Monthly cycle and Crohn's Disease flares

[SpoonNinja]

ok so my mom made me realize something the other day i was having severe pain and would be folded in half over my duck to get any kind of relieff and i had just starded with my monthly "friend" (more like enemy) and i already have a hard time with them because i get cycts very easily i had my left overy removed because of a volley ball sized cyst on it. but anyway my mom thinks that when i have my period i have a flair up too. and normally we have some type of pain meds but we dont this time and i was in my chair crying because it hurt so bad. so my mom said for me to come on here and see if periods and cd flair ups could be realted and if they are if i should try to have something done about it. she had a thing called novasure abolation(sp?) because she had very hard periods like i do and she said it helped a little but not much and she is trying to get a hysorectomy(SP?) so i think that is a bit extreme for me even tho i dun wanna have kids buti cant stand the pain. and it will last 2-3 days before i start the 7 days im on it and then 1-2 days when im off it. and i dont know what else i can do and she thought it would be good to come on here to see if there would be any advise any of you may have with dealing with this. because i cant even sleep i have to stay in a certin position and i cant sleep like that and the pain is too bad. and i still have to go to school fun fun so if any one can help me with this issue i would greatly appreciate it! THANK YOU!!!!

 

[Cookie]

Hi Spoon,

I can not give you any advice because i am not a doctor, but I will share with you my experience. Also, if you read through other threads, you will see that this topic has come up a lot on this forum. But here is my experience...

I started getting my period when I was almost 13 years old and with it all kinds of trouble started. Every month I had really bad cramps and bloating, constipation, then diarhea and complete misery. Keep in mind that at this time I had no idea about Crohn's disease, i wasn't diagnosed until I was 30. I saw an OBGYN and stomach specialist who didn't do any testing, but told me I had IBS, or spastic colon. As my periods continued to get worse, my OBGYN put me on birth control pills at age 16 to try and lessen the harshness. It worked great...like a miracle for me. And no more problems with my digestive system for 14 years. I remained on the pill until two years ago when my husband and I decided we might like to start a family.

Now here's the thing, I was dx with Crohn's at 30 when I had terrible bouts of D and developed a fistula. I was on the pill at the time. Since then, I have had on again off again flares, but never anything that I was able to corelate with my period...until I stopped taking the pill two years ago (at age 36). Now, I definitely notice that I have "stomach" issues right before my period and I also have a fistula that becomes very inflamed and drains alot at that time. I don't know if I would call it a flare, but there is most certainly some kind of connection.

Now, don't take me as someone who is trying to advise you to go on the pill. That was in 1988 and since then there have been so many advances in medicine, way more than I am aware of. But I do think you and your mother should talk to your OBGYN and see if he/she may have any suggestions.

Hope this helps a little. And Good Luck!

 

[SpoonNinja]

ive been on the pill bu it gives me a horrible pain in my chest and the dr took me off of them i used to use a heating pad but ours recently broke and i do take tylenol but it only helps some ive also tryed different meds like mydol and things like that and they dun help much eather

 

[D Bergy]

Lack of sufficient Iodine can cause cysts to grow. It is pretty easy to correct.


http://www.newswithviews.com/Howenstine/james37.htm

Dan

 

[SpoonNinja]

wow thats pretty cool! is there a vitamin with iodine or do you have to have their perscripian? i will have to do some research on this! thanx for the info!

 

[fromthegut]

When I was on the pill it helped a lot. I stopped a few eyars ago but am thinkign about going back on it. If only to help with flares and cramps. I too take Tylenol, hot baths and I put my a couple pills under my knees and a hot water bottle on my back and have a huge nap. This is an amazing help ! I feel liek a new woman once I wake up.

 

[scaredgirl]

when i was a teen i had severe cramps, birth control solved that. but now i am thirty and for a long time when i have my cycle or close to it i start having diarrhea. i havent been diagnosed yet but i was wondering if that is a symptom of crohns. sorry to hyjack your post just kinda fit in the same category.

 

[Guest]

hi Tabathe.. yep i noticed this connection myself, and started a thread a while ago asking if anyone else had.. the replies were really interesting. here's the thread.. http://www.crohnsforum.com/showthread.php?t=2550&highlight=hormones

for the pain, you could, along with everyone else's tips, try to get those spasms to relax - warmth helps either a heated pad, hot water bottle or warm bath, you could try massaging your tummy with an oil, relaxation and breathing exercises, and taking camomile tea or other antispasmodic drinks from the health store.

 

[D Bergy]

Some vitamins have Iodine, but you may need more than the minimal amount in the vitamin. Lugols is a Iodine mixture that you may or may not be able to buy. I never spent to much time trying to buy it, but the pharmacy would not sell it to me without a prescription in my state. My wife was given Iodine by a Chiropractor. She was low.

Table salt has Iodine, but the amounts are very small.

You can also supplement with Iodine rich supplements such as Kelp. You have to be careful not to overdo it also. It is the correct balance that is important. Testing would be the best way to determine if you are low or not.

Dan

 

[kello82]

mhmm ive noticed the same thing and posted in the other threads about it, heres another short one that someone did a few days ago
http://www.crohnsforum.com/showthread.php?t=5996

but the one ding posted is a good long one.

i havent had my period too many times from always getting sick and losing weight, but the first time i ever got it, it threw me into an awful flare and i didnt get it again for over a year due to weight loss due to the flare. then when i was a little bit regular and more healthy, i did notice that my stomach felt awful those days and the cramps were BAD. i remem,ber this one time i was driving home from the movies and i didnt know what else to do except yell it out! "OWWWW!!" to no one. LOL i cant imagine if anyone had been with me hhaa.
anyways YES there is a connection it seems. dont know much more than that though

 

[SpoonNinja]

ha i do that my mom tells me to scream at the top of my lungs when it gets real bad and it does help a little and i will deff check out the links u guys posted

 

[pb4]

Chamomile tea is actually documented for easing period cramps and because it's a natural anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal it can aid aid with CD symptoms as well, I drink it everyday, but I still have poo-poo issues during that time of month too (my periods really throw my CD out of whack which is actually very common for us women, happens with IBSers too)....I'm still pondering the idea about getting the Minera IUD put in to hopefully stop my periods in the hope that alone will ease the CD during that monthly time, but it has hormones in it (like BC pills) so I think ablation might be the way to go too.

 

[prettykitty]

I definitely think they're connected, Spoon. Long before I was ever even had symptoms of CD, I had diarrhea and exceptional gas during my periods. It was better when I was on the pill. You might want to talk with your doctor about going on it and see if that helps. There are some brands that are designed to be taken for three months straight (seasonique?) so that you only have 4 periods a year. But even with the regular ones, you can just skip the week of placebo pills and start a new pack...