Severe Cramps

[mschex]

My sister and I have both had very bad cramps accompanied with other symptoms since we were teens. (We're now in our early 20s)
I'm on the pill and I feel much better, but my sister unfortunately is not on the pill and still suffers.
The symptoms are as follows (and usually occur on the 1st or 2nd day; thankfully they don't last for the entire period) and don't respond to regular otc pain pills:

severe pain (the very worst time I wondered if how I was feeling must be what childbirth contractions feels like)
nausea
back pain as bad as the cramps
dizzyness, faintness
the feeling of diarrhea without being able to poo

We just want to lay in bed all day. What's wrong? When we visited the gyno, the doctor didn't diagnose us, she just gave us some pamphlets on dismenorrhea and bc pills.

[Maria RN]

If you have severe dysmenorrhea, consult a health professional and inform him or her how unbearable the cramps are and regular pain medications don't help at all. It is important to find out whether there is a specific underlying structural cause, such as endometriosis or uterine fibroids. If there is, treatment will be required to address the structural cause of the pain.

[coleen2008]

hi there...did you tell the doctor that your pills help you feel better?so that she/he will have an idea what are the underlying cause why you two sisters suffer from severe cramps..as far as I know, when you are on pill, it helps to regulate hormonal imbalances..just a speculation,maybe the severe cramps and other symptoms has something to do with hormonal imbalance..but i would suggest that you discuss every detail with your obgyne and be agressive on asking details about your condition because you deserve more information about your health..it is her/his responsibility to provide you with that.

[dmongking]

Your gyn should be the best person to tell you what is happening. There might be underlying physical problems that need to be addressed, or it might just also be your body's natural reaction to menstrual period, or might also be hormonal which the pill can correct. Lay down all your concerns to your doctor, and if you are not satisfied, you can always opt for another provider.