The short explanation
Period pain is common. Pain that regularly stops you working, studying or getting out of bed is common too, and that is not the same as normal — it is a level of pain worth investigating rather than enduring, and several of the things behind it can be treated.
What depends on your situation
The parts of this that change from woman to woman. Uncertainty is stated, not hidden.
- Clinicians separate pain that comes from the period itself, with no underlying condition, from pain caused by something like endometriosis, adenomyosis, fibroids or an infection. The first kind usually starts within a year or two of periods beginning and sits in the lower abdomen and back for the first day or two. The second kind more often starts later in life, gets worse over time, lasts longer than the bleeding, or comes with pain during sex or when opening your bowels.
- Endometriosis is under-recognised everywhere, and the delay between a woman first describing the pain and anyone naming it is frequently measured in years. Saying plainly "this pain stops me doing things" is more useful than rating it out of ten, because it is the functional effect that moves an investigation along.
- How much pain relief you have already tried, and whether it helped, is information rather than a confession. A clinician needs to know that ordinary paracetamol does nothing for you before she considers what else to try.
- Pain that starts only after a copper IUD was fitted, or only after an infection, points somewhere specific and is worth mentioning as a timeline rather than as a symptom on its own.
What this answer cannot determine
The boundary of online education. These need a clinician who can see you.
- This cannot tell you whether you have endometriosis or anything else. There is no online test for it, and a normal ultrasound does not rule it out — endometriosis frequently does not show on a scan.
- This does not recommend a painkiller or a dose for you. What is safe depends on your stomach, your kidneys, your other medicines and whether you might be pregnant.
- This explanation was written by AskHer's editorial team from the guidance listed under Sources. A clinician registered in India has not signed this version off yet — that is why no clinical reviewer is named at the foot of this page, and it is why nothing here is a diagnosis.
Questions for your clinician
Take these with you. You can add any of them to an appointment card.
- This is what the pain stops me doing. Can we work out why it is this severe?
- Could this be endometriosis or adenomyosis, and how would you find out?
- I have tried these painkillers and this is what happened. What would you suggest next?
- Does a normal scan rule anything out, or does it only rule some things in?
- If this needs a specialist, who would that be and how long is the wait?
When to seek help
Clinician-approved guidance for this topic. When in doubt, being seen is never the wrong choice.
Get help the same day
- the pain is sudden, severe and different from your usual period pain
- you have pain with a fever, or with discharge that smells offensive
- you have severe pain on one side and a missed or late period
- you cannot keep fluids down because of the pain
Book an appointment soon
- pain is making you miss work, college or ordinary activities most months
- the pain has been getting worse over months or years
- pain lasts well beyond the days you bleed
- sex, passing urine or opening your bowels hurts around your period
Sources
The evidence this explanation is built on.
- Period pain NHS
- Endometriosis NHS
- Endometriosis — patient information Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists
- FOGSI–ICOG Good Clinical Practice Recommendations Federation of Obstetric and Gynaecological Societies of India
Who wrote and reviewed this
Every AskHer answer names its author. A clinically reviewed answer also names the clinician who signed it off — if no clinician is named below, it has not been clinically reviewed.
- Author
- AskHer Editorial AskHer's editorial team — not an individual clinician Works in English, தமிழ், हिन्दी
- Clinical reviewer
- Nobody yet No clinician has signed this answer off. That is what the “Editorially reviewed” badge means, and why it does not say “Clinically reviewed”. It was written and checked by AskHer’s editorial team against the sources listed above, and it is queued for a clinician who works in this area.
- Review status
- Editorially reviewed
- Last reviewed
- Last reviewed 24 August 2026
- Version
- 1
Correction history
Substantive changes are listed, not quietly edited away.
No corrections have been made since this answer was first published.
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