Period pain, also known as dysmenorrhoea, is a common condition that can affect women of all ages. It is typically felt as cramping pain in the lower abdomen and may also spread to the lower back, hips or thighs. For some women, symptoms are mild and manageable, while others experience pain severe enough to interfere with work, study, exercise or everyday activities. Common symptoms include abdominal cramps, back pain, headaches, nausea, bloating and tiredness.

Most period pain occurs because the womb naturally contracts during menstruation. These contractions are triggered by hormone-like substances called prostaglandins, which can cause pain and inflammation. While many women experience primary period pain without an underlying medical condition, severe or worsening symptoms can sometimes be linked to conditions such as endometriosis, adenomyosis or fibroids.

At My Private Pharmacist, our period pain service provides access to suitable treatment options following a clinical assessment. Depending on your symptoms, medical history and current medicines, treatment may help reduce pain and improve comfort during your menstrual cycle. Our UK prescribing and pharmacy team will review your consultation before recommending any treatment.

If your period pain is severe, suddenly changes, occurs outside your menstrual cycle, is associated with very heavy bleeding, pain during sex, bleeding between periods, or is affecting your quality of life, you should seek medical assessment to investigate possible underlying causes.