I've been having severe problems since I was 13 - heavy flow, extreme pain, nausea, I get migranes and usually my period kicks one off. I'm literally flat out suffering for 7 or more days every month, it caused me to fall way behind in school I eventually dropped out and got my GED, because of the pain I can't work - what job would allow me to take an entire week off every month? How could I support myself only working three weeks? I'm so stressed about this that sometimes I purposely don't eat just before it starts and during, or I eat very little and keep myself dehydrated because I learned years ago that if I don't eat my period ends or never even starts. I don't think this is normal is it?

The pain I experience is like every nerve in my body is supersensitive and alive and the pain is absolutely overwhelming - it's not localised it's just pain at my core from the bottom of my ribcage all the way down to my toes but especially from my ribcage to my knees and standing or walking is agony and even laying down is agony, no matter what I do.

The only thing that helps is if I take two advil every three hours on the hour and I still feel pain and cramps and nauseous but it takes the edge off.

I'm going to the gyno for the first time soon but I was wondering if this is normal - does every woman go through this?

I don`t think this is normal. I really don`t want to scare you, but this might be endometriosis. Good luck!