Menstrual cycle and UC symptoms?

Hey all,


I started PMSing this last week and noticed some D with no real sense of urgency, just more annoying than concerning. I had been feeling well up until I started to PMS. I got my period yesterday after feeling a bit off with some nausea. My menstrual cramps are terrible and only subsided for a small amount of time with Tylenol before they came back even worse, and Tylenol only helps for a short amount of time. But I am THANKFUL for my period because when I first got sick with UC I ended up skipping a period because my body shut down that function. I've read that the same muscles that contract the uterus also contract the intestines causing diarrhea. So far I've experienced a good amount of nausea, cramping, migraine (started last night and carried on to today -- took Tylenol and feeling much better and peppier, like me normal self), and D.

Any tips for relieving my symptoms? I'm trying to beg my mom to buy me ginger ale because it always seems to make me feel better! One thing I'm noticing right now is that I'm hungry, and I remember during my first flare that I vomited a lot and didn't even want to think about food, so I guess this is a good sign! For those of you who are or have been in my shoes, how did you deal with this and if it got better, when did that happen?

Thank you all so much Hopefully someone can ease my mind...not so fun being stuck in bed all day.

I've always had occasional migraines, and during my period it's no different. Tylenol nips it in the bud right away.

Thanks for your input :)

I'm still open to hear more responses! I'd love to hear if someone was in a similar situation as me!

I notice that my period is almost always a reflection of how well my UC is being managed. When the UC is at its worst, my cycle is very short (21-22 days), periods are heavy and long (6-7 days) and I get a LOT of pain, diarrhea & general "I feel terrible and don't want to get out of bed" feeling.

When my UC is well-controled, my cycle is normal (28-30 days), short-medium length (3-5 days) and not heavy, and the cramps I do get can be pretty well taken care of with Tylenol. I might get a little diarrhea the day before and on the last day of my period (hormones, you're so awesome), but it might just be one or two loose BMs, not a diarrhea marathon. I think a lot of people get hormone-repeated changes in BMs near/during their period, so I don't expect that to ever go away completely, but I can help the situation if I'm a little more careful about what I eat around those days - less caffeine, less junk, more fruits & veggies.

I think if you are really suffering with your period, it might be a sign that your UC needs something stronger. Sometimes it's such a gradual slide into feeling bad that you don't know how terrible you feel until you find something that really works for you. That was definitely the case for me - a few years of "I'm ok....I can still function in my life", then I finally got my UC well under control and all sort of aspects of my health improved, and I realized how terrible I really used to feel.

It's worth a thought, anyway. :)

I have always had heavy, painful periods. When I was diagnosed with UC I realized all the D I would get during my periods was from that.

I agree with Kazbern in that it's most likely just your UC getting agitated by your period and popping up to say hello.

I treat them as separate things, since though they might affect one another they still are different issues. I had a prescription for painkillers for my period and I used hot compresses. I also kept strictly taking my UC meds and might use hydrocortisone suppositories if the need arose.

Now I have a mirena IUD and I have very mild, painless periods every so often. They're kind of unpredictable but there's no D or cramps or anything nasty anymore. It's a wonderful birth control!