Cramps can your

Actively scan device characteristics for identification. Use precise geolocation data. Select personalised content. Create a personalised content profile. Measure ad performance. Select basic ads. Create a personalised ads profile. Select personalised ads. Apply market research to generate audience insights.

Measure content performance. Develop and improve products. List of Partners vendors. Oh, menstrual cramps. You might get the impression that very painful periods are the norm. About half of all people who menstruate experience pelvic achiness during their periods.

With that said, really bad menstrual cramps are not normal. Severe period cramps can signal a problem—a problem that may impact your fertility.

Here are six ways to know that your cramps might not be normal. As always, if you have any questions or concerns about your health, talk to your doctor. If your period pain is so bad that you need to call off work on a regular basis, you should speak to your doctor. The condition is not rare.

Some countries offer a couple days off every month for menstruation. The issue is more complex than that. In , Russian lawmaker Mikhail Degtyaryov proposed that Russia should offer days off for menstruation. He argued that sometimes the "pain for the fair sex is often so intense that it is necessary to call an ambulance. If your pain is bad enough to call an ambulance, please call one.

Those aren't period cramps. Something much more serious is going on. In a more likely scenario, if your pain is bad enough to regularly miss work or school, make an appointment to speak to your doctor. Very important side note: Some people will take more than the recommended dosage of over-the-counter pain relievers thinking that since they are over-the-counter, they are therefore harmless.

It has been linked to Reye syndrome, a serious illness. Talk to your doctor if you have tried to manage your cramps with medicine and home treatment but you do not feel better. If your cramps are caused by a health problem not related to your period, such as endometriosis, you may need other treatment. Author: Healthwise Staff. This information does not replace the advice of a doctor.

Healthwise, Incorporated, disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use. Learn how we develop our content.

To learn more about Healthwise, visit Healthwise. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated. Updated visitor guidelines. Top of the page Actionset. Menstrual Cycle: Dealing With Cramps. Introduction Most women have painful cramps from their period from time to time.

In these circumstances, contact your GP for advice immediately. If this isn't possible, contact your local out-of-hours service or call the NHS 24 '' service. The cause of leg cramps is sometimes unknown idiopathic. In other cases, there may be an underlying condition or another identifiable cause.

Although the cause of idiopathic leg cramps is unknown, there are a number of theories about what might cause idiopathic leg cramps. These include:. Also, tendons naturally shorten over time as a person gets older, which may explain why older people are particularly affected by leg cramps.

Tendons are tough bands of tissue that connect muscles to bone. If your tendons become too short, they may cause the muscles connected to them to cramp.

Secondary leg cramps are caused by an underlying condition or another identifiable cause. Certain medications have been known to cause leg cramps in a small number of people. Contact your GP if you think your medication may be causing your leg cramps as your dosage may need to be adjusted. Never stop taking a prescribed medication unless your GP or another qualified healthcare professional who is responsible for your care advises you to do so.

For example, secondary leg cramps that are related to liver disease are caused by high levels of toxins in the blood which trigger muscles spasms.

Therefore, muscle relaxants can be used to help prevent your muscles from going into spasm. If the cause of your legs cramps is unknown primary idiopathic leg cramps , a combination of exercise and painkilling medication is usually recommended. Most cases of leg cramps can be treated with exercises. There are two types of exercise that you can do:.

To reduce your risk of getting leg cramps in the future, you should do exercises to stretch the affected muscles three times a day. For example, if your calf muscles are affected by cramps, the following exercise should be beneficial:. For the best results, you should repeat this exercise three times a day, including one session just before you go to bed. If you have leg pain that persists after an episode of cramping, an over-the-counter painkiller, such as paracetamol or ibuprofen may help reduce the pain.

Quinine was originally designed as a medication to treat malaria. Subsequent research has found that it can also be moderately effective in reducing the frequency of leg cramps. Thrombocytopenia is a rarer but more serious complication of quinine. It occurs when the number of platelets in your blood falls to a dangerously low level.

Platelets help the blood to clot which means people with thrombocytopenia are at increased risk of excessive bleeding such as:. There have been a number of reported cases of people dying from thrombocytopenia after taking quinine to prevent leg cramps. Never take more than your recommended dose of quinine.

An overdose of quinine can result in permanent blindness and death. Due to these small but potential risks, your GP will only prescribe quinine if there is evidence that the potential benefit of treatment outweighs the risks.

In these circumstances, you may be prescribed a four-week course of quinine. After this time, if you have not gained any benefit, the treatment will be withdrawn. If you experience any of the side effects listed above, stop taking quinine immediately and contact your GP.

Home Illnesses and conditions Muscle, bone and joints Conditions Leg cramps. Leg cramps See all parts of this guide Hide guide parts 1. About leg cramps 2. Symptoms of leg cramps 3.

Causes of leg cramps 4. Treating leg cramps.