Lady problems & asthma/addisons - Asthma Community ...

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Lady problems & asthma/addisons

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Does anyone else find their chest gets worse before their period is due? I've never really noticed any issues before but since being diagnosed with Addisons have been more aware of feeling I'll & needing more nebs as my chest is playing up.

I know there are a few people who use this site who have both conditions like I do & wondered if they had also noticed a worsening of their Addisons the week before as well. I'm still new to having to juggle both & aren't sure what's normal. I'm getting what i think is 'normal' period cramps but also cramps in my legs, being unable to get warm (actually shivering) & feeling really sick with a severe headache. I've also started to crave salty foods, if it had been chocolate I wouldn't have been worried.I don't have a specialist nurse for the Addisons like I do asthma so don't have anyone I could just run queries by. I know you have to in increase hydrocortisone to cope when you are ill but didn't know if this would include 'time of the month' issues.

Sorry for raising this here but I was hoping that there would be someone with experience of this. It's strange having 2 conditions as you're never sure where to go to for help.

Many thanks & apologies for the long post

Take care

Rabbit

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6 Replies

Hi

you are not alone mine is always worse in the week pre period and thats when most of my hospital admissions seem to occur. I was told by going on the pill it can help but i cant have any hormone treatments so hit a wall there. If it seems really bad it maybe worth increasing predor other steriod meds(i hate increasing the pred) but is def worth speaking to resp/addisond drs for that.

Hi Rabbit

I think there is a recognised link between asthma and pre-period stage, my gp has commented on it a few times and I now always up my symbicort for a week prior which helps a bit.

With ref to the pmt headaches, have you had your thyroid checked? only reason I ask is that for 20+ years i had severe migraines prior to my period to the point where I would actually cross out that week in my diary every month as I could never go anywhere and happened every single month, then last year I was told I had under-active thyroid and since starting thyroxine have never had one since! my gp said it can be a sign of thyroid so might be worth asking as I am so happy to be rid of them !!

Snowy

Thanks, at least I know now I'm not imaging the link. Have a an app on my phone which let's you track dates ( think there is now an app for everything!) & I've started to put all the symptoms into this which is when I realised there was a pattern.

I'll speak to both my consultants to see if there is any preventative measures I can take. Like most people I don't like in increasing my steroids but if it means I can function better I'm willing to try it. A short planned increase would be better than having to deal with an attack.

Take care everyone

Rabbit

Hi rabbit, like you I too have both addisons and asthma, I definitely notice the difference at certain times of the month, I also have an under active thyroid and thyroid cyst and I notice that gets worse too. I'm on the mini pill because they thought it might help but I don't think it does, they wouldn't give me the normal pill because I had a suspected blood clot on my lungs. I even find the pain from my osteoporosis gets worse at the same time. Hormones have a lot to answer for! Hope you feel better soon and take care :) x

Mine gets lots worse also and put a post up a bit back and had get replies also that they had the same problem.Asthma bad at the moment and lot of pain xxx

Hi Glynis, sorry to hear that you are in so much pain, I'm really struggling too, I feel as if I'm suffocating but I don't know whether to go to the doctors because all they will say is that they can't do anything for me because I'm on the maximum. Hope you feel better soon x x x x

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