How to prevent painful periods?

Period cramps are caused by womb contractions as the lining is shed. Pain may spread to the back or thighs and can come with nausea, diarrhoea, headache, or fatigue. Pain that is new, severe, worsening, or present outside bleeding days can have another cause, including endometriosis, adenomyosis, uterine fibroids, an ovarian endometrioma, or pelvic inflammatory disease. A painful period does not by itself identify any one condition.

If a clinician says they are safe for you, anti-inflammatory pain medicines tend to work best when taken at the first sign of cramps or just before an expected period. Follow the label or prescription, and check first if you have stomach, kidney, bleeding, asthma, or pregnancy concerns. Heat over the lower abdomen, gentle movement, regular sleep, and relaxation breathing may make cramps easier to manage. If pain repeatedly interrupts life, ask about the combined pill or hormonal coil, which can alter bleeding and cramping for some people.

Seek urgent help for sudden severe pelvic pain, fainting, heavy bleeding with weakness, fever, or pain when pregnancy is possible. Arrange a clinical review when pain is getting worse, begins after years of manageable periods, occurs between periods, follows sex, or does not improve with an appropriate plan.

Ask whether your pattern suggests a condition needing investigation, which pain medicine is safe with your health history, and whether hormonal treatment is appropriate. Ask when to start it, how to judge improvement, and what symptoms should prompt a review.