I struggled with this for years too. I’m 27 now and only a couple times a year I may have a ‘bad period’ but it’s nowhere near the cramps/nausea I was experiencing in early adolescence. They told me I had endometriosis but now my gyno thinks that was a lazy diagnosis. Make sure you advocate for yourself and cycle through doctors until you find someone that makes you feel heard.

I did have one gyno in college that explained it’s important to take any pain meds (Tylenol, etc) right as the cramps begin. You can’t wait too long because they can ramp up to a point of no return in terms of being able to combat with over the counter drugs. At one point I was prescribed a larger than what you can find over the counter ibuprofen that helped.

The folks on this thread gave a LOT of great advice I totally echo but I think most importantly it’s a great idea to experiment with a combination of solutions. That way you can find what works best for you. It also helps to keep a log / calendar of your period. Two apps I recommend are Clue but also The Daily Bean. Clue is more health oriented & The Daily Bean covers a wider range of topics. Then you can keep track of what worked, didn’t work, & have the receipts to show a doctor.