When do cramps start before period

Get the Insider App. Click here to learn more. A leading-edge research firm focused on digital transformation. Women's Health. Primary Care. Mental Health. More Button Icon Circle with three vertical dots. It indicates a way to see more nav menu items inside the site menu by triggering the side menu to open and close. Jennifer Larson. This article was medically reviewed by G. Our stories are reviewed by medical professionals to ensure you get the most accurate and useful information about your health and wellness.

For more information, visit our medical review board. Having cramps a week or more before your period is usually not a symptom of PMS. PMS cramping most often occurs 3 to 5 days before your period.

Therefore, it might potentially be normal to have cramps 5 days before period in some instances. When deciding whether or not your cramping is normal, you need to consider your unique situation. The majority of women do not have cramps 5 days before their periods. If you typically have light cramps as part of your PMS, it might be perfectly fine.

However, if you never have cramps before your period and are suddenly experiencing them, something else besides PMS might be going on. Many women hear that stomach cramps before periods are normal, so they try to power through their pain. This common misconception may be keeping you from getting the help you deserve. Truly bad cramps before period are never normal. Light twinges of pain are common, but intense discomfort is not. Besides basic PMS cramping, there are all sorts of reasons you might end up feeling stomach cramps before periods.

These conditions can range from reproductive problems to pregnancy. Some of them are quick and easy to treat while others may require more extensive care. In some cases, the pain in your abdomen might be unrelated to your menstrual cycle. If you have a urinary tract infection or bladder infection, you may be feeling cramp-like pain in your lower abdomen.

With UTIs, you tend to also have a fever and pain when urinating. Cramping sensations can also be caused by constipation, stomach flu, and food poisoning. In these cases, your cramping is usually accompanied by strange bowel movements and possibly vomiting. Another potential cause of stomach cramps before periods is an ovarian cyst.

Ovaries grow cyst-like structures every month when releasing an egg. However, the cyst sometimes sticks around after ovulation. It can grow larger and eventually cause pelvic pain and abdominal bloating. Growths can also develop on the uterine wall.

Called fibroids, these are associated with cramping, heavy bleeding, and pelvic pain. In some cases, cramps 5 days before period are from endometriosis. This is a disorder that occurs when the tissue lining the uterus grows outside of the uterus. Accessed April 1, Merck Manual Professional Version. Accessed Dec. Smith RP, et al. Dysmenorrhea in adult women: Treatment.

Frequently asked questions. Gynecologic problems FAQ Dysmenorrhea: Painful periods. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Committee Opinion No. Period pain: Overview.