Periods...trying to understand "normal"

[Cheeeeislifenow]

I'm trying to decide if my periods warrant a gp visit or not. Over the past five years..mine have got increasingly bad... Very heavy for about five days, soaking a super tampon every hour or two. Severe cramping and "dragging" feeling. This extends to my bum, where I get intense rectal spasms, shooting pains through bum and a heavy feeling all over my bum (it hurts to sit on). My thighs feel weak and heavy.
Enormous clots, the size of a tealight or bigger. And tummy is doubled in pain.
They are very regular, like clockwork. I also have similar but not as bad when ovulating.

I know everyone's experience is different but do these sound like a "normal" period?
I should add, I feel I do have a high pain threshold.

How old are you? Mine are definitely getting worse as I get older...

Go to doctor. They don't need to be like that.

Sorry, 33... Have three children and youngest is five ..

At 33 I wouldn't say that's quite right, I'd go to your GP for reassurance if nothing else.

OP if you're even a little worried, it's best to have a chat with your GP, better to be safe than sorry. Sorry to hear you're in so much pain with them x

With my zero medical training, I don't know what could be done for you, but that definitely doesn't sound normal to me.

This sounds exactly like my symptoms. I wrote a list of things and took it to GP. I also tracked period and pain on clue app.

I had 2 ultrasounds and they found nothing. Consultant went ahead and did a laproscopy and found i had stage 4 endometriosis. There was endo and lesions on the bowel too and that was causing all the pain.

Ask GP for a referral to a specialist endometriosis centre.

That doesn't sound normal to me. I've always had quite painful periods, although they've got better as I've got older, but that level of pain coupled with the heavy bleeding and clots sounds really unpleasant and not something you should have to deal with every month without seeing if there's anything that can be done to alleviate it (and to check everything is healthy, etc.). I'd definitely visit your GP (but be prepared to advocate for yourself and ask for a referral because menstrual issues are chronically under-diagnosed or not taken seriously by some practitioners, sadly).

Go to the GP. It could be a number of things: hormones, endometriosis or maybe other things. As a minimum, the doc should be able to suggest something for the pain. And don't let your GP fob you off.

I usually have some cramps on day 1 and my period can be quite heavy on day 2 but it's nothing that a couple of paracetamol tablets don't help with, so I'd say that you don't need to suffer as you describe and should definitely go to see your GP. Good luck.

Yours do sound very heavy so it’s worth a GP visit. Mine used to be heavy and I had a lot of cramping but since I stopped all hormone contraception and started using a mooncup it’s been much better. The mooncup for me relieves some of the cramping and drawing pains as it’s not actively absorbing and just collecting.

I am 31, came off the pill, suddenly my periods were EXACTLY like this. First day of period always totally agonising and exactly as you described - in fact I have never read a better description!! 😊 I also have a high pain threshold.

Scan for endometriosis found nothing. I just have heinous periods. Was put on Cerazette which took them right back to normal. Am now 8.5 months pregnant and will go back on Cerazette afterwards.

And ps. Yes it does bother me that synthetic hormones are masking some seriously horrible symptoms. I came off the pill initially because it was giving me such low moods and I wanted to go all natural - and this was waiting underneath. But several doctors including a gynae consultant were unable to find anything more substantial than terrible periods. Get yourself checked and examine all the options. I am heartened by PP who said how the opposite helped her 😊

Okay good to read similar stories.... Will definitely follow it up.. I'm not on any hormones at all and haven't been for a few years.

They sound like mine. I've just had a mirena coil put in to see if that helps

@AGirlinLondon just to say I had three ultrasounds and they found nothing. Had laproscopy and they found stage 4 endo. It's very common that ultrasound doesn't pick up endo at all.

Thank you @painuni - I might go back post pregnancy x