flares and periods any tricks for feeling better?

[cyd]

hi! i've been doing pretty well keeping my ic under control, but for 7 months my period went away. it was a wonderful vacation, but now it's back, and i am flaring up. i really think my period is the reason. okay, i am 48 and my dr. says i am in perimenopause. so . does anyone have any good pointers?

anyone find going on the pill reduces the flow of their period and reduces the i c flare? would that be worth trying???

anyone taking any herbs or anything or lil tricks like what to wear or how to wash that i may not have thought of yet? sometimes a little trick can really help alot. i am open to anyone's wisdom and experience.

also, does anyone besides me count their hours of sleep? i should really be getting 10 to 12 hours sleep. ha ha. i have not been lately, could this be why i'm flaring, too?

has anyone tried taking turmeric in pill form? this is supposed to reduce inflammation. okay, well thank you, let me know! ps how will i find this again or know when someone answers me? thank you! cyd in ocala, fla.....

[leelee88]

I also posted this on Sharons repost :

I was having bad periods and had to get on continious birthcontrol that has help my flares out around that time of month alot..Also another thing when I am flaring I always use my heating pad..And IF you can tolerate Aleve I know that helps. But some ICers cannot take aleve but I do fine with it and it helps my aches and pains.

[Claredale]

I have been on the depo shot for continuous birth control as well and my doctor said I can be on it until I hit menapause. It's made a huge difference in my hormonal flares. I have only had one and that was when I didn't get my shot on time. As soon as I got my shot, the flare was gone.

[cyd]

hi claredale! thank you for your answer, what is depo shot? can you tell me a little more detail about this so i may ask my doctor about it. this sounds really promising! thank you!

[stef000]

Just wanted to put out a warning on the depo shot....its real easy to get it but it can put you in a medical menopause and cause a lot of hormonal problems and also bone loss....
and for me it made me bleed very heavily and i was in so much pain....
i just think you should know all the risks for it...
i personally like the progesterone only pill....it is way less progesterone in the long run and it helps against the period flares and ovulation flares...
but definitely talk to your doc about all options and risks....since everything does have risks but the bone loss that some people have had from the depo shot is scary....up here they hardly use it anymore because of it....
here are some good effects of progesterone on the body....
---->Progesterone decreases contractility of the uterine smooth muscle.
* It raises epidermal growth factor-1 levels, a factor often used to induce proliferation, and used to sustain cultures, of stem cells.

* It increases core temperature (thermogenic function) during ovulation.[14]

* It reduces spasm and relaxes smooth muscle. Bronchi are widened and mucus regulated. (Progesterone receptors are widely present in submucosal tissue.)

* It acts as an antiinflammatory agent and regulates the immune response.

* It reduces gall-bladder activity.[15]

* It normalizes blood clotting and vascular tone, zinc and copper levels, cell oxygen levels, and use of fat stores for energy.

* It assists in thyroid function, in bone building by osteoblasts, in bone, teeth, gums, joint, tendon, ligament and skin resilience and in some cases healing by regulating various types of collagen, and in nerve function and healing by regulating myelin.

* It appears to prevent endometrial cancer (involving the uterine lining) by regulating the effects of estrogen. '

Here are the side effects of the depo shot---->

Health Risks:

Studies released in 2004 show that Depo Provera is associated with a loss of bone density resulting in an increased risk of osteoporosis. The bone loss appears not to be reversed when the woman goes off Depo Provera. Depo is not recommended for long term use and especially not recommended when the young woman is still growing her bones. Women on Depo are advised to exercise and take in plenty of calcium. If you have taken Depo Provera for more than two years, you might want to get a bone density test. (see article on Building Healthy Bones and factsheet on calcium-containing foods )

Some women have allergic reactions to Depo Provera.

If a woman becomes pregnant while using Depo Provera, and continues her pregnancy, there may be an increased risk of premature birth.

The effects of Depo Provera on breast cancer are still unknown.

Health Benefits:

Women on Depo Provera have a decreased risk of endometrial cancer, ovarian cancer, and pelvic inflammatory disease. You may have less menstrual cramping and pain, fewer periods, and less chance of anemia.

Side Effects

70% of women using Depo Provera gain weight. Almost half of the women using Depo Provera gain more than 5 pounds after one year of use. Many women gain more than 10 pounds.

Irregular, heavy, or no bleeding are common side effects of Depo Provera. After a year of use, many women stop having periods. Lack of a period becomes increasingly common with longer use.

Other side effects of Depo Provera can include headaches, nervousness, mood changes, bloating, hot flashes, decreased interest in sex, breast tenderness, acne, hair loss, and back ache.

After the last shot of Depo Provera, it can take over 6 months for the drug to leave the body. Side effects may linger until the drug is completely gone.
Drug Interactions


Few medications lower the effectiveness of Depo Provera. Women with Cushing's syndrome may take medications that interfere with Depo Provera. If you are taking any medications, tell your clinician. When taking medications that may interfere with Depo Provera, consider adding a backup method of birth control, like condoms or spermicide. As with all drugs, it is useful to inform all your medical providers if you are taking Depo Provera.
Advantages


* Private.
* Effective after 24 hours.
* Does not require regular attention.
* Does not interrupt sex play.
* Has no estrogen.
* May decrease risk for ovarian and uterine cancers.
* Women can start Depo Provera 6 weeks after giving birth.

Disadvantages

* Causes loss of bone density and risk of osteoporosis.
* Does not protect against sexually transmitted infections, including HIV/AIDS.
* Requires injections every 3 months.
* Delay of return to fertility.
* Irregular bleeding.
* Most women experience weight gain'

Here is the info on progesterone only pill
Composition- Norethindrone 0.35mg (Micronor 28).
Mechanism of Action- Endometrial suppression and thickening of cervical mucus is the primary mechanism of action of the POP.
Ovulation is also inhibited in 60 percent of women taking the POP.
Dosage- The POP is taken daily and at the same time of day (within three hours) to ensure a reliable effect. The pills should be started on the first or second day of the menstruation cycle, and then daily (nonstop) thereafter. There is no pill free interval. All twentyeight pills in a package contain active medication.
Advantages-

1. No absolute contraindications- the POP may be used in women with contraindications to the combined oral contraceptive pill (OCP) such as thromboembolic disease and myocardial disease
2. May be used in women over 35 who smoke, during breastfeeding and if the combined pill is discontinued before major surgery
3. No estrogen- related side effects

Disadvantages/Side Effects-

1. Intermenstrual bleeding
2. Functional ovarian cysts
3. Amenorrhea
4. Headache

Efficacy- Progestin-only pills have a theoretic contraceptive effectiveness of 90 to 99 percent. The failure rate is lowest in highly motivated women. The effectiveness drops off dramatically with missed or delayed pills. The Pearl Index is 0.3-4 (failure rate for 100 women using the method for one year).
Contraindications/Poor candidates-

Absolute

1. None except known or suspected pregnancy or the presence of undiagnosed vaginal bleeding.

Relative

1. Any serious side effect occurring on the OCP and not clearly due to estrogen.
2. When pregnancy would be devastating to a woman with underlying medical or obstetrical problems.'



it is very good to make informed decisions when it comes to medical and herbal medicine...
i hope this all helps and i hope you find relief in what you decide....definitely talk to your doc about all options :pray::pray:
take care
:grouphug::grouphug:

[mzyne]

Hi,

There are risks with almost every medication that we take these days.. There are advantages, disadvantages, side affects and sometimes….relief!

I had the depo shot three times over nine months and I am considering going back on it. I had the best response to Depo and had nine months with little to no flares. It dramatically reduced my flares to almost being non-existent! I did however, gain over 5kgs. I go to the gym most days and I am still struggling to loose that weight. My gyno decided to insert a Mirena two months ago, as like most women, I was concerned about the weight gain with Depo.

After I had Mirena inserted I have had flares again, I can't be sure if it is my Mirena or not, you never can know. I would much rather be on Depo than anything at the moment as it is the first very positive thing that has worked for me.

I do believe with IC it is all about trial and error.. You have to try things to see what works for you as it is such a personal thing. Things that have worked for me won't necessarily work for the next person.. It is nerve racking as you don't want to risk having flare-ups etc. but, you never know what will work. Until you try it.. don’t rule anything out, but, make sure you research what you try before you do.

Much luck to everyone :smile tee

[sissygirl]

I am 45 and in peri--last summer I had bad bladder and vaginal symptoms that lasted for months. My Uro stopped short of calling it IC and my GYN thought my bladder symptoms could be related to low estrogen as my vaginal tissues showed signs of estrogen imbalance ...

Anyway, he put me on a low dose estrogen-progesterone pill (microgestin) and I am feeling much better...My periods are very very light..I was more than willing to risk estrogen side effects to feel normal again and the GYN said these low dose pills are safer than earlier formulations...

In my 20s I was on a progesterone only pill and I found it very irritating to my bladder--was going all the time, had work up for IC etc. So yes, everyone is different.

[Bekah79]

Cyd, I understand your fustration completely.I'm in a terrible period flare my self right now. I can't seem to find any OTC meds that will help me. I tried a heating pad a couple hours ago it didn't help me either. Right now I've got ice pack between my legs and it's helping some but cold always seems to increase my frequency. This is a doosy of a disease to treat. I wish someone could come up with cure. I pray for a cure every night.

[LithEruiel]

I know this is an old topic, but for those of you that use Depo...do you inject it yourself? I wouldn't have a problem doing it (and it would give me more practice), but I know at some places they require you to come in to the office to get your shot...if I have to do that, it's a deal-breaker for me (I don't have insurance or much time). I know some people must inject their own because we had it at the pharmacies I worked at. I'm thinking of asking my doctor about it because I'm on a high dose birth control pill and still having terrible symptoms (I can't take the progesterone only or I'm even more miserable)...

[rebeccat]

Hi CYD
I have found taking aloe Vera capsules help with flares, about 6 a day.
Also drinking several glasses of urals (urinary alkilizer )
My IC is also worse before my period.
Hope you find something that helps
Rebecca

[icadvice]

Long term anti-inflammatory diet (especially avoiding caffeine) greatly affects the number of days I will flare around period time. I still will have a few really painful days. And for those days I take anti-inflammatory pills, sit on a heating pad (which can cause burns so this is not advised..might be best to put it against your back or let it sit on top of your front pelvic bones) and then I avoid drinking as much water as I can get away with.. I used to never get UTI's and I still test negative for them, but I have to watch how much I'm reducing my water because I am more likely to get them with my lack of intake of fluids. I can usually manage 3 cups or 4 of water a day, otherwise I'm almost always running to the bathroom and in pain if I drink more.

[LithEruiel]

Well the best way to make periods better is not to have one... the last time I went to my uro-gyno she said since my symptoms were so bad I should just not take the placebo pills of my birth control at all (I was taking them only every three months, instead of every month)...it's great.