Jump to content
This site uses cookies. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. More Info... ×
  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.




  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):



    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):


  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Vaginal Bleeding After Eating Gluten!?


leanne2204

Recommended Posts

leanne2204 Newbie

I am really worried and i can't seem to find anything online and my doctors seem to be no use so i thought i would ask you all! 

I decided after Xmas to give up Gluten, i have been tested for Celiacs as my mum has it and i also show some of the symptoms. One blood test came back positive and one came back inconclusive. I try not to eat the most gluten foods, like bread, pasta and cakes, but occasionally i will have spaghetti or a pastry and like clock work the day after i eat these food i start to bleed like i am about to come on my period. I never fully come on, but it seems to just be when i go to the toilet. I also get cramps. Is this just down to the gluten, cause i cant seem to find the bleeding as a symptom anywhere!?

I have no idea what is wrong, please help!

Has anyone else had these symptoms.  


Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



moosemalibu Collaborator

If you had a positive blood test for celiac... then the inconclusive one is null and extraneous information. You should not be eating gluten-light but truly gluten free. I would definitely stop eating gluten to avoid this symptom. I've never had this symptom but celiac is linked with infertility so it likely has a larger role.

leanne2204 Newbie

If you had a positive blood test for celiac... then the inconclusive one is null and extraneous information. You should not be eating gluten-light but truly gluten free. I would definitely stop eating gluten to avoid this symptom. I've never had this symptom but celiac is linked with infertility so it likely has a larger role.

Oh wow, infertility? I didn't know that! Ok well i will be 100% gluten free, i just cant believe it is in so much, even pasta sauces! 

notme Experienced

i am more likely to be eating wierd stuff (cravings) when it gets to be around "that time" - in the beginning, it was maddening because it was when i was more apt to eat something without checking and gluten myself.  then, later on, i thought i was glutening myself around the time of my period because the symptoms were similar (cramps, D, headache, fatigue). 

 

and, yes, jamie is right - if you've had a positive celiac test, you need to cut all gluten out.  otherwise you will be on a sick-cycle carousel <stole that ;)  lolz) 

KCG91 Enthusiast

I haven't linked ingesting gluten (though touch wood I haven't majorly glutened myself...yet) with vaginal bleeding, but I realised after diagnosis and a few months completely gluten-free just how erratic and weird my cycles had become - irregular, varying heaviness and really painful! Since going gluten-free and taking supplements for the anaemia I also found out I had things have been better. Stomach cramps may be from gluten, though. 

What tests did you have? If you post the results in a separate thread there are loads of people who could help you interpret them. 

dilettantesteph Collaborator

You should see your gynocologist.  It might be something unrelated and serious. 

leanne2204 Newbie

I haven't linked ingesting gluten (though touch wood I haven't majorly glutened myself...yet) with vaginal bleeding, but I realised after diagnosis and a few months completely gluten-free just how erratic and weird my cycles had become - irregular, varying heaviness and really painful! Since going gluten-free and taking supplements for the anaemia I also found out I had things have been better. Stomach cramps may be from gluten, though. 

What tests did you have? If you post the results in a separate thread there are loads of people who could help you interpret them. 

Oh i cant't remember what tests i had, just blood tests, they were over a year ago! I had had years and years of erratic periods and used to only get a 10 day break before coming on again, it was only when i gave up most gluten foods that i noticed i bled less. It is so bizarre!


Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



NoGlutenCooties Contributor

Yep - I was getting a lot of "break-through-bleeding" for years before my diagnosis.  You definitely want to get it checked out to make sure it isn't something more serious going on.  For me, every OBGYN I ever went to looked really concerned, ran a bunch of tests, then when all of the tests came back negative came to the conclusion that "some women are just like that".  It got to the point where there would only be a few days per month when I was NOT bleeding/spotting.  I ended up having a D&C to get rid of a bunch of uterin polyps - that helped tremendously but not all of the spotting went away.

 

After going gluten free 6 months ago I have noticed a dramatic improvement.  It isn't gone completely - but much less often - usually only for a couple days when I ovulate.

 

I've been glutened once and cross-contaminated once since going gluten-free.  Both times the spotting came back, fairly heavy for spotting, and it started the very day I ingested the cooties.

leanne2204 Newbie

Yep - I was getting a lot of "break-through-bleeding" for years before my diagnosis.  You definitely want to get it checked out to make sure it isn't something more serious going on.  For me, every OBGYN I ever went to looked really concerned, ran a bunch of tests, then when all of the tests came back negative came to the conclusion that "some women are just like that".  It got to the point where there would only be a few days per month when I was NOT bleeding/spotting.  I ended up having a D&C to get rid of a bunch of uterin polyps - that helped tremendously but not all of the spotting went away.

 

After going gluten free 6 months ago I have noticed a dramatic improvement.  It isn't gone completely - but much less often - usually only for a couple days when I ovulate.

 

I've been glutened once and cross-contaminated once since going gluten-free.  Both times the spotting came back, fairly heavy for spotting, and it started the very day I ingested the cooties.

Oh wow that is really interesting!! I usually just go and see my GP, i am British so a GP is just a general practitioner, so they aren't specialised in any field. I have been going to different doctors for years and i had the same 'Oh some women are just like that', and apparently i was supposed to be satisfied with that result. Gynecologists are REALLY expensive here but i guess it will be worth the money to go privately, as i would have for there to be something more serious! :( 

KCG91 Enthusiast

Hey Leanne, I'm in the UK too and if you've been seeing GPs with unexplained vaginal bleeding and they aren't investigating that then they need a !. You shouldn't have to pay for something the NHS should be doing (I know that's easier said than done when they are point blank refusing to take you seriously!). 

124chicksinger Apprentice

This is obvious but I have to ask - are you sure the blood is coming from the vagina and not the urethra?  "Vaginal" bleeding from the urethra when one pees can be a sign of diabetes; not to make you worry further, but if it is only when you go to the bathroom, and your period doesn't come; are you sure which "hole" the blood is coming from after you wipe?  I only know of this because a friend's young daughter, was experiencing this, and it definitely was not menstruation at 2 years old.  She did have diabetes, type 1, they discovered.  So, you may want to check where that blood is exiting from; if indeed your vagina, then it is not likely diabetes.

 

"Our information shows that 1 causes ofUrethral bleeding are related to diabetesicon1.png, or a family history of diabetes (from a list of 11 total causes). These diseases and conditions may be more likely causes ofUrethral bleeding if the patient has diabetes, is at risk of diabetes, or has a family history of diabetes."  http://www.rightdiagnosis.com/symptoms/urethral_bleeding/diabetes.htm

leanne2204 Newbie

This is obvious but I have to ask - are you sure the blood is coming from the vagina and not the urethra?  "Vaginal" bleeding from the urethra when one pees can be a sign of diabetes; not to make you worry further, but if it is only when you go to the bathroom, and your period doesn't come; are you sure which "hole" the blood is coming from after you wipe?  I only know of this because a friend's young daughter, was experiencing this, and it definitely was not menstruation at 2 years old.  She did have diabetes, type 1, they discovered.  So, you may want to check where that blood is exiting from; if indeed your vagina, then it is not likely diabetes.

 

"Our information shows that 1 causes ofUrethral bleeding are related to diabetesicon1.png, or a family history of diabetes (from a list of 11 total causes). These diseases and conditions may be more likely causes ofUrethral bleeding if the patient has diabetes, is at risk of diabetes, or has a family history of diabetes."  http://www.rightdiagnosis.com/symptoms/urethral_bleeding/diabetes.htm

Oh that is really interesting i never knew that, Diabetes does run in my family, my Grandad had it and my Dad currently has it, i am only 26 thought so i always thought you didn't get it till you were older!? 

The blood is definitely coming from the vagina, and i do bleed when passing stool occasionally but the doctor just gave me an inflammatory cream! :/

answerseeker Enthusiast

Endometriosis can cause heavy bleeding.

Are you on any meds? Corticosteroids cause this, it happened to me when I was taking prednisone for my asthma.

  • 4 years later...
Karen Davis Newbie

Abnormal uterine bleeding appears to be yet another symptom of Celiac Disease…

For this small research study in 2014, scientists interviewed and compared menstrual history in a group of women with celiac disease versus a group of women with no symptoms of celiac disease. They found that 24% of women with celiac disease had at least one menstrual cycle disorder, whereas only 10% of women without celiac disease reported issues.  The women with celiac disease were then placed on a gluten-free diet for 3 months and then re-interviewed for any signs of abnormal bleeding.  Out of 12 women who initially reported having cycle disorders, 10 women reported no longer having abnormal bleeding.  Although this study did not prove that celiac disease was the cause of cycle disorders, there is a good possibility these are related issues considering the number of women with celiac disease who initially reported abnormal bleeding, and then resolved it with a gluten-free diet.  Due to these findings, researchers suggest that health care professionals consider screening patients for celiac disease when they arrive with unexplained uterine bleeding.

Reference:

Ehsani-Ardakani MJ, et al. Celiac disease and dysfunctional uterine bleeding; the efficiency of gluten free diet. Bratisl Lek Listy. 2014; 115(1): 19-21. PubMed PMID: 24471897.

 

You are not alone I had to go vegan no grains at all.   And there is nothing wrong with your mind....studies have show that other women are experiencing the same thing.

  • 11 months later...
brookeroberts Newbie

Hi @leanne2204

I’m way late to this conversation but I’m in the same boat as you. Do you have any updates?

I’ve seen my gynecologist who had no idea what to make of it when I told her I bleed whenever I eat gluten. She recommended a GI specialist but I haven’t gone yet. If I don’t eat gluten then I don’t have problems so I figure that’s all I need to know. 

I’m very curious to talk to you about your experience! 

Best,

Brooke 

cyclinglady Grand Master
16 hours ago, brookeroberts said:

Hi @leanne2204

I’m way late to this conversation but I’m in the same boat as you. Do you have any updates?

I’ve seen my gynecologist who had no idea what to make of it when I told her I bleed whenever I eat gluten. She recommended a GI specialist but I haven’t gone yet. If I don’t eat gluten then I don’t have problems so I figure that’s all I need to know. 

I’m very curious to talk to you about your experience! 

Best,

Brooke 

I imagine that gluten in a person who has celiac disease can cause hormonal disruption.  My undiagnosed celiac disease made going through menopause awful (30 day periods, thyroid swings, sheer craziness).  But I encourage you to get tested for celiac disease before going gluten free.  

Sure, you can just go gluten free, but a diagnosis can help you  in the future in terms of medical or family support.  It makes it easy to get your kids tested or other family members.  

For example, because I have a diagnosis, it is easier for my doctor to screen for other concurrent issues like osteoporosis.    I also do not get the “eye-rolling” effect when I explain to people that I must be gluten free.  And that diagnosis gives me some additional patient rights (like gluten-free food in jail if that every happens!) ?

I hope this helps.  

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):



  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      130,885
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748

    fabian.bornhorst
    Newest Member
    fabian.bornhorst
    Joined

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):


  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.3k
    • Total Posts
      1m

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):




  • Who's Online (See full list)


  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):



  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • captaincrab55
      I can't eat DeGiorno's "gluten-free" pizza, because of being dairy intolerant, but I can have cheddar and mozzarella cheese.  I did the EVERLYWELL test to help eliminate foods that I can and can't have.  I but the CAULIPOWER crust at and use plain tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese. Quite often I top it with shrimp.  Good Luck                    i 
    • trents
      It can be almost anything for the individual but I would suggest getting in the habit of reading labels to see if there are patterns. The form of magnesium is very important. Go for magnesium glycinate. A lot of over the counter stuff puts the emphasis on shelf-life as opposed to bio-availability. Magnesium glycinate is very bioavailable, very absorbable and isn't likely to have a laxative effect like some of the high shelf-life stuff which isn't absorbed well and draws water into the colon. Oats and dairy also cause effects a lot like being glutened for many celiacs. 
    • annamarie6655
      Hi everyone,  I don’t mean to use you all as my personal dumping ground, but the support I’ve seen on this forum is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced.    So, my mother and I have always had a rocky relationship, but when I got diagnosed w celiacs, I thought we were now on the same team together. She started off saying things like “ We’re gonna figure this out together” or “I will always make sure you never have to worry about food with me” to telling my siblings that I’m not grateful enough and I don’t have a right to be upset when I get glutened bc I do so “purposefully”…   .. so I’m brand new to celiac and just learned I can’t just trust gluten-free labels unless it’s certified. I’ve been trying my best, and thanking everyone for being accommodating and trying to make things as painless as possible, so I just don’t understand. Should I be bending over backwards for people who accommodate me? Or just general gratefulness?    This whole diagnosis has further ostracized me from my family and friends, and it’s really hard not to feel completely alone. I seriously appreciate any advice you have to share!
    • annamarie6655
      @trents i am only taking collagen powder and Vitamin D, but I can definitely look into Magnesium, thank you!    @Scott Adams  thank you so much for your input! I will watch closer to how I’m reacting to xanthan/guar gum from now on. Are there any other common ingredients to be on the look out for?
    • annamarie6655
      @trents thank you so much for your response!  When i was diagnosed, I was exhibiting mainly joint pain, hair loss, bloating, and allodynia (painful feeling from non painful stimuli). The muscle spasms only started after diagnosis, and it seems to only happen when I am severely glutened. It’s only happened twice, but it definitely makes me nervous when it happens.    In regard to the pizza, thats what i saw after i got sick from it. I’m still trying to figure out how to switch to ALL certified gluten-free goods.    for the dressing, here is the ingredient list:  WATER, VEGETABLE OIL, VINEGAR, SUGAR, GARLIC, SALT, RED BELL PEPPER, ONION, CONCENTRATED LEMON JUICE, XANTHAN GUM, POTASSIUM SORBATE, HERBS, CALCIUM DISODIUM EDTA, MONOACETIN, SPICES. and the link: https://www.kraftheinz.com/en-CA/kraft/products/00068100903577-zesty-italian-salad-dressing  
×
×
  • Create New...