Hi guys,

Not really sure where to go with this question, so I thought I would start here...

I recently was diagnosed with a condition called adenomyosis, which is like the reverse of endometriosis. I have been taking the birth control pill all the time for about three months so that I do not have a period. During this time, I was on the P3 portion of SBD, eating some of the carbs that we don't eat on P1 or P2. I had no spotting, no nothing, good times all around.

Well after about a month of solid company at my house, and eating more carbs again than I thought I should, I decided to start back P1 for two weeks, just to reconnect with the diet. Two days after doing P1, I started spotting, bad cramps, the whole thing. Another day or two later, I started my period full on. So I stopped the pills and decided to have my period for the next week, than start back again (like i had planned to do in a month from now anyway).

I know that we all have had some TOM changes while on the SBD, but does anyone know if there is some research that has shown any correlation between lower carb diets and menstruation? It may just be a coincidence, but I don't think so. It was really odd how it happened at the exact same time, after months of pain free dieting and eating.

Anyway, thanks for any help you can provide...I plan on asking my doctor, but he only practices on Wednesday's and I wanted to get a jump start...

--Dynagrrl aka Jenn.

I've never noticed a change myself but even on phase 1 I would eat lots of carbs from legumes. Make sure you aren't going into ketosis.

Jenn, what kind of carbs did you eat while you had company? Were they processed or junk food? Could your time frame of PMS, etc. coincide with the previous month of eating ??? instead of corresponding to the beginning of PH.1? Just a thought. Was it your TOM anyway, or did it come early?

FYI, all my life I had really severe menst. cramps every month, and all my life I had eaten junk food, that is until this year. I never made the connection between terrible menstrual cramps and types of food I ate, until this year when I cut out processed eating and went "clean." (Also, last year I went on Atkins for 6 weeks and the pain was absent for that TOM, also.) My cramps are much, much less severe than they used to be and I know is was the food.

I don't know if this will help you or not, but I hope so. Let us know what you find out.

This might be one of those things you need to ask your doctor.

I noticed changes in my TOM. Usually if I missed a pill I could take 2 the next day and nothing would happen. Now if I miss one, I usually start spotting and will spot for most of the month or go into a full blown period even if I'm taking the pill.

I did ask my GYN about it. She talked about estrogen being stored in fat and when we lose the fat it releases the stored estrogen and the pill is a mixture of estrogen and progestren (sp?) and it messes up the mixture. She said it wasn't anything to be concerned about and if it continued she would change my pills. She did scold a little about how I'm supposed to be taking them at the same time everyday and I shouldn't be missing doses very often and maybe this would teach me to take them more consistantly.

Let us know what you dr. says if you decide to go.
Sarah

Thanks for the replies!

No, I eat plenty of carbs in the form of beans, lentils, chickpeas. And with taking the pill all the time, I am not supposed to ever have a period, so it wasn't time for one or anything. Even when I am 'bad' it's still mostly like potato bad, not junk food/candy bad... so I don't think it's that.

I think there is definitely a connection, though. I am going to call my doc on Wednesday and see if he has any answers. I will let you know!!!

Jenn.

Hi there...
I've written before about TOM and SBD. I am on the depo shot and didn't have any breakthrough bleeding until I started SBD and quickly lost some weight. I find when I stall or lose slowly then I don't bleed, but when I have a big loss, here it comes! Not fun! Anyway...I talked with my dr about it and she said that to put me on more estrogen I could have side effects that I don't want...and that the period may be the lesser evil. Who knows!

My doc says there should not be any relation to the foods we are eating on SBD and our periods, but I've had symptoms similar to those most of the girls have described. I agree with the estrogen theory...as we lose, the estrogen screws with our loss. Perhaps in going on Phase 1, you released estrogen that had been stored during that month and it made things go weird? Even when I'm not at all due for TOM, I get major spotting if I lose a lot of weight. Just a thought. Keep us posted dynagrrl, and I hope you feel much better!

Well I do know that I had gained 3 lbs this month but lost them again plus one for a total of 4 and TOM came again last week. For the second time this month! I wish my doc would just take it all out!!!!!!!!!!