Health improving - but period pain much worse!

[Tasker]

I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism nearly a year ago, and am gradually seeing improvements in my symptoms. The GP has recently been persuaded to increase my dose to 100mcg of levo so I'll have my next blood tests at end Sept. Mostly I have of course been delighted at the changes in how I feel - carpal tunnel symptoms have disappeared, hair loss is less, physical energy increasing and brain fog decreasing. Even the joint aches are starting to ease off. But rather less welcome has been recent more severe period pain.

The background is that I also have PCOS (I know that is also linked to Hashi's, which I have) and the PCOS symptoms including heavy painful periods were controlled for several years by the pill. Gradually that was less effective as I started getting breakthrough bleeding, and I was taken off the pill and had the mirena coil fitted. That was a few months before my hypo diagnosis, and once diagnosed I wondered if the bleeding was actually another hypo symptom. But the coil worked well for me - from the start, just about no bleeding ever - wonderful! Since being on levo I've had occasional v v light bleeds, the tiniest spotting really. But this last week I have had a definite tho light period, and horrible period pain - the first time I've had that pain since having the mirena. While I'm delighted that levo is helping my body get back into gear, it's a bit depressing if it's also going to wind up my reproductive system in this way! That I could do without.

Has anyone else experienced this, ie periods getting heavier/more painful as their overall health improves?

I've lived with painful periods since my teens and of course if that's the price of getting my health back more generally, it's worth paying. But also frustrating that the painkiller that works for my period pain is ibuprofen, and I'm trying not to use that now as I know it's not good for my gut. A vicious circle!

Anyway, enough rambling. Would be interested to know if others have experienced this too. Thanks.

[humanbean]

Low nutrients can make period pain worse - and low nutrients are extremely common in hypothyroidism.

Do google searches for "period pains and ..."

Magnesium

Potassium

Zinc

Iron

Ferritin

Vitamin D

Vitamin B12

Vitamin B6

Vitamin B generally

Folate

Vitamin C

There are, no doubt, other minerals and vitamins which are implicated in period pains, but you would have to do some research to find out which ones they are.

Some of the things listed above can be taken without too many problems and without testing, as long as your kidneys are reasonably healthy. That definitely doesn't apply to iron and ferritin (iron stores) - they MUST be tested before supplementing because too much iron is very bad for people. Vitamin D can become toxic if people supplement too much - it is best tested before supplementing. Other things can be tested if you have symptoms. For example, vitamin B12 should be tested if you have symptoms suggestive of a deficiency - and the testing MUST be done before supplementing - otherwise the results will not be helpful. And even if it is low, it would be worth asking for advice on it before supplementing - if you have Pernicious Anaemia (for example) supplementing makes it virtually impossible to get a diagnosis.

If you decide you want to do private testing ask for advice on what options you have.

[Tasker in reply to humanbean]

Thanks, humanbean. I've been supplementing for several months now based on bloods done by the GP last year and advice from this forum - Vit D, K2, Magnesium, Vit C, selenium, ferrous sulphate, Vit B complex, zinc, and also turmeric and fish oils, and electrolytes to help my adrenals which should help potassium also. So in theory my levels should be better than they were before, even if they still need to improve further, but the period pain has suddenly got worse. I am planning to retest everything using Medichecks in September (once I've saved up a bit more!) so will see what those results say and take it from there. And in the meantime I will start googling as you suggest! Thanks again.

[Bluedragon]

I wonder if the thyroxine is helping your reproductive system to get better, trying to balance hormones etc and the coil is inhibiting it?

I see you have had problems with your periods for a long time - have you ever considered seeking help from a herbalist - very good for balancing hormones.

You are taking lots of good supplements (well, not that I know what brand they are). Are you getting enough fat in your diet - and by that I mean fats like nut butters, olive oil, organic butter from grass fed cows, lard, goose fat, ghee and coconut oil. Of course, avocados and oily fish. The body needs fat in every cell in it's body, especially as we age. Fats help your body absorb fat-soluble nutrients. Fats are needed to produce hormones and cholesterol.

I have loads of books but one of my favourites is a book called Body into Balance by Maria Noel Groves. She looks at nutrition, herbs, lifestyle, exercise etc and is lovely. Some great advice - and there is a chapter on thyroid in there. Yes, it is a herbal book but it is also so much more.

amazon.co.uk/dp/1612125352/...

[Tasker in reply to Bluedragon]

Thank you for the book recommendation; I'll take a look. I do include lots of good fats in my diet, but haven't thought about using herbs before so will look into that. I'm sure you right that somehow it's my various hormones being out of whack, but it's tricky to know what to do to improve things! You have given me a new route to research though.

[Murphysmum]

Me!!!

So, I’ve never had any issues with periods. Always reasonably heavy (I think) but normal pain levels and got lighter, shorter after child 1.

Gas coil fitted after child 2 so not sure how things would’ve planned out naturally.

Had coil removed last September as I was concerned it wasn’t helping my being unwell (see my profile).

Have since been told I have cells on the outside of my cervix but the female gp seemed very relaxed about it. However, THE PAIN 😱!!!

It’s like labour. It’s not normal period pain, it’s very much an internal cramp when h feels like it’s somewhere between my cervix and bowel - sorry tmi!

It makes me cry out and no pain killers, including one prescribed, will touch it.

My theory is that the coil + hypo has caused me to be slightly estrogen dominant, hence the cell overgrowth. Gp said hormone levels are fine (🙄) but I’m really struggling.

I hope as I get my levels of everything - thyroid meds and vits n mins, this might rectify itself.

We have no family history of endometriosis or anything like this. I am tempted to try progesterone cream but can’t find anyone who’s tried it for this reason, so I’m reluctant in case there are side effects.

I need to do something though... the pain is like nothing I’ve ever felt.... labour included!!

[Tasker in reply to Murphysmum]

Oh poor you! That sounds horrible, and a worse pain than mine. It's so hard to know what to do for the best, isn't it? And all we can do, it seems, is try things out. I'd really like to know what my body would be doing without the coil - but if I get it taken out and find things are worse than now, it's unlikely the NHS will give me another, so I've got to be sure it's the right decision...

If you do try the progesterone cream, I'd be interested to know how it works for you. All the best.

[dtate2016]

I would look more towards any complications with the mirena coil. Was not able to post the link but did some quick research and found most of side effects that you describe there. You don’t mention how long you have had the coil - but the article mentioned such symptoms as occurring up to one year after acquiring the coil.

[Tasker in reply to dtate2016]

Thanks for your thoughts. I've had the coil for 14 months now, and from the start it seemed great, hardly any bleeding, no period pain - such a relief. But this is now the same sort of period pain that I've always had, back with a vengeance! My worry though is if I get the coil taken out - and I would like to know what my body would do without it - I might find things are as bad as when it was fitted, ie really painful and really heavy periods. At the moment I have the pain, but the bleeding is relatively light. If I get it taken out and find I'm worse off, I doubt the NHS would let me have another, not least as mine was fitted under general anaesthetic as I haven't had a child. A tricky decision!

[Bluedragon in reply to Tasker]

As stated above by dtate2016, look at the research on side effects on the Mirena coil. It can only be for you to decide but how good do you think it is for your body, really? If you do have it removed, your body will have a period of adjustment to go through. I'm sure, somewhere out there people may have given their accounts of their experience, not that i have looked mind. A tricky decision indeed.

[Tasker in reply to Bluedragon]

I have done quite a bit of reading around on side effects. Some love mirena, some hate it, it seems. I loved it to start with though now am less sure. But heavy painful periods every two weeks on an ongoing basis, which was what I had when my PCOS symptoms were at their worst, were not much fun either! I really really don't want to go back to that, and I'm worried that without the mirena I will. (And going back on the pill, which I had before mirena to control PCOS symptoms, would be even worse for me as I understand it, in terms of leading to oestrogen dominance - and the pill had become less effective for me anyway). Having the mirena taken out might or might not be the answer - it could solve things or it leave me worse off.

I have read of quite a number of women who after a year or so with mirena started having more bleeding and cramping, so I'm not alone in that. Think I will monitor it for a month or two and see if it gets better or worse, and meantime get vits and mins checked as suggested by humanbean, and then decide...! Thanks for your input.