Excruciating period pain but hardly any blood, what's going on?

[HeadFairy]

I have had a slightly odd cycle this month, I had hardly any period last month, literally just one day of a tiny amount of spotting. Today I started spotting which fits in roughly timing wise (I think I ovulated a couple of weeks ago - I had all the usual signs) but rather than my period starting I've spent all day with the most terrible period pain, to the extent at one point today I even considered calling an ambulance I was in so much pain. Even my miscarriages weren't this painful.

It's easing a tiny bit because I'm in bed with a hot water bottle and have taken some co-codamol, but what on earth could be going on? Am I getting a monster period because last month's didn't happen? I'm 42 and definitely not pregnant.

Are you sure you aren't pg? Only the first thing that I thought of was Ectopic pg.

Not wanting to freak you out but it might be an idea to get yourself checked out if the pain doesn't ease.

Def not pg, and not that I've had an ectopic pregnancy but I have read about them and this doesn't have any similar symptoms.

Ok thats a relief then Sorry no other ideas but hope you are feeling better soon.

Spotting has now stopped but the pain hasn't. Getting scared I might have some dreadful gynaecological disorder or the big c

I had a ruptured ectopic and didn't have any symptoms, so I'd say it's worth getting checked out (blood HCG test?), especially as you had an unusual period last month

Ruptured ovarian cyst? A cyst might explain your odd periods recently, and the excruciating pain could mean it's ruptured. It's serious but not generally life-threatening, but you do need to be seen asap if it's that:

www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Ovarian-cyst/Pages/Symptoms.aspx

It definitely isn't an ectopic pregnancy, I haven't had sex in months.
Not sure about the ovarian cyst, I've had no other symptoms. If the pain carries on I'll try and get an emergency appt with my gp. I have had some bleeding now, I really just hope it's a monster period!

Endometriosis may be the root cause of your pain currently. That can flare up as well.

I would go to your GP asap and ask for a referral to a gynae.

It could just be that you had a clot blocking the cervix and the pains were your womb squeezing hard to try to get it out.

I used to have very painful and clotty periods. I went for acupuncture for fertility reasons and one side effect has been that the clots have gone and so have the awful pains.

I would discuss possible endometriosis with dr. My periods are light but were unbearably painful. I didn't go to hospital in labour at 9 1/2 cms following blood loss as I was sat a home waiting for it to get worse than period pain!
They now suspect endo and it has responded well to treatment with the pill for now. Gynae told me that sometimes with endo the blood you would normally lose on a period can travel internally else where with endo so not all cases have heavy periods.

I've never had any previous gynae problems, enviably regular and not particularly heavy or painful periods from the age of 13. Can you suddenly develop endometriosis at the age of 42? My friend has it badly and she's known since puberty really.

I have had problems since early teens. It took until my mid thirties to get anybody to take me seriously. I got told by various GP's that I just had zero pain threshold and it was normal to have period pain. I used to throw up and pass out from pain but I genuinely was made to believe this is what everyone had and I was just been a wimp about it. It took coping so well with labour to convince anyone this wasn't the case!

I would definitely ask for a referral if you haven't had previous problems. Something has obviously changed.

That's what scares me fan, things suddenly changing isn't good, I know that much.

I now at least have a normal period and the pain is easing. I'm just wondering if I wait and see if its a one off or I go and see the gp now, despite things seemingly being back to normal. I have been very run down and stressed at work recently. We have a massive new project due to finish on the 18th. Maybe that's caused a monster cycle?

Head I'm about your age and now is the time when things do start to suddenly change. It's fecking annoying, but it's normal - part of the perimenopause.

Last month, after 25 odd years of consistently, boringly regular periods, I suddenly had a massively heavy one in between two normal ones. I was a little alarmed and had various tests that all came back normal. The GPs response was that pretty much anything goes at this stage - it's our bodies starting to shut down that part of the business .

But serious pain is not good so if it carries on then do see someone.

When I say between two normal ones, I mean it started two weeks after the end of one normal one and had barely stopped before the next normal one arrived at the usual 28 day interval.

I had this last month - very very light bleeding/spotting and nothing but extremely bad pain. I'd say it was similar to MC pain actually.
Then the spotting and pain stopped and I thought it was all over, but then had a mega-period. No idea what it was but was as TTC and it's just cruel.

I was v stressed too and it was a bit of a strange cycle tbh, early ovulation and slightly later than normal period.

A friend of mine had symptoms like this - she was referred to a gynae and it turned out she had endometriosis and had a polyp (I think) blocking her cervix so her menstrual blood couldn't escape. Minor op sorted it out (the polyp not the endo).

Hmm interesting.. looks like I could do with getting it checked out.

I am 44 and as I have PCOS I have had periods of all shapes and sizes and soreness. I have had a couple like yours sound where I was literally on my knees in agony for about 3 hours and thinking I was going to pass out. Usually they were at the beginning before it had started properly. I went to the doctor who said some people have periods that are worse than labour and if they happened again to take tranexamic acid tablets she prescribed. However they only happened once or twice in 10 years. I do now get 2 or 3 light periods and then a monster one.

Thanks for the replies everyone

Ellie I was thinking it was peri menopause, that's what I put down last month's missed period to. I'm fairly sure I ovulated though, had all the usual signs....

As the pain has all but gone now and I'm having a normal period I think I'm just going to wait and see. It was about 12 hours of pain all told so presumably if it was a polyp that, and the pain, would still be there.

Both my dcs were born by elcs so I can't really compare it to labour, but as I couldn't speak during the peaks of pain I'm assuming it was comparable.

Signs re ovulation though can be misleading and it is also possible to have a period without ovulating.

I've had a uterine polyp and what this did was mess up my cycle; these things pump out hormones but mine did not cause pain. I would seek medical advice in any event as any marked changes to your previous cycle should always be checked out properly.

In answer to your question " Can you suddenly develop endometriosis at the age of 42? " Well yes I think you can. My periods changed from the age of 40 and I started to get spotting and heavy bleeding. I had endometrial ablation to stop the heavy bleeding and whilst this was done my gynae did a laparoscopy which revealed a cyst and endometriosis.

Keep a close eye on your cycles as you may need to get a referral to a gynae.