[Woman_who_loves_OSU]

Alright, here's the gist. I have been on my period for 2 1/2 to almost three years now. I am regular with an 8 to 10 day menstruation period with 6-8 heavy days. My cycle is in between 32 to 36 days long. I do believe this is a long menstrual cycle and it worries me just a bit. Also, the cramps HURT LIKE !! (Pardon my language...) I can not stand it! I have a weak pain tolerance and I am pretty sure that my cramps are probably not as bad compared to others, but I honestly can not stand them for very long. I have had cramps so bad at one point that I had to take EXTRA STRENGTH Excedrin... I normally take 1 ibuprofen and I am fine... Being in a school of 200 kids and 8 teachers, 6 of them being men, and a 1/4 ratio of girls to boys, it is kind of embarrassing when I am doubling over in pain. PLEASE HELP ME!!!

[Woman_who_loves_OSU]

***been having my period for 2 1/2 to 3 years
Sorry for the typo

[Woman_who_loves_OSU]

I have also passed a clot about 4 inches long by 1 or 2 wide at one point in time (very large clot and is not the average size clot that I pass)... I have a tendency to pass a lot of medium sized clots, and I also have gotten to the point of almost throwing up due to the sheer pain of the cramps, as well as the dizziness and dehydration that I sometimes get.

[mom2LJ]

you should definitely go see the gyno and get put on some type of birth control to help manage the pain. clots that big don't sound healthy and i'm sure very painful to pass. ugh and I thought the cramps on the copper IUD were bad get it checked out. Also, try taking some Naproxen for the pain, that REALLY helps!

[Little]

Definitely talk to your doctor about this, but it sounds "normal." Yup, even mind-bending cramps during your period are "normal," sadly! Ibuprofen is the right pill to take to help control your pain. Though it probably says on the bottle not to take more than 8 in 24 hours, I have been told by doctors that you can take up to 16 if they are the 200 unit pills.
If you want, you can also go on hormonal birth control pills, which can also alleviate cramps. But if you don't need the birth control aspect of the pills, you should try upping your Ibuprofen dose first.
You didn't mention where you live, but if you're outside the US, there's another drug called Buscopan or Buscapina that can help with cramps too. Not available in the US But if you're in Latin America, the UK, or Australia, you should be able to get it.

[lizzardb63]

I get really bad cramps too. You probably have, like me, dysmenorrhea. There are two types of dysmenorrhea, primary and secondary.

In primary dysmenorrhea, there is no underlying gynecologic problem causing the pain. This type of cramping may begin within six months to a year following menarche (the beginning of menstruation), the time when a girl starts having menstrual periods. Menstrual cramps typically do not begin until ovulatory menstrual cycles (when an egg is released from the ovaries) occur, and actual menstrual bleeding usually begins before the onset of ovulation. Therefore, an adolescent girl may not experience dysmenorrhea until months to years following the onset of menstruation.

In secondary dysmenorrhea, some underlying abnormal condition (usually involving a woman's reproductive system) contributes to the menstrual pain. Secondary dysmenorrhea may be evident at menarche but, more often, the condition develops later.

The best medication to help is definately Ibuprofen because it is an anti-inflammetory. When I went to my doctor she said that when you have bad cramps, inflammation cuts off circulation to your uterus which causes it to be painful, much like a heart attack. What can help ease this pain or even prevent it is anti-inflammatory medications. I was put on a prescription where I would take it 3 days before my expected period and it helped lessen cramps. I cannot take hormonal birth control, so that was out of the picture. This helped a lot!

Definately see your doctor. There are solutions. It is also normal for women to pass blood clots, but I don't know what the normal size would be. Bring that up too. Hope it all gets figured out and best of luck!