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PODCAST

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. What she finds will change how you think about your own body and the medical system. Because having a

health & fitness documentary

All Episodes

00:33:43

Cramps on Film (and Books!)

CRAMPED ·

2026/03/10

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 author of The Scald Crow, has experienced debilitating symptoms from her endometriosis, adenomyosis, M-CAS, EDS, and

en

00:11:09

What is Menstrual Leave and Who Has It?

CRAMPED ·

2026/03/03

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 to provide it? What are the arguments AGAINST this policy? Kate gets wonk-level deep into the landscape and the

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00:40:12

The Surgical Adventures of Max and Kate

CRAMPED ·

2026/02/17

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 not medical advice. Support CRAMPED by joining the Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/c/CRAMPED Find Max

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00:36:53

Are The Young Crampers OK? Period Pain Education in...

CRAMPED ·

2026/02/11

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 vice president of the Period Power! Club there. I also talked with the Period Power Club's advisor, Tina the

en

00:36:19

Sasheer Zamata Doesn't Want To Ride a Horse on her...

CRAMPED ·

2026/02/03

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 joining the Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/c/CRAMPED Sasheer on Instagram: @thesheertruth Sasheer's

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00:44:27

Diet, Exercise, and Period Pain: What You Might Be...

CRAMPED ·

2026/01/27

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 sabotaging our efforts? Kate brings on Allison Yamamoto (certified fitness & nutrition coach specializing in

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00:15:26

Is Period Pain All In Our Heads? Subscriber-only...

CRAMPED ·

2026/01/13

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" and a pain psychology specialist helping you reprocess your pain pathways? Will Dr. Payne ever start a band? LETS

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00:21:59

Are Crampers Better Off in 2025?

CRAMPED ·

2025/12/11

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 what we have to look forward to next year. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California

en

00:11:50

Using Period Blood to Diagnose Disease - Subscriber...

CRAMPED ·

2025/11/04

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 menstrual blood, and introduces you to three organizations currently developing diagnostic tests to be done on

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00:43:27

Recurring UTIs and the Microbiome

CRAMPED ·

2025/10/21

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 CRAMPED by joining the Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/c/CRAMPED You can find Vienna here:

en

00:26:14

What Is Patient Advocacy and How Do I Do It? with...

CRAMPED ·

2025/09/30

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 pain that's actually been able to make change in OB-GYN education programs. CRAMPED episodes are intended for

en

00:08:50

How To Talk About Your Period Pain: Subscriber-only...

CRAMPED ·

2025/09/16

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 information and support. CRAMPED episodes are intended for informational and entertainment purposes only, and are not

en

00:27:54

Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy for Period Pain with...

CRAMPED ·

2025/09/04

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 informational and entertainment purposes only, and are not medical advice. Support CRAMPED by joining the Patreon at

en

00:27:33

Surgery for Period Pain (Part 2)

CRAMPED ·

2025/08/07

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 anxious about recovery.CRAMPED episodes are intended for informational and entertainment purposes only, and are not

en

00:27:09

Surgery For Period Pain (Part 1)

CRAMPED ·

2025/07/29

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 fence about the decision or trying to figure out how to make surgery feasible. CRAMPED episodes are intended

en

00:46:48

Going Off Hormonal Birth Control

CRAMPED ·

2025/07/22

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 are intended for informational and entertainment purposes only, and are not medical advice. Support CRAMPED by

en

00:33:30

Fibroids and The White Dress Project

CRAMPED ·

2025/07/15

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 fibroids impacted her life as a high-powered political journalist, having to leave the room where the president was

en

00:16:08

Cycle Tracking: Subscriber-only Episode Teaser

CRAMPED ·

2025/07/11

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/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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00:08:48

Endo's Last Stand - Surgery & Spitefulness

CRAMPED ·

2025/07/03

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.

en

00:47:15

Ovarian Cysts

CRAMPED ·

2025/06/26

Kate answers her guest's questions about ovarian cysts, ruptures, and treatments

en

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