Women’s Health
Period Pain Consultation
Painful periods are common, but they should not be dismissed. Come and talk it through properly.
Available from 1 October 2026 – register your interestBook a consultation Call 01453 810316
- Available
- From 1 October 2026
- Setting
- Private consultation
- Age
- Adults 18 and over
- Referral
- Referral where needed
About this service
Period pain, or dysmenorrhoea, is cramping pain in the lower tummy that often spreads to the lower back and thighs, and it can come with nausea, tiredness, headache, loose stools and low mood. It is common, but common does not mean it should be ignored, and at Berkeley Pharmacy we offer private period pain consultations that take the problem seriously, assess it properly, help with the pain, and make sure anything that needs investigation gets referred.
There are two broad types of period pain. Primary period pain starts within a year or two of periods beginning, is worst in the first day or two, and has no underlying disease behind it. Secondary period pain starts later in life, often gets worse over time, and is caused by an underlying condition such as endometriosis, adenomyosis, fibroids or pelvic inflammatory disease. It is important to distinguish between the two, because painful periods are too often dismissed, and endometriosis in particular is frequently diagnosed years later than it should be. Our consultation is about taking the problem seriously, assessing it properly, helping with the pain and making sure anything that needs investigation gets referred.
What period pain is and why the type matters
Period pain, or dysmenorrhoea, is cramping pain in the lower tummy that often spreads to the lower back and thighs, and it can come with nausea, tiredness, headache, loose stools and low mood. For many people it is a manageable nuisance, but for others it is severe enough to disrupt work, school, sport and daily life.
Primary period pain starts within a year or two of periods beginning, is worst in the first day or two, and has no underlying disease behind it. Secondary period pain starts later in life, often gets worse over time, and is caused by an underlying condition such as endometriosis, adenomyosis, fibroids or pelvic inflammatory disease. Distinguishing between the two matters, because painful periods are too often dismissed, and endometriosis in particular is frequently diagnosed years later than it should be.
Who this service is for
Suitable for
- Women aged 18 and over with painful periods
- Anyone whose pain is affecting work, school, sport or daily life
- People who have been managing with over-the-counter painkillers that are no longer enough
- Anyone who wants to understand whether their pain is normal
- Those who want a starting point before deciding whether to see their GP
Not suitable for
- Anyone with severe sudden pelvic pain, which needs urgent assessment
- Possible pregnancy with pain or bleeding, which needs urgent assessment
- Pain with fever, unusual discharge or pain during sex, which suggests infection and needs GP review
- Under 18s
- Anyone who has already been investigated and needs specialist rather than pharmacy care
How it works
A simple, consistent process for every service at Berkeley Pharmacy.
Get in touch
Call us or use our contact form to arrange a consultation.
Consultation
A private, face-to-face appointment with our pharmacist in our Berkeley consultation room.
Clinical assessment
We review your medical history and confirm whether the service is suitable for you.
Treatment or referral
If it is suitable we treat you the same day; if not, we explain why and advise on the best next step.
What to expect at your appointment
Your consultation is private and unhurried, in our consultation room. We ask questions only because they help us distinguish primary from secondary period pain, and we approach the conversation with respect and without judgement.
- A private consultation covering the pattern, timing and severity of your pain, when it started and how it has changed
- Questions about your cycle, bleeding, bowel and bladder symptoms, pain during sex and fertility, asked sensitively because they help distinguish primary from secondary period pain
- A review of your medical history and current medicines, including contraception
- Practical self-care advice covering heat, exercise, TENS and how to take simple painkillers properly, which many people are doing suboptimally
- Where treatment is appropriate, a discussion of the options
- A clear referral to your GP where anything suggests an underlying cause
Aftercare and self-care
Take simple painkillers regularly at the start of your period rather than waiting for the pain to build, which works considerably better, and combine that with heat, gentle exercise and a TENS machine, all of which have evidence behind them.
- Take simple painkillers regularly at the start of your period rather than waiting for the pain to build, which works considerably better
- Heat, gentle exercise and a TENS machine all have evidence behind them and are worth trying
- Keep a simple symptom diary for two or three cycles, as this is genuinely useful if you do end up seeing a specialist
- Come back or see your GP if the pattern changes, the pain gets worse, or you develop bleeding between periods
- Do not accept being told that severe period pain is just something to put up with
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between primary and secondary period pain?
Primary period pain starts within a year or two of periods beginning, is worst in the first day or two, and has no underlying disease behind it. Secondary period pain starts later in life, often gets worse over time, and is caused by an underlying condition such as endometriosis, adenomyosis, fibroids or pelvic inflammatory disease. Distinguishing between the two is a key part of the consultation.
When should painful periods be investigated?
Pain that starts later in life, gets worse over time, disrupts work, school or daily life, comes with bleeding between periods, pain during sex, bowel or bladder symptoms, or fertility concerns all warrant investigation. We will assess the pattern and refer you to your GP where anything suggests an underlying cause, with a clear explanation of why.
Could my period pain be endometriosis?
It could be, and endometriosis is frequently diagnosed years later than it should be because painful periods are too often dismissed. If your pain started later in life, has got worse over time, or comes with pain during sex, bowel or bladder symptoms or difficulty conceiving, we will refer you for investigation rather than simply treat the symptom.
What self-care actually helps with period pain?
Taking simple painkillers regularly at the start of your period rather than waiting for the pain to build works considerably better, and many people are doing this suboptimally. Heat, gentle exercise and a TENS machine all have evidence behind them, and keeping a simple symptom diary for two or three cycles is genuinely useful if you do end up seeing a specialist.
Can a pharmacist help or do I need my GP?
A pharmacist is a good starting point. We can assess the pattern of your pain, give practical self-care advice, discuss treatment options where appropriate, and refer you to your GP where anything suggests an underlying cause. For many people that is enough, and where it is not, the assessment and symptom diary make a GP visit more productive.
When is this service available?
This service will be available from 1 October 2026. If you would like to be contacted when it launches, or if your symptoms are severe or changing now, please speak to us or your GP in the meantime rather than waiting.
How we can supply treatment without a GP appointment
Some treatments at Berkeley Pharmacy are supplied under a Patient Group Direction, or PGD – a written instruction, signed by a doctor and a pharmacist, that legally allows our trained pharmacists to supply and administer specified medicines to people who meet defined clinical criteria, without a prescription from your GP. If you do not meet the criteria set out in the PGD we cannot supply the treatment, and we will explain why and advise you on the best next step. Our pharmacists also work as independent prescribers where that is appropriate.
Serving Berkeley and the surrounding Gloucestershire villages
Berkeley Pharmacy is on Market Place in the centre of Berkeley, with easy access from junctions 13 and 14 of the M5. We welcome patients from Berkeley, Sharpness, Newport, Berkeley Heath, Alkington, Ham, Stone and Rockhampton, and we are a short drive from Cam, Dursley, Slimbridge, Cambridge, Falfield, Charfield, Tortworth, Cromhall, Oldbury-on-Severn, Wotton-under-Edge, Thornbury, Frampton on Severn and Stonehouse. Patients also travel to us from Stroud, Nailsworth, Yate, Chipping Sodbury, Tetbury and Gloucester.
Safe, regulated care from your local pharmacy team
- Berkeley Pharmacy is registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council. You can check any pharmacy or pharmacist on the GPhC register at pharmacyregulation.org.
- Every consultation is face to face and private, in our dedicated consultation room – not an online questionnaire.
- Serving the Berkeley community for over 25 years.
- This service does not replace care from your GP. With your consent we will inform your GP of any treatment provided. If you are unwell, have new or worsening symptoms, or need urgent care, contact your GP or NHS 111, and in an emergency call 999.
- If you experience a side effect from any medicine you can report it through the MHRA Yellow Card scheme at yellowcard.mhra.gov.uk.
Page last reviewed: September 2026. Next review due: September 2027.
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Visit us in Berkeley or get in touch to arrange a private consultation with our pharmacist.
Book a consultation Call 01453 810316
Address
14 Market Place, Berkeley, GL13 9BB
Opening hours
Mon–Fri 9am–6pm (closed 1–2pm)
Sat 9am–1pm
Sun Closed