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Symptom Guide · Period Pain
Mild cramps on the first day or two of your period are common. Pain that makes you miss school, work, or sleep is not something you just have to live with. It has real causes, and those causes can be treated.
Short answer
Mild cramps on the first day or two of your period are normal. Pain that gets worse every year, starts days before your period, or no longer eases with painkillers that used to work can be a sign of endometriosis or adenomyosis, and is worth getting checked.
Medically reviewed by Dr. Madhumita Das Mazumdar, MBBS, MD (OBG)
Reg. No. 10385, Assam Medical Council · Last reviewed
During your period, the womb squeezes to shed its lining. This is driven by chemicals called prostaglandins — more of them means stronger cramps. This normal period pain usually starts within a couple of years of your first period, is worst on day one or two, and eases with simple care. Pain that behaves differently deserves a closer look.
Watch out if pain has gotten worse over the years, starts several days before your period, lasts beyond it, happens during sex or using the toilet, or no longer eases with painkillers that used to work. These signs can point to endometriosis or adenomyosis — conditions where tissue like the womb lining grows where it shouldn't.
Endometriosis affects about 1 in 10 women. Tissue like the womb lining grows outside the womb — on the ovaries, tubes, or pelvic wall. This causes swelling, bad period pain, pain during sex, and sometimes trouble getting pregnant. In India, it often goes unnoticed for years because the pain gets dismissed as normal. It isn't.
We start with a talk and a pelvic ultrasound. For normal cramps, the right painkillers taken the right way, heat, and sometimes hormone treatment work very well. For endometriosis or adenomyosis, options range from hormone treatment to keyhole surgery, depending on how bad it is and whether you're planning a pregnancy.
Yes. Bad pain that keeps her home from school every month deserves a check. The first visit is usually just a conversation — no internal exam unless it's really needed. Treating pain early also shows young women that their pain is taken seriously.
At the Clinic
Most period pain is ordinary cramping. What separates it from something that needs investigating is not how the pain feels — it is what the pain stops you doing.
Period pain severe enough to prevent a woman from getting through her daily life is more suspicious of endometriosis than ordinary cramps. Pain you can work around is treated differently from pain that stops you working.
When in the cycle the pain comes, how long it lasts, whether it has been getting worse, and whether painkillers still help.
A pelvic examination and an ultrasound of the uterus and ovaries, which can show ovarian cysts and adhesions where endometriosis is present.
If you have been told your pain is normal and you are still unable to get on with your day, that is a reason to have it looked at properly — not a reason to put up with it.
This page is general information, not a diagnosis. Only a consultation and examination can tell you what is causing your symptoms.
Your Doctor
Dr. Madhumita Das Mazumdar — MBBS, MD (Obstetrics & Gynecology), FOGSI member, 30+ years in practice. She runs Aries Obgyn Clinic single-handedly, so every consultation, in clinic or on WhatsApp, is with her — never a junior or an assistant.
30+
Years in practice
MD (OBG)
Qualification
4.9★
Google rating
FOGSI
Member
Patient Reviews
“The best gynaecologist in Guwahati. Such a polite doctor. She is such an angel and an extremely sweet person and also easily approachable. Treats her patient with utmost care. Thank you for everything ma'am.”
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“Dr. Madhumita Ma'am is an exceptional gynecologist who provided me with compassionate and professional care.”
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“Dr. Madhumita is a really pleasant, empathetic and intelligent doctor.”
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Consult Dr. Madhumita Das Mazumdar — MD (OBG), 30+ years of experience — at the clinic in Beltola, Guwahati, or on WhatsApp from anywhere.