Terrible period pain coming on v suddenly - is this normal?

[BananaChunk]

I used to have awful period pain, v heavy periods when I was younger. I had an endometrial ablation around 10 years ago. I'm 49 now.

Periods were completely regular till the beginning of the year when they have been all over the place.

They aren't heavy any more due to the ablation but every now and then I've been getting mild cramps when my period comes on.

I finished a period last week. I was walking the dog this morning when suddenly it felt literally like I was having a baby. I had to call Dp to come and pick me up because I couldn't walk. I came home and sat on the loo for a bit and the cramping pain was coming and going. I got Dp to run out and get some buscopan and I've taken that and it's relieved the period pain a bit but I feel a bit side swiped.

It was definitely period pain but why is it coming at an odd time? I did Google and looked at menopause sites and it does say you can get cramping at odd times because of prostaglandin levels.

Is there anything I can do? I travel for my job and I'm concerned this will happen suddenly again! It was so painful!

I'm on HRT and have had some random painful periods recently. I talked to my Gp and they sent me for a scan. Nothing to worry about in the scan but am going to change my HRT patches and hope that helps. Definitely talk to your GP about it.

Thanks I'll do that

Was this pain during your period or after it had finished? (can't quite make it out from what you wrote.)

If it is during your period, it is due to prostaglandins and the drugs used to help are Tramexamic acid, taken in the run-up to a period, or plain OTC ibuprofen. Ideally, with ibuprofen, you start it 3 days before your period and it reduces the amount of prostaglandins that cause the cramping.

See your GP?

No period finished last week

They are completely unpredictable at the moment

Forgot to call the Gp today but will try tomorrow. Thanks

I meant - no, period finished last week !

have been referred for an urgent scan so I think I will have an answer sooner rather than later

I have a bulky uterus apparently. They are pretty sure it will be fibroids/ovarian cysts but want it checked out because ovarian cancer has v similar symptoms.