Great suggestions jo!

Painful periods actually have a name, dysmenohhrea. I had this as well as endometriosis.

The dysmenohhrea can be treated, through birth control pills and it reduces your periods and teh pain.

But other things helps too. At the time of your period your body releases a chemical/hormones to start the cramping to get the actual bleeding part of the cycle going. Sometimes this chemical can get out of control and make you feel like this all over. Or perhaps you get over sensitive to it. It can be blocked by over the counter NSAIDS like advil or I take prescription cellebrex.

Eitehr way you shold talk to your OBGYN and make sure there is not a fibroid causing this or endometriosis or PID - pelvic inflammaroty disease either.

And if you have terribly heavy periods please please check your iron and ferritin tested. After years of heavy periods I hav an iron deficiency which really can contribute to the fatigue and muscle pain if not corrected.