Usually, during your period, you’re likely to get some cramps. And there are a lot of remedies to help relieve some of the pain. There are heating pads, exercises, foods, and medicines. Lots of things to help you feel more like yourself! And yet, this summer, I found myself needing another remedy, and what ended up being the only one that worked: birth control.
During the summer, my cramps had started to get much worse all of a sudden. So, as per usual, I took some pain medication to relieve some pain. But after some time passed…it wasn’t working at all. My first thought was maybe the brand was the issue, but multiple brands weren’t working either. Then I began to take larger doses, and I was still reeling in pain. After a couple of days, I was getting very worried, and my cramps were only getting worse.
Hoping that this was just a one-cycle thing, I moved on with my life until once again. I was lying down in my bed, curled up, just wishing to go to sleep and dream these cramps away. That’s when I realized that this was serious, and a doctor’s visit was what I really needed.
Before going to the doctor, I was worried about what the solution would be, as I just felt horrible the whole duration of my period this summer. After telling my doctor about my concerns, she told me that an option was going on birth control to help regulate my period cramps, to stop them from being so excruciating. I was happy to hear about a solution, but a little nervous about what it entailed. Birth control was always something that I knew of, but never really thought about starting it myself, especially as a solution for my horrible cramps. However, I was still willing to try. So, a few days later, I started my routine of birth control pills.
To be honest, the first month was a little rough. Once I started, I noticed that I was having cramps when I wasn’t on my period. These pains were likely caused by my body adjusting to the hormones. They weren’t too painful, but were enough to be annoying. Despite the troubling start, when that time of the month rolled around, I was pleased to find that my painful cramps were, in fact, gone! And since then, after being on the pill for a few months now, I’m grateful that I was able to find a solution to make myself comfortable.
Starting birth control pills was intimidating to me at first, as I didn’t know much about them being used to ease painful periods. Much like me, there are definitely others who would benefit from more awareness of its many uses. More people should be encouraged to learn about how birth control is used for more than a contraceptive pill, and how it can be beneficial to someone’s health and well-being.