Question about gluten infractions in adults, kinda TMI

[Multimomma]

I have been gluten free for about a year now, and one thing I have noticed is that my cycle changed. I have been irregular since I hit puberty, with cycle lengths of 32 to 36 days, messy periods that last 7 to 10 days etc.

Well, since I went GF, my cycle is TEXTBOOK. It is amazing to have 28 day cycles, with three or four days of menses. My life overall is better, I've lost 40 lbs without changing anything else, my lifelong arthritis is gone, mental fog is gone, depression is better. However, if I slip up and eat something with wheat, it definitely disrupts my cycle. Does anyone else have this? Are there other things I should be aware of? Every time I think I miss pizza, I just remember the agony of arthritis and depression.

[dannic]

My slip ups are cumulative--and they mostly mess with my moods.

[tanyalynn]

First month I went gfcf, my luteal phase got 2 days longer (6 days to 8 days, so still not good, but better).

Early on, when I got gluten the problems would be immediate--irritability, fatigue, my cycles would drop back to my 6-day minimum. Later on, the problems came on more slowly.

Early on, I was probably just depressed all the time, and that took a long time to go away, and I had to do other work to improve that. But now my moods are a lot better, more upbeat, not depressed, more motivated, but gluten will cause a slow onset of depression and irritability.

Are you willing to make your own pizza? A lot more work, but some of the crust recipes around are really tasty. But yeah, last fall, pizza was my main vice, and I paid for it.

[wallabi]

hi -


Since going GF last fall my formerly (very very)painful periods have changed to mild, soon over menses and messing up the GF thing takes away the pain-free-ness.

For me, I think this is because there is a link between my gluten difficulties and the endo that was causing the period pain. Reasons for this explained below.

I have endometriosis (autoimmune disease in which my uteran lining has escaped and is trying to take over the unoverse by implanting itself all about my abdomen - more common than most people know - about 10 percent of women thought to have it - vastly underdiagnosed) and am either gluten intolerant or celiac (suspect celiac but don`t have access to testing and so far no family members have been tested, though hopefully my mom or little brother will soon). Some of the medical journals I read asserted that people with celiac have a higher incidence of other autoimmune diseases (like endo, but most commonly mentioned is thyroid problems, I think, and also diabetes), which suggests a link of some sort, though whether causitive or both stemming from the same base cause or simply indicating a tendancy towards immune malfunction I don`t know, and as far as I have read so far, noone knows for sure. Furtherm, reading in GF forums I hav ecome across many people whose infertility resolved when they went GF (not immediately, but with time and healing) which strengthens my belief that comsuming gluten contributes to reproductive cycle disruption in celiacs, at least.

sorry if any of this doesn`t make sense - dd is wanting my attention NOW and I can`t think clearly enough to edit!

[Multimomma]

Thanks all!

Wallabi, it does make sense. I was dxed with rheumatoid arthritis as a teen, my entire life! After having children, I started with symptoms like chronic fatigue, just exhausted, sore muscles, endo pain. After going GF, it is ALL gone. It is amazing to me. My mentor is another adult who went GF, she said that often huge bio experiences like surgery, childbirth, etc, can trigger either the development of gluten intolerance, or an increase in sensitivity. There aren't many drs around here who understand it, she even travels to see one.

I'm just going to stay GF, because I know it works. But my cycle right now is so messed up, and I'm hoping it will clear out of my body soon so next month is better!

[JaneS]

Could be Hashimoto's hypothyroid, which is an autoimmune disease thought to be chiefly caused by gluten intolerance. I have yet to uncover that gluten intolerance can cause non autoimmune hypothyroid but I wouldn't count it out it at this point.

Hypothyroidism causes all issues mentioned here and more: hormonal imbalances, depression, fatigue, linked to arthritis, etc. etc.