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Luteal phase intense cramping pain
I have been having debilitating pain around 12-13 days before my periods. It lasts about 8-9 days.. I start having massive digestion issues I feel, like, lots of flatulence, but it feels trapped which causes more pain. Starts with a dull pain mostly on lower right (have got ultrasound done to rule out appendix pain) which turns into major cramping for half and hour or so and then it goes away..sometimes I have to have a medicine or apply heat.
I notice this also happens 45 minutes to an hour or hour and a half after having food or when I’m starting to feel hungry (emptier stomach)…but it happens multiple times during the day and I have woken up several times during the night as well writhing in pain! I have tried birth control pills but each time I stop after the recommended time by doctors, the pain returns.
I have PCOD but no one has been able to confirm anything or give me a proper diagnosis as to why I keep having this painful issue.
It started 6-7 years back and I have gone to several doctors and done alternatives therapies without any relief!
I am not sure how to reduce the pain or what the course of action for something like this should be.
Decided I would try this forum and see if anyone can guide me in the right direction so I could find a solution somehow. Im literally unable to do anything during these painful days.. so I’m basically not functioning for around 100 days in a year!
So Please help!
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Hello
So relieved to feel I am not alone. I have been having this pain several years now. Pain on the center but mostly right side. Pain would start like a clockwork on Day 15 of cycle and would last for 7-8 days. Worst at night, possibly because lying down seems to increase it. On these days, I would have to visit the washroom several times a day, always felt like trapped gas. At first, I did not make the connection to my menstrual cycle and thought it was a stomach upset, some allergic foods etc etc. It took me several years to figure out it was linked to menstrual cycle. Once I understood that, I went to a Gyno, who referred me to a gastro, who ordered a CT. The CT came out normal, although it showed a small fibroid, but that could not have contributed to this pain.
The gastro doc asked to take a urine culture test, at this point, I was disheartened that no one really understands my problem and never returned back to her. My gyno said uterus removal could solve this, for which i was not ready for it either since I am still in my thirties.
Long things short, I still have no solution. I do know what doesnt help.
OTC pain relievers dont help.
Medicines that are anti spasmodic doesnt help either (meftal spas)
Just ploughing through those 7 days every month stoically for now.
Peculiar things I noticed:
I intentionally went for CT during those painful 7 days . During my CT, I had to empty my bowels completely using a colon cleanse. Following that, I was pain free for a day. After I started eating again, pain came back. So it is definitely gastro related.
I was having a sedentary lifestyle and when I started heavy exercising, it sped up my cycle. So my luteal phase was hardly for 3 days, so that particular month I was painfree. So I was dreaming if I kept up my heavy exercise, that would solve the problem. But no! my body had gotten used to the exercise by next month and had a normal cycle and pain as usual. So this is definitely some whacky hormones at play too.
I am documenting my story here in the hope that someone might find a cure and I might benefit too. And also to let women in a similar condition know that they are not alone.
I have had similar pain to what is being described since the end of 2020. I had surgery that confirmed and removed endometriosis, but the pain has not gone away. It starts 12 days before my period and lasts for 11 days. Especially bad at night. I will feel fine for hours then be in excruciating pain for 20 minutes or so. I take ibuprofen and Tylenol, which dulls the pain a little bit. I also use heat. I've worked with dietitians and physical therapists and nothing has helped significantly.
On my last visit to the doctor, they said that "my body is extra sensitive to hormonal changes" and did not offer any more testing, just symptom management. I have an appointment with a Napro doctor coming up, so I am hoping they will do more testing.
The process of trying to figure this out has been incredibly discouraging. I am thankful to find the people who have similar symptoms, even if we don't have answers yet.
Hi. I wanted to write an update to my condition. It turns out I have an allergy to progesterone which is causing this horrible cramping during the luteal phase. I finally saw a reproductive endocrinologist (after much advocacy on my end) who is the first doctor who said they have seen this before and it can be quite severe in some women. Every other doctor I saw seemed totally perplexed by my symptoms. Unfortunately, the treatment options for this kind of sensitivity / allergy is limited as often to suppress ovulation and therefore stop the surge of progesterone during the luteal phase you need to take a birth control that ironically contains progesterone like substances, but there are some options and others may benefit from seeing a reproductive endocrinologist so I wanted to post. Hope others are also getting help in their treatment journey!
Thank you so much for writing this out and the systems/solutions you have been trying. I have had very similar issues for the last 8 years and I have felt so alone in trying to find help/relief.