Did This Happen To You?

[JBaby]

I have been gluten free for 2 weeks, feeling great unless I accidentally ingest gluten or what now seems to be casein and or lactose, although those symptoms are not as bad. I am now having my 1st period 2 weeks in gluten free and midol isnt working. Usually, its takes only 1 tablet the first day and I am fine and aunt flow runs its course in 3-4 days. I am on day 3 and have taken 3 midols in 24 hours and I still have cramps. Will be taking anither one shortly. Is this normal or can this be a bad sign. Cramps are not good. Midol works temporarily. I had excrucuating cramps and vomiting as a teen monthly but it subsided, not sue how or why, maaybe tylenol helped it, I dont remember(I am now 38) and then went away when i started the pill. I have not been on any BC in maybe 7years and the cramps never came back as they were when i was teen. This is the worse its been since my late teens without the vomiting and intense pain but my lower back is killing me right now. Laying on a heating pad.

JBaby

[Mrs. Smith]

I had the same exact problem as a teen. Then by mid 20's the cramps just got so much less. My advice is to stay on the diet. Drink alot of water, the uterus is a muscle and needs water. My periods have gotten better although my PMS is worse. Some months being better than others. I have asked a similar question on here if anyone experiences PMS "gluten symptoms". I think gluten effects the whole body and when we mesturate we are a little weaker, maybe because of some vitamin defficiency. I take evening primrose oil. Taking fatty acids is suppost to help with the symptoms of cramping and PMS. Ive been gluten-free for 5 mos. and honestly everything is getting better although slowly. My cycle is finally regular, I have less pain and less time in the bathroom. So stick to it, nurture yourself the bad days like your a sick kid home from school. Oh and excercise!! That helps alot.

[Takala]

No, the opposite happened to me.

Try taking a calcium supplement and a magnesium supplement, along with a B vitamin complex. THIS is the primo condition that those cal/mag supplements really work on. Don't think that it is too late, get some calcium and magnesium into yourself pronto.

You might try natural bioidentical (NOT the artificial) progesterone cream as you hit the peri menopausal age of the late thirties/early forties, where your hormones can go beserk.

[CaraLouise]

Make sure you check the gluten free status of Midol, at one time it contained wheat. Hope you feel better soon!

[latteda]

My first period, a couple of weeks after going gluten-free, I actually didn't have any cramps. It was a little different in other ways, though. I had barely any flow for the first couple of days and then a moderately heavy flow following.

[once and again]

Your cramps may not be directly gluten related. There is evidence that women with celiac also have endometriosis or fibroid tumors. I had both and didn't realize they were related to celiac and gluten intolerance. Your ob-gyn should be able to tell if either of these is a problem.

[samcarter]

My cramps are much, much worse when I've eaten dairy within a few days of my period. If i abstain from dairy completely, my period is so manageable my husband hardly knows I'm having it.

I would suggest cutting dairy out of your diet, make sure you keep it out especially the week or two weeks leading up to your period, and see if things are better. Also, yes, calcium supplements (also neccessary if you're cutting out dairy) can help menstrual cramps as well.