Does anyone else feel this bad during (or before) their period?

[snackattack]

My periods have become increasingly heavy over the past couple of years (I'm 45 so guessing I'm heading towards menopause!)... but every month now I just feel awful. Period started yesterday. Today, I woke up with headache, period pains, diarrhoea (stops mid morning usually) and now I just feel sick. I know it's going to be like this for a couple of days and then I'll be fine again but for two or three days a month it's hellish. Is this experienced by anyone else or just me?! I'm beginning to organise my life around my period dates because I just know I'm going to feel terrible. It's the nausea that gets me to be honest...it's killing me today and I have to take my mum out for her birthday lunch later on!! Anyone got any good tips?
Thank you.

Ah that's what mine used to be like. I found losing a stone in weight (sorry) and exercising made a huge difference. Also take evening primrose oil and avoid sugary foods as blood sugar fluctuations can increase the cramps. Incidentally the diarrhea is caused by bowel cramps due to plummeting hormone levels - you can counter this with the evening primrose oil and if it gets so you can't stand it, ask your GP for nefamic acid.