ThermaCare Menstrual Heating Pads for Cramps & Back Pain Relief, 6 Count

These patches have truly been a boon each month. Coming from someone who has always experienced debilitating and prolonged menstrual pain, these subtle yet dependable patches have become a regular source of relief. I've tried other patches, yet they emitted a mere fraction of warmth, which seemed to dissipate quickly. They were also a decent deal smaller, not covering a substantial area. ThermaCare patches, however, heat up within minutes, often retaining heat for up to 12 hours. The coverage is also generous, being large enough to offer relief to the necessary areas while being compact enough to adhere neatly to one's undergarments. I experience relief (if only a bit) moments after application. I often wear these to sleep when my pain is especially agonizing. Although it is not recommended to exceed a certain number of hours, I've found that my skin remains unirritated. At most, the skin around the area will be slightly reddened without pain. This discoloration does not stay long. (Though, I will mention that I am in my 20s and do not have particularly sensitive skin.) These are particularly useful when going about your day, whether at home or in public (but especially public). I honestly can't imagine how I went about my days in public before discovering these. My gripe, if any, is the cost. These patches aren't exactly cheap, especially if you use about half a package or more each month. I use about 3 each month, so that would be about $22 x 6 = $132. This is about the price of a subscription--and I'd rather not subscribe to periods. But, unfortunately, these are the most reliable for me, and they do enough for me to validate buying more once I run out.

These have saved my life (metaphorically speaking) on more than one occasion. I get terrible period cramps, to the point of regularly calling off work/cancelling plans because of them. These don't fix everything, but boy do they help a *lot* - a lot of the time it makes the difference between being able to leave my room and not. The size and coverage are good for me, as someone who wears pants size 14. It's easy to apply and stays warm for even longer than the package advertises. As far as coverage, it sits about at the lower abdomen when worn as designed, so it's good for if your cramps tend to localize there. (One of these days, I'm gonna leave the house with one of these *and* a lower-back wrap and something on my upper legs, just to get it all.) I've found that there's a quality to the heat you get from these heat packs that feels better than the heat from an electric heating pad. More solid, or more permeating - something like that. Either way, these make me a lot more comfortable on the crampiest days.

Good temperature retention. I can wear all day for 10 hour shifts. I do wish these were cheaper but they are very effective.

I was pleasantly surprised by how warm this actually gets! Some of these adhesive heating pads barely do anything. I had to take it off for a few minutes during the day because it actually got too warm, but that's ok by me, didn't cause any harm. The size is bordering on too large for my abdomen but would be a nice size for the back.

Needed item, helpful

The heat retention on this product is great. They last about 6 to 8 hours. I buy these specifically for my back because they’re larger than the back heat pads. The thing I do not like about these is the adhesive is meant to stick on your clothing while the other adhesive products stick on your skin. For me I move around too much and so this makes the product move around on my back, keeping it from targeting right where I need it. Overall, though I would say this is a great product and definitely more value for the money versus the generic of the same style.

Did not heat up at ALL. I’ve tried all 6 pads in the pack during my previous and current period hoping it works. I follow the instructions and open only before use then wait for it to activate after I place it. The instructions do warn it may take up to 30 minutes to heat up. However, even long after those 30 minutes the pad is never heated at all. Maybe my package was defective? But it was sealed and undamaged when I received it so I’m not sure how. As mentioned, I tried all 6 in the pack at various times and had the same issue. NO HEAT AT ALL. Disappointed, might try other brands instead but honestly a plug in heating pad is probably more reliable.

Stays in place nicely and continues to stay warm