Feeling sick or nauseous during your period is a normal sign you’re menstruating. Hormonal changes, cramps and indigestion can make you feel queasy and it can last for weeks. Managing nausea quickly is key to having a more manageable period.
Taking medications for nausea can have some adverse side effects such as drowsiness and headaches so natural remedies that you can take at home can treat nausea quickly and effectively.
Herbal teas such as ginger, peppermint and rose can be combined with other home remedies such as breathing exercises, gentle exercise and changes to your diet to quickly and naturally beat period nausea.
Read on to find out why your period makes your feel sick and learn about the best natural remedies to feel better instantly.
Why Nausea Happens During Your Monthly Period
Feeling nauseous during your period is normal and something many women have to deal with. Nausea can start several days before your period comes and can last for over a week.
The two most common causes of nausea during your period are:
- Changing hormones
- Painful cramps
According to research, most women who experience nausea during their period have their hormones to thank for feeling sick.
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The major hormone changes mean your prostaglandin level increases. These are lipids that help your uterus shed its lining and a major side effect of having lots of prostaglandins is feeling sick during your period. |
These hormone changes are one of the main reasons women feel nauseous during their period.
If you want to find out more about balancing your hormones for an easier menstrual cycle, check out:
Another cause of nausea during your period is cramping.
Cramps are a common PMS symptom and when your muscles cramps and tries to shake the uterine lining loose, it unsettles your stomach making you feel sick.
This shaking and cramping upsets your digestive system and can make you feel nauseous for several days. Read:
Why does my period make me feel tired?
With your hormones changing and other PMS symptoms, your body has a lot to handle. As a result, it's normal to feel sick, tired and generally rundown during your period.
Your body may well be inflamed, swollen, and you probably aren't sleeping well at night, which makes you even more tired. Furthermore, since you lose a lot of blood during your period, you may also have an iron deficiency which can cause fatigue and make you feel sick and nauseous.
Read:
SUMMARYYour body produces high levels of prostaglandin to help your uterus heal as it sheds its lining. This, combined with cramping muscles that unsettle your stomach, can make you feel nausea before, during and after your period. Managing nausea at home using natural remedies is an effective and gentle way to prevent sickness. |
The Best Teas for Period Nausea
| TEA | CUPS / DAY | WHEN |
| Ginger | 1-3 | After Meal |
| Rose Tea | 1-3 | Anytime |
| Peppermint | 2-4 | Before Meal |
| Siam Ginger Lemongrass | 2 | After Meal |
| Fennel Tea | 2-3 | After Meal |
| Liquorice | 2 | Anytime |
One of the best and fastest ways to treat period nausea at home is by drinking herbal tea. Herbal remedies containing plants have been used for centuries to help settle an upset stomach and soothe cramping that causes nausea.
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While drinking almost any soothing hot herbal tea can help you relax and feel better, certain plants have properties that help treat period nausea, so you feel better immediately. |
Herbal tea for nausea during your menstrual cycle is ideal because by consuming the tea, you're sending help straight to the source, your upset stomach!
When choosing your herbal tea or tea blend, look for organic ingredients that won't irritate your stomach further. You should also look for herbal teas that include ingredients proven to help with nausea.
The best herbal remedies for nausea are:
- Ginger
- Rose tea
- Peppermint
- Menstrual Cramps Tea Siam Ginger Lemongrass
Ginger for Period Nausea
Ginger root is a very popular and effective way to treat period nausea. Ginger is a natural antiemetic and can help get rid of nausea and vomiting. Read:
Ginger contains specific rhizomes that work wonders on your stomach and intestines. They help soothe cramping and discomfort and work to stop your stomach from feeling unsettled.
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The active ingredients in ginger have been proven in multiple studies to be so effective at treating nausea that it can be used to help with period nausea, morning sickness during pregnancy and even nausea caused by chemotherapy. |
Ginger root contains compounds called gingerols that react with acids and gases in your gastrointestinal system. These reactions help change the chemical levels in your body which stops nausea at a biological level.
Rose Tea Relieves Menstrual Cramps
A popular herbal tea to beat nausea is rose tea. Rose tea can be used to help soothe period cramps and prevent you from feeling nauseous as your stomach is unsettled.
Drinking rose tea during your period can help soothe cramps and prevent nausea before it happens.
Rose petals used to make rose tea contain high concentrations of:
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin K
- Magnesium
which stops uterus cramps.
By soothing these muscles, your stomach can relax, your digestion will improve, and you'll no longer feel sick.
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Drink two cups of rose tea every day of your period to help prevent cramps and minimise nausea. You can drink a third cup if you are experiencing very painful cramps and want to avoid vomiting and nausea due to pain. |
If you think rose tea could help with your period nausea caused by cramps, this article has plenty more information:
Stop menstrual nausea with peppermint
Peppermint and spearmint are amazing at soothing an upset stomach and treating nausea and sickness. Mint flavouring is often used in toothpaste, gum, sweets and tea because it has a soothing numbing effect on your stomach.
The active compound menthol found in mint is cooling, soothing and numbing for your stomach. Consuming mint tea can help with indigestion and calm an upset stomach caused by period cramping.
Studies into menthol found that drinking mint tea or using mint oil can help prevent vomiting and stop retching. The menthol has a soothing and numbing effect, so period cramps will be calmed, preventing further nausea.
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To use mint tea for nausea, drink one cup of mint tea before each meal. Drinking mint tea before eating will help soothe your digestion to stop you from feeling sick after you eat. |
If you feel nauseous at night, you can also drink a cup of mint tea before sleeping to help you fall asleep faster.
Menstrual Cramps Tea Siam Ginger Lemongrass
If you want targeted relief from nausea during your menstrual cycle, you can use a tea blend designed to help with:
- Nausea
- PMS
- Cramps
- Indigestion.
Mixing several herbal remedies into one tasty blend like the Black Leaves Menstrual Cramps Tea Siam Ginger Lemongrass blend can offer more effective relief. The Tea Siam Ginger Lemongrass contains:
- Ginger
- Peppermint
- Lemongrass
- Liquorice
To help fight nausea when you have your period.
This organic blend contains lemongrass, which has been proven to help stop stomach pain and tackle nausea. Lemongrass is effective at helping relieve stomach pain, soothe an upset stomach, and restore your digestive system during your menstrual cycle.
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Combining the lemongrass with ginger root gives your stomach an extra push to calm down. Ginger also works by helping soothe an upset stomach and treating nausea and sickness. |
Liquorice root is another excellent herbal remedy for nausea because the strong taste helps reset your system. One study found that combining liquorice with ginger is so effective at treating nausea it can help prevent morning sickness in pregnant women.
SUMMARYHerbal teas can be used to help treat nausea and sickness during your period. Herbal teas go straight to your stomach to the source of your nausea and help soothe cramping and indigestion to prevent nausea and vomiting. Look for teas and tea blends with lemongrass, ginger, rose and peppermint. |
Deep Breathing Exercise for Period Nausea
If you suffer from nausea caused by pain or cramping muscles, taking deep, controlled breaths can help manage pain and reduce nausea while menstruating.
Taking controlled breaths, and practising breathing exercises helps move oxygen around your body for fewer cramps and nausea. Using aromatherapy oils like peppermint and eucalyptus can have additional benefits.
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When you take deep breaths and focus on breathing, you increase the oxygen in your system and help regulate your heartbeat. The result is that oxygen is pushed through your body more efficiently, reducing cramps and helping calm your brain and soothe an upset stomach. |
Aim to breathe in deeply for five seconds, hold your breath for five seconds and release slowly for five seconds. Repeat this for a minute or until you feel less nauseous. Studies show that slow deep breaths help tackle nausea caused by pain, cramps and even motion sickness.
If you want added relief from nausea, try adding aromatherapy oils to your breathing routine. Inhaling certain oils such as:
- Peppermint
- Eucalyptus
- Ginger
- Lavender
Can help with your breathing exercises to treat nausea.
If you think your cramps are causing you to feel nauseous, you might benefit from finding ways to naturally reduce cramping. Check out this article to learn more:
SUMMARYNausea caused by period pain can be helped by taking slow, deep breaths. Breathing in and out slowly while counting helps regulate your heartbeat and helps move oxygen to cramping muscles to reduce pain and prevent sickness. You can also use aromatherapy oil for more effective relief. |
Get rid of period nausea with gentle exercise
A great way to help tackle period nausea and sickness is to exercise. Gentle exercise can help you feel better, so walking, jogging and yoga can help ease nausea. Don't try too hard though, or you might feel sicker!
When you exercise, you give your body the kickstart it needs to rebalance your hormones and get blood and oxygen flowing to make you feel better. Your body tries to make you feel good by boosting your mood and becoming less sensitive to pain and nausea. It's your body's way of thanking you for working out.
Your body wants to stay healthy, so when you exercise, it releases feel-good hormones that help rebalance your reproductive hormones and will minimise PMS symptoms. This means gentle exercise can tackle nausea and vomiting caused by your period.
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In fact, the benefits on your body of exercise are so great that research shows that exercising regularly during the rest of the month, you can minimise PMS symptoms and beat nausea before they happen. |
However, if you work out too much during your period, you could feel worse as your hormones are thrown out of balance. Try gentle walking, jogging, yoga, cycling and stretching and don't push yourself too hard.
SUMMARYGentle exercise can help stimulate your body to regulate your hormones, make you feel better and lessen pain and nausea. Walking, jogging and stretching can help with nausea and are very gentle. Exercising too hard could make you feel worse, so don't do too much. |
Foods to Avoid if you suffer from Period Nausea
It might be boring, but when nausea strikes, changing your diet to include fewer spicy foods can make a big difference to help settle your stomach.
If you already feel nauseous, adding foods that are hard to digest can make you feel worse. Any spicy food, intense flavours or overly processed foods can be hard to digest. Slowing down your digestion and making your stomach work harder can worsen nausea.
If your stomach is in knots and you feel sick, eating your favourite curry will only worsen the problem. Studies have found that eating spicy food can cause nausea, indigestion, vomiting, and stomach pain that could lead to hospitalisation.
If you already feel nauseous, aim to avoid:
- Alcohol
- Coffee
- Curry
- Fast food or fried food
- French fries
- White pasta
- Refined sugar and sweets
Foods to Eat if you suffer from Period Nausea
When you’re on your period and you feel nauseous, now is not the time to try out a new restaurant or experiment in the kitchen. Try to eat foods you know your body will tolerate.
Simple, plain, homecooked foods that are easy to digest will help settle your stomach and prevent nausea when you're on your period.
Try switching spicy foods for more neutral flavours, so you don't irritate your stomach. Instead, try incorporating fresh foods into your diet to help settle your stomach. You should aim to eat:
- Bananas
- Apples
- Water
- Brown rice
- Mint
- Greek yoghurt
- Crackers
- Plain wholemeal toast
- Plain cooked chicken
Most people find coffee very hard to remove from their diet during their period. If you still want the energy hit but without the same effect, try switching your coffee for green tea. Green tea contains a different type of caffeine which will give you a boost but won't irritate your stomach. Check out the best green teas here:
SUMMARYIf you suffer from nausea during your period, try to adapt your diet to include gentler, more natural foods that will help settle your stomach. Avoid spicy and very flavourful foods and processed foods that are hard to digest to help calm your stomach and improve digestion to prevent nausea. |
When should I go to the doctor about my period?
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Nausea is not uncommon during your menstrual cycle so if you feel sick, it’s probably nothing to worry about. However, if you are struggling to manage your nausea with at-home remedies, you should speak to your doctor. |
Period nausea can be accompanied by stomach pain and extreme cramping, which may require additional medical help. You should also speak to your doctor if your nausea continues for more than two weeks.
While nausea is a common symptom of PMS, it could signify another underlying health condition. Problems with your reproductive system such as PCOS or endometriosis can also make you feel nauseous.
Feeling nauseous or vomiting could also be a sign of other underlying health conditions. Speak to your doctor immediately if you notice any of the following:
- Feeling sick after your period finishes
- Blood in your vomit
- Passing out or fainting
- Intense stomach pain
- Feeling dizzy
- Unable to eat food without vomiting
A medical professional will diagnose any underlying health conditions and recommend an appropriate medication to manage your nausea and treat any pain. If you are taking herbal remedies for your nausea, inform your healthcare provider so they are aware.
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RESOURCES National Health Direct: healthdirect.gov.au Phone: 1800 022 222 Victoria Jean Hailes: jeanhailes.org.au Phone: 03 9562 7555 |
SUMMARYNausea and vomiting during your period are expected. However, if you notice you feel nauseous during the rest of your cycle, see blood in your vomit, struggle to keep food down, or experience pain, speak to your doctor. Your doctor will be able to help diagnose any underlying health conditions. |
Conclusion
Nausea during your period is normal, but that doesn't mean you have to put up with it. Feeling sick can start before your period and last afterwards, so finding ways to treat nausea at home naturally will be gentler and kind to your body.
Don't let nausea get in the way of your life. Try drinking herbal teas with ginger, peppermint and rose to settle your stomach and prevent vomiting. If you think cramping is causing your nausea, try breathing exercises combined with aromatherapy and stretching or a gentle walk to help ease cramps and deal with your nausea.
Of course, you should speak to your doctor if you think something else is causing your nausea. A doctor can also provide other medication if needed.