I know. I'm going to try this one soon.

I was going to privately suggest this to you too.

I hate to be one of the few liberal hippies that does not promote pot, but if this is a long consistent symptom it is probably not a good idea to use pot as a cure for it. Yes, yes, we all know it is not addictive - but it does have side effects and can become addictive in a non-chemical dependent way.

If it is just temporary, then yeah, whatever works. But for me - if I am doing something for a long time I do not want it to be something that influences my state of mind.

Having to purchase, own, and smoke pot for a week at a time every month does not sound like a solution to me.

Nancy Reagan must have caught you at a very impressionable age. Anything can become addictive in a non-chemical dependent way. And just because someone might get a sweet tooth, that is no reason for everyone to avoid chocolate.

It wouldn't be necessary to smoke pot constantly in order to have some relief from occasional nausea. That would be rather silly.

I agree that other alternatives should be explored first, but primarily because pot is illegal- not because it will turn those who use it into extras from Reefer Madness. And it honestly is great at alleviating nausea. Doctors prescribe it to people who suffer from far worse than PMS for that reason. With that said, maybe e.strange should look for advice from a medical professional.

But e.strange is looking for a home remedy, and she is running out of options. Isn't some solution better than no solution? Even if it's the devil weed?

Reagen was a bit before my time. : )

To use your example, just because people might get a sweet tooth IS no reason to swear off ever eating chocolate. I agree.

But my point is that if you use chocolate to cure a consistent symptom (say depression), even if the chocolate is not addictive in-and-of itself, it can still be very bad for you. Obesity, heart disease, general unhealthiness, etc. etc.

This is always where the debate ends up whenever I discuss marijuana with people. Despite the fact that I went to Evergreen for undergrad, have used pot, and fully support the legalization of pot - I still don't encourage people to use it, nor do I personally.

Any mind altering substance should be used in moderation - alcohol, pot, even caffeine. But our society has a VERY difficult time with moderation - we really like to slip into a trap of medicating ourselves by altering our moods. I think that is very unhealthy.

People use caffeine when they are feeling tired - and they feel tired every single day, even on days when they get plenty of sleep. They use it to medicate over feeling tired because they are unhappy, because they are sick, because they are stressed.

Same with alcohol - we use it to relax, to be social, to have fun. But when you use it as a medication it becomes the only way you can relax, the only way some people can have fun. And then they find themselves drinking at home, and wondering why they aren't relaxed anymore, and why they aren't having any fun. It starts with medicating by over-riding your anxiety, nervousness, or depression.

The only reason I suggest caution here is because it does sound like a recurring problem. If there is NO other way to deal with it, then yeah, do what you can to make yourself feel better. But I personally wanted to just add my opinion cautioning against it.

We are not talking about "society," Basil. We are talking about a competent, intelligent individual who is entirely capable of moderation. Besides, she would using pot for its antiemetic effects, not for recreation. But e.strange can speak for herself on these matters.

It did occur to me after posting that you are too young to remember Nancy's scare campaign. Sorry about that. Yet you did seem to internalize its message somehow. It's funny that you agree with me that people shouldn't shrink from an experience because of a worst case scenario, and then list several worst case scenarios. I don't believe they apply here.

Basil, I see what you're saying, and I don't take use of any substance - "drug" or not, legal or illegal - lightly. But if you had to deal with what I've got going on every month, you might feel differently. I will certainly look into all options, but if it's between getting fired because I miss work every month and smoking a little weed, I'm gonna go ahead and choose the weed. And I didn't even smoke it in college.

I am not, by any means, saying this is a worst case scenario and smoking pot will lead to horrible consequences.

But I do think people should be extra cautious when turning to mind-altering substances for cures to recurring problems. That is all.

In regards to internalizing the message of anti-drug advocates - let me clarify. I look at alcohol the same way, and my stance has a lot more to do with first hand, and very painful, experiences with substance abuse as a child. It is not something that I have been force fed from government programming - it is something that I have learned from experience.

In my opinion, pot/alcohol/other drugs (prescription and non), when used to as a cure for things tends to be more dangerous than when it is used for recreation. Now, for physical symptoms it is probably not nearly as bad as for mental and emotional symptoms. But still worth throwing out my caution.

And e.strange, I really do hope you can find something that works for you. No matter what it is. If you do decide to go with pot, you might want to consider Marinol, which is basically pot in pill form for controlling nausea. OR just go see a doctor and get a prescription - I am sure they have a lot of things that could probably work for you.

I've been to doctors. They haven't been very helpful thus far - mostly pushing various forms of hormonal birth control, which work for PMS symptoms, but cause side effects that are unacceptable. I'll be going back soon, but my insurance only covers so much, and I don't know if there's anything my doctor can do. I think they tend to assume that I have more run-of-the-mill PMS and I'm just exaggerating. It's hard to convince them to look beyond the easiest answer, which is why I want to see if I can solve this problem for myself.

Basil, it sounds like you are taking your personal experiences with substance abuse and generalizing them. That can be useful sometimes, but I'm sure you know that your experiences aren't necessarily indicative of those of the general public, or myself in particular. I appreciate your concern, but I'm pretty sure I'll be just fine.

Of course, that is all it is meant as - general advice.

I've gotten to know you on here as much as we all can know each other, but I would never consider myself able to give you real personal advice about yourself, nor presume to tell you how you would react to anything.

Seabands? Are those available at a drugstore?

Yes--I got mine at Bartell's. You put them on your pressure points on your wrists. They really help!

I've heard flat cola helps, but I haven't tried it yet. I'm guessing cola syrup is similar, so I should probably give it a try. Thanks!

They'd tell pregnant women to get root beer syrup, tasty and apparently useful.

By the way, have you tried treating your PMS with black cohosh? It's nothing to mess with casually - it's a powerful abortifacient, among other things - but it can be the most effective of all the herbal treatments for PMS. I never suffered any side effects, but obviously, don't take it if you want to get pregnant.

I haven't tried black cohosh. Where would I get it?

I got it backwards, by the way - it's blue cohosh that works better for menstrual symptoms. The black is used more in menopausal women to relieve the symptoms. Any place that carries herbal supplements should have both, they're pretty common.

http://www.sisterzeus.com/BlueCoh.htm

You know, I think I had some kind of prescription anti-nausea med when I had an inner-ear virus. I remember that it worked quite well, but I don't remember if it caused drowsiness. If something *can* make someone sleepy, it *will* make me pass out.

Phenergan made me really sleepy and didn't help with the nausea. (Promethazine is the generic name). Reglan (Metoclopramide) works well for a lot of people, but has some side effects that can be serious if taken too often - once a month isn't that often, though, and it worked pretty well for me. Zofran (ondansetron) is the gold standard, a wonderful wonderful drug, but EXPENSIVE. I think it may be available as a generic now, so worth asking a pharmacist (skip your MD for that question, and ask the pharmacist directly, they can tell you how much it would be with your insurance.) It doesn't make (most people) sleepy, and works really well. So, not a home remedy suggestion - but if you're missing work because of being miserable, your MD should take that seriously.

Promethazine (Phenergan) works well for me when I have to take it and I have also had success with Hydroxyzine, but Reglan makes me incredibly anxious and panicky. Both Phenergan and Hydroxyzine will make you sleepy til you get used to them, though.

I've recently been prescribed zofran (odansetron) for the nausea I'm having with pancreatitis (which is so intense I will often be vomiting repeatedly for up to 25 minutes at a time), and it has been working fairly well with almost no side effects, but it doesn't kick in very fast. I hear there's a delivery system where it melts under your tongue though, which may speed up its efficacy. The other good thing about the zofran is that it lasts for 12 hours at a time, so you don't have to dose yourself a ton. Also, my doctor just suggested that I try ginger bitters (made for use in cocktails) when I'm feeling really nauseous. I haven't been able to find them to try yet, but it might be worth a shot. Apparently you just drink a tiny bit (less than a shot's worth) with a lot of ice. I really hope you can find something that helps- since I've been dealing with this daily intense nausea I've realized how totally overwhelming it can be.

Peppermint actually upsets my stomach, but I think it helps a lot of people. It sounds like there's a real consensus around ginger, so I'm going to give that a try. Thanks!

If the nausea is cramp related (and I don't really get why it wouldn't be but then I haven't had it with PMS), treating for cramps might help. They always say raspberry leaf tea or evening primrose oil for cramps. I know the latter was the only thing that worked for breast pain for me, no idea on cramps (don't get them that badly), haven't tried the raspberry thing. Another remedy for cramps which is immediate and effective is orgasm, which is inexpensive although probably inconvenient at work.

The ginger people ginger chews are available in bulk at Whole Foods.

It does have actual ginger, but perhaps it's not enough. I'm not a big fan of tea, but I should probably try some ginger tea. Thanks!