Short answer is this: painful periods are not normal. Yes, it’s common to have mild pain, but severe pain that leaves you rolling around in bed all day, running to the bathroom to vomit, crying in agony on the toilet, or scheduling your plans around it, is NOT normal. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.

Do you ignore your pain or acknowledge it?

It’s important to be your own health advocate, especially in today’s health climate. Women around the world are suffering from painful periods, which can later turn into more serious conditions like Endometriosis, PCOS, fibroids, ovarian cysts, and more. Has your OB-GYN talked to you about any of this? If not, and you suffer with extremely painful periods, talk to them about these diseases and how they could possibly impact your overall health.

Here are a few things to keep in mind:

1. If you feel something is off with your menstrual cycle, get out your food diary or journal, or period tracker and write it down.
2. Share your notes with your doctor. This can give them better insight into what you are experiencing and how often it occurs, rather than going to the doctors office trying to remember when you last felt that weird pain in your leg.
3. If your doctor detects anything, an early diagnosis is better than finding out later. Did you know it takes 7-10 years on average to diagnose a patient with endometriosis? That’s way too long!