The main symptom is crampy pain in your lower abdomen. Often, the first few periods that you have are painless. Period pains may only develop 6-12 months after you have started your periods. The pain:

• May spread to your lower back, or to the top of your legs.
• Usually starts as the bleeding starts, but it may start up to a day before.
• Usually lasts 12-24 hours, but lasts 2-3 days in some cases.
• Can vary with each period. Some periods are worse than others.
• Tends to become less severe as you get older or after having a baby.

The main symptoms also include:

• Aching pain in the abdomen (Pain can be severe at times.)
• Feeling of pressure in the abdomen
• Pain in the hips, lower back, and inner thighs

When cramps are severe, symptoms may include:

• Upset stomach, sometimes with vomiting
• Loose stools