CRAMPED

Kate Helen Downey

Tired of suffering from "death cramps" for 20 years, Kate Helen Downey has to find her own answers. She interviews top doctors and researchers, and delves into topics from period poops to endometriosis surgery to TikTok wellness scams, all to figure out why menstrual pain is so often dismissed and untreated. What she finds will change how you think about your own body and the medical system. Because having a microphone gets you more answers than having a uterus.

  1. 1 day ago

    The GYRL Lab is Doing The Viagra For Cramps Follow-Up Study!

    In 2013 a Penn State study found that Viagra was extremely effective for period pain. But the sample size was too small, and requests for funding to continue the study were denied. 13 years later, our friends at the GYRL lab in Evanston, IL are picking up where Penn State left off. Dr. Kevin Hellman (from Season 1) returns to answer all my questions, like why do you think Sildenafil Citrate (Viagra) might work to reduce period pain? How is your study going to find answers? And why did it take 13 years for a promising initial study to get more interest? CRAMPED episodes are intended for informational and entertainment purposes only, and are not medical advice (or financial advice). Join the CRAMPED Patreon: https://patreon.com/cramped The GYRL Lab: https://www.cureperiodpain.org/ The 2013 Sildenafil Citrate dysmenorrhea study: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3795469/ Thank you to Beducated for sponsoring CRAMPED! Take the Beducated Quiz: https://beduc.at/pd2659-cramped The Pelvic People make a device called Kiwi to help with tight pelvic floor muscles - visit https://thepelvicpeople.com/CRAMPED and use code CRAMPED for 10% off anything on the site. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

  2. 2 days ago

    Introducing Let's Talk Off Camera with Kelly Ripa

    Kelly Ripa has a podcast called Let's Talk Off Camera! It dives deep into Kelly's life, candidly discussing her marriage, family, career, and how she manages to juggle it all in the public eye. I hope you check it out and that you enjoy it as much as we do.

    Introducing Let's Talk Off Camera with Kelly Ripa

  3. 8 Sept

    The Personal Finances of Period Pain w Tori Dunlap

    One thing I've learned in the last 23 years of severe period pain - it's EXPENSIVE! Between the medications and devices to manage the pain, lost wages from extra sick days, and doctors and procedures that aren't covered by insurance, the cost gets overwhelming real quick! And as a little bit of a personal finance nerd, I started to notice...none of the big personal finance advice people are talking about how to handle medical expenses for conditions that cause severe period pain. So I called up Tori Dunlap, founder of the Her First 100k financial education platform, and host of the Financial Feminist podcast. Tori answers my questions about financial rage, how to plan for unpredictable medical expenses, and whether an expensive surgery or treatment is an appropriate use of our emergency funds. CRAMPED episodes are intended for informational and entertainment purposes only, and are not medical advice (or financial advice). Join the CRAMPED Patreon: https://patreon.com/cramped Her First 100k Financial Feminism & Money Education: https://herfirst100k.com/ Financial Feminist Podcast: https://herfirst100k.com/financial-feminist-podcast/ Thank you to Beducated for sponsoring CRAMPED! Take the Beducated Quiz: https://beduc.at/pd2659-cramped The Pelvic People make a device called Kiwi to help with tight pelvic floor muscles - visit https://thepelvicpeople.com/CRAMPED and use code CRAMPED for 10% off anything on the site. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

  4. 27 Aug

    Are There Heavy Metals in Our Tampons, and Is That...OK?

    Join the Patreon (even at the free tier) to listen to the full episode! https://www.patreon.com/CRAMPED Back in 2024, there were a ton of headlines about heavy metals being found in tampons. So...what happened with that? ARE there heavy metals in our tampons? And is that...bad for us? Where'd we land with that? I take you on a ride down a research rabbit hole about the 2024 UC Berkeley study that kicked this all off, the FDA's follow-up study, and the computational model that gives us as much of an answer as we're going to get. UC Berkeley study: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412024004355 FDA study: https://academic.oup.com/toxsci/article/209/6/kfag065/8698879?login=false CRAMPED episodes are intended for informational and entertainment purposes only, and are not medical advice. Thank you to Beducated for sponsoring CRAMPED! Take the Beducated Quiz: https://beduc.at/pd2659-cramped The Pelvic People make a device called Kiwi to help with tight pelvic floor muscles - visit https://thepelvicpeople.com/CRAMPED and use code CRAMPED for 10% off anything on the site. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

  5. 18 Aug

    New Non-Invasive Tests for Endometriosis w Dr. Gail Busby

    Huge news for anyone with painful periods who's ever thought "I wonder if I have endometriosis??" - now you can either spit in a tube, or stick some electrode pads on your belly, and know within a few minutes or days, with a high degree of certainty, if you do in fact have endometriosis!! If you live in the UK, Canada, or some countries in Europe, that is. Not in the US...yet. So what are these tests? How accurate are they? When will we get them in the US? Dr. Gail Busby, a UK gynecologist who advocated for these tests to be available through the NHS, tells us all about it. CRAMPED episodes are intended for informational and entertainment purposes only, and are not medical advice. Join the CRAMPED Patreon: https://patreon.com/cramped Thank you to Beducated for sponsoring CRAMPED! Take the Beducated Quiz: https://beduc.at/pd2659-cramped The Pelvic People make a device called Kiwi to help with tight pelvic floor muscles - visit https://thepelvicpeople.com/CRAMPED and use code CRAMPED for 10% off anything on the site. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

  6. 11 Aug

    FIBROIDS: Everything You Need To Know

    I don't want to freak you out, but between 70-90% of people with uteruses WILL get fibroids at some point in their menstruating years. So what do we need to know?? Dr. Soyini Hawkins, gynecologist, minimally invasive surgeon, and founder of the Fibroid and Pelvic Wellness Center of Georgia, answers my technical questions. Tanika Gray Valbrun, founder of The White Dress Project and award-winning journalist, goes deep on community, education, and how we can advocate for ourselves and each other. They've co-authored a book: From Fibroids to Freedom, From Silence To Strength: https://bookshop.org/p/books/from-fibroids-to-freedom-from-silence-to-strength-tanika-gray-valbrun/6a392db8b6fe38d4?ean=9781399817295&bkshp-astro=t The White Dress Project: https://www.thewhitedressproject.org/ (and on IG at @wecanwearwhite) Dr. Hawkins' Fibroid and Pelvic Wellness Center of Georgia: https://fibroidandpelvicwellness.com/ Join the CRAMPED Patreon: https://patreon.com/cramped Thank you to Beducated for sponsoring CRAMPED! Take the Beducated Quiz: https://beduc.at/pd2659-cramped Visit https://thepelvicpeople.com/CRAMPED and use code CRAMPED for 10% off anything on the site! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

  7. 4 Aug ·  Bonus

    Unladylike: Where Does Perimenopause End and Capitalism Begin?

    Enjoy this episode of Cristen Conger's excellent podcast Unladylike! The perimenopause boom is old news, but where did it come from, and why does it make some ob-gyns wary? Cristen investigates what we do – and don’t – know about perimenopause and what to expect when you’re expecting The Change(s). And as an industry “growth opportunity” at the intersection of beauty, aging and healthcare (usually in that order), how do we tell the difference between our own perimenopause needs and what’s being sold to us? Highlights include: perimenopause, the TikTok personality; the study that set hormone therapy back a generation; and why the menopause market is now coming for women in their thirties. More Unladylike here: https://www.unladylike.co/ sources:  How Perimenopause Became the New Midlife Catchall for Aging Women. (Elle)Insights into Perimenopause: A Survey of Perceptions, Opinions on Treatment, and Potential Approaches. (Women) Is it Perimenopause or Is It Aging? (The Vajenda)Perimenopause is the new buzzword in the business of women’s health (Stat News)The missing piece of menopause science. (Nature) The perimenopause movement sells women the lie that they are ruled by their hormones. (Stat News)Towards a more accurate global picture of perimenopause. (Bulletin of the World Health Organization) Thank you to Beducated for sponsoring CRAMPED! Take the Beducated Quiz: https://beduc.at/pd2659-cramped Visit https://thepelvicpeople.com/CRAMPED and use code CRAMPED for 10% off anything on the site! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

  8. 28 Jul

    The Impact of Endometriosis on Male Partners Study, w/ Comedian Jenny Zigrino

    Join the Patreon (even as a free member!) to listen to the full episode: https://www.patreon.com/CRAMPED Comedian Jenny Zigrino was posting so many hilarious videos about endo studies on Instagram that I invited her over to my house to do a deep dive on 2017's "A qualitative study of the impact of endometriosis on male partners". As you can imagine, we get heated. Plus we get deep into Jenny's experience with endo, a frank conversation about pain with sex, her recent autoimmune diagnosis, and the treatment that has helped her endo a lot lately. Join the Patreon at a paid tier to make CRAMPED my full-time job! Without 374 people joining a paid tier this month, I will have to cut down CRAMPED episodes to 1-2 a month. Keep it weekly! Go to the CRAMPED Patreon page (https://www.patreon.com/CRAMPED)Make sure you are logged inClick the Membership tab at the top of the page.Pick the paid tier you want and click Join Follow Jenny Zigrino on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennyzigrino/?hl=en The study: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5850214/ Thank you to Beducated for sponsoring CRAMPED! Take the Beducated Quiz: https://beduc.at/pd2659-cramped See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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Ratings & Reviews

4.8
out of 5
9 Ratings

About

Tired of suffering from "death cramps" for 20 years, Kate Helen Downey has to find her own answers. She interviews top doctors and researchers, and delves into topics from period poops to endometriosis surgery to TikTok wellness scams, all to figure out why menstrual pain is so often dismissed and untreated. What she finds will change how you think about your own body and the medical system. Because having a microphone gets you more answers than having a uterus.

Information

  • Creator
    Kate Helen Downey
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    59
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Kate Downey
  • Show Website
    CRAMPED

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