CRAMPED
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.
Episodes
The HER Agenda: Three Bills About Period Pain, w/ Congresswoman Yassamin Ansari
Representative Yassamin Ansari has passed out from cramps in a New York bodega and in a hair salon with foils in her hair. She KNOWS period pain. She is also the Arizona congresswoman who just introduced the HER Agenda to Congress, a package of bills proposing 12 days of paid reproductive health leave, better pain management for gynecological procedures, and more research into PMDD. Kate
What If My Healthiest Self Isn't My Thinnest Self?
About three months after her endo excision surgery, Kate noticed something unexpected lurking underneath all her ideas about her health: a subconscious belief that once her period pain was fixed, she would automatically be thinner. Where did that thought come from? How did it get so deep in her head without her even knowing it was there? Kate brings on two experts to help untangle it: med
Melasma, Drugs That Delay Menopause, and Girl Gone Wild with Courtney Kocak
Writer, podcaster, and comedian Courtney Kocak talks about her period pain history, her Hashimoto's diagnosis, and the longevity drug she's currently taking to try to delay menopause and preserve her ovarian reserve. They also get into why perimenopause is basically puberty in reverse, what happens inside your body when an ovarian cyst ruptures in a Taco Bell, and why birth control gave t
Forgetting Everything I've Learned: Acupuncture, Fertility, and the Sunk Cost Fallacy
PATREON-ONLY EPISODE TEASERJoin the CRAMPED Patreon to listen to the full episode: https://patreon.com/crampedI've spent spent years learning to advocate for myself, trust my body, and walk out of rooms where I'm not being listened to. So why did I stick with a provider who was dismissing my concerns, prescribing unnecessary medications, and wasting my time and my money?This is the full s
The Pain Scale Is Useless and Everybody Knows It
Scale of one to ten, how much does it hurt? If you have ever sat in an ER thinking "eleven" and said "seven," Golda Arthur of the Overlooked podcast understands completely. She did the same thing during a thunderclap headache episode, and has been thinking about it ever since.Kate and Golda dissect the broken language of pain: the useless pain scale, the research showing doctors are train
The Comorbidity Queen: EDS, POTS, Endo, Fibroids, Cysts, SIBO, Arthritis, and more!
Content warning: this episode includes a brief discussion of suicide attempts, please listen with care. Melissa, known on TikTok as the Comorbidity Queen, has endometriosis, Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, pelvic congestive syndrome, May-Thurner syndrome, Nutcracker syndrome, thoracic outlet syndrome, POTS, MCAS, Lyme disease, chronic anemia, and a first rib that doctors want to remove.In this ep
The Endo Attractiveness Study: Are You F**king Kidding Me??
PATREON-ONLY EPISODE TEASERJoin the CRAMPED Patreon to listen to the full episode: https://patreon.com/crampedDid we need a data science professor to tell us why a study titled "Attractiveness of women with rectovaginal endometriosis: a case-control study" is garbage? No, but it's more fun to tear this study to shreds with a professional. This is a real study: university funded, ethics bo
Can Capitalism Fix What the Healthcare System Broke? One Endo App Founder Is Trying
There's a very obvious gap in the healthcare market: millions of people in serious pain every month, and almost no companies trying to solve it. In this episode, Kate talks to Sushma Ravindran, founder of Ask Nomi, an app in beta testing that aims to help people with endometriosis track symptoms, find the right care, and figure out what actually works for their body. Sushma spent 18 years
What Does Tinnitus Have To Do With Your Hormones? An Audiologist Explains
Your ears are pretty far away from your uterus, BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN THEY'RE NOT LISTENING. Dr. Natalie Crossland, an audiologist who specializes in tinnitus management (and also has endometriosis), explains the surprising ways that hormones, hearing, and the nervous system are all in conversation with each other. Like why estrogen levels affect your ability to hear in background noise,
Using AI To Help Get To A Diagnosis
Pelvic floor physical therapist Caroline Gamwell experienced a strange constellation of symptoms from the time she was 4. After decades of misdiagnoses, unnecessary surgery, and overmedication, she brought her search to an AI chatbot. Is it possible to use AI well in this situation? How do you protect yourself from potential AI hallucinations? Can someone with no medical background use AI
Your Period Blood Has a Weird Origin Story: Spiral Arteries, Uterine Milk, and Monkey Eyeballs
PATREON-ONLY EPISODE TEASERJoin the CRAMPED Patreon (even at the free tier!) to listen to the full episode: https://patreon.com/crampedI started research for a totally normal episode about spiral arteries in the uterine lining, and SHIT GOT WEIRD.Get ready for a deep dive into where period blood comes from, all the new organs and tissue you grow every month, and how science got the info o
PMDD, Intrusive Thoughts, Hormones & Medication: Riven's Diagnosis Story
When Riven first got her period at age 10, the debilitating cramps weren't even the worst part. Instead, she felt completely out of control for the first day or two of her period, sometimes sobbing for hours, sometimes losing time. But the scariest symptom was the intrusive thoughts of harming herself that came with her period pain. It took over 10 years, but after an incident involving h
Sex Ed with DB: Testosterone, Pleasure, and the Libido Myth
Today we have a guest episode from another excellent science-based podcast: Sex Ed with DB! What even is testosterone -- and why do so many menopausal women swear by it? DB and her mom Dr. Rebecca Levy-Gantt dive into a recent New York Times article "I’m on Fire’: Testosterone Is Giving Women Back Their Sex Drive — and Then Some" by Susan Dominus. What does testosterone actually do? Who c
The Boner Pill That Might Cure Period Pain
We know Viagra (sildenafil citrate) as a treatment for...one specific male problem. But a 2013 study showed it could potentially be SHOCKINGLY effective for dysmenorrhea. So what happened in that study? Why would a boner pill work for period pain? and why didn't it go anywhere? CRAMPED episodes are intended for informational and entertainment purposes only, and are not medical advice.Join
Taking No Shit From Her Endo Specialist: Daphne's Diagnosis Story
You've heard MY diagnosis and treatment story - now I'm handing the mic over to other people who have been through the period pain fire and come out the other side. Daphne had been on birth control since she was 10 for severe period pain, and every time she tried to come off it, the excruciating pain would come back, putting her right back in the puke-til-you-go-to-the-ER club. After fina
How To Spot A Garbage Period Pain Study with Prof Jones-Rooy
PATREON-ONLY EPISODE TEASERJoin the CRAMPED Patreon (even at the free tier!) to listen to the full episode: https://patreon.com/crampedWe don't get very many studies on menstrual pain - so when we finally get one, and IT SUCKS, we don't just ignore it. We get data science professor Andrea Jones-Rooy to tell us exactly why it sucks and how we can spot a bad study.Get more Andrea Jones-Rooy
An Endometriosis Historian Breaks Down 2000 Years of Medical Misogyny
Endometriosis Historian & Professor of Medical Humanities Dr Maria Rovito comes on CRAMPED to talk 2000 years of endometriosis, wandering wombs, and hysteria. Her new book, Crippling Endometriosis: Feminist Disability Histories and Reflections on Power and Pain is out now! Dr. Rovito's website (where you see the classes she teaches & find book links): https://www.mariarovito.com/S
Can Talking About Cramps Improve Your Sex Life?
Obviously we're big on communicating about your pain here at CRAMPED - we've covered the research that shows talking about your pain actually reduces your pain levels - but what about PLEASURE? Could improving our communication skills around our pain lead to better sex lives? Kate brings on sex communication experts Kels and Tess from Squirm, a company dedicated to helping you gain skills
Period Pain in Fiction: Two Artists Who Turned Their Diagnosis Into Art
If you've been looking up some Oscar-nominated short films to watch before the awards show, you may have noticed one called "Jane Austen's Period Drama". Seeing this in theaters inspired Kate to finally release two interviews with indie artists - one feature filmmaker, and one novelist - who have released work about their period pain! Novelist Grace Daly, Bram Stoker Award-nominated autho
Menstrual Leave Is Already Happening in More Places Than You Think
Can you imagine waking up with death cramps, and instead of dragging yourself to work with your heating pad and a bucket of ibuprofen or using up one of your sick days, you could just...use a PAID menstrual leave day??Menstrual leave is a reality in more places than you might think!! Does it already exist where you live? Is there CURRENTLY a bill in your state senate requiring companies t
Endometriosis, Hysterectomies, and Rebellious Ovaries: A Trans Comedian's Surgery Saga
Comedian Max Gross is back on CRAMPED for an update on his adventures with endometriosis, hysterectomies, and rebellious ovaries! Max and Kate try to figure out how big their internal organs actually are, what the best "medical green flags" are, and why speaking in "dad talk" to doctors works so well. CRAMPED episodes are intended for informational and entertainment purposes only, and are
Has Period Pain Education Gotten Better for Teens? We Asked a High Schooler
What's it like to get period pain in middle or high school today? It's been 20 YEARS since my own pretty abysmal menstrual health education, and I wondered - has it gotten better? Has the internet helped? Are there more resources and support out there for a young cramper?To answer my questions, I turned to Kat Samedova, who recently graduated from Kingston High School and is the former vi
Sasheer Zamata Doesn't Want To Ride a Horse on her Period
Sasheer Zamata (SNL, Agatha All Along, Ghosts) hangs out for a little 2 person "clam bake" to tell the story of her period pain and fibroids, how she changed her approach to healthcare, and what it's like to do standup about her period pain to 22 million people. CRAMPED episodes are intended for informational and entertainment purposes only, and are not medical advice.Support CRAMPED by j
Diet, Exercise, and Period Pain: What You Might Be Missing
Have you ever sought help for your period pain and been told "just lose some weight", or "exercise more", or "just cut out [insert any food group here]"? We know that diet and exercise is important, and when we're dealing with period pain (or any of the conditions that cause it), we try to "eat healthy" and "move our bodies". But is there something missing from this equation that's sabota
Is Period Pain All In Our Heads? A Pain Psychologist Explains What's Actually Happening
Dr. Laura Payne, the best-named clinical & research psychologist studying menstrual pain, joins us to talk about how our brains process the sensations of pain. Are there psychological interventions that can actually relieve chronic pain? Does having severe period pain mean we're doomed to chronic pain forever? What's the difference between a doctor telling you "you're just anxious" an
The State of Period Pain Research and Treatment in 2025: A Year in Review
In our last episode of 2025, Kate looks back on 2025 and attempts to answer the question "Are crampers better off in 2025?" We take a tour through SUPER FUN stuff that impacts people with period pain like federal funding decisions, new endometriosis research centers, new pain medications, and medical guidance releases. We get a zoomed-out sense of the state of dysmenorrhea in 2025, and wh
Could Your Menstrual Cup Diagnose Endometriosis? Scientists Are Working On It
You know how many diseases are diagnosed or monitored by drawing blood from a vein in your arm and running tests on it? Would those tests still work if you ran them on menstrual blood? It's not THAT crazy, right? So why did the first research into this only start TWELVE YEARS AGO?? In this subscriber-only episode, Kate covers the (brief) history of how western medicine has thought of mens
Recurring UTIs, BV, and Yeast Infections: The Vaginal Microbiome
Kate brings on a friend for a Case Study episode all about recurring UTIs and the vaginal microbiome. They take a microbiome test and talk to a health provider to understand how whats living in their "villages" impacts yeast infections, UTIs, BV, fertility, and so much more.CRAMPED episodes are intended for informational and entertainment purposes only, and are not medical advice.Support
Patient Advocacy Actually Changed OB-GYN Education - How Tight Lipped Did It
Everybody's always telling us patient advocacy is the way to solve systemic issues in women's healthcare - ok so what exactly IS patient advocacy? What does it look like? HOW does it get us better care, research and treatments? Kate asks these questions to Noa Fleischacker, executive director of Tight Lipped, a grassroots movement by and for people with chronic vulvovaginal and pelvic pai
Why It's So Hard to Talk About Period Pain & How to Start
Why does it feel so hard to talk about our period pain? Who benefits when we stay quiet? How do we build a world where information about period pain travels as easily as a casual chat?In this how-to episode, Kate gives some tips on what helps her speak up - in one-on-one situations with friends & family & coworkers, and in organizing groups of people with uteruses to share informa
Pelvic Floor PT for Period Pain & Why You're Probably Peeing Wrong
Kate talks to Dr. Sara Reardon, aka The Vagina Whisperer - a board-certified pelvic floor physical therapist and author of the new book Floored, a woman's guide to pelvic floor health at every age and stage. They discuss what the pelvic floor even is, how pelvic floor muscles are involved in period pain, and how we're all peeing and pooping wrong!CRAMPED episodes are intended for informat
Endometriosis Excision Surgery: What the Day of Surgery and 6-Week Recovery Actually Look Like
Kate is back from surgery! In Part 2 of this 2 part episode, Kate walks through the day of the surgery, from arriving at the hospital to the 4 weeks of recovery thus far, and the surgical and pathology results that finally gave her answers to questions about her cramps she's had for 22 years. Hopefully this episode is helpful to anyone curious about endometriosis excision surgery, or anxi
I Got Endo Surgery: The Imaging Results & Costs
Kate is back from surgery! In Part 1 of a 2 part series, she goes step by step through the imaging result that gave her the information that lead her to commit to surgery, and the physical, administrative, and financial preparations for her surgery. Get ready to hear real numbers and honesty about the factors contributing to the decision. Hopefully this episode is helpful to anyone on the
What Actually Happens to Your Body When You Go Off Hormonal Birth Control
In this Case Study episode, Kate brings on Deanna Hart-Nokes, who just went off hormonal birth control for the second time in 20 years, and has been experiencing some mysterious symptoms. Kate deep-dives into the clinical research to understand how hormonal birth control works, and what might be causing Deanna's increased period pain, soreness, and increased sensation. CRAMPED episodes ar
80% of People With a Uterus Will Get Fibroids - Why Don't We Know Why?
Fibroids are a super common cause of severe period pain - up to 80% of people with a uterus will get fibroids at some point! So...why don't we know why they grow? Why don't they get caught and treated sooner? Kate talks with Jonelle Henry from The White Dress Project, an organization that spreads awareness, education, and resources about fibroids. Jonelle tells her own story of how fibroi
Is Tracking Your Period with an App Actually Cycle Tracking? (Probably Not)
Kate talks to Laura Federico and Morgan Miller, authors of The Cycle Book, all about cycle tracking. What is it? How do I do it? Am I already doing it if I'm tracking my period with an app? To access subscriber-only episodes, join the Patreon at www.patreon.com/CRAMPEDSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-
Endo's Last Stand - Surgery & Spitefulness
Kate is getting endometriosis excision surgery today! She shares some details, and a story of her (hopefully last) experience with "death cramps". See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Ovarian Cysts: Why Doctors Keep Calling Them "Normal" and What That Misses
Kate talks to her friend Taylor Hallam, who has struggled with ovulation pain and ovarian cyst ruptures since getting off 19 straight years of hormonal birth control. Taylor has questions, and Kate dives into the research to find answers. What causes ovarian cysts? What are they filled with? Why do doctors often say they're "normal" and offer no options other than birth control? Are there
Your Questions Answered: Why Do My Cramps Change Every Month? What Does 'Normal' Labs Actually Mean? The MTHFR Gene?
Kate answers some questions that listeners asked her to research for them, including: What do I do when my doctor says my lab results are "normal"? Does the MTHFR gene mutation affect periods? Why are my cramps excruciating one month and fine the next month? Support CRAMPED on PatreonSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy
CRAMPED is back: Season 1.5
CRAMPED is back with new episodes - but we need your help! Subscribe to our Patreon to make our work possible at www.patreon.com/crampedSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
The Evolutionary Reason We Get Periods, And What It Explains About the Pain
In season 1's final episode, Kate calls up biological anthropologist Kate Clancy to find out why we're even in this pain to begin with. Then Kate throws a period party, and gives the details on how she's been treating her period pain and endometriosis.Sound Design & Mixing: Kelly Kramarik at Maven Post MediaAssociate Producer: Katelyn Sabater Theme song: FaridehPodcast art: Nicho
Why Is There No Period Pain On The Internet (or TV, or Movies)?
If 51% of the population has a uterus, and 91% of menstruating people experience period pain, why do we literally never hear about it in the media we consume?? Whether its TV, film, podcasts (aside from this one), or social media, it's practically impossible to find stories of periods and period pain. Why?? And how does this lack of visibility affect all of us?Sound Design & Mixing: K
Feminists in the '70s Knew More About Their Bodies Than We Do Now. What Happened?
Kate talks to her mom about joining the Boston Women's Health Movement in the 1970s. Why was body literacy such a big part of feminism in the 70s, but when Kate became an active feminist in Boston in the 2000s, she didn't get information about body literacy? To learn more, Kate talks to Laura Prieto, program director of Our Bodies, Ourselves.Sound Design & Mixing: Kelly Kramarik at Ma
Medical Trauma from Period Pain Is Real. Here's What It Actually Looks Like
Kate checks in with comedian and recent hysterectomy patient Max Gross, as well as therapist Suzanne Garrison to figure out - what is medical trauma, and do we have it? How does undiagnosed and untreated pain affect mental health?Sound Design & Mixing: Kelly Kramarik at Maven Post MediaAssociate Producer: Katelyn Sabater Theme song: FaridehPodcast art: Nicholas ScheppardThis podc
I Got a Diagnosis! Now What?
Kate sees a specialist and finally gets a diagnosis for the condition causing her severe period pain. But instead of relief and a clear treatment plan, she just has more questions. She interviews her doctor, Dr. Iris Kerin Orbuch, and influencer Emma Maxwell.Sound Design & Mixing: Kelly Kramarik at Maven Post MediaAssociate Producer: Katelyn Sabater Theme song: FaridehPodcast art
How Do I Balance My Hormones?
Kate gets sucked down a rabbit hole of "hormone balancing" content on TikTok, and wonders...this whole time, have her cramps just been due to a hormone imbalance? She talks with Alex Sujong Laughlin (Normal Gossip, Defector) about her experience trying to balance her hormones with info from TikTok, and then gets real answers from Dr. Thara Vayali on hormone function, cortisol, and how our
Inside the Lab Actually Trying to Cure Period Pain
Kate takes a field trip to Evanston, Illinois to visit the Gynecology Research Laboratory, where a team of doctors and researchers are doing groundbreaking studies to understand period pain and find new treatments. What can they tell us about what causes severe dysmenorrhea, and is there hope for relief? Episode transcript and citations: https://www.katehelendowney.com/episode-4-transcrip
We Don't Know How Many People Have Severe Period Pain, And That's a Problem
It seems like a simple question, right? How many other people out there are experiencing "death cramps"? It turns out...not so much. Kate brings on her sister Maeve, who also gets death cramps, to figure out why they never talked about the horrible pain they were both in. They look at a meta-study of the prevalence of severe period pain, and bring in data scientist Andrea Jones-Rooy to ex
Why the ER Often Doesn't Help With Period Pain
When you're in severe pain and can't figure out how to make it go away, you might seek help at an ER or Urgent Care. But if you're experiencing severe PERIOD pain, you may not get what you need.Kate and guest Sydney Battle trade stories of ER visits gone wrong, then Kate brings their questions to ER doctor and Good Morning America medical correspondent Dr. Darien Sutton for some answers a
Death Cramps: Is This Normal?
Just how bad are Kate's "really bad cramps"? And what could be causing them? In the first of ten episodes, host Kate Helen Downey describes what happens when "death cramps" strike at work. Gynecologist and author Dr. Karen Tang explains what she looks for when a patient has severe period pain, and why someone might spend years in diagnosis limbo. Transcript & citations available here
Introducing Cramped
One nerd’s quest to find out why we know next to nothing about period pain. Tired of suffering from "death cramps" with no diagnosis for 20 years, Kate Downey has to look for her own answers. She interviews top doctors and researchers, and delves into topics from Greek history to sitcoms to TikTok wellness scams, all to figure out why menstrual pain is so often dismissed and untreated.
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