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Crohns and Menstrual Pains

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Crohn's Disease
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Posted 10/25/2011 9:46 PM (GMT 0)
I've noticed I always have more menstrual pain and irregularities when I'm having a Crohns flare up, and it's just been increasingly miserable lately. Does anyone else notice the two coinciding? In the past 2 months I've had like 5 mini-periods and every one of them has come with extremely painful cramps and a day or two of hormonal spurts. I've already visited my GYN to rule out anything abnormal, besides IBD, and everything came back fine. Which, as good news as that is, it just leaves me at square one as usual. I've tried every pain med possible, caffeine, heating pad, sleeping all day until the pain subsides a little...The only thing that helps at all is a heating pad & the fetal position and I have to practically burn myself for it to do any good. Any thoughts or suggestions?
Posted 10/25/2011 11:36 PM (GMT 0)
I've been on Yaz (bc) since around 3 years ago, and wasn't on meds for my Crohn's yet (I had been dx'd with UC, but wasn't told that I had UC...long story haha), but only recall that I would mini-flare around my periods.

Are you on any sort of birth control?
Posted 10/25/2011 11:51 PM (GMT 0)
I exercise regularly and since I started I no longer get menstral cramps...it sounds crazy but it is true that doing sit ups or crunches (which ever you prefer) even during menstral cramps will actually stop them, doing it regularly will keep them at bay (speaking from experiance).
Posted 10/26/2011 12:21 AM (GMT 0)
I have found that even though it is hard to bear it at first that lying down completely flat on my back stretchs the stomach area out and helps with the pain. Hurts like hell for first few minutes and all you want to do is curl into a ball but it does gradually fade away and after about 30 mins it has gone. The pain was definately worse until have ilestomy done and all colon etc removed and now I do get break through bleeding and also around time of ovulation as have scar tissue that is connected to the ovaries and as they swell it is like having an abscess pain.
Posted 10/26/2011 2:14 PM (GMT 0)
I used to always be miserable 3 weeks out of the month with my periods. I eventually had a hysterectomy becuz I couldn't take being that miserable all the time (and I was in remission at the time) and I had already had all the children I wanted.

I found that birth control pills helped the most to ease my monthly symptoms. Hugs!
Posted 10/26/2011 10:11 PM (GMT 0)
Thank you for all the feedback. :) I will try to motivate myself to exercise next time, see if that helps.
I had been on single hormone birth control pills since December, but it only worsened my symptoms and made my periods more unpredictable than they ever had been. During this past visit to the GYN, my doctor suggested the depo provera shot to stop my periods and hopefully stop all the pain that goes along with them. Has anyone else tried that?
Posted 10/26/2011 11:14 PM (GMT 0)
Yep! I'm on Depo Provera and it has been a blessing! It completely stops my periods, one less major annoying thing to worry about! As I have severe perianal involvement with my Crohn's, other people and I were always down there working on that area and having my period in addition just always made things extra blahhhh. Also, it's one less pill I have to worry about taking everyday!

I will say, though, that I've gained weight on it. My sister also went on it and gained about 30 pounds.
Posted 10/26/2011 11:45 PM (GMT 0)
I suffered from early menopause, endometriosis, and heavy bleeding. I was on depo for awhile..I always flared during heavy periods.. I had albation done, and at 41 I have a light period on occasion now..I had a reaction to estrogen but not progesterone only?
Cindy
Posted 10/27/2011 1:16 AM (GMT 0)

RiddleMeThis said...
Yep! I'm on Depo Provera and it has been a blessing! It completely stops my periods, one less major annoying thing to worry about! As I have severe perianal involvement with my Crohn's, other people and I were always down there working on that area and having my period in addition just always made things extra blahhhh. Also, it's one less pill I have to worry about taking everyday!

I will say, though, that I've gained weight on it. My sister also went on it and gained about 30 pounds.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

Hi RiddleMe this is Jen I 2 had been put on the needle Depo due 2 heavy periods that stopped cold in about 2 months,,I have no children and that was with one needle and the docs brushed it of by saying its ok we know its not normal but u r so under weight u r always getting blood transfusions what happened was this my period stopped when I was 21 and just came back at 37 and I think I'm gonna bleed 2 death,I got an app with my OBGYN on the 30 of next month,,is that what happened 2 u as well I'm scared its cancer sorry 4 changing the subject in this post but I didn't want 2 start another that was already on the same topic thanks your reply will really help.. sad

Posted 10/27/2011 12:30 PM (GMT 0)
I'm a male, but nevertheless I think I know what drug to take for relief from severe menstrual cramps. In fact, for any severe abdominal cramps (including from an obstruction), you can get a lot of symptomatic relief from Buscopan (generic name: Butylscopolamine). Please read the Wikipedia page on it:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butylscopolamine

It appears that it is NOT sold in the USA. If that's where you live, then the closest equivalent is Levsin (generic name: hyoscyamine):

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Levsin

Obviously I don't have periods, but I've taken Buscopan for cramps caused by obstruction. It is most effective if injected. Alternatively, there are pills - the sublingual (under the tongue) ones are probably better than the ones yo swallow. But an injection (IM preferred, rather than IV) works about 10 times better than the pills.

I was in the USA a couple of years ago and discovered that injectable Levsin is about 25 times more expensive than the equivalent dose of Buscopan that I can buy where I live (Taiwan). In the USA it is a prescription drug, in most Asian countries Buscopan ampules are available over the counter. In Mexico, I saw Buscopan being sold in the supermarket in pill form (I didn't ask if they had it for injections).

You should not overdo it with this drug. Take it when you need it, and no more. Overuse can have some side effects.

Post Edited (ozonehole) : 10/27/2011 6:36:31 AM (GMT-6)

Posted 10/27/2011 7:23 PM (GMT 0)
I've heard about the weight gain due to increased appetite. I'm not too too worried since I tend to be losing weight more often than not anyway, but how much weight gain are we talking? If I make sure I stay on a healthy diet, increased appetite or not, that should keep the weight gain down significantly right...?
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