Crohn’s disease can affect your menstrual cycle. It may cause your periods to become irregular and worsen your Crohn’s symptoms. Managing your Crohn’s disease with the right treatment can help you maintain a regular cycle.
Crohn’s disease can affect many aspects of your life, from what you eat to the activities you do. It might also affect your menstrual cycle.
Some people find their Crohn’s symptoms get worse around the time of their period. Others have more painful or irregular periods. Having more sporadic periods can be challenging if you’re trying to get pregnant.
The following are a few ways Crohn’s disease can affect your menstrual cycle and what you can do about it.
Crohn’s disease can often lead to a change in your usual menstrual cycle. It may cause your periods to come more often, less often, or not at all.
These disturbances to your cycle are, in part, due to the inflammation from Crohn’s. This can often lead to weight loss and stress, which can alter your hormone levels
Any medications you take to manage your Crohn’s symptoms may also be a cause.
Anecdotally, many people who have had Crohn’s for a few years find that their periods become more regular again.
Most people receive a Crohn’s disease diagnosis between 15 and 35 years old. Those who develop Crohn’s before their first period typically find that they begin menstruation later than usual.
Those who receive a diagnosis of Crohn’s disease in their early teens typically get their first period later than usual.
Being underweight can also delay your first period. Some people may not even get a period until their Crohn’s goes into remission.
Crohn’s disease can affect your period symptoms and vice versa. If you’ve noticed your Crohn’s symptoms get worse during the time around your period, you’re not imagining things.
Researchers think some of the Crohn’s symptoms that occur during your period may be due to the release of substances called prostaglandins.
Prostaglandins make your uterus contract to expel its lining. They also make muscles in your gastrointestinal (GI) tract contract, which can cause symptoms like pain and diarrhea.
Inflammation from Crohn’s disease may affect levels of hormones that contribute to period symptoms. Whether you experience more or worse Crohn’s symptoms during your period may depend on your condition’s severity and what medications you take to treat it.
Sometimes it’s hard to tell whether your period or Crohn’s disease is to blame for how you feel. The two conditions can cause confusingly similar symptoms, including:
- nausea and vomiting
- diarrhea
- achiness
- irritability
- trouble sleeping
Hormones
Estrogen levels gradually rise throughout your cycle. This leads to a surge in LH, which causes one egg to mature. Levels of the hormone progesterone rise to prepare the lining of your uterus for a possible pregnancy.
If you don’t get pregnant, your hormone levels drop. Your uterine lining sheds and you get your period.
Crohn’s disease causes inflammation, which can alter levels of the hormones that control your menstrual cycle. This can lead to more irregular periods.
One way to manage both your period and Crohn’s symptoms is to take birth control pills.
Birth control pills
Use caution when taking certain over-the-counter treatments for period symptoms. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) and aspirin can make your Crohn’s disease symptoms worse and may trigger a flare.
Speak with a doctor if you notice your Crohn’s symptoms worsening around the time of your period. If your periods are painful or irregular, speak with a gynecologist for advice.
A doctor may want to check for other conditions that can cause similar symptoms, like endometriosis. People with endometriosis have an increased risk of Crohn’s disease.
What does a Crohn’s flare feel like?
A Crohn’s flare can feel like an increase in symptoms, such as abdominal pain, diarrhea, fatigue, appetite loss, and joint pain.
What are the three highest risk factors for Crohn’s disease?
The three highest risk factors for Crohn’s disease typically include your family history, whether you smoke, and the effects of certain medications on your body.
Do people with Crohn’s get sick more easily?
People with Crohn’s can get sick more easily, as some Crohn’s medications, such as antitumor necrosis factor (TNF) drugs, can weaken their immune systems. People with Crohn’s may also be more likely to have deficiencies in important nutrients that help protect the body against illness.
Crohn’s disease can affect your menstrual cycle. It may cause your periods to not come as regularly as they did. You may also have more pain, diarrhea, and other symptoms during your periods.
Eventually, your menstrual cycle should even out. Managing your Crohn’s disease with the right treatment can help put you back into a normal cycle rhythm.