The week prior to my cycle i am very sick. during my cycle i have intense cramping, am very tired and clotty the whole cycle. is this normal?

Depends: Heavy menstural flow could be due to a number of benign or abnormal conditions, depeding on your age, if your periods are regular or not, and your medical history. Best to consult with your gyn who will likely order an ultrasound an perhaps an endometrial biopsy to look for endometrial cancer. There are many ways to help control your cycle (hormonal or not) that could make you feel much better!

Gyn Can Help: You need evaluation. You might have endometriosis or fibroids. Non-surgical options include: birth control pills, ibuprofen, or meds like lupron. Lysteda, Mirena (levonorgestrel) iud, or endometrial ablation may help with heavy flow. Then consider laparoscopy to explore your pelvis with conservative cauterization for endometriosis. Should these treatments fail then consider laparoscopic hysterectomy.

Period Pain: The vast majority of patients with this history have endometriosis, adenomyosis or both. Our findings in the teen and early twenties group are nearly 100% will have endometriosis. Excisional surgery is best performed early for this to potentially preserve fertility and prevent fertility decline. Adenomyosis is most common in 35+ age groups and the other suggested treatments may be more helpful.