Cramps after your period may feel like an aching, sometimes severe, pain or pressure in your abdomen or pelvis.
Other signs and symptoms of secondary dysmenorrhea include:
- Pain in the lower back, hips or legs
- Weakness
- Headaches
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Fatigue
If you are experiencing cramping due to implantation, you may soon start to experience early signs of pregnancy like nausea and tender breasts.
Check in with your practitioner. The treatments he or she will suggest depend on the cause of th e cramps after your period and may include:
- Pain relievers can help ease discomfort (talk to your doctor if you are trying to conceive, as some painkillers taken around the time of conception have been linked to an increased risk of miscarriage).
- Birth control pills or drugs known as gonadotropin-releasing agonists are sometimes prescribed to treat pain associated with endometriosis.
- Uterine artery embolization is a minimally-invasive procedure used to treat uterine fibroids.
- Magnesium and vitamin B1 supplements may help ease dysmenorrhea (i.e. period cramping), although there is not a lot of research to back up these benefits.
- Acupuncture has been shown to be somewhat effective in easing dysmenorrhea.
- Regular exercise may help reduce the intensity of period cramps.
