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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Wow Steffie, it sounds like your body's been through quite an ordeal! No wonder you are stressed. This could very well be why your period has changed.
When they discovered my VSD when I was a baby, the doctors told my mother that they usually wait until a child is at least 5 years old before doing surgery, but they basically said that my case was so severe I wouldn't have lasted that long. So I had the surgery at 20 months. Back then, that was a big deal. Today, I've heard that they can fix a VSD with laparoscopy! Anyways, luckily I never had any more problems with it. My doctor told me a couple of years ago that I still had a slight murmur, but an EKG and Holter monitor didn't show anything.
The redness in your scar will probably fade – I remember my scar was bright red for years when I was a little kid, but now it is the same colour as the rest of my skin. You can still see it, of course, but I've all but forgotten I even have it!
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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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Well, here's another member of the zipper club! I had open heart surgery when I was 4 months old. I was born a blue baby and my surgery was for the Transposition of the Great Arteries, basically my heart works backwards, or the opposite way of a normal heart. I can't do a lot of strenuous exercise, but thankfully I get to walk my dog pretty much everyday, practice yoga and enjoying hiking the beautiful trails of Montana.
I think it's funny that there are some of us on this site that seem to have so much in common. Hope everyone can have a beautiful and healthy 2008!
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Yeah, Steffie -- that's a lot you've been through! I agree with Erilyn that that's stressful enough to affect your periods and bring about the IBS.
Erilyn -- My VSD was also discovered as a baby and doctors thought it would close on its own. But I was too sick so they did the surgery (this was in the 70s and was still a big deal at the time). I have a nine-inch long scar now, but that's all I've ever known and I forget about it until other people point it out. I had an electrocardiogram a couple of years ago and it didn't show anything. It's amazing that they can now do that operation with a laparoscopy!
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Hi!  I think it's great to meet others who share similar experiences. I know a coworker who had open heart surgery for VSD as an adult and she also has IBS. But that's about the only "real life" person I know who has IBS (or at least admits to it).
I hope you have a great 2008 too!
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Its crazy how we all have this in common. Jenny: My brother died during surgery for Transpostion of the Great Vessels (I think it was vessels, it might have been arteries). I never met him but my mom said he was blue, and was always sick. His surgery was around 2 1/2 years old. I was then born after him and ended up having Tetralogy of Fallot, but was not a blue baby. Like I said, my mom was only told then that I had a VSD. Crazy.
I am thinking that all this stress is a huge reason why I have IBS now. My heart is still quite irratic and sometimes I feel defeated, just like when will it ever end you know?! My surgery caused me to be anemic because I lost so much blood and I still havent gotten over that. Iron pills make me sooo sick and green leafy veges make my IBS go crazy... so I am kinda stuck anemic for now. Oh well.
Thanks for sharing your stories ladies! Lets hope that 2008 brings healthy things!
Stefanie
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Stefanie
sometimes I feel defeated, just like when will it ever end you know?!
I know exactly what you mean by that Stefanie! The last few weeks I have been on and off again. I will go a few days and be able to eat any of the foods I usually do without any problems, but then it seems that I can't eat anything without getting bloated and gassy. And I mean bloated when I say it, for I look like I'm pregnant! The bloating makes my stomach muscles tighten up and I can belch like a 300 pound man! FRUSTRATION!!!!
Thankfully, I have been having normal bowel movements, but I am still so frustrated somedays.
But Stefanie, I am glad that we can share something else in common. This will probably sound quite corny, but I feel some sort of connection to you, as we both have had open heart surgery. Somedays it does all seem too much, I'm only 20 years old, and sometimes I just have to cry to let it all out.
But alas, it seems it is something I will continue to battle. Thanks again Stefanie for sharing your heart story, though I still don't quite understand your condition. I hope you are doing well and keep fighting, we're all in this together!
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Jenny B,
Thanks for your support and help. Sometimes it gets overwhelming and alot of the times I am waiting for the next ball to drop...just like whats going to be next?! But I try to put my problems in perspective and realize that I could be a whole lot worse off. Thanks again!
Stefanie
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Talk to your ob/gyn about this or intern. going on birth control can allieviate this as you can skip your period for many months at a time. this way if you are going away somewhere, you can skip the period.
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