Questions about "that time of the month"
#321872 - 01/07/08 05:25 PM
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steffiejoy
Reged: 11/26/07
Posts: 247
Loc: Cleveland, Ohio
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Ok so, I was in Arizona for Christmas visiting my in-laws and all of a sudden about 10-12 days early comes my period! Is this an IBS thing? I used to have normal regular periods! Now I am miserable for about 2 days before my period with major D. And I was soooo early! Thats never happened to me before. Also my period now lasts about 8-10 days when before it was about 5 days. And my cramps are waaay worse. They kept me up at night for about 3 hours. Is this because of IBS? Oh it just seems to keep getting worse! 
Stefanie
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No, IBS shouldn't affect your periods at all, but hormonal fluctuations can affect IBS.
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What kind of hormonal fluctuations do you mean? My period seemed to have changed and gotten worse since my IBS started. Thanks for your help!!
Stefanie
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Just the fluctuations that go with your normal menstrual cycle. IBS doesn't affect that. Have you talked to a doctor about your worsening periods? Have you considered going on the Pill?
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I havent talked to any doctors about it yet. I just kindof thought that getting more "D" during my period was an IBS thing. Then my period seems to be lasting longer than normal and now its suddenly so early with horrible cramps. When I got married I went on birth control, but then it caused me to spot and I didnt like that cause the doctor said that maybe it wasnt strong enough. So I switched birth controls but they all seemed to make me sick so I just gave up. Then I had to have open heart surgery and since then I havent tried any other pills. So who knows. Maybe I will ask my gastro doc. Thanks again for your help!
Stefanie
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Open heart surgery? What for? I'm also a member of the "zipper club." I had surgery when I was three due to ventricular septal defect (hole in left ventricle). My mother says she thinks that's when my IBS started, while I was taking Digitalis (sp?).
I get spotting too on the Pill and before I was stable I wondered if having do much D was affecting that. My doctor didn't seem to think so. I'm still on the Pill, even with the spotting, because my cramps are just horrible and the pill does help. It doesn't help when you have IBS and can't take as much Ibuprofen as needed. For cramping, hot ginger or peppermint tea and a heat pad on my lower abdomen helps a lot!
Good luck talking to your gastro. It's something you should probably bring up with your regular MD as well. Take care! 
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Were you nervous about being at your in-laws? I ask because on December 19, I had my first therapy session after work and I had to go further away from home so that made me so nervous that my period came down 11 days after it ended! That made me freak out something awful. Maybe the nerves may have been the culprit or your cycle is changing?
My period used to only last 6 days max with the latter day of the 4th day through the 6th only wearing liners. Every other month or so, I'll have to wear a liner through 9 days because I'll keep spotting. Am I too young to start going through premenopausal symptons? (I'm 34). I'm so out of tune with what my body needs, wants, asks, etc.
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Wendy IBS A thru Z 
Taking it one day at a time...
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Hey, another "zipper club" member here! I also had surgery for a septal defect, but at 20 months old.
Steffie, your period could be altered due to stress. Now this could defnitely indirectly be caused by your IBS, visiting the in-laws, or any number of factors. I know from experience that stress can greatly alter your cycle. It hasn't happened since I started taking the pill, but my cycle has completely changed on me twice before (ie: come two weeks early, even just two weeks after having a normal period). Both times were very stressful times in my life.
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IBS-A since age 12, and fructose sensitive; with the exception of my pregnancy, have been following Heather's diet since Nov. 19, 2007.
Taking 12g of Acacia per day. Relatively stable since March 2008!
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I thought all I had was a VSD since birth. So when I was born the doctor told my mom that it would probably close. So I lived my life fairly normally for about 23 years. I knew my limits... I couldnt run or do anything too strenuous, but it didnt bother me. See I had a brother that died of Transposition of the Great Vessel. He died during surgery, so when the doc. told my mom that they could either operate when I was young or see if it closes, she let it go. To make a long story short, I started having some bad chest pains. Ended up going to the doctor had an EKG, and a catscan and found out that my heart was enlarged and majorly malformed. So I got a cardiologist and had an Echocardiogram and a Cardiac Catheterzation only to find out that I had Tetralogy of Fallot. I dont know how familiar you are with that, but I was never a blue baby, which typically Tetralogy patients are. So everything got worse for me and on April 30th 2007 they operated. I had my VSD that had gotten way larger closed up and they thought they would have to replace a valve, but they didnt. They also cut back some muscle that my heart used because it was so big and strong from all the years of stress my heart had that it was in the way. Then after about a month of recovery, I ended up back in the emergency room because I was going through Atrial Flutter. My heart rate got up to 250 while I was sitting. It was nuts. So they did an ablation where they burnt the scar tissue from my heart surgery that was causing the Flutter.
I am not totally recovered. My heart is still irratic and my cardiologist says I have some heart block. I dont know, I try not to get too stressed out, but sometimes I do. I just want it all to be done. And I want to have kids some day soon, I am only 25 yrs old!
That medicine you said didnt sound familiar. I was on heavy amounts of Toprol though. And I was on medicine called Atenelol. That made me sick though, so they took me off that. Then about 8 months after the surgery is when all this IBS stuff started. I have heard that maybe the IBS started because of the huge amounts of stress your body was in during surgery. As for the period stuff, maybe my body is just changing and I guess its another thing to adjust to. Oh well. Thanks for asking about my surgery. I have a lovely scar as I am sure you do too. Unfortunelty my skin keyloted (sp) so its puffy and red instead of white and flat like it should be. Are you totally healed from your VSD?
Stefanie
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Thanks for your help ladies! It was a long flight to Arizona and even if I didnt really feel stressed, I am sure I was. Its good to know that your periods all have changed too. Just another part of my body that I cant read anymore!  Oh well.
Stefanie
P.S Erilyn- I wrote my open heart surgery story to Maria!Maria, I had Tetralogy of Fallot when I thought I had a VSD. 2007 was a crazy year for me! Thank goodness its over!
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