Ladies, Did Anyone Notice A Change In Your Menstrual Cycle?

[mommyof4]

Hi!

I am 7 months post-diagnosis...I'm also 40.

I am getting really sick the day or 2 before my cycle starts. Terrible pain in my left side & back...up most of the night. I had blood work done last week to check thyroid, vitamin levels...about 12 things. Everything is normal. Next week I am doing a "natural" test...urine & saliva to check hormones, adrenal fatigue, etc.

So, my question is, can the trauma on the body from Celiac cause changes in menstrual cycle? I'm not sure how long I was an undiagnosed Celiac.

My other question is one from fear...until I got sick this Fall, I was pretty healthy(so I thought). I have had lots of tests done...MRI's, CT scans, 4 endoscopys(I had a telescoping intestine along with the damage in my intestine). I am trying to be at peace with my body healing. I am getting better, but I still worry that the doctors didn't find everything. I never used to be like this & I don't want to turn into a hypochondriac. Has anyone else experienced fear during this healing process? I especially feel fearful when I have an off day.

By the way...haven't baked with regular flour anymore & am logging food.

Thanks...

[Little Feather]

Wow. Just. Wow. I'm newly diagnosed, age 41, and was going to ask the same thing! I definitely notice a change - about 4 days before my cycle starts I feel pain in the area where my Dermatitis Herpetiformis rash "lurks" on my neck. Sometimes the DH will erupt into the rash. My skin gets super itchy all over, my scalp burns on fire, I feel like I'm being pin-pricked a thousand times over and over all night long in different areas, and really bad "brain fog". The worst is the disturbingly heightened sense of smell. It's so bad that I have to avoid all fragranced products at all times!

I don't know if it's changing hormones (pre-menopause), poor nutrition or simply from having Celiac.

I too worry about being labeled hypochondriac. None of my circle has any knowledge of Celiac.. To them I look fine but they don't know how miserable I feel. I also have a fear of being alone because when the DH flares I feel so sick with cognitive symptoms that I can't think well enough to drive my car.

I am comforted to know i'm not alone in this. I was so pleased and relieved to find this forum because I don't feel so isolated. It's a gold mine to me. I hope others will give their insight into this topic.

[Christine0125]

Wow. Just. Wow. I'm newly diagnosed, age 41, and was going to ask the same thing! I definitely notice a change - about 4 days before my cycle starts I feel pain in the area where my Dermatitis Herpetiformis rash "lurks" on my neck. Sometimes the DH will erupt into the rash. My skin gets super itchy all over, my scalp burns on fire, I feel like I'm being pin-pricked a thousand times over and over all night long in different areas, and really bad "brain fog". The worst is the disturbingly heightened sense of smell. It's so bad that I have to avoid all fragranced products at all times!

I don't know if it's changing hormones (pre-menopause), poor nutrition or simply from having Celiac.

I too worry about being labeled hypochondriac. None of my circle has any knowledge of Celiac.. To them I look fine but they don't know how miserable I feel. I also have a fear of being alone because when the DH flares I feel so sick with cognitive symptoms that I can't think well enough to drive my car.

I am comforted to know i'm not alone in this. I was so pleased and relieved to find this forum because I don't feel so isolated. It's a gold mine to me. I hope others will give their insight into this topic.

I am 40 and recently diagnosed too! Must be a common age for diagnosis. I got terrible headaches and leg cramps during my recent cycle... Never had migraine type symptoms before. While the nausea which was my worst celiac symptom has improved dramatically I seem to be getting a bunch of other aches and pains. Ugh!

[RashyA]

Hi, I'm 25 and and am finally gluten free all the way. My last cycle was a week delayed and lasted like 14 days which never happens. I am usually always on the same day every month so I don't know if it's because of celiac or what. Maybe a celiac pro could answer this?

[Cara in Boston]

I noticed a change, but it was an improvement. My PMS symptoms got better, but strangely, my lymph nodes under my arms get swollen and painful in the days before. Weird, but after a few months, the pattern has repeated consistently. Not sure if changes are due to my age (45) or being gluten free (1 year).

However, I recently went GRAIN FREE (it was easy since I had already given up all the good stuff like real donuts and brick oven pizza crusts) and I had zero PMS symptoms - I was actually taken by surprise when my cycle started because I had none of the usual "clues." I have read that a low-carb diet can do that so I'm not sure if it is the elimination of all grains or the resulting total lower carbs that did the trick but I'm not complaining.

I felt much better after going gluten free, but I feel absolutely GREAT being grain free.

Cara

[sce2012]

I'm afraid all the time that the docs have mised somehing. I am two and a half mos. gluten free and not sure how much I have improved. I feel like the docs just assume that I am or will improve...same for others around me. This thing is a real beast...

[Jetamio]

Hi. I'm glad someone posted this. I've noticed my cycle actually improving. My first cycle sans gluten was a little rough and two days early but I had been on tons of antibiotics pre-diagnosis and my doctor said it was normal to be off. Then, I leveled back out to my normal schedule and my PMS has been lots better. I knew my cycle was coming but the backache, cravings and irritability didn't come until my cycle started. Cycle length has been the same. I've heard that going gluten-free can actually help stabilize hormones and I'm hoping so. I'd really like to try for a baby here in the next year to year and a half.

[Mnicole1981]

Hi!

I am 7 months post-diagnosis...I'm also 40.

I am getting really sick the day or 2 before my cycle starts. Terrible pain in my left side & back...up most of the night. I had blood work done last week to check thyroid, vitamin levels...about 12 things. Everything is normal. Next week I am doing a "natural" test...urine & saliva to check hormones, adrenal fatigue, etc.

So, my question is, can the trauma on the body from Celiac cause changes in menstrual cycle? I'm not sure how long I was an undiagnosed Celiac.

My other question is one from fear...until I got sick this Fall, I was pretty healthy(so I thought). I have had lots of tests done...MRI's, CT scans, 4 endoscopys(I had a telescoping intestine along with the damage in my intestine). I am trying to be at peace with my body healing. I am getting better, but I still worry that the doctors didn't find everything. I never used to be like this & I don't want to turn into a hypochondriac. Has anyone else experienced fear during this healing process? I especially feel fearful when I have an off day.

By the way...haven't baked with regular flour anymore & am logging food.

Thanks...

Do you have nightsweats too??

[Sky Aura]

Hi, I'm 25 and and am finally gluten free all the way. My last cycle was a week delayed and lasted like 14 days which never happens. I am usually always on the same day every month so I don't know if it's because of celiac or what. Maybe a celiac pro could answer this?

My cycle has been about a week delayed for a few months, and the month before that it was delayed for 3 weeks. I am not a celiac pro, so I hope you get one here who can answer you. I have become gluten intolerant as of two years ago. I get tested for food intolerance every couple years so was fine before then. My periods have been regular all my life other than one time when I was doing a lot of physical activity and under a lot of stress. I'm 43, so it's possibly it's peri-menopausal, but I am in denial about that possibility.

[Calmom]

It was definitely a change for the better for me. By the age of 26 I though I had gone through menopause because I completely stopped having periods. The Dr.s tested me for everything, tried putting me on hormones to try and trigger them ect. I felt like a freak, in some ways it was nice but deep down it frightened me. About two months in to being gluten free I started having periods again. Now almost a year later I am having regular normal periods for the first time since I was around 23. I am currently 32.

I assume it was caused by sever vitamin deficiency.

[Rera86]

I am 25 and recently got diagnosed with celiac, so this is all pretty new to me. I'm trying to get the hang of the gluten free diet. I did notice a change in my menstrual cycle. I have always have very regular cycles with migraines and cramps before I start and this was no different, but the cramps seem to be worse and I have been getting hot flashes which is extremely odd for me considering I keep a jacket in my car all year long! Cara, how hard was it to go completely grain free and is this similar to the paleo type of diet?

[Di2011]

Pre Gluten-Free my period was getting worse and worse. Pain, bleeding heavy and often over a week (not my normal), bloating etc. Within a month or two of going gluten free I noticed most of this had stopped. Now, 12 months later it is 2 to 3 days max. No pain, bloating etc. I am 39. I am considering doing a grain free test.