Cramps but No Period? - Possible Causes and Symptoms Have Cramps but No Period?

Lots of women get pelvic pain and cramping, but your period isn't always to blame. Cysts, constipation, pregnancy -- even cancer -- can make it feel like your monthly visitor is about to stop by.

It can be tough to tell whether the pain's being caused by something simple or more serious.

Cramps often arise before or during your period, and this symptom is absolutely normal. It occurs when hormone-like compounds called prostaglandins contract the uterus muscles to eject the unfertilized egg and the uterus lining. However, some women may wonder, “Why am I having cramps but no period?” It can certainly be unsettling to experience period-like symptoms like cramps, but no period to follow.

If you are experiencing cramping in your lower abdominal region, it usually indicates an underlying health issue. This is especially true if the timing coincides with your expected period, but you have no spotting or flow of blood.

When distressed from an injury or illness, our muscles will tighten, giving a cramping sensation of short, uncomfortable twinges or sudden excruciating thrusts of pain.

Muscle cramps in the uterus cause a force against its wall lining. The body gives these signals shortly before or during the monthly menstruation cycle.

Other symptoms may signal a pregnancy, cysts, constipation, or even cancer.

 

Why Do I Have Cramps but No Period?

• ​Pregnancy
  Essentially, the growing embryo has attached to your uterine lining. This is what is called “implantation pain.” As a result, you will experience slight cramping for about four weeks into the pregnancy, which is around the time your period is scheduled to happen.
  A woman will continue to have cramping throughout the pregnancy as the uterus grows along with the embryo.

Symptoms:

Despite all of the internal changes your body experiences at the early stage of pregnancy, strangely enough, there are not too many other symptoms to look for. You may have slight cramping around the time you are expecting your period, about the four-week mark, and tenderness of the breasts.

The morning sickness many women experience usually hits about five to six weeks into the pregnancy.

• Late Period
  A late period is one of the most common causes of cramps but no period onset. This pain stems from the ovulation, or releasing of eggs, 14 days before your period start date. Whether your periods are like clockwork or sporadic, cramping from a late period can cause concern for some women.

• An Inflammatory Bowel Disease (Crohn's Disease or Ulcerative Colitis)
  What it is: You get long-term (chronic) swelling and irritation in different parts of your digestive tract. It happens when something goes haywire in your immune system. It isn’t the same as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Crohn's can affect any part of your digestive tract (including your mouth). Ulcerative colitis involves only the large intestine (colon).

What the cramps feel like: It depends on the type of IBD you have. With Crohn's, you’ll feel cramps and pain in the right lower or middle parts of your belly. They can be mild to severe. If you have ulcerative colitis, the cramps will be on the lower left side of your stomach.

Other symptoms: Which ones you have depend on the specific type of IBD. They include:

Severe changes in bowel movements (diarrhea, constipation)
Urgent need to pass a bowel movement
Feeling that your bowels aren’t completely empty after you go
Blood in your poop
Weight loss
Fever
Fatigue

• Menopause
  Menopause is the normal process during which a woman’s menstrual cycle and fertility comes to an end. It typically occurs around age 50, though many women experience menopause between ages 40 and 58. However, some women may experience symptoms like cramping for months or years after menopause begins.

  The phase leading up to menopause is called pre-menopause. At this time, the menstrual cycle begins to change, and the ovaries do not ovulate on a regular basis. This is because there is a reduction in ovarian hormone production, including progesterone, as well as other hormones like estrogen and testosterone.

Symptoms:

An estimated 75% of menopausal women suffer from hot flashes for about two years, and 25% have them for five years or more. Other menopausal symptoms include:

1. Fatigue
2. Depression
3. Night sweats
4. Heart palpitations
5. Vaginal dryness
6. Mood swings
7. Sleep problems
8. Loss of breast fullness
9. Weight gain
10. Dry skin and hair thinning
11. Chills

There may also be irregular periods, periods occurring closer together, shorter periods, and periods longer or heavier than normal. It is also common for symptoms to be different for every woman.

• Ovulation
  What it is: If you haven't gone through menopause and still have your ovaries, you might get cramps mid-month, about 10-14 days before your period. This happens when your ovaries release an egg to ready your body for a possible pregnancy. The harmless twinge of discomfort is called "mittelschmerz," which means middle pain.

What the cramps feel like: You'll notice pain on one side of your lower belly. It lasts a few minutes to a few hours. It can be sharp and sudden, or you might just have a dull cramp. The side of the pain depends on which ovary released the egg. It may switch sides every month or strike the same place each time.

• Inflammatory Bowel Disease
  Ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease are the two main forms of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Ulcerative colitis involves the colon, whereas Crohn’s disease affects the entire digestive tract.

  IBD is characterized as recurrent inflammation, irritation, and swelling in specific intestinal segments of your digestive tract. It results from immune dysfunction due to food allergies, high omega-6 intake, infections, and antibiotic exposure.

  Mild to severe cramps can be felt on the lower right mid-section of the belly during Crohn’s disease; however, with ulcerative colitis, the cramps are experienced on the lower left side of the stomach only.

Symptoms:

There are varying symptoms associated with each type of this condition.

The distinct difference is the location as Crohn’s presents in the lower right section of your abdomen, while ulcerative colitis produces cramps on the left side. Common symptoms of both include diarrhea, constipation, weight loss, fatigue, fever, and possible blood in your stool.

• Ectopic Pregnancy
  What it is: This is when a baby grows somewhere other than your womb. Most often it happens in one of your two fallopian tubes. It’s life-threatening for the mother and can’t result in a live birth.

What the cramps feel like: You may have mild cramps followed by sudden, sharp, stabbing pains on one side of your lower belly. The pain can get so severe that you also feel it in your shoulder and lower back.

Other symptoms: Before the cramps, you may have had typical pregnancy signs, like nausea and sore breasts. But not all women with an ectopic pregnancy have those. You might not even know you’re pregnant.

• Ovarian Cancer
  Ovarian cancer can occur in various parts of the ovary. The American Cancer Society estimates that 22,240 women will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer in the U.S. in 2018, and as a result, there will be about 14,070 deaths from ovarian cancer.

  The cramps associated with ovarian cancer may go unnoticed, and you may mistake the pain for gas or constipation. However, the pressure and pain on your lower belly or abdomen is consistent, and simply will not go away.

Symptoms:

Since the cramping associated with ovarian cancer can sometimes be linked to other health conditions, the major indictor is a pain and heavy pressure feeling that does not dissipate over time. Your stomach may become swollen and you may find yourself eating less, even without a loss of appetite.

As ovarian cancer progresses, symptoms become more noticeable. Other common ovarian cancer symptoms include pelvic pain, frequent bloating, frequent urge to urinate, indigestion, constipation, lower back pain, fatigue, weight gain, weight loss, and vaginal bleeding.

• Miscarriage
  What it is: It's the loss of an unborn baby before the 20th week of pregnancy.

What the cramps feel like: They might start out like period pains, and then get more severe.

Other symptoms: You may have vaginal bleeding or spotting. Some pregnant women have these symptoms but don’t miscarry. But if you’re expecting and either one happens, always call your doctor.

• Endometriosis
  What it is: This is a long-term (chronic) condition in which tissue similar to your womb's lining attach to other organs and begin to grow.

What the cramps feel like: They seem like regular period cramps, but they can happen any time of month. You may also have cramps and pain in your low back and stomach below your belly button.

Other symptoms: Sex that involves deep penetration may be painful. Some women have painful bowel movements. Endometriosis can make it hard to get pregnant.

• Eating Disorder
  Cramping without a period can also result from an eating disorder like bulimia or anorexia. This is because a woman with an eating disorder can experience irregular periods, or may even stop having periods altogether. As a result, there will be cramping instead of a period.

  Those with anorexia may even refuse food or eat just enough to keep their body functioning. Bulimics, on the other hand, will binge on a lot of food and then purge to maintain their body weight.

Symptoms:

It’s important to note that some gastrointestinal disorders can decrease your appetite and cause weight loss due to cramping and abdominal pain after eating.

In bulimia, symptoms also include erosion of tooth enamel, a chronic sore throat, and digestive problems. In anorexia, symptoms also include fatigue, weakness, fear of being fat, dizziness, mood swings, hair loss, and cold or tingling extremities.

Chronic thinness, the absence of at lest three consecutive periods, a slow heart rate, and malnourishment are other key symptoms of both anorexia and bulimia.

• Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID)
  What it is: It's a bacterial infection that's usually spread by sex. It affects the parts that help you conceive and grow a baby. This includes your fallopian tubes, womb, ovaries, vagina, and cervix.

What the cramps feel like: You'll have pain on both sides of your lower belly and lower back. It can happen any time of the month.

Other symptoms: PID causes abnormal vaginal discharge and, sometimes, spotting. You might have pain or burning during sex or when you pee. Your periods might be heavier or longer. You might run a fever or have nausea and vomiting. You'll need to get the disease treated by a doctor.

• Ovulation
  If you still have your ovaries and haven’t gone through menopause, then cramping about 10 to 14 days before your period may occur. This is what is known as ovulation, which happens when a mature egg gets released from the ovary to help get the body ready for a possible pregnancy.

  The term for cramping during ovulation is called “mittelschmerz,” which means “middle pain” in German. You may notice one-sided abdominal pain that lasts between a few minutes to a few hours.

  The cramping can be sudden and sharp, or it may be dull. The side of the cramping will depend on what ovary had released the egg. As a result, the cramping may occur on the same side or switch sides each month.

Symptoms:

Other symptoms of ovulation include mild bleeding, vaginal discharge, cervical mucus changes, a heightened sense of smell, breast tenderness, increased sex drive, nausea, and mild pelvic pain.

During ovulation, the cervix may also become softer, higher, and more open.

• Interstitial Cystitis
  What it is: This long-term condition affects your bladder. Some doctors call it "painful bladder syndrome."

What the cramps feel like: You’ll notice them in your lower stomach (pelvic) area and in your genitals, along with pain and tenderness. They’ll get worse as your bladder gets full and when it's almost time for your period.

Other symptoms: You'll feel like you have to pee a lot, and it’ll be urgent. Sex might also hurt.

• Autoimmune Oophoritis
  Autoimmune oophoritis is a rare cause of primary ovarian insufficiency that happens when the immune system mistakenly attacks the ovaries and stops them from working normally.

  As a result, the ovaries will harden and shrink, which lowers hormone levels in the body and causes infertility, as well as abdominal cramping.

Symptoms:

In some cases, autoimmune oophoritis does not present symptoms. Other times, symptoms will include irregular or absent menstrual periods; bleeding or pain during sex; heavy vaginal discharge; burning or pain during urination; difficulty urinating; and symptoms associated with ovarian cysts like nausea, vomiting, and bloating.

Autoimmune oophoritis is also associated with myasthenia gravis, lupus, pernicious anemia, and other autoimmune conditions.

• Cervix Stenosis
  Severe and painful cramps without a period can also indicate stenosis of the uterine cervix, especially if you have had surgery on the cervix.

  In cervical stenosis, the cervix narrows to where normal menstrual bleeding has been obstructed. In some cases, regular periods may have less bleeding and painful cramping.

Symptoms:

For some women, especially menopausal women, cervical stenosis may have no or very few symptoms. That being said, cervical stenosis symptoms may include no periods, irregular periods and abnormal bleeding, painful periods, and infertility if stenosis completely blocks the path of sperm to the uterus. There may also be bulging in the pelvic area or chronic pelvic pain.

 

Cramps with no Period and White Discharge

Cramping with no period and white discharge can also be a problem. Cramping with a white discharge may simply indicate an infection in your reproductive organs like the ovaries.

A white discharge can indicate pregnancy if you had unprotected sex during ovulation—a period of fertility during menstruation.
White discharge is considered common when estrogen levels have increased during ovulation. After ovulation, progesterone increases and estrogen decreases, which prepares the uterus for pregnancy.

If there is no pregnancy, progesterone is reduced, and menstruation begins. If pregnancy does begin, both progesterone and estrogen will increase to support a developing fetus. The rapid estrogen increase will lead to a milky white discharge—an early sign of pregnancy.

A white discharge can sometimes indicate pelvic pain. At this time, a pregnancy test is a good idea to confirm your pregnancy. If you are not pregnant, this is when you should be tested for sexually transmitted diseases.

 

Tips to Relieve Discomfort

There are home treatments to help alleviate the pain, pressure, or discomfort at the first signs of cramping but no period, or when you are not expecting your period at all.

• Lie down to rest quietly.
• Use a heating pad or hot water bottle on the location of the cramping.
• Take a warm bath to relax the muscles.
• Gently rub your abdomen.
• Drink herbal tea or arm water with lemon.

Any pain or discomfort of cramping with no period starting within two weeks should be checked out by a medical professional.