"The pain of abdominal cramps is different from headache, or indigestion. For me, it's a special kind of pain. And I think it needs a special kind of treatment."  Each of us has a unique experience of our body and its needs. Pain is often a "message" from our body. It's important to understand what the message means, so we can act to prevent the problem in the future.

In most cases, abdominal pain is harmless and temporary. Many people experience short-term pain in the abdomen once in a while. Stress, family affairs or eating food that is very spicy, acidic or that has a high fat content can cause temporary pain.

But sometimes the pain doesn't go away after a few minutes. Sometimes the muscles of the digestive organs go into spasms, or cramps. These can cause pain in the lower abdomen that lasts up to several hours or even several days. And as anyone who's ever experienced strong abdominal cramps can confirm, they can be severely painful.

At times like these, Buscopan^® provides targeted, effective and safe relief from the pain of abdominal cramps.

You can learn more about the causes of Abdominal Pain and Cramps on this website.

"I suffered from stomach cramps for years. Finally, one doctor diagnosed IBS. That was it; now at last I can do something to prevent the pain."

A large number of people suffer from recurring abdominal pain and cramps for which doctors are unable to find a specific physical cause. In some cases, pain and cramps are accompanied by a feeling of fullness, bloating (i.e. the feeling of having the abdomen swelling to larger-than-normal size) and disturbed bowel movements, often alternating between constipation and diarrhea. This collection of symptoms - pain, cramps, bloating and diarrhea/constipation with no evident physical cause - has been given the name Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). You can learn more about IBS by going to the Irritable Bowel Syndrome section of this website.

Before or during menstruation, pain in the lower abdomen is also quite normal. Hormones cause the muscles of the uterus to contract. The surrounding digestive organs can also start to cramp. Many women therefore experience menstrual pain together with digestive disturbances such as bloating, constipation or diarrhoea. While this is certainly not pleasant, it is an experience shared by many women. Buscopan^® Plus is a proven treatment for the pain of menstrual cramps, trusted by millions of women around the world.

Go to the Menstrual Pain section of this website to learn more about this topic.