12 Reasons Why You’ve Got Cramps But No Period

Period cramps feel like having tiny ninjas inside you that are sword fighting their way through life for a week straight. Having had years of experience, we pretty much have got the grip of how to handle them, haven’t we? But what about the pain and cramps that we absolutely cannot anticipate as we do for periods?

Cramps but no period. Sounds funny and unreal, doesn’t it? Believe it, because it’s as real as it gets! The possibility of you getting cramps while you’re off your period is very real no matter how shocking ‘cramps but no period’ may seem. Various health conditions can easily trigger what we often hear as cramps but no period like cysts, hormonal imbalance, etc. to name a few.

Having seen the possibility of cramps without periods, let us now look closer into numerous possible reasons for cramps without periods. Here, we have 12 reasons for having cramps but no period, let us understand them to explore yet another dimension of our bodies and health.

12 Reasons Why You’ve Got Cramps But No Period:

Reason #1 – Anovulation: Every month, our ovaries release an egg in every menstrual cycle. This in turn when not fertilized by the end of a cycle is shed, and is what causes our much-dreaded periods. This entire cycle of 28 days is what’s commonly called an ovulation cycle. However, it is possible that our ovaries don’t release an egg in an ovulation cycle which may still lead to cramps but no period. This situation is known as anovulation and is a possible condition for any woman in the age group of 12 to 50.

Reason #2 – Pregnancy: As we have discussed above, during an ovulation cycle our ovaries release an egg every month. When during a cycle this egg isn’t fertilized, the inner line formed in the uterine wall to embed this egg is shed which results in periods. However, since this egg is fertilized during pregnancy, it indeed gets attached to the uterine lining. There is a certain pain experienced when this occurs that feels like cramps but no periods. Another reason for this can be when in pregnancy the egg gets implanted into one of the fallopian tubes the pain is excruciating. This also causes the condition of period-like cramps but no period.

Reason #3 – Thyroid Conditions: There is a muscle condition that leads to a medical problem causing muscle cramps. It is primarily triggered by the overproduction of thyroid hormone that is produced in the thyroid gland in our body. It generally causes weakness and even period-like cramps but no period specifically around the muscles of our shoulders and the hips.

Reason #4 – Hormonal Birth Control: Birth control hormonal pills often contain a mixture of various synthetic hormones. These often impact our health adversely and as a side effect, women have experienced period-like cramps but no periods with these pills. This is because during an ovulation cycle a thick lining is formed that helps to embed the fertilised egg. Hormonal birth control pills alter this lining inside your uterus while also preventing ovulation altogether, all of which can lead to what feels like period-like cramps but no period.

Reason #5 – Stress: Stress greatly governs our nervous system. And as it goes, of course, any changes and alterations in our nervous system are bound to have an impact on our body anywhere. Whenever our mind is under stress, it directly puts this excessive pressure on our nerves. The nerves then further put an additional strain on our muscles. Naturally, with this excessive strain acting on our muscles our muscles cramp but no period is there. Hence, stress can in fact induce cramping as bad as that we face during our periods but without a period.

Reason #6 – Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS): Polycystic ovary syndrome, often referred to as PCOS, is pretty common among women these days. It causes excessive hormonal imbalance in our bodies. This hormonal imbalance causes a lot of bloating and pain in the form of period-like cramps but no period. PCOS often affects the regularity as well as the frequency of periods. Thus, these period-like cramps but no period is a very common thing for patients with PCOS.

Reason #7 – Uterine Polyps: Uterine polyps are tiny formations that can be present inside our uterus. They are often why women have irregular periods with vastly varying flows of blood. Due to uterine polyps, many women experience excruciating pain due to cramps but no period. Seems bizarre, doesn’t it? But it does happen and can occur even during our period which can lead to severe cramping during periods as well.

Reason #8 – Ovarian Cysts: Cysts are basically small sacs filled with fluid inside. Usually, they don’t show any symptoms but when they do, cysts often cause conditions like bloating, abdominal swelling, and even cramps but no period. The intensity of pains of these may vary and rupture of this can even lead to a severe pain condition.

Reason #9 – Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID): Pelvic inflammatory disease is a bacterial disease that is usually transmitted through sexual activity. It usually affects our ovaries, fallopian tubes, cervix, and vagina primarily. Due to PID, we feel excruciating pain in our back on both sides as well on both the sides of our belly as well. This often causes cramps but no period.

Reason #10 – Urinary Tract Infections (UTI): When we are suffering from urinary tract infections, we often experience certain cramping in our pelvic region. These are basically period-like painful cramps but no period. Abdominal cramps and lower back cramps are often experienced during UTIs as well.

Reason #11 – Mittelschmerz: This is a condition that arises somewhere in between our ovulation cycle. Due to Mittelschmerz, our body experiences pain on any one side of our lower abdomen which is almost like cramps but no period.

Reason #12 – Exercising Too Much: Overexercising often tires our muscles. This happens because your blood flow is redirected to your limbs which causes our muscles to cramp. As a result, we get cramps that are often as painful as the ones we have during our periods.

The above-mentioned reasons are very prominent in the occurrence of cramps without periods. All of them can be cured by making slight changes in our lifestyles or by seeking professional help. It’s important to identify and address them because if not done within time, they may end up being harmful in the long run.