HealthInfo Canterbury

Period pain (dysmenorrhoea)

Period pain, also called dysmenorrhoea, is very common. Most women experience period pain at some point, though it's more common in teenagers and young adults and occurs less frequently as you get older.

Your feelings of pain can vary with each period. Sometimes you'll have no pain at all, and other times, it will be more painful. You can have different types of pain. The pain can feel:

• like tummy cramps, which may spread to your back
• dull and constant
• like a sudden spasm of pain.

Causes of period pain

Period pain is caused by the muscular wall of your uterus (womb) tightening (contracting), and isn't usually caused by an underlying medical condition. But occasionally it can be, especially if you're in your 30s or 40s.

Medical conditions that can cause period pain include:

• Adenomyosis – when the cells that line your womb (uterus) start to grow in the womb’s muscle wall.
• Endometriosis – where cells that line your womb start to grow in other parts of your body.
• Fibroids – non-cancerous tumours that can grow in or around the womb.
• Pelvic inflammatory disease – an infection of your womb (uterus), fallopian tubes, or ovaries.

If your doctor suspects you might have a medical condition, you might need some tests to find the cause. Any treatment will depend on what the tests show.

Treating period pain

There are several treatments you can try to reduce the pain.

You can try taking over-the-counter pain relief medication, such as:

• paracetamol
• non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen, naproxen (te reo Māori version) and mefenamic acid.

NSAIDs help with pain and can also reduce how much you bleed. You can buy ibuprofen over the counter. Other NSAIDs need a prescription. It's important to take NSAIDs with food.

Ask your doctor or pharmacist to check these tablets are safe for you to take.

There are other self-help methods to help with your period pain. You can:

• stop smoking
• try gentle physical activity such as swimming or walking
• use heat – try placing a heat pad or hot water bottle (wrapped in a cloth) on your tummy
• take a warm bath or shower
• gently massage your tummy or back.

Getting help with period pain

You should see your GP if:

• self-help tips and over-the-counter pain relief isn't working and the pain is affecting your everyday life
• you want to know about other treatment options, including prescription-only pain relief, or hormone treatment such as the combined oral contraceptive pill or a hormonal intra-uterine device.

  HealthInfo recommends the following pages

• Patient.info – Period pain (dysmenorrhoea)

  Information about the different types of period pain, what you can do about them, and when to see your doctor.

Written by HealthInfo clinical advisers. Last reviewed September 2021.

Page reference: 47492

Review key: HIPER-53354