Cramp city

Did anyone else experience a change in their period after surgery? I never really got cramps before, and it would be heavy for a few days but then slow down. I've had two periods since surgery (first one started in the hospital, what a treat that was!) and both have come with intense cramping and they're so heavy for days on end, it's hard to even leave the house! I have my follow up with TWH tomorrow and plan on asking if this is normal, I'm sure it is, but just wondered if anyone else had a similar experience and if so, did things change back to something more manageable? 

I blame it on the change in hormones we are experiencing.

My first one was like... 2 days after surgery and no real change, however last month.... it was not a friendly time of the month at all. I would ask at your follow up when you see the NP, just for your own peace of mind.

I only ever get cramps the first day.....and that day was never pleasant...but when I got my period after surgery.....OMG   Still only crampy for 1 day, but they were cranked up to 100! AND normally my period lasts 5 days exactly......like ALWAYS. This time it was 3 days

For me, mine comes every 3 WEEKS now ,BLAH...It has started to get better the last couple months, not so heavy.. I hope yours gets better soon..Take care Krista..

mine came 2 weeks early at the hospital..heavy..cramping. It has been the same the past 3 months..this month though it was more like pre surgery(still heavy and cramping but not nearly as bad) ...here's to hoping it stays that way! 

I had mine just before surgery, had it just after surgery and it was crampy and heavy for about 7 days, very unusual for me.  I am on blood thinners though and I am not sure if that had something to do with it or not.  Here's hoping both of ours will get a better.  Can you take anything for it?

YES! My time of the month is brutal now.

I am also joining the ranks on this one.  The same thing happens to me EVERY time I start to lose a bunch of weight.

My period is normally fairly manageable and lasts 6-7 days.   I just got it about 4 days ago and it is AWFUL!! Soooo heavy and I just feel bloaty and miserable. Somehow I gained 3 pounds overnight!!!???  Every time I start losing weight they last for like 2 weeks with a one  week break in between.....sucks big time!! I  expect this to continue for awhile. I've been told it has something to do with all of the extra estrogen that is stored in our body fat....as we lose fat the estrogen gets dumped into our blood streams.

I too can vouch for the horrible period nightmare.  I always had bad ones, but post op they got even worse.  Didn't think it was possible, but wow.  To compound the problem I was having issues with my iron levels.  At one point I would get an infusion, get my period and be back to square one.  I finally got a referral to an OBGYN and opted for an endometrial ablation 18 months after my RYN.  Made sense in my case as I was 41 and not going to have any more children.

I sympathize with you.  The only thing that even touched the cramps was Midol - the kind with acetaminophen.  I used the generic version.

Hope you feel better and things turn around for you,

Kristie

Thanks for the responses, ladies! It's always nicer to know you're not alone when it comes to strange side effects from WLS, although this is not someone I'd wish on any of you. I'm putting it down to too much estrogen running rampant in my system. I'd rather this then staying the weight I was though, so I'll just have to put up with it for now! Hopefully it tapers off as the weight drops, and hopefully the same for all of you as well. I accidentally took two Advil last night and that helped immensely, but obviously not something I can take again. 

I'm worried about low iron though - I have a family history of anemia on my Mom's side and have been on and off iron supplements since I was a teenager. My iron was low just before surgery so I have been taking supplements in addition to everything else, but I can tell I'm low right now because I have that dragged-through-a-knothole-backwards feeling. Just exhausted and a headache and nausea, I know it's low iron. Hopefully I won't have to get the transfusions as I have witnessed how unpleasant they can be!

Anyway, thanks again everyone. We'll see what they say at TWH tomorrow!