CF and the monthly cycle- again, for the ladies...

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Jennifer1981

New member
Lauren,

I was on the birth control pill for a total of 10 years, 8 of which were called Levora. It was the generic form of something. I don't remember what. The first 2 years I was on a brand name BC pill but don't remember the name.

I took it daily for those 10 years, started it when I was 12. I would get monthly periods. They were just lighter and more friendly.

No, I did not ask to be put on it. I had developed a left ovarian cyst which made my life miserable. It was pretty big and caused massive pain and pad changes every 2 hours tops. I constantly had accidents, and it through my anemia completely out-of-wack. I got so sick with pain that I couldn't move. I lived on the sofa for 10 days straight with a heating pad. Missed lots of school. Plus, I'd vomit and have extreme nausea.

I went to my mom's GYN doc 6 months after my first period - so I was 12 1/2 years old. The cyst was pretty big. They put me on the pill to dissolve it. After a few months, they took me off of it, but it came right back and much worse. They were afraid that if I was not left on it that I would suffer a rupture or need surgery. So I ended up staying on it. I wasn't sexually active until 16 so I was only on it for the cyst. After that, I remained on it for both reasons. It wasn't until June 19, 2005 that I decided that I wanted to conceive.

My cycles were regular after only 2 months off of it. Thankfully, the cyst comes and goes now without too much interference. Yes, I get the pain with my cycles, during potty breaks, or sex, but it is nothing like it use to be. Yes, the periods are still somewhat heavy, but I'm not doubled over. Usually, I'm only heavy for 3-4 days.

I had the last ultrasound in November 2006. I knew it was there and wanted to have it checked because I knew that it was really bad. It was pretty bad. They gave me one cycle to "hope" that it went away on its own. Thankfully, it did, but it still comes and goes. The right ovary is perfect. Never had any problems with it. My mom had a history of terrible cysts on both ovaries until she had me and my sister. After that, she never got them again.
 
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nance

New member
Hi- I just joined to comment on your questions re: skipping your period. (I will soon be a licensed registered massage therapist here in Canada and I am doing a research assignment for school regarding CF) My doctor and also my best girlfriend's doctor say it is perfectly fine to take a continuous cycle of birth control pills to delay getting your monthly cycle. We both find it to drastically reduce our hormonal mood swings. Perhaps opinion differs from dr. to dr.?
 
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nance

New member
Hi- I just joined to comment on your questions re: skipping your period. (I will soon be a licensed registered massage therapist here in Canada and I am doing a research assignment for school regarding CF) My doctor and also my best girlfriend's doctor say it is perfectly fine to take a continuous cycle of birth control pills to delay getting your monthly cycle. We both find it to drastically reduce our hormonal mood swings. Perhaps opinion differs from dr. to dr.?
 
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nance

New member
Hi- I just joined to comment on your questions re: skipping your period. (I will soon be a licensed registered massage therapist here in Canada and I am doing a research assignment for school regarding CF) My doctor and also my best girlfriend's doctor say it is perfectly fine to take a continuous cycle of birth control pills to delay getting your monthly cycle. We both find it to drastically reduce our hormonal mood swings. Perhaps opinion differs from dr. to dr.?
 
L

littledebbie

New member
I feel better not having mine. I was always sooo tired and sob - and I mean more than normal <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0"> Let alone a lot of the other issues you all mentioned. I really have never missed my period. Sometimes I don't really get why women don't take more advantage of the ways to stop or lessen their period? I mean if you're not trying to conceive I don't see the perk to having it? It's a drag for a normal woman and for someone with so much extra health stuff going on it's a total pain in the as$.

And mine was never reliable (probably because of my weight changes <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0">) in when it came or how long it lasted which sucked for obvious reasons but also when I would get to feeling run down it always had me trying to figure out if it was my period or was I starting to get sick?
 
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littledebbie

New member
I feel better not having mine. I was always sooo tired and sob - and I mean more than normal <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0"> Let alone a lot of the other issues you all mentioned. I really have never missed my period. Sometimes I don't really get why women don't take more advantage of the ways to stop or lessen their period? I mean if you're not trying to conceive I don't see the perk to having it? It's a drag for a normal woman and for someone with so much extra health stuff going on it's a total pain in the as$.

And mine was never reliable (probably because of my weight changes <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0">) in when it came or how long it lasted which sucked for obvious reasons but also when I would get to feeling run down it always had me trying to figure out if it was my period or was I starting to get sick?
 
L

littledebbie

New member
I feel better not having mine. I was always sooo tired and sob - and I mean more than normal <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0"> Let alone a lot of the other issues you all mentioned. I really have never missed my period. Sometimes I don't really get why women don't take more advantage of the ways to stop or lessen their period? I mean if you're not trying to conceive I don't see the perk to having it? It's a drag for a normal woman and for someone with so much extra health stuff going on it's a total pain in the as$.

And mine was never reliable (probably because of my weight changes <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0">) in when it came or how long it lasted which sucked for obvious reasons but also when I would get to feeling run down it always had me trying to figure out if it was my period or was I starting to get sick?
 
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Momtana

New member
I was well during each of my three pregnancies. I have been thinking about cycles and hormonal contraception and CF symptoms for a few years now. Just recently I read an article from CF Roundable from Sandy Sufian asking the same question - she reports her CF is worse at the end of her cycle, just before and during her period. I heard, through a staff person at the MN clinic, that there is a woman who believes her CF is better now that she has had menopause. It has started me thinking that women might benefit from learning to chart menstrual changes along with CF symptoms to see if there is a relationship.
anyone interested?
 
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Momtana

New member
I was well during each of my three pregnancies. I have been thinking about cycles and hormonal contraception and CF symptoms for a few years now. Just recently I read an article from CF Roundable from Sandy Sufian asking the same question - she reports her CF is worse at the end of her cycle, just before and during her period. I heard, through a staff person at the MN clinic, that there is a woman who believes her CF is better now that she has had menopause. It has started me thinking that women might benefit from learning to chart menstrual changes along with CF symptoms to see if there is a relationship.
anyone interested?
 
M

Momtana

New member
I was well during each of my three pregnancies. I have been thinking about cycles and hormonal contraception and CF symptoms for a few years now. Just recently I read an article from CF Roundable from Sandy Sufian asking the same question - she reports her CF is worse at the end of her cycle, just before and during her period. I heard, through a staff person at the MN clinic, that there is a woman who believes her CF is better now that she has had menopause. It has started me thinking that women might benefit from learning to chart menstrual changes along with CF symptoms to see if there is a relationship.
anyone interested?
 
A

AnD

New member
I would chart, but mine are like clockwork- the same symptoms, starting 7-8 days before my period, in the same order...
; no variance at all, really. I wonder if the study will expand- I would jump on it in a hurry!

I miss being able to be on the pill, too- the other plus was that my complexion was great! I even got compliments on it
face-icon-small-blush.gif" border="0
. Now, I'm back to the pms breakouts that start to clear up about the time pms starts all over again *sigh*.

I get so aggravated when my clinic appointment falls during pms- I know my numbers won't be as good, and it will look like I've gained weight, and the next visit when it's gone, they get concerned that I have "lost weight". "No, really, that 5 lbs was water weight..." Uh huh. <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif" border="0">
 
A

AnD

New member
I would chart, but mine are like clockwork- the same symptoms, starting 7-8 days before my period, in the same order...
; no variance at all, really. I wonder if the study will expand- I would jump on it in a hurry!

I miss being able to be on the pill, too- the other plus was that my complexion was great! I even got compliments on it
face-icon-small-blush.gif" border="0
. Now, I'm back to the pms breakouts that start to clear up about the time pms starts all over again *sigh*.

I get so aggravated when my clinic appointment falls during pms- I know my numbers won't be as good, and it will look like I've gained weight, and the next visit when it's gone, they get concerned that I have "lost weight". "No, really, that 5 lbs was water weight..." Uh huh. <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif" border="0">
 
A

AnD

New member
I would chart, but mine are like clockwork- the same symptoms, starting 7-8 days before my period, in the same order...
; no variance at all, really. I wonder if the study will expand- I would jump on it in a hurry!

I miss being able to be on the pill, too- the other plus was that my complexion was great! I even got compliments on it
face-icon-small-blush.gif" border="0
. Now, I'm back to the pms breakouts that start to clear up about the time pms starts all over again *sigh*.

I get so aggravated when my clinic appointment falls during pms- I know my numbers won't be as good, and it will look like I've gained weight, and the next visit when it's gone, they get concerned that I have "lost weight". "No, really, that 5 lbs was water weight..." Uh huh. <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif" border="0">
 
L

lightNlife

New member
My allergies go nuts when it's that time of the month. My FEV1 drops, I get a whistling asthmatic cough, and I have more trouble with hemoptysis. I don't gain water weight with my period, which is weird I guess. My weight is usually down at that time.

Another interesting tidbit (sorry if this is TMI) is that my BMs are REALLY healthy looking when I've got my period.

My theory about the asthma flare-ups is that my body is working so incredibly hard just to have a "normal" period, that the rest of my body systems fall by the wayside. My mom also has wicked allergies like I do, so I don't think my PMS issues are isolated to CF stuff.

Just out of curiosity, does anyone else have trouble using tampons? I've found that they don't work well to absorb my flow because I've got so much mucus in there. It just slides down the outside of the tampon rather than soak into it. I feel so silly sometimes to be wearing a pad, but they're really all that works for me.
 
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