How one woman reclaimed her life after decades of pain and dismissal.

For more than half her life, Caylie lived in survival mode.

From the age of thirteen, every month brought the same rhythm of pain, fatigue and frustration, met with little more than prescriptions, platitudes, and the familiar line:
“That’s just being a woman.”

By her late twenties, the pain was running her life. She’d tried the pill, painkillers, heat packs and herbal teas. Nothing stopped the dread.

When a GP brushed off her concerns about unexplained bruising as “health anxiety”, she pushed for another opinion and discovered she was anaemic and vitamin D deficient. That moment shifted everything.

“I realised I had to start listening to my body,” she says. “No one else was going to do it for me.”

The period pain prescription parade nobody talks about

Here’s what Caylie’s “treatment journey” looked like from age 13:

• Age 13: “Here’s the pill, love!” (Because apparently, teenage hormones need more confusion.)
  

• Age 14: “Just pop these painkillers every four hours!” (Liver has left the chat.)
  

• Age 15 – 28: “This is just being a woman!” (Gaslight, gatekeep, girlboss?)
  

Sound familiar? We’ve somehow normalised living in agony as a personality trait.

The stats that’ll make you RAGE

• 9 in 10 Australian women experience period pain¹
  

• Most wait 7+ years for proper help²
  

• Caylie's painkiller count last January: 14 tablets in 3 days
  

But here's the math that'll really blow your mind:

The average woman menstruates for:

• ~40 years (from ~12 to ~52 years old)
  

• ~13 periods per year
  

• ~5 days per period
  

That equals:
40 × 13 × 5 = 2,600 days
2,600 ÷ 365 = ~7.1 years

Nearly a decade of our lives. Bleeding.

Seven years.

For Caylie, those years were spent enduring pain that stole her energy, focus and confidence.

The scroll that changed everything

One night, scrolling through Instagram with a heat pack balanced on her stomach, Caylie stopped on a post by a personal trainer she followed.

The woman was talking about a clinical trial for natural period-pain relief tablets,  not hormones, not painkillers,  but something plant-based.

The product was Hey Sister! tablets made from Khapregesic®, plant-based and traditionally used in Western herbal medicine to relieve menstrual pain, bloating, and mild anxiety⁴.

Curious and out of options, Caylie decided to try it.

“I always keep a box on hand now,” she says. “I feel calmer in the lead-up to my period and I don’t panic about pain the way I used to.”

When science finally showed up

Khapregesic® isn’t just a wellness trend; it’s been through the scientific grinder.

An Australian randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial of 84 women aged 18–50 was conducted by Clinical Research Australia⁵. Over two menstrual cycles, participants reported:

• 136% more pain relief than placebo⁵
  

• 90% reduction in pain-killer use⁵
  

• 196% improvement in psychological wellbeing⁵
  

• 300% improvement in social functioning⁵
  

• Zero treatment-related adverse reactions, even at three times the recommended dose⁵
  

That means:
Less pain
Fewer pills
Clearer heads
Real-world quality-of-life gains

“It wasn’t just the tablets,” Caylie says. “It was finally understanding that my body wasn’t broken. It just needed support.”

Re-learning how to live

Caylie began rebuilding habits from the ground up:

• Movement: Pilates and hot yoga
  

• Nutrition: Whole foods, fewer crashes
  

• Rest: Sleep as medicine
  

• Consistency: Taking her tablets before the pain hits
  

Research backs it up: movement, sleep and nutrition all influence inflammation and menstrual comfort⁶⁻⁷.

“It’s not one miracle product or one workout,” she says. “It’s finally feeling in control instead of controlled.”

From barely surviving to thriving

Today, Caylie talks about periods without apology.

She supports friends navigating PMS, shares info with her students, and reminds younger women that pain isn’t a personality trait.

Her story isn’t rare,  but her response is.
She refused to accept suffering as normal.
She found a science-backed option that worked for her.
She took ownership of her well-being.

Real women. Real relief.

FAQs

Will Khapregesic® work for everyone?
Bodies differ. In the clinical trial, many participants experienced meaningful relief within two cycles⁵. Your results may vary.

Where can I find it in Australia?
Online at heysister.com.au or in selected pharmacies nationwide.

Any side effects?
None reported in the trial, even at triple the dose⁵. Always check with your healthcare professional before taking any other medicines.

What if I have endometriosis, adenomyosis, PCOS or fibroids?
Khapregesic® isn’t approved for these conditions. If you suspect them, see a specialist.

Disclaimer

Khapregesic® tablets contain Khaya senegalensis, traditionally used in Western herbal medicine to relieve menstrual pain, abdominal bloating and mild anxiety⁴.
Always read the label and follow directions for use. If symptoms persist, talk to your healthcare professional.

References

¹ Armour M, et al. Prevalence of dysmenorrhoea. BMC Women’s Health. 2019.

² Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Endometriosis in Australia. AIHW; 2022.

³ NHS Digital. Women’s Health and Menstrual Health Statistics. NHS UK; 2021.

⁴ Therapeutic Goods Administration. Khaya senegalensis Monograph. TGA; 2021.

⁵ Lopresti AL, Smith SJ, Ferdinands FR. An Examination into the Safety and Efficacy of Khapregesic®, a Khaya senegalensis Preparation, on Women Experiencing Menstrual Pain and Menstrual Distress: A Randomised, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial. Int J Womens Health. 2025;17:2025–2038. https://doi.org/10.2147/IJWH.S521349

⁶ Armour M, et al. Exercise for dysmenorrhoea. BMC Women’s Health. 2019.

⁷ Proctor M, et al. Diet and lifestyle factors in primary dysmenorrhoea. Obstet & Gynaecol Survey. 2020.