Disclaimer: I am not a medical/healthcare professional, therefore I am not here to provide medical advice. I am only sharing my personal experience.
Having your period sucks enough but having your period with endometriosis sucks the big one. Since I was diagnosed at 14 with endometriosis, I've had over 20 years of periods to figure out ways to make it slightly more tolerable.
Switch Up Your Diet 3 Days Before
A few days before your period is due, switch to easier to digest, plant-based foods. Add in anti-inflammatory herbs and spices. Give up dairy, gluten and refined sugar. Drink a ton of water. Juice your greens. Eat fiber. Basically make sure your digestive system can take it easy while still getting plenty of nutrients. Also starting anti-inflammatory foods now means they will have time to work their way into your system before you need them (just like when doctors tell you to start taking Ibuprofen a few days before your period to prevent cramps).
Get Plenty of Rest
Your body needs you to go to bed early, even if you are just watching TV or reading and not sleeping, while on your period. You're probably already doing this as we all know periods usually equal flare ups, but some of us still push our bodies too much. I know because I'm one of these women. Since I work primarily from home, I feel guilty if I spend my period getting 10+ hours of sleep and work from the couch instead of the desk. But being able to keep my feet up eases my cramps and flow. Sleeping an extra 2-3 hours a night with an afternoon nap means I'm better focused to work during those brief hours of activity.
Cloth Pads Are Legit
I switched to reusable pads a couple years ago and do my best to never use disposable pads (except on my heaviest days when I changing my pad every 1-2 hours). Disposable pads and tampons give me worse cramps and cups are too painful during a flare up. Reusable pads are a more expensive cost upfront, but will save you money in less than 6 months. I bought mine on Amazon for $50 for 3 each overnight, long, medium, small/liner. And much like a warm pair of underwear, towel or sheets fresh out of the dryer, a fresh warm pad straight out of the dryer is amazing for cramps. Just remember to never use fabric softener on them as it coats fabric and prevents liquid absorption.
Use Hot Water Bottles and Rice Heating Pads
I know hot water bottles and rice heating pads don't get as hot as electric, but they are safer. Not only is the burn risk lower, but so is the fire risk. I get severe brain fog on my period and have been known to leave the oven on, keys in the door and fall asleep with my heating pad on. At least when I fall asleep using my rice pad, I can't set fire to myself or house.
Eat Some Spinach and Kale
I know I mentioned diet above, but don't forget your greens. You need the iron. If you don't want greens, take a supplement. This is especially important if you are a heavy bleeder.
Indulge a Little
One of my favorite drinks while on my period is my anti-inflammatory hot chocolate. It has cacao, coconut sugar, turmeric, cinnamon, ginger, black pepper, sea salt, coconut oil and non-dairy milk. It's a great coffee replacement in the mornings and an awesome dessert drink after dinner. Plus it eases my inflammation!
I also highly recommend a relaxing foot soak every day of your period, but especially on heavy days. Hot water, Epsom salt, coconut oil, essential oils and 20+ minutes of relaxing.
CBD Oil for Pain Relief, Rest and Energy
I'm a huge cannabis advocate and regularly use CBD products for pain and anxiety management. Drops work great but I really love edibles and topical creams. I try very hard to never used OTC pain medicines due to overusing them years ago to manage my endometriosis pain and CBD products along with an anti-inflammatory diet are the reasons why I'm able to still have a semi-normal life during both flare days and my period.
What are some tips you have for dealing with your period (even if you don't suffer from endometriosis!)? Share them in the comments!