Menstrual Cycle Becoming Irregular After Being Gluten Free?

[bmillike]

I so appreciate the sharing here. It is comforting to know I am not the only one to experience this. After a long history of elevated prolactin levels, skin issues, low iron, infertility, recurrent fungal infections and IBS symptoms I went gluten-free. I had already eliminated most refined carbs from my diet a couple years ago and saw amazing results (which possibly interfered with my recent celiac panel results). I'm not sure what I was expecting to happen by going gluten-free, aside from the hope I might stop lactating after 30 years. It's been just over a month and that hasn't happened yet, but I do feel warmer after years of being cold, more energetic, even though I never really thought I was fatigued, my skin is better all over and I swear my underarm hair is growing faster. Through my teens and twenties my menstrual cycles were all over the place; spotting between cycles, a period every two weeks and even a time when I would go several months between. For about the past 15 years I have been very regular and normally have a period roughly every 25 days. Although I am 45 and likely to be a little perimenopausal, it seems a bit too coincidental to assume my recent late period is completely menopausal and not related to my recent diet change. I also experienced a distinct discomfort when I ovulated this month. I usually don't even notice this. I was thinking perhaps after years of attempting to adapt to hormonal dysfunction, my poor body doesn't even know what normal is. I just wonder if my hormones will ever adapt or have I just thrown myself into menopause by going gluten free? I will add it is extremely unlikely I am pregnant and I have no hot flashes or night sweats.

 

Brenda

[nvsmom]

I so appreciate the sharing here. It is comforting to know I am not the only one to experience this. After a long history of elevated prolactin levels, skin issues, low iron, infertility, recurrent fungal infections and IBS symptoms I went gluten-free. I had already eliminated most refined carbs from my diet a couple years ago and saw amazing results (which possibly interfered with my recent celiac panel results). I'm not sure what I was expecting to happen by going gluten-free, aside from the hope I might stop lactating after 30 years. It's been just over a month and that hasn't happened yet, but I do feel warmer after years of being cold, more energetic, even though I never really thought I was fatigued, my skin is better all over and I swear my underarm hair is growing faster. Through my teens and twenties my menstrual cycles were all over the place; spotting between cycles, a period every two weeks and even a time when I would go several months between. For about the past 15 years I have been very regular and normally have a period roughly every 25 days. Although I am 45 and likely to be a little perimenopausal, it seems a bit too coincidental to assume my recent late period is completely menopausal and not related to my recent diet change. I also experienced a distinct discomfort when I ovulated this month. I usually don't even notice this. I was thinking perhaps after years of attempting to adapt to hormonal dysfunction, my poor body doesn't even know what normal is. I just wonder if my hormones will ever adapt or have I just thrown myself into menopause by going gluten free? I will add it is extremely unlikely I am pregnant and I have no hot flashes or night sweats.

 

Brenda

Have you been to the doctor about the lactating? Galactorrhoea is not normal and can be caused by some really serious health issues. Hypothyroidism is one that would also affect your energy, skin and temperature. About 20% of people with galactorrhoea have a pituitary adenoma which is affecting their hormones , and can cause problems like cushings or acromegaly.

See a doctor about it if you are able. It could be a potentially serious situation. http://www.patient.co.uk/doctor/Galactorrhoea.htm

Best wishes.

[SMRI]

OMG I've been having the same exact problem.

 

I've got to the point of staring to have hot flashes and all and I'm only 32. I went to my doctor and he wanted to prescribe some menopausal meds, which I declined.

Went to another doctor she made me do every single exam on the book to figure why I had no more eggs (according to her menstruation/periods are an indication o fertility or egg production...starting to feel more respect for chickens these days....). 

 

Ended up on a Traditional Chinese medicine doctor.

I've been on Chinese herbs for the last 3 months now, and got my period for now 2 months.

But I observed one thing, my period came only when I ate gluten.

 

So ladies, there is a true to this, there is a close link between gluten and our periods.

 

Maybe a nutritionist can answer this question for us? What should be lacking in our diets that apparently only gluten brings?

 

So glad I met this forum.

Bless you all that had the courage to talk about this! Yay!

 

Let's keep talking and helping each other out.

 

I have the opposite, looking back, about the time my major Celiac symptoms started, my periods got very light and short.  Up to that point, they were very regular and heavy for the first few days.  They started getting lighter and lighter and farther apart.  I haven't had one in over a year .  I'm only 48 so it could or could not be menopause.  I'd be ok with that though .  It is all probably really peri-menopause though.  I was having some minor hot flashes, not the sweat dripping down your face ones that friends have had but mainly just getting warm suddenly.  I haven't had those in quite a while though.  Who knows???

[bmillike]

Thanks much for your concern Nvsmom. It was very freaky when I started lactating as a teenager and I was promptly taken to the doctor, where all sorts of tests were done including a CAT scan of my pituitary. Nothing was found and my hyperprolactinemia was ruled idiopathic. Stumbling upon the more recent research linking it to autoimmune disorders is what led me to investigate a gluten issue. A lifetime of inexpliable health mysteries all suddenly make sense...although the initial bloodwork showed nothing, but I think if gluten wasn't an issue, removing it from my diet should not cause hormonal changes in my body.

Thanks again, B

[nvsmom]

Thanks much for your concern Nvsmom. It was very freaky when I started lactating as a teenager and I was promptly taken to the doctor, where all sorts of tests were done including a CAT scan of my pituitary. Nothing was found and my hyperprolactinemia was ruled idiopathic. Stumbling upon the more recent research linking it to autoimmune disorders is what led me to investigate a gluten issue. A lifetime of inexpliable health mysteries all suddenly make sense...although the initial bloodwork showed nothing, but I think if gluten wasn't an issue, removing it from my diet should not cause hormonal changes in my body.

Thanks again, B

 

I'm glad it has been thoroughly looked into.  

 

My cycles became shorter and more regular after I had been gluten-free for about 6 months.  My periods also became shorter and lighter, which was a nice change.

 

It sounds like gluten was an issue since things have changed for you.  Good catch.

 

Best wishes.

[C-Girl]

In menopause, you aren't making as much estrogen as you used to. Why would you want to get rid of the little you have? I wonder about that functional med nurse. Or perhaps you misunderstood? The broccoli med is to help you use the little estrogen you have? Also, not sure what is meant by "re-absorbed"? Unless you are taking oral estrogen - then Celiac might effect the absorption of it in your intestines?

 

Actually, from what I understand, during perimenopause estrogen levels can swing wildly up, really high, then crash down low. Mine were off the charts high in January when I missed a cycle - my doctor said it was because my ovaries were shooting blanks and it confuses things. Great.

 

I, too, have had bizarre periods since going gluten free. Mine were always super-regular. Every 29 days. Always light - never lasting more than 2 days. Now, I have crazy amounts of bright red blood - it's like a horror show every time I visit the loo. And, since going on Entercort for my microscopic colitis, I have had a period every two freaking weeks. It's driving me crazy. I'm hoping that's because of the steroids and not the gluten free diet, because if it is, I'll be praying for menopause to come and take it all away. Cripes.

 

Do the horrors of this sordid disease ever end?

[elless]

Before going off gluten I would get a period every two weeks for about 3 days each. With that also came terrible pain in my groin that would wrap around my back and down my legs. I went to the gun and they found 3 small fibroids, but not big enough to be causing so many issues. Stumped my gyno put me on bc. This was about 9 months before I even began thinking it could be related to gluten.

I went off the bc right before I went gluten free and all the pain came right back again. I've only been gluten free for almost 4 weeks. So I'm hoping this will calm down. I was in the worst pain when ovulating this month, but I'm on my Mc now and it's been a little better, but definatly not the best. Gluten messes with your hormones, so if you were normal to begin with, it would make sense that going off gluten may make you a little irregular.

[alesusy]

Well, this is VERY interesting.

Since going gluten free, my periods have become irregulars - either 20 days, or 35/38 -. Since I was 47 when DX, and 49 now, I thought "perimenopause" and tried to live with it.

Now I think there are all sort of links between hormones and gluten. There is at least one study about celiac disease and hormones which I heard of - should look it up - Of course we are not presenting a coherent, scientifical body of evidence, but it is strinking all the same.

 

I really wouldn't know how to explain it, however, apart from thinking that hormones cope with gluten and celiac and when you take away gluten, they have to re-calculate everything...?? There must be a trigger.

[SMRI]

Well, after 15 months of no period.....it showed up out of the blue....REALLY???

[gfnow21]

My periods are always bad. But after finding out Im celiac, Going gluten-free wow! horrible pain. Probably the worst period I've had in years. Has anyone else experienced that? 

[cyclinglady]

Get to your GYN for an exam. You could have an ovarian cyst, fibroid tumor or thyroid issue that is completely unrelated to celiac disease.

Take care!

[Lori mom of 3]

Crazy! I’ve recently gone gluten free and up until this cycle I have had regular, extremely painful, and heavy periods that last about 7 days. I was diagnosed as premenopausal, I’m 43. Now gluten free this cycle was so different that I couldn’t help but question or link my lifestyle change to the inconsistency. While it was still somewhat painful, it was not nearly as heavy and now on day 3, it’s almost nonexistent! Every month I was sure I would need to be rushed to the hospital at some point during my cycle because of the excess bleeding and clots. I cannot express How horrible they were without totally grossing everyone out. I prepared with my usual coverage protocol and I’ve found that it’s too much! I’m going to have to switch to regular coverage for day 2 and light for days 3+. I haven’t done that since my 20’s and I was on birth control then. In addition, I’ve also given up carbonated beverages, I was drinking carbonated water (la croix) 1-2 cans a day, most days. Now I’m drinking filtered water or hint water. I really hope this cycle turns into a pattern.