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Mentrating and AS and RA

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Rheumatoid Arthritis
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Posted 5/17/2011 8:13 PM (GMT 0)
I've gotten myself to be living pain free and working with my rheumy to keep lowering my medication for a little over a year now. smilewinkgrin But for one week out of every month I have very mild pain!!! shocked Just enough to annoy me. I understand that us women hold more water weight during that time which cause us to swell in our joints also.

But I have an extreme problem with my fatigue more than anything during this time. I can barely stay awake or concentration on anything. I can't even pay attention to a movie yet alone trying to work!

Sometimes I just want to hide from it all until its over. then I'm instantly feeling wonderful again like nothing happened.

Does anyone else deal with this too?? My husband doesn't really believe its just my menstrual cycle and the hormones, but he's a guy and doesn't know anything about that anyways. lol shocked
Posted 5/19/2011 8:14 PM (GMT 0)
I have not been diagnosed with RA but I have a lot of symptoms and issues that are related.

any way, our Iron levels can get really low when we are on our cycle. Maybe this is what could be happening with you. If you normally run a bit low and then add the period.....fatigue will get to you twofold. If you need to get blood work done to help confirm that this could be an issue for you, do not get it the week before, of, or after or it will affect it. ( iron levels should always be well above 13.0 and mine runs around 10.5-11 and that is with iron supplements, so I get fatigued easily with the cycle and with stress.)

hope this helps?
Posted 5/20/2011 5:16 PM (GMT 0)
Cool thank you I'll give it a try
Posted 5/21/2011 11:10 AM (GMT 0)
Hi,

I have RA and I was the same. My RA was always ten times worse when I got my ladies days. My doctor took a bit of a different approach I guess. I'm on the pill and so she said to stop taking the sugar pills, just constantly take the hormone pills. Result, I don't get a period. She figured that firstly, why have a period if it makes the pain worse, especially when u can stop it and there is no danger to doing it (my doctors advice only) but I've had to ill effects (plus added bonus, no pms) and I've been stopping it for 6 months. She, my doctor also figured seemings the amount of pain I was already in with the RA and Fibro, why add period pain once a month to the mix. Works for me ;) One less thing to worry about. And like I said I'm fine, my girl parts are fine, my pms is non existant and it took away extra pain. Maybe cause my doctor is a woman, that's why she thought of it ;)
Posted 5/21/2011 2:39 PM (GMT 0)
Everyone around me knows when I'm getting my period because I become absolutely exhausted. I don't think it has anything to do with iron - it is, like you say, a completely temporary situation, whereas anemia is a chronic problem that can only be resolved by taking iron daily for weeks. I think it is entirely hormonal. There are a lot of things happening in your body right before you begin menstruation. Your progesterone crashes, which is what essentially brings on the bleeding. I think you're just going to have to live with it until menopause.

Tell your husband that when he sees you so tired he should get over himself and get to work helping you out!
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