mancmm19 Posted March 18, 2009 Report Share Posted March 18, 2009 I have a question regarding periods, as I just got mine yesterday. Ever since I started getting sick, my periods have been thrown off schedule. They no longer come every 28 days and have ranged from as early as 17 days to as late at 39. Lately, it's been between 30-38 day though. Ever since I can remember, I have had the worst cramps, ya know...the kind that give you the chills you're so sick and miserable. But once I really started getting sick, I noticed that changing. Sometimes (like 2 months ago) my cramps got so bad so quickly and the 3 ibuprofen I took didn't make a dent in the pain. It was the worst pain I have ever been in in my entire life, so bad that I called my mom hysterical crying to come home from work because I couldn't lift myself off of the floor. I thought I was in labor and the pain in my thighs was so bad that I couldn't move. She came home and tried to pick me up to put me on the couch but I began passing out so she called 911. They put me on IV Saline and Vicodin, and the pains eventually subsided. I was checked for an ectopic pregnancy because the pain was that severe that I though I might've been pregnant and in some sort of labor. It was suggested that I most likely had endometriosis although I have not been tested yet.However, like this month period that began yesterday, I had dull cramps from the moment I woke up yesterday, and eventually got my period around 5 p.m. Since then, the dull cramps have persisted and even woke me up a few times last night, but haven't been so bad as to where I though I needed to take a pain killer. My question for you is, can POTS affect periods? I don't understand how the pain can go from one extreme top the next month by month, and I would think that if I did have endometriosis, it would be consistent extreme pain every month. Once again, just trying to figure out symptoms relate to what in this whole big mess Best,Michele Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajw4790 Posted March 19, 2009 Report Share Posted March 19, 2009 Hi,Sorry I really don't have any answers or insights. I personally don't have this kind of problem. Has your meds changed? I know when I am on Neurontin etc. it can sometimes dull the cramps, so it sneaks up on me as it wears off. I think with endometriosis that things can be very irregular and change constantly. I think a lot of it depends on where the tissue that "escapes" (for a lack of a better word right now ) goes and how it attaches to whatever etc... For that the best way to find info would probably be to google it and maybe even find a forum/support group that can halp answer your questions.I hope it gets better soon, because it sounds miserable!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
babettess Posted March 19, 2009 Report Share Posted March 19, 2009 Hi Michele,Sorry you are having such a rough time. Please see your gynecologist to get the endometreosis/other conditions ruled out. There are also other female conditions that can cause such painful periods. I'm sure either the period affects the POTS or the POTS affects the period in one way or another. For me, my POTS goes crazy during my period and I feel terrible. It seems like the heavier my flow the sicker I am. Hang in there and get yourself checked out.Best wishes that you feel better soon.Babette Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Broken_Shell Posted March 19, 2009 Report Share Posted March 19, 2009 Hi Michele,I second what Babette wrote. I did stop having periods for several years after developing dysautonomia, and now having my period makes my other symptoms worse - same as Babette wrote, the heavier the blood flow, the worse the autonomic symptoms. The only way to officially diagnose endometriosis is to have a laproscopy done. Some OB/GYNs do these, but it might be best to look into a fertility specialist who has done a lot of laproscopies. My mom had endometriosis, and it has been discussed whether or not I have it and should have the laproscopy procedure, but my hormone plan right now is to suppress my periods to try and stop the symptom flares that are associated with them, so I have opted to not have the laproscopy done right now, as I don't think my body could handle it. I mention looking for a specialist though because my mom's endometriosis was on her lumbar spinal nerves and was missed by the general OB/GYN until she was finally diagnosed by a more advanced scoping. She was in so much pain that she would lay on the floor screaming and pound on the walls every month. Because they missed it on the first diagnosis, she was sent to all sorts of pain clinics and given medications and injections for years before they finally found the endometrial growths on her nerves and removed them with surgery. I will keep you in my thoughts this week, and I hope that the pain with this cycle will be less severe than you have had in the past.~ Broken_Shell Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
delphicdragon Posted March 19, 2009 Report Share Posted March 19, 2009 I know that having my period makes my POTS worse. I need to be on some form of birth control to level things out. I hate that I have to be, but it has helped my energy level tremendously. My periods, before and after the diagnosis, were always 28 days, like clockwork. I got horrible cramps when I was in my teens, but they have since subsided to where I don't have to take Motrin for them. I would recommend a decent gyno, perhaps your hormone levels are very off and that is causing the POTS. It's worth a try...Sara Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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