For years, the medical establishment downplayed the menstrual cramps that are experienced by 9 out of 10 women, thinking of them as a minor ailment rather than the sometimes debilitating condition they can be. Thankfully, researchers today have a much more accurate understanding of the pain associated with monthly periods and as a result, women are better equipped to treat it.
As many as 10% of women who experience cramps report pain so significant that they are unable to maintain normal schedules and activities for 1-2 days per month while the majority of women report pain ranging from 3 to a 6 on a 1-10 scale.
What You Should Know
Menstrual cramps, or period cramps, are not typically caused by any physical abnormality. They instead result from contractions of the uterus as it works to dispel menstrual blood. Those contractions can cause backaches, headaches, nausea and dizziness in addition to the more typical pain in the lower abdomen and pelvis.
Experienced most often by young women in their teens and twenties, cramps usually begin to subside with age and may disappear entirely after childbirth. Women who use intrauterine devices (or IUDs) for birth control often experience a notable increase in cramping.
Typically, medical professionals recommend the use of heat (warm baths or heating pads), exercise (believe it or not), and non-prescription pain-relievers like acetaminophen or ibuprofen.
Our Best Medicine for Menstrual Cramps guide will provide you with information on the 10 pain relief products that women prefer for easing the pain of periods.
Top 10 Medicines for Menstrual Cramps Table
| Picture | Name | Type | Price | Rating (1-5) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 1. Goody's Extra Strength Headache Powders | Powder | $ | 4.9 |
 | 2. Goody's Cool Orange Analgesic Powder | Powder | $ | 4.8 |
 | 3. GoodSense Acetaminophen Extra Strength | Tablets | $$ | 4.8 |
 | 4. Advil Liquid Gels | Gel Caps | $$$ | 4.8 |
 | 5. Aleve Caplets | Caplets | $ | 4.8 |
 | 6. Midol Complete Caplets | Caplets | $$ | 4.7 |
 | 7. Hyland's Cell Salts #8 | Tablets | $$ | 4.6 |
 | 8. Vitruvian Natural Lab Turmeric Curcumin | Caplets | $$$$ | 4.6 |
 | 9. Traditional Medicinals Raspberry Leaf | Tea | $$$ | 4.6 |
 | 10. Tylenol 8 HR | Caplets | $$ | 4.5 |
Buying Information for Medicine for Menstrual Cramps
While the majority of women experience cramps as a routine part of their monthly period, do be aware that in a small number of cases, something more complex can be in play. If your cramps are severe enough that they prevent you from working, walking or sitting up straight, if severe pain lasts longer than a few days or if you experience cramping when it is not time for your period, do see a physician. He or she may wish to treat you with prescription drugs or birth control pills, which can reduce and control the severity of cramping.
But for routine cramping, choose a product from our Best Medicine for Period Cramps guide and begin using it a day or so before your period is scheduled to start. This prevents the pain from “getting ahead of” the medicine. Pair your choice of pain-reliever with a cozy heating pad and some rich organic tea like our #9 product and try to take a long walk before going to bed during the first couple of days of your period.
In addition, medical professionals often recommend a few lifestyle changes that have been shown to reduce cramping:
- Exercise routinely and stay in shape.
- Take a calcium supplement routinely and Vitamin E during your periods.
- Stop smoking.
- Minimize caffeine.
- Reduce fat and salt in your diet.
- Use organic dairy products (to avoid the added hormones and antibiotics in non-organic dairy).
- Cut down on stress.
Top 3 Best Medicine for Menstrual Cramps REviews
1. Goody’s Headache Powders
We realize it may seem odd to have a product called a headache powder ranked #1 in our Best Medicine for Menstrual Cramps guide but don’t let the name mislead you. Among women surveyed, it is the top product for reducing the pain of menstrual cramps.
Goody’s is a company founded by a pharmacist that has been around for nearly a century. The company originally made this product for headaches, but over the decades, consumers have realized it is a pain-reliever that works equally well on arthritis pain, muscle aches and menstrual cramps.
Despite the fact that some consumers may still view this as an old-fashioned medicine, it is anything but. It contains acetaminophen and aspirin so it has a one-two punch and goes to work within minutes. Each individual dose comes in a paper packet that looks the wrapper on a stick of gum and the medicine can be poured directly on the tongue where it quickly dissolves or it can be put in water or juice.
Some users reported a slightly bitter taste when the powder is mixed with liquid, so the best bet is to dissolve it on your tongue and then take a drink of water or juice to wash it down.
2. Goody’s Cool Orange
If you had any doubts regarding the effectiveness of Goody’s pain-relieving powders after reading about the #1 rated product above, they should be eliminated here because the #2 rated product in our guide is the same great fast-working medicine only in an orange flavor.
Rather than being called a headache powder, this Goody’s product is called an analgesic powder, but analgesic simply means “pain relieving drug” so don’t be thrown off by that. These powders also come in individual doses but instead of a paper wrapping they are in foil packets.
Because the foil packet has to be torn open (rather than simply unfolded like the #1 product) this may be your best bet if you wish to carry some in your purse or car to avoid spilling but they are a bit bulkier than the unflavored packets. The same recommendations apply to dissolve the medicine on your tongue rather than mix it with liquid though the orange flavor of this product seems to covers any bitterness that might be associated with the unflavored version.
3. GoodSense Acetaminophen
While our top 2 products were somewhat non-traditional powders, the product that rounds out our top 3 most preferred pain relievers for menstrual cramps is a tablet form of Acetaminophen, a type of medicine most of us consider a staple in our medicine cabinets.
Acetaminophen, best known by the brand name Tylenol, is a pain relieving medicine that has no anti-inflammatory ingredients so it will not irritate your digestive tract and can be taken on an empty stomach. This GoodSense product is a generic version of the drug and is considered by most women to relieve menstrual cramps better than ibuprofen or aspirin.
Be sure to begin dosing at the first sign of pain and continue as directed on the packaging throughout the first 2-3 days of your period for maximum results.