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severe pms & menstrual discomforts
i have hesitated to post this question because other health issues seem bigger, more pressing...but since my period returned 18 months ago (dd is 3), it seems to get worse each time. i feel like i have forgotten how to cope with it.
for two days before my bleeding starts, my joints hurt so much i can hardly sit down. my hips, pelvis get so unbelievably tender, like with the flu. and my exhaustion is almost impossible to cope with. the day before my bleeding starts, i am absolutely a wreck, wanting to sob (and leave my spouse). once the cramps start, it is like i am 15 again except i can't stay home sick from caring for my daughter.
i take a multivitamin, eat pretty well...lacto-veg diet, though less dairy lately due to the many chest colds. i may be a bit low in protein? but i love my dark leafy greens. i practice yoga almost daily, thogh with the cold, not a lot of other exercise.
any advice you might have is welcome. and thanks for listening.
for two days before my bleeding starts, my joints hurt so much i can hardly sit down. my hips, pelvis get so unbelievably tender, like with the flu. and my exhaustion is almost impossible to cope with. the day before my bleeding starts, i am absolutely a wreck, wanting to sob (and leave my spouse). once the cramps start, it is like i am 15 again except i can't stay home sick from caring for my daughter.
i take a multivitamin, eat pretty well...lacto-veg diet, though less dairy lately due to the many chest colds. i may be a bit low in protein? but i love my dark leafy greens. i practice yoga almost daily, thogh with the cold, not a lot of other exercise.
any advice you might have is welcome. and thanks for listening.
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You might want to get your hormone levels checked. Some people have great results using bioidentical progesterone cream on certain days of their cycles.
I also have agonizing cramps! Doctors are quick to suspect endometriosis (and indeed it is a common cause of cramping) but there are a lot of other things it could be caused by, and a lot of them are MUCH less invasive tests than the laproscopic surgery for diagnosing endo.
Here's a couple of threads with a TON of info and ideas on causes, treatments and pain management.
http://www.mothering.com/discussions...d.php?t=621812
and I posted the same thing to another forum I belong to - the first post is the same, after that everything is different.
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/...onizing+cramps
I would first suspect thyroid and/or hormonal imbalances. I'm also researching copper toxicity, which can cause cramping and is more common in vegetarians and vegans.
Good luck and keep going till you find your answers!
Here's a couple of threads with a TON of info and ideas on causes, treatments and pain management.
http://www.mothering.com/discussions...d.php?t=621812
and I posted the same thing to another forum I belong to - the first post is the same, after that everything is different.
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/...onizing+cramps
I would first suspect thyroid and/or hormonal imbalances. I'm also researching copper toxicity, which can cause cramping and is more common in vegetarians and vegans.
Good luck and keep going till you find your answers!
thanks for your thoughts, mamas. hormonal imbalances makes sense. when i think about how long it took me to adjust to the influx of hormones with my breastmilk (there was no lovefest around my house for a while!)...and then again when dd weaned...
postpartum i had thryoid levels checke d(normal), and i recall my midwife saying i might "just be particularly sensitive to hormone changes." that did not seem very helpful!
anyhow. i could almost handle the cramps more than the pain in my joints, the deep sorrow. the search goes on.
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postpartum i had thryoid levels checke d(normal), and i recall my midwife saying i might "just be particularly sensitive to hormone changes." that did not seem very helpful!
anyhow. i could almost handle the cramps more than the pain in my joints, the deep sorrow. the search goes on.
Did you have your free t3, free t4 and antibodies tested as well as TSH for thyroid disorders? TSH is basically useless till your thyroid is nearly dead. And is often totally normal or could show hyper when you're actually hypo or vice verse if you have Hashimoto's or an autoimmune disorder because the antibodies attacking your thyroid cause you to flip back and forth between hyper and hypo.
If you do the hormone tests you can check out my post here http://www.mothering.com/discussions...d.php?t=633537 for some more info on getting that tested.
For thyroid, hormones and adrenal info check out www.stopthethyroidmadness.com too.
If you do the hormone tests you can check out my post here http://www.mothering.com/discussions...d.php?t=633537 for some more info on getting that tested.
For thyroid, hormones and adrenal info check out www.stopthethyroidmadness.com too.
This is an old thread but I'm coming to subscribe so I can use the links at a later time. I'm having very similar problems right now. Did you find anything out about your symptoms, Kanga?
hi Amy,
i have not found any specific answers, but i also have not gone to see a doctor. i am first trying to sort out how many of my symptoms might be readily manageable. for example, i try to remember to take a multivitamin, because i have read that certain deficiencies (magnesium e.g.) can cause moodiness. i am also trying to more carefully tailor my yoga practice. and restrain myself from eating everything in the house.
i realized i have not been eating as much tofu as i used to. it might not make any difference, but i shall go back to having more soy protein and see if there is any change.
so i don't have any magic answer for you, but i hope you are feeling better soon.
i have not found any specific answers, but i also have not gone to see a doctor. i am first trying to sort out how many of my symptoms might be readily manageable. for example, i try to remember to take a multivitamin, because i have read that certain deficiencies (magnesium e.g.) can cause moodiness. i am also trying to more carefully tailor my yoga practice. and restrain myself from eating everything in the house.
i realized i have not been eating as much tofu as i used to. it might not make any difference, but i shall go back to having more soy protein and see if there is any change.
so i don't have any magic answer for you, but i hope you are feeling better soon.
I've had a lot of success decreasing my pain lately but I don't know about the other symptoms.
I've been drinking red raspberry leaf tea almost every day and taking 1-2 TBS of flax oil. Also 2TBS Bragg's apple cider vinegar and 1/2 teaspoon of celtic sea salt (for minerals) dissolved in 16 oz. of water. If you try the vinegar thing you may want to start slowly, it'll taste horrible the first day but it gets better, now I actually like it! I've been taking a B complex vitamin for a long time but didn't notice much help with that. I have a chelated magnesium/calcium/zinc and I think that may be helping a lot.
Also I've been doing acupuncture. If your insurance won't cover it, you can see if you might have a school in your local area where you can get discounted treatments.
And I think my Armour thyroid dosage and progesterone levels may be getting high enough to help too.
I've made so many changes it's hard to say for sure what made the difference. I'm just glad it is getting better so I'm going to keep doing all of those things!
I've been drinking red raspberry leaf tea almost every day and taking 1-2 TBS of flax oil. Also 2TBS Bragg's apple cider vinegar and 1/2 teaspoon of celtic sea salt (for minerals) dissolved in 16 oz. of water. If you try the vinegar thing you may want to start slowly, it'll taste horrible the first day but it gets better, now I actually like it! I've been taking a B complex vitamin for a long time but didn't notice much help with that. I have a chelated magnesium/calcium/zinc and I think that may be helping a lot.
Also I've been doing acupuncture. If your insurance won't cover it, you can see if you might have a school in your local area where you can get discounted treatments.
And I think my Armour thyroid dosage and progesterone levels may be getting high enough to help too.
I've made so many changes it's hard to say for sure what made the difference. I'm just glad it is getting better so I'm going to keep doing all of those things!
I had the same problems you describe. I did a few drastic changes and everything is much better now. I've changed to a gluten-free diet, started making regular kefir and sauerkraut and I've also changed to natural sanitary pads and stopped using personal products containing paraben or any unnatural junk. Run a google search on the words 'paraben estrogen' and you'll find some scary proof of how shampoos and face wash mess up your hormones. It is amazing how the skin absorbes everything you put on it.
I don't have heavy pms anymore and my period is a bearable 3 days now. Excersize and lots of water helps with the pain too.
I don't have heavy pms anymore and my period is a bearable 3 days now. Excersize and lots of water helps with the pain too.
Kangamitroo, you described me in your original post. I could not stop crying yesterday. I have endometriosis (laparoscopy at 15). I am so down an exhausted today that I am just trying to make it through. I also have had the joint pain for about a week. Accompanied by hot flashes, cramping, and all the other menstrual / PMS symptoms that make women miserable. I have an appointment with a homeopath tomorrow. I am really hopeful that he will be able to help me. This is the first time that I have really felt desperate for help. I have always been able to cope before.
I've been reading on my hypothyroid list some things you can do to help a few of those symptoms. If you have bloating, switch to unrefined non-iodized sea-salt. It should be grey or pinkish, something other than white. Celtic and Redmonds are good brands, and Trader Joe's has a store brand I think is the right thing...just make sure it's not white. Regular table salt will make you retain water, but sea salt will help you get rid of extra water. This can sometimes also help joint pain. As long as you don't have sodium-influenced high blood pressure you can also add 1/4-1/2 teaspoon to 16 oz of water and drink it. It's not nearly as gross tasting as you'd think hehe. And it's known to give a boost of energy. Just don't take more than about 1/2 teaspoon cause too much can act like a laxative. You can do this once or twice a day.
Also a lot of people have been saying (assuming you're not vegetarian, that's why I haven't tried it) that stirring a packet of knox gelatin into your morning juice (or maybe water, I don't know) can help a LOT with joint pain. People report that glucosamine can take days or months to start working but they get immediate relief with the knox gelatin. The only thing is, this shouldn't be taken by people with shingles/herpes/chicken pox related viruses, something about the amino acids in gelatin reacting with those I think.
Also a lot of people have been saying (assuming you're not vegetarian, that's why I haven't tried it) that stirring a packet of knox gelatin into your morning juice (or maybe water, I don't know) can help a LOT with joint pain. People report that glucosamine can take days or months to start working but they get immediate relief with the knox gelatin. The only thing is, this shouldn't be taken by people with shingles/herpes/chicken pox related viruses, something about the amino acids in gelatin reacting with those I think.
VaDoula, i hope you are feeling better soon.
i am glad to say i have seens ome improvement as i reassessed and adjusted my yoga practice. i have given more attention to including poses recommended for PMS
for examples:
http://www.yogajournal.com/health/1616_2.cfm
also, have a more vigourous practice most of the month, and during menses more restorative. Geeta Iyengar's book "Yoga a gem for women" is very helpful.
i realized i had a powerful healing tool in my life, but was not using it effectively. i am trying to honor that my body is not the same each day of the month, to practioce more awareness
i am glad to say i have seens ome improvement as i reassessed and adjusted my yoga practice. i have given more attention to including poses recommended for PMS
for examples:
http://www.yogajournal.com/health/1616_2.cfm
also, have a more vigourous practice most of the month, and during menses more restorative. Geeta Iyengar's book "Yoga a gem for women" is very helpful.
i realized i had a powerful healing tool in my life, but was not using it effectively. i am trying to honor that my body is not the same each day of the month, to practioce more awareness
1 - 13 of 13 Posts
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