofen or any NSAIDs is actually before you're cramping.
And we also have hormonal contraception, which gives us a thinner lining of the uterus, so there's less prostaglandins produced and with less blood, there's less need for cramping.
And so a lot of one treatment for bad menstrual cramps is to put girls on birth control pills because it evens out the hormonal fluctuations of the month and it does actually improve menstrual cramps.
I don't know if she hasn't said this, it looked and sounded like menstrual cramps to me, from what she was describing and the way Conchita was saying that it'll pass, you know, that was the impression that I got.