43 period is like I’m in labour

No Caesarian for me - 2 vaginal births which tbh were nothing compared to this pain!

Before I had my children, my endometriosis used to make the tops of my legs hurt during periods. I used to put a hot water bottle on them. My endo seemed to settle down after childbirth, but my PCOS went into overdrive instead. We can't win as women!

For me it's so random too
Once I was sat working away and next minute, bang
Had to ring my manager and say I'm going off sick and they were "oh what's wrong? Could you just?"
No, I need to go off the phone to scream!

Can I ask if anyone experiencing these have had a c section?

They did a scan for me and it turned out to be endometriosis and adenomyosis

First time I've ever genuinely seen my doctor being properly sympathetic

I take buscopan and ponstan forte when it's bad but it still takes half a day to kick in

I had to go on all fours and chew down on something last month - at least with giving birth there's a baby at the end of the pain!

Oh and I have mefanamic acid now to take too
I still have days where it is screaming in pain but I don't go to a&e as
I can't actually move
They can't do anything
Waiting for excision on my endo

This started with me age 38 and it turned out to be stage 4 endometriosis

Things that help me
Hot water on my back and stomach (shower)
Heat pads
Be you patches
Kind of child pose yoga or on all fours rocking
Codeine

My periods felt like that when I was a teenager. Mefenaic Acid on prescription helped but there might be better options now. They were literally as bad as my labours were, at least until the later stages.

But I would also see a GP in case there's another reason.

I was going to say that. Perhaps I’m being naive, but surely pain severe enough to make you scream in pain warrants a trip to A&E? For a start, you don’t actually know if it is your period causing the pain?

I was going to say that. Perhaps I’m being naive, but surely pain severe enough to make you scream in pain warrants a trip to A&E? For a start, you don’t actually know if it is your period causing the pain?

@FloofPaws thanks, I think the product name got cut off. My GP is suggesting estradiol testing between day 2-5 of periods. Changing cervix how lovely 🙈
@Timelessp hope you feel better soon, I've just taken some ibuprofen.

I'm 42 and this exact thing has started happening to me in the past two years. I haven't had period pains since my teens, now all of a sudden I'm in agony—always just for a few hours, about two days into my period. It feels like contractions. My cycles have got shorter too, though the flow itself is light, except for the day or two after the atrocious pain, when it's medium. Never heavy though.

The only thing that touches the sides for the pain is co-codamol. I keep some in for that one day a month, and take it as soon as I feel the first twinge. I find I can ride it out that way, even if I am a bit high woozy.

I just bought mo e from Amazon. You do one on x day of your cycle and the other on y day of your cycle and it'll indicate hormones - I then went to see my GP who fitted a new coil prior to HRT (progesterone portion of the HRT - there are other options tho) and she said physiologically my cervix was changing too, joy!

I should point out my GP also sent me for a scan to rule out any issues especially as I have had cysts removed in the past. So I would definitely get checked out before assuming it's just heavy periods.

Codeine to help you cope and yes medical sought.

Go to A&E. This isnt normal. They can give you stronger painkillers - you probably need a scan to exclude kidney stones.

It may be you have endometriosis- this might be a route to getting diagnosed (it's how i got a diagnosis)

How long did it take to feel a difference, both with pain and flow? I'm having one fitted in October at the same time as having a polyp removed

@Timelessp Pee On A Stick (POAS). @FloofPaws how would that tell you? Similar issues here.

I had this and it was massive fibroids which my womb was trying to extrude. I used to have 4/5 week long periods.

I had an ablation which failed and then a hysterectomy.

I was 41/42 and ended up using my life savings to pay for treatment as the NHS did literally nothing meaningful. I was on a waiting list for 18 months then got a phone all where they tried to prescribe the pill (which my private consultant had already tried with no result). This was during covid though so maybe things have improved.

Ask for a scan. Pester. It's not normal to be that much in pain.

I had several periods like this in my mid 40's, (I'd had periods like this in mu teens to) so I went back on the mini pill. No periods since thank goodness, GP said it was probably pre menopause.

She did suggest a coil but I've had issues with them in the past so didn't want to try one again.

I started having horrendous period pain in my 40s. I felt like I was giving birth. TMI but I had huge clots too. I had the Mirena coil and it helped a lot. I’m on my third now.