Teen Girls and Crohns

[kimmidwife]

Okay I posted this in the OB/Gyn section but no one wrote back. Do your girls seem to have worse flares during their menses? How do they differentiate between menstrual pain vs crohns pain and what to treat it with? Also do they have bad mood swings? The past 2 months Caitlyn has been having terrible mood swings and pain during her menses. She has never complained of menstrual pain in the past so this is new. In fact we used to laugh at how she was the only one in her class that breezed through her periods. :sign0085:I am wondering is it just from this flare up or is something else going on?

 

[Hexie]

I was diagnosed when I was 16 (in 1986) but leading up to that point I found my menses pains were a whole lot worse and I believe that was becos of the Crohns I didn't know I had at the time. I also had bad mood swings too - I still get them now but that's down the the steroids I take.
It may be worth taking her to the doc and seeing if he can check her over and sort something out for her.
My heart goes out to the pair of you as I've been there and done that :hug:
Keep us posted

 

[Gabismommy]

I have often wondered the same thing. It seems my tummy always acts up during my cycle. Also, ever since my Crohns has been acting up they have been saying that my pap smear has odd cells. No stds or infections or anything like that, just that something isn't right. I wonder if they are connected?

 

[kimmidwife]

Hey Hexie,
I have fibromyalgia too and it really stinks. It is terrible you have both crohns and fibro. I have such pain just from fibro!
Gabismommy,
I just sent you a message.

 

[Emily]

I've had Crohn's since childhood and never found a connection between my period and my Crohn's, however I've heard lots of people on the forum say they feel a real connection.

I know lots of girls, myself included who went on birth control in their early teens specifically for this issue, and it helps tremendously for mood swings, pain, cramping, etc. If she keeps suffering every month, it might be a good idea to ask her GP about starting a bc cycle or something else to alleviate it. With all the other things she has going on, she shouldn't have to suffer through her period too!

 

[LittleChloe]

Yes absolutely worse during her period. We've kept a calendar so we know when it's coming. Chloe tends to ache all over, have stomach pain and be very tired and will even run a fever. We give her some anti-inflammatory herbs and get her to bed really early and she's better within 2 days. I also noticed she will have some abdominal pain two weeks later when she would be ovulating. Shes pretty much pain free otherwise.

 

[Cross-stitch gal]

Even before I was diagnosed with UC in 1996 I've always had bad cramps/periods. Never really paid attention as far as flares acting up with it until this last year when I was diagnosed with Crohn's.

 

[DustyKat]

Hey Kim,

I have read on here loads of times of women having worse period symptoms when they are flaring, sometimes significantly so.

Sarah didn't reach puberty until after surgery, she has been in remission since starting her periods and has not had any pain issues associated with them, well not bad ones anyway. Perhaps it is the flare that is creating the problem.

I hope the flare settles soon for Caitlyn and the period pain! Good luck!

Dusty. :heart:

 

[Hexie]

Hi Kim

I find my fibro pain is easy to deal with, as is the Crohns - my main problem is all the arthritis and osteoporosis pain I'm in 24/7. There's never any let up.
I'm sending lots of gentle hugs to Caitlyn :hug: and I hope she get all this sorted as soon as possible.

 

[kimmidwife]

Day 3 of her cycle yesterday and she was so much better mentally and physically. However we also increased her endocort back to 3 per day for the next few Weeks and increased her amitryptalline to40mg

 

[imwood]

Hi Kim,
I don't have Crohns, but I have Interstitial Cystitis, a bladder autoimmune condition.. for years, I've struggled with horrible periods. Cramps that would make me miss school, migraines since age 13 that I finally got diagnosed LAST YEAR as cluster migraines (the most severe migraine you can get) and I'm on Topamax for, after 15 years of misery, severe diarrhea... And, many "normal" women experience diarrhea in the days leading up to and during their periods, just google "period & diarrhea" and you'll see what I mean! I have ever since I started. So if even normal girls get GI issues from their period, I can only imagine what it does to someone with IBD.

I as well as many others w IC, and other autoimmune issues (lots of ppl w IC also have other coexisting autoimmune diseases) experience worsening symptoms around their periods. The combination of regular menstrual BS - I'm sorry, but it is total BS lol - plus worsening disease symptoms is really no fun.

Heating pads are def my friend, as well as peppermint tea and hot baths. Also, finally going on birth control at age 22 helped a lot with the cramps & severity of the period itself. My parents were very against birth control, and I suffered for it until I was an adult. Have you discussed bc w her doctor, to give her some relief?

 

[kimmidwife]

I afraid I am one of those who believe in holding off on bcp for as long as possible I feel we still don't know the longtime effects of hormones. This is my field so I am very familiar with this issue. It was specifically crohns and periods that I am not as familiar with. I had a few patient.rd with crohns but none ever mentionEd it to me. There is a medication a colleague once mentioned that helps reduce the flow. I going to ask her about it again I can't remember the name now.

 

[Cross-stitch gal]

I was put on BC for a short time after we were married. The stuff I was on was the kind ladies are put on after they have babies. It's got less hormone in it and didn't effect my IBD. The stronger stuff however that I took before we got married made my IBD go sky high because of the higher dose of hormone and everything in it. Hope this helps.

 

[kimmidwife]

Caitlyn has been doing great on the LDN until this morning. She got her period yesterday and today is in terrible pain again.! I am hoping it is just from her period and that is all.

 

[DustyKat]

Yikes! Hoping right along with you Kim!

Seems very coincidental so I hope it settles in the next couple of days, bless her. :hug:

Good luck!

Dusty. :heart:

 

[imaboveitall]

V's periods are perfect, no connection to Crohn's sx.
Her dysautonomia gets worse during the premenstruum, though.

 

[LittleChloe]

Chloe had pain, fatigue and low grade fever when she started her period for the first 2 months on LDN. Now she just gets crampy and tired and that even seems to be slowly improving. Hang in there. Sometimes I feel like all I'm doing is keeping the monster (crohns, not Chloe ) in a cage.

 

[Callie]

Got the LDN in the mail today. Start tonight. *fingers crossed*
D has been good about sticking to SCD and dare I say, seems a little better. At least not going to bed the second she gets home from school..

 

[Tesscorm]

Kim - I so hope that it is just a coincidence and that the pain passes by tomorrow!! Sending best wishes that Caitlyn is feeling better quickly!

Callie - Good luck! I hope that your daughter respond well and fast to the LDN!