Crohns symptoms worse with periods?

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Yes, definitely. The cramps go crazy and I have more d and just generally feel more awful during menstruation. It's something I dread every month.
 
Yea... next week is my horrible week. Merry x-mas!! lol

My symptoms are always worse. It seems like once one thing cramps, everything else joins in! And I found out recently that my cecum is basically on top of my cervix. I guess neighbors like to party together.
 
Gotta love it. Just makes it all better doesnt it knowing no matter what you do you will have a week of crohn's acting up every single month.
 
I seem to be the only one who doesn't notice any difference! I am more careful of my eating when i'm on but only because P pain and D pain together are intolerable!

Due to come on xmas eve/day, just one or two days after a colonoscopy, great!
 
Yeah but never mind that's life hey, not up to doing anything anyways and wasn't going to even try xmas dinner before so not much difference lol. Going to have 2 Christmasses next year :)
 
I'm the same way b ut sometimes my UC symptoms are worse right before my period, kinds like it coexist with my lovely PMS, lol. My poor family..they must love me to pieces to have to deal with all my craziness! It really is noce to know I'm not alone on this though. I swore for years that they 2 had something to do with each other but have never found any research on it.
 
I only notice a huge difference if I am already flared. When I'm flared and then P it's awful! Plus I find if I'm already flared then my P is longer and much worse. But, if I don'thave a flare already P is not too bad.

GG
 
Oh yeah, much worse. I think I would have horrible P anyway but the C makes it so much worse. I guess when you think about it all that stuff is crammed down in one little spot. I think inflammation for one effects the other? IDK, just throwing out ideas.
 
I've always noticed a difference during that wonderful week despite drs saying it has nothing to do with it, it's just PMS... BS!! Before i ever had Crohn's syptoms and was diagnosed at most I'd have slight cramping day before or day of. After Crohn's different story! Even while in a complete remission for 5 yrs that wk would also give me at least a little CD grief. I think it's hormones.
After my 5 yr remission and 2 children later, I decided at 4mos old to stop breastfeeding my daughter. All the hormonal changes brought one one heck of a flare this time! I'm now on humira and pred again bc of it.
 
My cd is definitely worse when I have my periods. I thought it was just due to me getting older, but as soon as my periods are finished I feel fine. When I go to the toilet I feel like I am being split in two, my belly makes lots of noise all day, and I have very bad pain. Thought last time I was going to have to take myself to hospital.
 
Mine is much worse during my periods as well. Besides the pain and diarrhea, I get extremely fatigued. I've found that a heating pad does wonders if I have the luxury of experiencing the pain on a weekend when I'm not at work. My OB-GYN just recommended that I take an iron pill in addition to my multi-vitamin during that week. I'm hoping it helps. Oh, and she also said I have at least 10 more years of periods ... awesome!

Doglover
 
I was just wondering about this and was going to ask cause it is such a bitch the wk of my period and im in Peri mental pause al so my period has a mind of its one , if its three wks or every other wk...they have checked my thyroid, hormones, and other things and can't tell me why its doing this (being so irregular) when ive always been like clock work before, this started about 6 yrs ago before my dx of crohns.
 
Have you ladies been checked for endometriosis? I have the same problem with my period, but after I had some endo removed it helped tremendously.
 
So, I had my period two weeks ago. My Crohn's apparently got so bad that it made my girly parts swell. Couldn't use a tampon, first time I wore pads in over a decade. Just started two months of Pred, 40 mg to start. Yay.

:-/
Jess
 
Jessica, I've had the exact same problems with tampons too. I wore them for years and now I can't wear one without doubling over in pain. It just makes my stomach cramp up so bad. :-(

I hate wearing pads too, they make me feel so self conscious, like everyone can see it.
 
Yea. As if I don't feel dirty enough of the time with CD. Now it has to act up worse for a week! And I have to essentially wear a diper?! Wow.

Good to know I'm not alone in this. <3 Thanks.
 
I feel the same way! <3 It helps a lot to have someone to talk to things about. :hug:

Are any of you ladies on birth control pills? They can help regulate your period and lighten it.
 
I've been on BC pills for about 12 yrs. Down to a solid day and a half with 1 spotting.

It definitely cuts it down!

Is it true that the higher dosages help with cramping?
 
I think they do. When I was on a lower dosage, I still experienced cramping, but now that I'm on a pretty high dosage right now I don't really have menstrual cramping, just the "normal" stomach cramping I always have.

Also, if you get on a higher dosage, sometimes you can skip having your period all together.

It made my ****s get huge for a little while too. :D
 
I’m on mine now and it is awful! I really do think the Crohns makes it so much worse. Any ideas to help beat bloat? Anyone?

My Dr took me off the pill because it can cause blood clots in people with Crohns. Just something to think about.
 
Definitely a lot worse during that week. I take 305mg mefenamic acid 3 times a day 2 days before my period and during it to stop the ridiculously heavy flow and unbearable pain. It does it job well, reduces the pain (pretty much back to normal 'crohns' level for me) and flow is lighter, does nothing for the increase in D though
 
I also have the same problem!! During my period & some days before my cd defo plays up!!! Sooo annoying! As if it isnt already enough hassle having cd! I wish there was something to stop periods meanwhile! X
 
I even had a Thermal Ablation to help, i have Endometreosis, Fibroid s, & my hubby says every woman has a Period never seen one that hurts so bad, like im faking it, wait until i tell him i`m NOT the only one, lol
 
Yupppp. But I find if I am extra careful with diet, exercise, sleep, stress-relief, etc before/during, it is much less terrible! I take birth control too and that helps a lot with cramps and duration (even though it's probably bad for my intestines..).

Also, I use a Diva Cup instead of tampons/pads and it is THE BEST THING IN THE WORLD. It's made my periods 3528789528x easier!! Look it up!
 
Yes yes and YES! Thanks to starting this thread. I'm glad it's not just me here! This isn't exactly the conversation topic of choice among most people. For those of you who aren't on birth control, what helps you?
 
Yes, not only strong anecdotal correlation between menses and IBD, but medical research as well!

I just saw this subforum and wanted to lend my support. I have placed posts recently in the "Early Menopause Anyone," and "Hysterectomy" subforums. Here are excerpts from them that might be helpful:

My Crohn's is so closely tied to my hormonal cycle, and both my period&mini-flares have coincided for over 30 years now, I have personally seen a correlation between the two. In addition, on the CCFA website there is the following info., which my own doc, from a major teaching hospital, corroborates:

"It’s interesting that there’s an overlay of IBD symptoms that may increase during the menstrual cycle, whether that’s during PMS or the actual week of menstrual flow. And it’s interesting that menses suppression with birth control medication can actually be very helpful and needed if debilitating symptoms are present. So ladies, if you find that you have these mini-flares once a month, it’s worth mentioning to your physician because there are ways potentially to change the medication schedule that you’re on or maybe going on to hormonal therapy to help ablate some of these peaks and valleys of your symptoms."

Here are two links in reference to this on the CCFA website, and you can do further searches on that site, of course:
http://www.ccfa.org/media/pdf/FactSh...nfactsheet.pdf
http://www.ccfa.org/media/pdf/IBDandSheTranscript.pdf

And from the other post:
Your regular internist can run an FSH (Follicle Stimulating Hormone) test in your routine blood work, as my internist did. If that FSH is really high, as mine was, it means that your body is putting out lots of FSH to "kick" your ovaries into a higher gear because they are slowing down. You may need to have this taken a few times because it is a snapshot, like a thyroid test, that can vary from time to time.

Over the past 20 years--I'm 51--I've tried various BC pills and have been on Premarin and now Estradiol to improve my symptoms, and they have helped TREMENDOUSLY with everything: my Crohns flares, my PMS/periods and now, going through menopause. Keep in mind that I did take one BC pill that aggravated my Crohns, but as soon as I dropped it, things calmed down immediately. So, you do have to find the one that works for you personally.

Alternatively, if you don't want to use chemical hormones, there is always the option of natural remedies as prescribed by a licensed naturopath, or natural hormones from a compounding pharmacy. That's what I hope to do eventually...For the past 4 years, HRT has been working so well I hate to mess with it!

I've been told that the stomach and intestines have estrogen receptors that react to changing hormone levels. High progesterone levels during menstruation cause menstrual cramps and can also cause intestinal spasms.

Sheesh, it summed it all up perfectly when I read another post entitled, "Crohns + Period = Aaaaaaaaaargh!"

Hope you all find some relief in whatever suits your situation best, be it birth control pills, HRT, totally natural hormones or remedies, or perhaps homeopathic remedies, or hysterectomy, depending on your age.
 
The dancin' "party" banana is great! It's impossible to look at that and not smile. I eat plenty of (very ripe) bananas and they are definitely the happy fruit for me! Take care and have a great weekend!
 

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