Grr! Periods Mess Everything Up!

[mysecretcurse]

I think pain pills really mess up my gut and cause leaky gut or for my food sensitivities to worsen. I get pain all before my period, I had it last night at like 3am so I woke up and thought I was getting my period and took 4 motrin IB (the ONLY thing that works for the pain and anything less than 4 doesn't help). Well then my period doesn't come (wtf, usually when I get the pain it comes within the hour), and all day I felt like the Motrin ate a hole in my stomach. I feel like my ulcers and my intestines spent the last month healing and I just undid all the process somehow. UGH! I'm all bloated and sore and my gut hurts. Maybe it's just PMS, I hope so, but I'm so so scared that having to take these NSAID pain pills every month is destroying the healing process of my gut. Surely a couple doses a month wont completely undo the healing from being gluten free right? I'm so worried about all of this. I wish I could go without the Motrin completely but my cramps are truly unbearable, like screaming in pain type of unbearable without the Motrin.

I read somewhere you can take L glutamine to help heal your gut and protect against Nsaids and I took some today but I still feel really weird, I hope it's not the L glutamine either, I did call the company to verify it was Gluten-Free and everything. I'm just so confused. It feels like as soon as I'm doing better something triggers me and I'm all sore and bloated again.

[ravenwoodglass]

Have you talked to your doctor about this? If you have an ulcer your doctor should have already told you that it is not something you should be taking. The following link has some good info on this med and the precautions.

Open Original Shared Link

"Patients taking ibuprofen should be cautioned to report to their physician signs or symptoms of gastrointestinal intolerance and/or bleeding, blurred vision or other ocular symptoms, skin rash, tinnitus, dizziness, weight gain, edema or respiratory difficulties. "

[dilettantesteph]

Some friends and I have noticed that regular exercies really helps with menstrual cramps, and it's good for you too. Might like to try it. (And don't be pissed with me.)

Stephanie

[purple]

My dd had those a few months back which is how we found out about gluten. The doc told her to take vit b complex with magnesium. She went from extreme pms with great loss of blood to not complaining at all. He said take one every day and a few days before her period starts to take 2. She did it randomly and still noticed a difference. Most celiacs are low in Vit B 12. She also would heat up a wet rag in the microwave to put on her tummy.

[mindwiped]

Calcium can help too! There was a study back a while that said that calcium, a B complex and light exercise (walking) can help cramping as much as NSAIDS. Having said that, you might ask your doctor about an antispasmodic (pill for muscle spasms). They aren't a pain reliever at all, but literally stop the muscle cramping. DH (my household celiac) uses them after being glutened and before travel as he has spastic colon type issues

[mysecretcurse]

Thanks everyone, I don't have a doctor because I have no medical insurance, I'm self diagnosed gluten sensitive. But long ago I did have a doctor and they did say Nsaids are bad for ulcers or stomach problems it's just nothing else works. I already excercise and take vitamins and stuff.

[ravenwoodglass]

Thanks everyone, I don't have a doctor because I have no medical insurance, I'm self diagnosed gluten sensitive. But long ago I did have a doctor and they did say Nsaids are bad for ulcers or stomach problems it's just nothing else works. I already excercise and take vitamins and stuff.

You need the sublingual B12. The sublingual part is important as your body can't utilize it from a regular vitamin. Do give that a try. You may also want to visit Planned Parenthood. They can deal with female issues like PMS and if you don't have insurance they will charge on a sliding fee scale or even if needed help you for free. They are not just for pregnacy care and birth control they can help with this type of issue also. Do check them out if you can, the ulcer and ibuprofen combo can kill you very suddenly. It may just hurt today but tommorrow you could be facing hemmorage.

[tarnalberry]

higher doses of calcium, magnesium, and b'vits can help, along with a warm pad on the abdomen, and gentle walking during the cramping. oh, I know, "but it hurts too much" - the only time that's actually been true for me is when the cramping was so severe it was keeping me from breathing normally (you tend to hold your breath during extreme pain... this was "I just want to keep from passing out" menstrual cramping). the calcium, magnesium, b'vits (these are higher than normal supplemental doses unless you're already supplementing for cramps - like 1000mg Ca, and at between 500 and 1000mg magnesium, dosage makes a difference whether it works or not), and walking when it's bad (exercise *during* the cramps can help, particularly if it works the muscles around the abdomen and hips) - all that together is usually enough to get me through the bad bit, not that it's not still painful, but stops making me feel like I have the ability to move. (ok, I use pranayama a lot too - breathing techniques. ) if you haven't tried heat on the abdomen yet (and they make temporary use ones you could use at work), that may help a little bit as well.

consider finding a local clinic that works on a sliding scale, if you don't have insurance and can't afford a doctor. it's worth getting the pain checked out.

[ang1e0251]

I am sorry you're having so much pain. I do understand. All the suggestions are good ones but it all depends on your individual pain. My pain even at age 50 is similar to giving birth every month along with other symptoms. When I began cycling longer and closer together, I went back to my OB. I have no physical problems to be fixed so finally my doctor put me on continuous birth control. That was the best thing ever prescribed for me. I feel great with no gluten problems with the meds. I now have the mental rescources to deal with the rest that life is giving me.

I hope you can get the care you need at a local clinic as others have described to you. The NSAID's really are bad on the stomach. I used to pop them like candy because as you said it was the only thing that gave me relief. My stomach is much happier gluten-free & NSAID free!!