Lactose and menstrual issues
Nov. 2nd, 2006 11:01 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kayreDiscussion of female physical issues; enter at your own risk. I'm sharing this story in case it may prove helpful to others with my combination of physical issues-- lactose intolerance and very heavy menstrual periods.
I'm severely lactose intolerant; I also have some serious menstrual issues. I suspect I was mildly LI as a teenager, but it became much worse after childbirth fever when my daughter was born; that's also when the menstrual troubles (very severe periods, spotting in between) started. I didn't connect them until recently because the diagnoses were made several years apart, but now I'm convinced there's at least some connection.
I'm on hormonal birth control to keep my periods under control, but even so I have really heavy periods that don't usually stop until I restart the pills. Several months ago I was travelling for a week before my period, so I scrupulously avoided lactose, because I have some reaction even if I take lactase. The first few days of my period were amazingly light! Then I got home, and indulged in dairy... suddenly I started bleeding heavily again. That made me start wondering, and since then I've avoided dairy as much as possible, and taken lactase when I'm suspicious. I've had 3 very normal periods, 4 days, much lighter than any in years. No swollen breasts, almost no cramps, maybe 1 headachy day compared to 2-5 days of migraines before.
This week I slipped up... bought a coffeecake without reading the label, never thought about it, took no lactase... and started spotting. Then I read the label and realized it was loaded with lactose (whey powder, curses!) 24 hours after my last piece of it, no more spotting. For me that's a final confirmation. Wish I'd figured it out years ago! I'll certainly discuss this with my GP and GYN at my next appointments, but meanwhile, no more dairy!
I'm severely lactose intolerant; I also have some serious menstrual issues. I suspect I was mildly LI as a teenager, but it became much worse after childbirth fever when my daughter was born; that's also when the menstrual troubles (very severe periods, spotting in between) started. I didn't connect them until recently because the diagnoses were made several years apart, but now I'm convinced there's at least some connection.
I'm on hormonal birth control to keep my periods under control, but even so I have really heavy periods that don't usually stop until I restart the pills. Several months ago I was travelling for a week before my period, so I scrupulously avoided lactose, because I have some reaction even if I take lactase. The first few days of my period were amazingly light! Then I got home, and indulged in dairy... suddenly I started bleeding heavily again. That made me start wondering, and since then I've avoided dairy as much as possible, and taken lactase when I'm suspicious. I've had 3 very normal periods, 4 days, much lighter than any in years. No swollen breasts, almost no cramps, maybe 1 headachy day compared to 2-5 days of migraines before.
This week I slipped up... bought a coffeecake without reading the label, never thought about it, took no lactase... and started spotting. Then I read the label and realized it was loaded with lactose (whey powder, curses!) 24 hours after my last piece of it, no more spotting. For me that's a final confirmation. Wish I'd figured it out years ago! I'll certainly discuss this with my GP and GYN at my next appointments, but meanwhile, no more dairy!
