Let’s face it, we pay for our choices – one way or another. And how we quantify those choices, impacts the very fabric of our being, as well as the environment around us. Those “choices” we make for ourselves affect our bodies, our family, friends, employer, and ultimately the greater community...
So, when my cramps started impacting my ability to go to school, work and socialize, I needed to find solutions. And, as many do, I began with NSAIDS. NSAIDS are a group of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs that are available over the counter for pain and inflammation. Common NSAIDs include Advil, Aleve, Aspirin, Ibuprofen, Midol, and Motrin.
NSAIDs work by blocking prostaglandin production through the inhibition of the COX enzyme responsible for their formation. Prostaglandins are the hormones that are known to cause abdominal pain, cramping and inflammation in women experiencing primary dysmenorrhea. The problem? Traditional NSAIDs inhibit both COX-1 and COX-2, and in doing so not only decrease pain and inflammation but also promote gastrointestinal tract damage and bleeding, some of the primary side effects. In an effort to mitigate these side effects, selective COX-2 inhibitors became available in 1999, but these are prohibitively expensive, and are not what you will find in the over the counter remedies.
While NSAIDs provided me some pain reduction, it was minimal, and the relief did not last until the next dose. Exceeding the recommended dose was not advised, and then there was the list of side-effects: gas, bloating, heart burn, stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and/or constipation, gastric bleeding, ulcers, headaches, dizziness, kidney problems or failure, heart attack, and even stroke. YIKES! The balance of risk vs. relief was not working out in my favor. Some of the “side effects” were already part of my reality in experiencing dysmenorrhea and I was hoping to find a remedy with more comprehensive action that might address those symptoms too, rather than potentially cause them.
Next, I found myself visiting the college OBGYN, who recommended oral contraceptives. Eager to try anything, I anxiously filled the prescription… After months of acne, mood swings, nausea, weight gain, depression, breast tenderness and little difference in pain when my cycle came, I began to see the solution seemed worse than the problem and went back to consult my Doctor.
My problems and pain only escalated from there, as I took a contraceptive shot that effectively ended any normalcy that had existed in my cycles and I bled for six months straight. Everything became much worse – more pain, more inflammation, greater irregularity, heavier menses, worse PMS, prolonged depression, fatigue, additional weight gain and more mood swings… I was a mess. I began to wonder what I had done to myself, and what I could do to change my situation. My body had paid a hefty price (pun intended), but I still hadn’t found relief. In fact, my condition had seriously escalated.
I began to look beyond western medicine and started researching, tinkering with formulas, and ultimately became my own lab rat. It took years of research and experimentation to develop and refine a formula that worked for me. And, it worked without the scary list of side-effects. Not only did this combination reduce my cramping and pain, it helped with my water retention, bloating, PMS, mood swings and cravings. It was truly transformational for me.
There are many mechanisms of action and synergies that make Achelois the perfect period product, but I’d like to highlight a few key actions that make Achelois different than the common medicines we turn to for cramp relief.