I Have Painful Periods That Stop Me From Going Places

I have painful periods that stop me from going places and keep me home from school and all I can do when I'm on my period is sit in a hot bath or sit with a heating pad on. Recently, I've also experienced what feels like cramps that do not hurt as bad as when I'm on my period whenever I get hot and sit down with my legs up. Is this normal? And what can I do to lessen the pain besides taking ibuprofen and pamprin?