Periods getting worse and worse

[smiales01]

Hi,

My son is now 2 1/2, still breastfed. My period came back at about 21 months.

Pre pregnancy my periods were pretty easy, not heavy, no pmt, lasted 3 days.

Since they came back they have gradually got worse and worse, especially over the last 6 months. I have extremely bad pmt for a week prior, my mood is awful and my sugar cravings are even worse. I start getting very tired. Then I get nasty cramps and come on very heavily. The heaviness lasts probably 2 days then overall I feel a lot better. I use a mooncup so it's not as easy to say how much I lose. TMI but it's always full and when I go to the toilet with it out I lose a lot of blood then too. It can leak a little too which never used to happen.

Last night my cramps were so bad I was having to do my hypnobirthung breathing to help me through them! It felt like early labour. In fact I started to think I was miscarrying even though I knew I wasn't but it felt that bad.

I've been feeling a bit bloated / weird between periods too. Not painful but a bit tender.

Can anyone relate?

Have you started taking the thyroxine? I wasn't sure...!

It's quite unusual for anyone to not want to take it I must say! People usually clamour for it!

By the way, prescriptions are free if you take thyroxine. You have to apply for exemption and GP sign it.

I've barely taken even a paracetamol since I got pregnant in 2012 and I wasn't expecting anything to do with my thyroid so I think it was just such a shock I panicked. Now though I'm thinking I know I should have just taken it. Well I still could as I have them in the house but want to see Dr first. I have the exemption card, Dr did form straight away. Silver linings hey!

I've not heard of Forrest yoga, will look it up!

I'm fine, just fed up. All will improve I'm sure xxx

Thank you xx

I thought b12 had to be injected??

If you're really, really deficient and have pernicious anaemia (issue with lining of part of gut so can't absorb it) then yes. Bvits are water soluble as get weed out of not needed.

I did read / was told in my Bf group to take vit b12 if bf as you pass on quite a bit in milk.

(Never knew any of this till I started bf to be honest!)

Very little of anything gets passed on through bf. I've had so much pain for the last 18 months I've not had a week where I haven't taken paracetamol, ibuprofen or cocodamol. But I did check via bf network first.

Don't worry - to be honest I really think GP will say to take it. You have full blown thyroid disease. The only treatment for underactive is thyroxine.

You just will need to be monitored - ie regular blood tests, to check Tsh as it will waver a bit. The over all trend is gradual distruction of the gland.

It should be near to 1, so just above or just below or 1. This is what is normal in normal people.

Hope you get sorted soon X

Well I'm totally confused, Dr wants to monitor, sent me away with print outs about hypo but told me I have Graves' disease not Hashimotos?? Isn't Graves Hyper not Hypo??

Yes confusing! Thyroid disease is very confusing! TPO ab occur in both conditions. It's odd though that without the second test you would have started treatment.

I know very little about graves. I am wondering if the GP momentarily confused the two names?

The toft book is excellent, this is what it says about hyper/ graves. Look at the patient.co.uk pages too for both conditions.

Next 2 pages

I have read both Patient .co.uk sites. It is confusing but I'm also confused by the "graves" comment. Usually for graves there's either a referral to endocrinology or management with other drugs.

I'm guessing they now think you are 'correcting'.

I'd give the British thyroid foundation a ring - look for people with experience of graves and underactive- and maybe post on health unlocked or another post on here.

Maybe get a second opinion to clarify things. Possibly ask for a referral to an endo.

This was cherry picked from patient uk hypo page:

•	Hashimoto's thyroiditis and atrophic thyroiditis probably represent two ends of the same spectrum of chronic thyroiditis. In Hashimoto's thyroiditis there is a painless goitre of varying size with a rubber consistency and irregular surface. Thyroid function varies from normal to subclinical or overt hypothyroidism.
•	Treat patients with a history of radio-iodine treatment or positive thyroid antibody test, as this subgroup will nearly always progress to overt hypothyroidism.
•	Also treat if there has been previous treatment of Graves' disease or other organ-specific autoimmune disease or TSH is >10. Levothyroxine is used to maintain TSH within the normal range.<a class="break-all" href="//[http://patient.info/doctor/hypothyroidism#ref-17" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">17</a>7_]
•	If none of the above is present, then monitor TSH every 6-12 months. If symptomatic then a trial of thyroxine may be warranted.

The issue is that you are symptomatic however Tsh is dropping according to your results. I remember fluctuating and indeed coming off thyroxine as very hyper (I don't think GP told me to but test was fine) however I later very much went down hill and needed thyroxine.

If it's graves it will need a different treatment plan imo.

I'm so sorry this is so confusing and frustrating!

Thank you again for info. Yes, nail on the head, I'm 'correcting'. I rang my Dr as I just couldn't get my head around it and she explained it as I have likely had a hyper period and I'm going through a thyroid 'Storm', I am hypothyroid but currently at the end of Graves too. She said my thyroid will be destroyed, my antibodies clearly show its being attached. I said so basically I have to get worse or at best continue as I am until I'm in fully fledged hypo and she said yes. Although she did say if I feel awful to go back and we'll re discuss. Also wants me retested in 10 weeks.

Scenario does ring true as post conception and birth I lost a lot of weight without effort, assumed I was just more active and bf... I was overweight pre baby though so with all the walking and feeding I didn't question it that much. I've gained a stone back of the 3.5 I lost.

Ok I see - that does sound more like it. I'm so sorry; that is frustrating. Don't have much time to type - keep in touch with the GP and do go back again if you think you are getting worse. It's hard as as I say there can be a symptom delay. So you might feel better before you get worse

It's going to be pretty tough - do talk to family and friends and seek support. The cards from the btf are very handy to give to others. I'd let work know too.