A Personal Question For The Ladies....

[frenchiemama]

Hello all. This is a tad embarassing to ask, but here goes. Do any of you have irregular cycles, especially after going gluten-free? Before I started taking birth control (about 10 years ago) I had wildly irregular cycles, and during the last decade there have been times that I have been off BC for several months (I was trying to eliminate things that I thought were possibly making me sick) and during those times I was very irregular as well.

Now I've been gluten-free for nearly 3 weeks and I am having some spotting, when there is no way I should be. I'm currently using hormonal BC and that generally makes me as regular as clockwork.

Is this possibly celiac related? I'm having trouble thinking what else could be causing this. Also, I just got off a 6-day course of prednisone (for my DH, it's been horrible lately). Could that have something to do with it?

[Guest nini]

you know, I'm on bc pills and for YEARS I could absolutely tell you to the minute each month when I would "start" but since I've been gluten-free my cycles have been getting really weird, I never really connected it with going gluten-free, I figured it was just some weird hormonal thing as I'm now 36.

[frenchiemama]

Ok, so maybe it's not just me. It seems that there have been a lot of changes in my body since I've gone gluten-free, and sometimes it's hard to tell if it's all in my head. I'm 28, and this has never happened before while I was on BC so it's weirding me out a little. And now it feels like I'm actually "starting", because I'm getting bad cramps as I sit here. I feel like an adolescent!

[KaitiUSA]

My cycle has always been regular but when I started getting symptoms at about age 13 or 14 I started getting bad cramps. To the point I could not do anything the 1st day of my cycle..it was horrible. They proceeded to get worse as my symptoms did but when I went gluten free that actually made it better.

And don't be embarrassed to ask these sorts of questions..if you read this board you'll know we talk about absolutely everything.

[frenchiemama]

Oh that would be GREAT if my cramps got better! It's almost debilitating for the first day.

[Peaches503]

Hi,

Prior to getting celiac disease symptoms, my periods were always on time and were extremely, painfully heavy, and I'm a pretty small person, so I had no idea why this was happening. I only say that because my Dr. always told me that smaller people (who "bloom" later) tend to have less heavy periods. This was not true for me. However, when my periods stopped coming a year ago, my ob/gyn tested for everything but could not figure out why I wasn't getting my period. I hadn't gotten one in 10 months. But, when I was diagnosed with celiac disease in March of 2005, I got my period after only 2 weeks of being gluten-free, and it was normal!! Not heavy or really painful, but it lasted for 7 days and the flow was normal. Being gluten-free is the only thing that had changed, so I knew that the celiac disease was what was messing up my cycle. So, it is very likely that the celiac disease could mess with your cycle, as you know not all people are the same. If it could cause mine to stop all together, then it could probably cause your cycle to become irregular or get messed up somehow. Talk to you Dr. about it, and hang in there, hopefully your body will adjust and things will straighten out!

-Peaches

[tammy]

Actually, I have had cycles like clock-work since my teen years but then in then since I reached my 30's the changes started. I have been gluten-free since 12/02.

And I really don't remember there being any changes in my cycle. But you know the progesterone cream really helped stop my menstrual cramps!!!

Now that I am in Perimenopause who knows what will happen. : (

Good Luck!!!

[frenchiemama]

Progesterone cream? Tell me more! I've never heard of it, do you rub it on your stomach?

[jknnej]

I went on the pill 10 years ago (I'm 28), after a teenage life from heck. I had heavy awful periods. Going on the pill helped a lot; still heavy and bad cramps but not debilitating.

Since going gluten-free 4 months ago I've not had ANY period twice, not in a row. I am SO confused.

I did lose 10 lbs. right after going gluten-free but I've hit a plaeau and have NOT lost any more weight...why am I missing my period?

I weigh 113. I weighed 123 before going gluten-free. It's not like 10 lbs. is that dramatic of a weight loss, is it?

I eat MORE than before, I guess cutting out the wheat just made me drop the weight.

But why no period?

And yes, I've heard that cream works wonders.

So does Evening Primrose Oil. It's GREAT!

[KaitiUSA]

Well how tall are you? Usually to have your period you have to have a certain amount of body fat.

It could be the weight loss and stress to your body or it could be something else.

[jknnej]

I am about 5 foot 1.

I have always been a very small person but always got my period.

I will have to ask my dr. about this; I'm seeing a few of them this week. I'm not sure why it could be happening....

I was about to post about my voice; I don't know if it's gluten related or not. I'll put that in a separate spot, though.

[KaitiUSA]

If you are 5'1 and 113 that sounds like the body fat would be adequate to get your menstrual cycle. I'm 5'3 and 110 and I have always got mine regularly as well. You may want to talk to an endocrinologist...it may be a hormone imbalance of some sort.

[Twister2]

My cycle has always been very irregular. I always had horrible cramps and heavy bleeding too. I had spotting between my cycles very often and my doc finally put me on the BC pill to help regulate me. It worked wonders for me! Of course all of this was before I knew I had Celiacs and I have only known I'm Celiac since October and now I'm pregnant again so I can't really tell if going gluten-free has helped my cycle!!

Cheers,

Twister

[skbird]

I have the most horrible time with periods. I have read that gluten intolerance often results in loss of periods - not for me! I have everything, the cramps (horrible!) the moods (also horrible!) and often fairly irregular. I was on the pill for 13 years but don't need to be on it as my husband has had a vasectomy so I thought I'd get off the pill three years ago.

Progesterone cream has really helped me, too. I actually stopped using it about a year ago but have been having horrible heavy periods again so I started using it again. Major difference.

Many people are estrogen dominant meaning their balance of progesterone and estrogen is too far on the estrogen side and they have symptoms as a result. A good web site about this is: Open Original Shared Link

There is a little quiz you can take on there to determine if you are estrogen dominant or not.

Recently I have been scrutinizing ingredients in things and have learned that anything that is a "paraben" (on shampoo or lotion bottles, for example, you may see propylparaben or methylparaben, etc) is in fact an estrogen in chemical form. I noticed on my regular brand of progesterone cream there are a couple of parabens - that seems to be contradictory for me so I looked for a new one. I did find a couple of brands that don't have any parabens in the ingredients and got one. Seems to be working fine.

I have only had one period since re-starting but it was super light (like back in the BCP days) but still pretty crampy/cranky. Hopefully this next one will be even better - while you may find some symptoms improve immediately, it make take a couple of months to really feel more effects, much like going gluten free, for example.

Take care -

Stephanie

[frenchiemama]

skbird -

Just went and took the quiz from the website you posted, and it came out estrogen dominance. I had 4 checked for progesterone deficiency and 6 checked for excess estrogen, for a total of 10 on the estrogen dominance section. Thank you for posting that, and the info on chemical estrogen in products.

*adding list of things to discuss with doctor*

Thank you all so much for answering my questions. A few weeks ago, I had NO idea how much a different diet could change your body.

[skbird]

I hope that helps. It's funny, some doctors aren't all that big on progesterone cream - maybe because it's an over the counter thing, not a prescription (though you can get it Rx). But I have been having trouble the last year with bladder infections - that weren't actual infections, just felt like it. Was happening around the time I would be ovulating. I went to the doctor last month, well, the nurse-practitioner I really get a long with at the walk in clinic in town, and he said it could be interstitial cystitis or hormones. As my periods have been getting worse - heavier, longer, more painful - he said go back and use that progesterone cream and see what happens. Sometimes it does help to have a medical professional make suggestions - they stick better!

Anyway, read up on it some. It's a common thing these days.

Take care

Stephanie

[Soaring Aurora]

Hi All. I'm new to this forum, and i'm not even positive I have celiac disease, but I'm pretty sure I do. That said, I just recently, less than a week ago, went off all gluten foods. I"ve been taking my BC regularly and bam, a week into this month's pack, I have break-through bleeding -not just spotting mind you. When I was 16-17 I had very irregular cycles - mostly bleeding with a few days here and there of normalcy - and I was put on the BCP. I've had problems off and on with the different brands - making me dizzy mostly - but this one I'm using now has always worked fine (I've been on it for about a year now). I have no idea why I would suddenly have this horrible bleeding now, or even if it's related to my newly established diet, but it's food for thought?? Maybe it will get better once my body get used to the diet?

-Shelby

[frenchiemama]

Maybe it will get better once my body get used to the diet?

-Shelby

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Mine did. It was all whacked out for the first 2 cycles after going gluten-free, but everything is back to normal now.

[Guest BERNESES]

I'm so glad someone asked this! I just saw the doctor today as my cycle has been all messed up. At my lowest weight (119 and 5'5") I got no period. Then I went gluten-free 6 months ago. I had two periods this month and a breast tenderness that won't go away. I took the quiz too and my results were similar to frenchiemamas including the 10 on excess estrogen. So, maybe it is the diet. My body has been going through some seriously wacko changes lately. Today I had a pregnancy test, thyroid test, and Lyme disease check because I basically told my doctopr I'm 37 and I feel like I'm falling apart.

[Guest BERNESES]

OK- and now I'm totally freaking out because I just got my 3rd period in 6 weeks! Ahhhh.....

[2old4]

I have had more bleeding than normal since I went gluten-free 11 weeks ago,(not more often, just more) but for me, it's good, I haven't had much of a period for years. I think my body is finally getting the vitamins & nutrients it needs, and I feel better after my periods now...strange.

[debmidge]

Take time to get checked out by ob/gyn to make sure that there isn't anything going on that is not related to celiac disease like tubal pregnancy, uterine fibroids (which can come at any age and give you heavy bleeding, bleeding between periods and body-shaking cramps; and long periods (like 8 or 9 days). The fibroids can make you start spoting several days before your period, which when added to the regular period length will give you 12-14 days of bleeding. If you have an estrogen imbalance Dr. will confirm that with a blood test. Women in upper 30's will start Peri-menopause which can give you signs of more frequent periods, skipping periods, heavier flow, hot flashes.

The women who mentioned body fat percentage are correct: you need a certain percentage to ovulate on a regular basis; baring that you could have other non celiac related conditions that plague even "gluten women."

I had the fibroid thing going from when I was 23 and endured it until I had hysterectomy at age 44. It enhanced my Peri Menopausal years too as I had hot flashes at age 36. Bleeding was so bad I had to go to Emerg. Room and almost needed blood transfusion.

[lucky28]

My cycle was always so regularly irregular, if that makes sense. Since i started it has been 3 days on 2 off, then 4 on or some combination of that formula. until i started gluten-free. now it is about 4-6 days straight, no 2-3 day break.inbetween, And my pms has actually seemed to get worse, bloating and tenderness starts alot earlier than before. I guess it's the price to pay for a better hormonal/nutritional balance.

[aiar]

My cycle was always so regularly irregular, if that makes sense. Since i started it has been 3 days on 2 off, then 4 on or some combination of that formula. until i started gluten-free. now it is about 4-6 days straight, no 2-3 day break.inbetween, And my pms has actually seemed to get worse, bloating and tenderness starts alot earlier than before. I guess it's the price to pay for a better hormonal/nutritional balance.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I was wondering about period irregularities since going gluten-free, and I'm glad I'm not the only one experiencing nightmare cycles!

I was regular from ages 11-23 and never had any PMS symptoms, then in January 2000 started bleeding non-stop. I had my period every day, to the point where it was so heavy I needed a transfusion. After much fighting with the medical profession and countless out-of-pocket $$ for pills and hormone tests and scans (all with no results), I was finally fitted with a Mirena which was supposed to make things magically better. I continued to bleed, but it slacked off to two 10-day periods twice a month with spotting in between until this year, when I was still getting 2 "periods" twice a month, consisting of 3 days of heavy spotting. Yay!

I've been gluten-free since late April and now my periods are AWFUL!!

I am still getting them twice a month, but now it is preceded by incredibly painful breasts and swollen lymph nodes, insane moods and cravings, weepiness, b%$@#iness and general "glutened" symptoms (major belly bloat, nausea and all the other wonderful accompaniments...). This goes on for +/- 5 days prior and yesterday it moved into my joints. Agony! 2 weeks ago I missed a day of work because I was in such pain all I could do was take painkillers (codeine) and sleep. Missed work again this week. I guess the only good thing is that my periods are still light, but if I feel like death 2 weeks out of every 4 that's not much consolation

I see that most people here had the opposite problems prior to and after diagnosis, but if anyone with a similar reaction has any advice or even just "I know how you feel" support, I'll take it!

(I don't have an ob-gyn. I've tried to get an ob-gyn before, but apparently my ovaries need to be hanging out before I can get an appointment. Otherwise it's up to the family doctor to fix it. Forgive the crude image, but I am less than impressed with the system.)

[Guest BERNESES]

Aiar- Well at least we're sort of in the same boat- I went gluten-free in January but had to eat gluten for 10 days in April before the biopsy (what a joke!) so I've been "officially" gluten free since April 15. Everything was fine period wise until July. I got my period on July 9th, July 22nd, and again on August 9th so that's 3 times in six weeks. Same as you- horrific mood swings, breast tenderness that never went away. I was just tested Tuesday for pregnancy, thyrooid and Lyme disease because my accompanying joint pain is so bad. I've had to take ibuprofen and Tylenol arthritis every day for a month (can't do codeine- I turn into a freak show).

I'm waiting for the results and if everything comes back OK I'm going to DEMAND an OB/GYN appointment. I'm 37 and my biggest fear is early menopause. Hang in there and email me if you want, Beverly