AIBU to ask whether this level of period pain is normal?

[Romandaisy]

This is a bit embarrassing I guess, but I need to see whether my experience is standard, or not.

We are told periods are painful so I have always assumed mine are standard. But I am struggling today and wanted to ask.

Day 1-2: particularly painful. Often have to double over (usually at night), urge to sit on the loo, feel very upset because of the pain. However paracetamol and hot water bottles help. I find myself feeling spaced out.

Day 3-4
Varies, can be on the more painful end or can actually be fine. Less painful than the first couple of days though, usually manageable.

Day 5-7
Almost always no pain.

My periods can be around 4 weeks, 5 weeks or just disappear for some time. I cannot plan my life around them and I dread having a day 1-2 experience when I need to do something fun. I have never missed work, but I have been a lot of pain too many times to remember.

Is this a normal level of pain? How painful should a period or "cramps" (I've never really understood this as cramps implies not constant) be?

I used to have to take Ibuprofen at the first twinge then keep taking it three times a day for the first three days just to be able to manage the pain - it didn’t stop it.

When I went low carb in 2011, using the Mumsnet Low Carb Bootcamp threads, my period pains stopped within the first couple of months and never came back. My IBS cleared up at the same time; turns out it was non-coeliac wheat sensitivity which is known to worsen period pain.

No I don’t think it’s normal. I’m aware I’m lucky but I get the occasional mild dull ache on the first day and no other pain. I get very heavy periods now since having kids but no pain.

Hope you find something that helps.

I had all of these symptoms and more, thought it was normal, turns out I have PCOS. Ask for a female GP.

This is so interesting, I also had horrendous period pain like the OP describes and used prescribed painkillers to manage it. Mine also almost completely disappeared after I had my first child and if I have any pain now it can be managed by a single dose of ibuprofen (which wouldn’t have touched it before). I’ve never heard anyone else talk about pain difference after children and I’ve always been really confused about why it happened!

OP, because you can’t take ibuprofen/NSAIDs you should definitely talk to the GP to see what your options are to make it more manageable (and mention they’re irregular).

I consider myself have been pretty average period wise, so will say what was normal for me in case it helps.
I wasn't average on the early days. Started at 15, incredibly heavy, flooding periods for 7 days. Regular as clockwork. Major cramps first 2 days, cramps would build up, arrive and pass quite quickly, several throughout the day, maybe five mins each time from beginning to end. I'd stop what I was doing and grip something until they passed, the pain left me doubled over and breathless, but no pain between cramps, just a heavy feeling in my belly and no pain after day 2. Went on the pill at 16 to see if made a difference which it did. Periods reduced to 5 days long and a lot lighter. Virtually no cramping and cramps where far less painful.
Lower backache for two days before my period was always the indicator that it was about to start. I've never had to take pain killers and only occasionally needed a hot water bottle.
I came off the pill in my mid thirties and my periods stayed as they were thankfully.
I also had IBS and it was normal for that to flare during my period.
I'm in menopause now so no more periods.
I would absolutely say that the level of pain you are experiencing is not normal.

Hi everyone,

So I'm still in a lot of pain. I've been taking paracetamol every 4 hours now for 2 days. Today was better than yesterday. I honestly did think this was normal but your comments have got me seriously considering going to the drs. Some of the descriptions from PP are very familiar. It can be really awful, particularly day 1 at night. I am regularly rocking in bed and almost in tears until the painkillers take the edge off.

Weirdly though, occasionally I do get a cycle where I don't get pain, well not major pain. Like 2 paracetamol and that's it for the whole thing.

Thanks for sharing.

On day 1 of mine I used to be in so much pain that I couldn't walk up or down stairs without vomiting. I was caught short in a shopping centre once, passed out on the floor in the staffroom in Boots and they called an ambulance 😳 I know this is abnormal and I have been on the pill since I was 15 to deal with it and have no issues at all now. I was v worried about coming off the pill when we wanted to try for kids but luckily it happened quickly for us, otherwise I don't know how I would have handled it.

I used to be like this with periods as a teenager. Ibuprofen works better than paracetamol - I have IBS too. Is there a particular reason why you think you can’t take it?

I went on the pill and it basically eliminated the pain plus I’d run packets together so only had a few periods a year. It was so freeing! Great to know when it was coming and the hugely painful cramps went.

Then I came off it about 10 years later to get pregnant and my periods were still irregular but not painful. After having my first child they were like clockwork! Couldn’t believe it. Im
now back on the pill as I don’t have any reason to faff about with monthly periods. But the mini pill this time so no periods at all.

My doctor just told me to avoid it (it was a decade ago, to be fair).

I am always been scared to take the pill because I am scared of upsetting my IBS because I used to be unable to eat barely anything and it's now well under control and I got my life back (apart from the periods ofc).

My periods (or the fear of them) cause me a lot of stress. Holidays, weddings, job interviews. Even just dinner with friends that I do monthly, I wait until I've had a period to suggest a date in the hope that it'll be early enough to avoid the next one. Writing it down, it really sounds quite depressing.

This was me, I thought it was normal until I had a 31 hour labour without pain relief because I figured it wasn't as bad as period pain so I'd wait until it was. The midwives were shocked, but not so much that they referred me anywhere. Please keep on at GP, it's not only not normal, it's apparently unnecessary to suffer. Who knew?

That sounds wild!

I think what I've struggled with is the depictions on film/TV are often of people curled up with a hot water bottle which I just thought was for the type of pain I have, but now I'm thinking maybe it's not. I have only been sick from the pain once (when I was a teen, poor mum had given me a hot chocolate to try and make me feel better!) but it does leave me in tears/moaning. I get the radiating leg pain now (totally manageable but noticeable) but that only appeared in my late 20s 🤷🏼‍♀️

That sounds like a very easy period to me; mine have me throwing up from pain and passing out on the bathroom floor. Mine have been ongoing for 3 years and just to be able to leave the bathroom I take 13 different tablets, supplements and painkillers.

See, this is my concern, that I shouldn't go to the drs unless it's as bad as this. I wouldn't say they're easy though, I find them very difficult.

I’ve had awful period pains for as long as I can remember and started at 12 years old. Only ever on day 1 and the pain is horrendous. Stomach cramps, lower back ache, sickness, hot sweats and diarrhea and then not able to get warm again afterwards. Have some embarrassing memories of being almost passed out over the toilet at a friends house, in a supermarket (first aider had to be called on the tannoy!) and at work. Went to the GP because I was getting anxiety at the thought of coming on my period and the pain I would be having. Got prescribed mefenamic acid which helps but I make sure to take it at the first sign of pain- normally a dull ache in my lower back. Had an ultrasound which showed a cyst but nothing ever explored further. The NSAIDs seemed to have worked but there have been a few occasions where I’ve still had horrendous pain.

Once my pain has subsided, I always look back and think ‘was it even that bad’ 😂 but in the moment it’s awful.

Not normal at all. At least it shouldn’t be and shouldn’t be tolerated. I have a mild ache, throbbing and discomfort. Nothing that has ever impacted my day or needed a sick day. I know I’m lucky (not a boast) but quite honestly it’s unacceptable for women to experience pain. We shouldn’t normalise this pain, you’re entitled to live a life without having to make serious adjustments once a month. I hope medics can help you and listen to you.

Definitely make a doctor's appointment it shouldn't be ruling your life like this. Contraceptive pill would make a difference or mefenamic acid. I had awful periods from age 13 and the above made it manageable.

Im assuming you are having investigations as you know this isnt normal right?

OP you dont have to experience pain to this level to have it investigated. I will say my periods are more like toffeepennies unfortunately, mine started at 11 and by 13 I would regularly vomit and occasionally passed out with the pain.

As someone upthread said, my labour felt easy, I had an induced labour mostly pain relief free and genuinely with how my periods are recently I would take labour any day over them.

I have had increasing issues over the last 6 years and only this year discovered that my pain is caused by having adenomyosis and endometriosis. And the bowel issues that ive been being told for 15 years are IBS, which also got worse the last few years, is caused by having endometriosis around my bowel.

It wouldn't hurt to try the pill or the mirena coil, although I had a coil put in after my recent surgery where they discovered the endometriosis and so far its causing even more pain so cant say im a fan so far and may need it removed.

But any level of pain where you are struggling should be investigated but ive found so many women are fobbed off and not listened to and it takes a while to find the right Doctors who will listen.

Just saying to you too, please do push to be investigated. My ultrasounds only ever showed a cyst, luckily it was a kind that needed removing and it was only during that surgery that endometriosis was found.

No, you should definitely go to the doctor's, just because someone else has worse periods (and those do sound horrific) doesn't mean that yours aren't worth trying to fix - they're seriously impacting your life.

Go. I was diagnosed with stage 4 endometriosis in my 40s and ended up having surgery. My periods were always bad but it got worse and worse until it wasn’t even period pain, it was random flares
they found endo everywhere and it was a full day in theatre with 2 surgeons to remove it

for anyone reading, the gynae said “painful periods are normalised but NOT normal. Anything needing more than simple painkillers for a day or so needs investigating”

I hope are under a gynae to look into this.

But just because yours are worse than the OP it doesn't make hers easy and doesn't detract from her needing to see her GP too.

If this was any other pain you would be having it investigated.

Please go to the GP. You have a voice. Use it to advocate for yourself.

Exactly.

fwiw I had horribly painful periods as a teen - would usually need 2 days off school, sometimes it would make me vomit. I went on the pill in my early 20s - never had another bad one since. They were very irregular, and I also had acne - turned out when I TTC in my 30s that I have PCOS. Like a couple of other posters I found childbirth relatively easy just used a TENs machine no other pain relief - at least labour pains came in waves with respite between!

Please do go to the GP and don’t be fobbed off - as the posts on this thread show, debilitating period pain may well be associated with an underlying issue be it endometriosis, PCOS etc.

Unless you have a specific sort of stomach problem (it will say on the back of the packet) you can in general take ibuprofen with IBS. Which is good for period pains!

Ive never heard of the pill effecting ibs. It helped my ibs as it got rid of the awful ‘period poos’! I used to get horrific cramps with my period and then it would give me an upset stomach at the same time. I’d honestly give it a go. You don’t need to have periods if you don’t want to. The mini pill might be good to try as a start.

While they sound awful, OP, I think a lot of women would experience similar if they weren’t taking proper pain relief. I’d give ibuprofen or naproxen a go. If that doesn’t control them well then definitely head to the GP!