The Women: Do your symptoms intensify a week or two before your monthly visit?

[MusicismyLife19]

Hello Everyone,

I was just diagnosed last week.  My Rheumatologist is pretty sure that it is Sjogren's along with Secondary Fibromyalgia.  However, she wants me to have a Salivary Scan and maybe a Lip Biopsy.  In the meantime, she's treating me with a high prescription of Fish Oil and would like to start me on Plaquenil. 

I had posted last week when I was diagnosed because this was all very overwhelming for me, and yesterday I also understand why I was being emotional.  On the other hand, it also presents another question, which is what I've observed since all of my weird symptoms started in July 2008.

For the ladies:  Do you ever notice that your symptoms are exacerbated a week or two before, or even while your monthly visit?  Are your periods irregular?

Since my body has been changing due to the disease, I've noticed some HUGE differences.  I noticed that the tingling in my hands or toes, and the vibrating/buzzing sensations throughout my body become more frequent a week before and while my period is occurring.  I also noticed the fasciculations come back more often two weeks before.  Then I encounter the upper mid back spasms which kind of interfere with my deep breathing.  They can sometimes be painful. 

This time I experienced two new symptoms with my monthly visitor.  This happened last week, and the first one was like a throbbing pain in and around both of my eyes.  It was pretty much there almost every day last week, and when I was emotional from the diagnosis, it hurt more when I cried.  The other new symptom which also happened almost every day last week , was an electric shock type of pain at the right side, on top of my head.  This kept happening in the same spot.  The best way to describe the pain is, if any of you have had an EMG test, it was like someone put one of those needles inside of my brain, and hooked it up to the electricity.  That's how painful and quick it was.  It would happen a few times a day. 

Have any of you experienced similar things, or noticed your symptoms become more pronounced during your monthly visitor?  Do you know if this is common?

I would love to hear your feedback and advice.  Thank you for taking the time to read and listen.[/color]

[jaygee]

Poor you.  I get that Spike in the Brain headache too - it makes me wince!    I don't know if it SJS, but I know how painful it can be.  Hopefully someone else will come along who knows more, as I'm new here. 

[Tryfan]

Yes, I definitely find my symptoms get a lot worse before a period the ease off then come back again for a couple of days about week after I've started.  I did ask the GP whether I could be allergic to my hormones at one point (before I had a diagnosis) but he just laughed I think.

I must say the worsening is a bit different every month.  You never know what you're going to get!  This month, for example, my left parotid was very painful, I had a cluster headache, my left rib cage was painful and stiff and I was very very miserable.  Now it's started, I am a different person until.......!!!

[Epson]

My symptoms intensify every time my mother-in law makes her monthly visit to our house, I guess that's a different kind of visit, but painful non the less

[dbab]

Epson, At least your mother-in-law visit is only monthly... for me, try daily   

**I know, I know... I will be one too one day

[Epson]

Dbab,

You poor thing, ever think of moving and not telling your relatives?

[gurs]

Its because your estrogen level drops right before your monthly friend and it can cause all these symptoms. I have sjogrens and it wasnt until my total hysterectomy
2 years ago that all this numbess/tingling started. I have it all over my body all the time.  My estrogen levels are tested and they are very, very low. It all makes sense-
Im trying to tolerate some natural hormones, but my body doesnt like it very much. Its been a nightmare..the dryness of sjogrens and menopause. I thought I had it bad before..that
was nothing!!! Such a connection between sjogren's and hormones..autoimmune diseases for that matter.

[tmarie0183]

I definately notice an increase right around the time of my period.  I had also previously posted this question before!  I too get that weird "buzzing" feeling throughout my body and my left leg/ankle is always numb!

[BarbwirE]

Yes, I too have these headaches. Mostly they are temporal (in my temple) and I have also been diagnosed with Pseudotumor Cerebri. I have overlapping SS and SLE, and SLE has been known to cause the PTC. Check it out...

[Bonnie]

I get the weird buzzing feeling too, which I had never had before.  glad to see that others are having this as it is really strange.  Will maybe mention this next time that I see the doc.  (bit worried that he might think that I'm crazy - he I think he already thinks that anyway)