Flu like symptoms with my period

Hi There. I have a 16 year old daughter who has started having severe flu like symptoms following her cycle for the last three months. Each month it seems to get progressively worse, meaning. It started with excessive sneezing, like a sinus infection. Now it is achy joints and eyes, sore throat, and fever. Has anyone found anything that provides them with relief? She obviously has no children, is not sexually active, and exercises at least twice a week. - thanks, worried Mom
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Hello Kellygirl (aka, worried mom),

I have been researching this problem and have not been able to find really any studies that discuss the issue. It seems that the medical profession has not invested much into this. However, I have been able to make some reasonable connections that are substantiated in medical literature...

During our cycle we lose a lot of blood, and with it we lose nutrients. Among those nutrients are some minerals that are essential for the production of white blood cells (WBC). WBC play a huge role in our immune systems in terms of fighting off viral infections. So, if we have a lowered amount of WBC (which may come about during the blood loss of our periods) we are more likely to get sick. WBC require copper, zinc, vitamin D, calcium, and certainly other vitamins and minerals in order to be produced. I started taking a multivitamin (that has all those elements), and garlic supplement pills and have so far not suffered from the symptoms. But I still have to experiment with it a bit longer...

I would suggest that you look at your daughters diet. Our bodies are so complex, and they require a myriad of elements to sustain good health. Its not always as straight forward as we'd like. Maybe she needs more variety in the veggies she's eating, more beans, lentils, and whole grains (such as quinoa)? See if you can read up on foods that promote a healthy immue system....such as probiotics that can be found in yogurt.

I hope this helps.

-A

Try Getting Rid of Dairy Products

Hi - like the rest of you, I get flu like sympoms prior to my period. It was not until I started going to a Naturalist doctor that I made the connection - she asked me if I got the cold/flu before my period and my mouth fell open! She told me to cut out all dairy (besides eggs) and red meat. She suggested I use Almond or Goat milk based products instead of Soy, which I did. It's a lot easier than it sounds...and it very gradually (within 3 months) cleared up all of my gastrointestinal problems as well as the flu prior to my period.

Today...I am sitting here with flu-like symptoms because I have been very relaxed about my dairy consumption lately...pizza is always my downfall. So...I've learned my lesson and will get back on track. Goat cheese pizza is really yummy as an alternative.

I know this may not help everyone, but it is a relatively simple thing you can try and since I see very few suggestions for solving the problem, it may be worth your effort to try it for a few months.

Hope this helps someone out there.

Hi everyone,

Thanks for sharing your posts- it gives me some comfort to know that I'm not the only feeling so frustrated over this.

Like many of you, I experience severe flu symptoms with my period every month.  Today I'm at work, debated calling in sick due to dizziness, sore throat, headache this morning, but here I am and ended up researching this topic.  I have been to my family doctor to no avail.  Although he sent me to a specialist who discovered a medium sized uterine cyst that may be contributing to my heavy monthly blood loss during my period, no treatment has been provided either for the cyst or for the monthly flu symptoms.  My periods have been very heavy for the last 2-3 years, and I only connected this monthly flu to my period about 1 1/2 years ago.  Since then, I've done tons of research on the internet and as I mentioned, spoken to my doctor.  Unfortunately I just can't find any solution...and it's really depressing.  Today I even feel a pain in my chest...almost like it's in my lungs.  It's like getting malaria every month and no one believes me that I feel so sick!!

Today I definitely feel it in my sinuses...I've been sneezing for 2 days and my nasal cavities are hurting.  I have sore shoulders and neck, dizziness, nauseousness, dry stinging eyes, a mild headache, fatigue, dizziness, general out-of-it- ness, sore throat, and sore ears.  The usual symptoms which usually last between 1-3 days and can occur either before, during or after my period.  I recently went for blood tests and I have very low ferritin...a 4 I believe, and borderline low WBC.  I take iron pills every day, but then my period comes and wipes out any progress every month.  It's like a losing battle.  I'm 36 no kids, but am trying to have one. 

My theory is that the severe blood loss in my case lowers my energy, my immune system and the effects are sinus and flu like symptoms.  I believe there may be a connection to the amount of dairy I have eaten and have cut most dairy out of my diet, but ate cheese this weekend and last night.  I know that I need to test and cut it right out to see if that helps.   

I am going to see a nutritionist to help with my diet and which will hopefully help with all of my symptoms.  I try to stay active- I just ran a half marathon- but these occurrences are such a setback every month.  I feel so tired when this comes on, and I get really down about it too.  Sometimes I feel like walking into an emergency room and telling them that I'm not leaving until they diagnose and treat me...it's getting so hard to deal with this every month.

Good luck to all of you- I am thankful to have read your posts and will be looking into cutting out gluten, and other possibilities like endometriosis, chronic fatigue syndrome, estrogen dominance, etc.

This is my personal thought as to what might be happening.  I had Guillian Barre Syndrome several years ago and now I am experiencing what many of you have described as flu symptoms during menstrual and ovulation.  Maybe, the immune system is reading the hormones as foreign and your immune system is over reacting and effecting the nervous system by trying to attack the hormones as they are read as foreign.  This would cause flu like symptoms.  Many doctors would not think this way as it is more neurological.  Could be a possibility.

I have the same problems...flu like syptoms 2 weeks before my period. Extreme fatigue, headaches, muscle aches and so on. I had a hysterectomy 4 months ago for endo and fibroids, they left one ovary. I was feeling great for the past few months lost 10 lbs was having some hot flashes but nothing to severe. Then last tuesday, i started with the headache and body aches and am back to extreme exhaustion. I googled Estrogen Dominance and I bought some natural progeterone creme and after 2 days i started to feel better...not 100 percent but it did cut down the symptoms. Body aches were minimal. still tired but not exhasuted. Hope this helps

i have been sick and have low energy for 2 years before my period and bad acne as well. now i am feeling almost like myself. you need progesterone cream for 1 thing. and you must be lacking some vitamin or nutrition as well. find a compounding pharmacy near your area and ask them to recommend you a good doctor which prescribe bio-identical hormones. believe me in a few weeks you would feel like yourself again. :-) i would suggest you read up before you see a doctor first. from experience, normal GP, endocrinologists, gynecologists are not good with chronic problem like this. make sure you are not taking any sort of contraception pills (they contain estrogen and would make you feel sick, get fat). ***this post is edited by moderator *** *** web addresses not allowed***

 

WOW!  It is nice to know that I am actually not overreacting to this.  I have been experiencing these symptoms for two years now and they keep on getting worse and worse.

I have developed a cow's milk allergy so I drink Goat's milk. soy milk, oat milk.  I try and exercise when I can but I do a lot of manual labor at my job which really counts.  I don't smoke, I don't drink excessively and these symptoms are knocking me to my knees every month... sometimes it lasts two days and other times it goes for the whole cycle.  I am glad that I stumbled across this forum.  I am going to start looking into these suggestions and I will let you know if I get any relief from any of them. 

Hi everyone,

I am a mother of 3 boys and 35 years old.  I have been having these same symptoms for the last year.  I never had any of these problems around my period before last year.  I am so glad to see I am not alone.  This is crazy, it seems no one really has a solid answer.  I have read all the posts and I am going to do some more research and take some of your suggestions to see if I can get any relief.  I cannot afford to miss work but I hurt so bad around this time of the month that its becoming impossible.  I am sitting here on a sunday night hoping I will feel better by tomorrow for work.  I have been sick since friday. I have started today so I am hoping some relief will come because of this.  I cant believe with how many women that are having this same problem that there is no answer for this.  I will come back and keep reading maybe one of us will get an answer soon. Good luck ladies!!

One month my hair is thinning, the next it's growing in so thick and fast that my head is tingling.  Very painful and sometimes itchy breasts days before I cycle some months and weeks before other months.  The breast pain even radiates under my arms. Some months the hair on my legs will grow hair faster and thicker than other months. I can go weeks and not need to use any facial hair remover, and then sometimes I need to every week. I can have no cycle but have earaches, sore throat, dry eyes, pelvic pain, breast pain.  I generally feel like a truck ran me over.  Lets not forget the headaches which can occur daily. In fact I take aspirin everyday.  At least two, and sometimes four. 

I can feel nervous and exhausted during the day and will  still wake up several times during the night.  I'm hot, I'm cold.  I feel lethargic and bloated.   The symptoms can last days or weeks.  I have dizziness and nausea and blurry vision at times too.  I have a hormone imbalance.  A person  can take symthetic or natural hormones or do nothing and suffer through this wonderfulness of being a woman.  Grrrrrrrr...........  Right now I'm taking One A Day, Super B Complex, Magnesium, Vitamin E, Fish, Flaxseed and Borage Oil, Omega 3, 6, 9.  Calcium 600 plus D, and a Biotin supplement.    I think the viitamins help some.   I don't want to take hormones, but am considering taking them every three months so I can have a normal cycle.  Because I surely feel better when I have a cycle.  This is awful not knowing when or if I am going to have a cycle.  I don't drink or smoke and try to eat a healthy balanced diet and drink lots of water.  I do not consume caffein either and eat very little meat.  I am five feet tall and barely 100 lbs. Age 51 and have had irregular cycles since I started at age 14.  And severe mood swings since puberty too.   My symptoms worsened when I reached my 40's.  I apparently haven't hit menopause yet according to lab reports, and my thyroid is fine.  It's just that my hormones are out of whack.  I realize this and know it's not going to kill me!  This too, shall pass I tell myself when it's bad.  Hang in their ladies!

I first started experiencing flu like symptoms with my period in September (4 months ago).  I had a cold, then it started to get better, then about 2 or three days into my period I got very sick and missed 3 days of work.  Mostly my symptoms were fever, severe body aches (where it hurts to move), and just being completely out of it.  I simply thought I had the flu, but then it happened again about 2 or 3 days into my next period.  I did not have the cold prior that time, but my fever got up to 104.1!  I felt so horrible that I thought I should go to the ER, but I couldn't even get out of bed.

to be honest ladies, i have had all those same symptoms and i am doing so much better. I dtill get them however i am more calmer and i am not as bad where i cannot handle what is going on. At 35 i was diagnosised with PRE-MENAPAUSEL, at 39 after my my last child was born, is when my symptoms went through the roof and got worse, i now take over the counter ESTROVEN, MENEPAUSEL THERAPY. I love this stuff it works so well even on the first dose, i started premenapause at 25, as i got older and the next child at 32 my symptons got worse and worse. My best friend has told me about this its about 20.00 a month and it is my life saver, the mood swings, the grouchyness, the flu like sympton, the cold chills, all are very minimall for me, i still bleed hard, but im not in as much pain as i have been before, i have also found that the low dose of hormone that is in it, helps regulate my mood, my symptoms and my hormones. I have found that this works very VERY well in conjunction with what ever other medicine you are taking. i am bi-polar and it does not have a side effect on my meds. i swear by this product and here where i live we get it from the pharmacy, otherwise it would be in the feminine department.... for such little money it has a very huge result.... 

I too started my flu symptoms with my period after 35. My dr says it is an hormonal imbalance So I am now off the pill, to see if it helps. Regarding the weak immune system. I also was Diagnosed with MS about a year before these symptoms started. I kinda wonder if it is one in the same. Two days before I start my perios I get hit with a migraine, nausea, and finally I vomit and then feel fine. I lasts maybe 12 hrs. And it happens every month. And never any other time. I have heard of women having this issue but usuall there whole life of once hit menopause. But at 35?

brndyz wrote:

Guest wrote:

Hi, I noticed that there are other women out there who also get the flu with their cycle. i was waitressing and some little kid had a hell of a cold and coughed in my face. Three days later, I was deathly sick and barking like he was, but it never went away completely.
Starting with my next period, I spent 7 months of HELL with 105 fever, sore throat, complete exhaustion, body aches, the whole nine yards-with EVERY period!
I went to see an Infectious Disease Specialist after visiting the ER AND my family doctor. All determined that my white blood cell count was extremely high and that I had Parvo virus like children normally get along with an Epstein Barre type virus which he couldn't identify (over a year after the first episode).
Got a little better after the first seven times, and actually had one good year with only slight symptoms. Now, I am beginning to feel the cycle coming back because the sore throat symptoms come and fevers are not as high but still ocurring along with body aches.
I wish I could truly get help. No one seems to know how to treat this or why it happens. I wasted thousands of dollars and still have no answer.
If anyone out there knows how to ward off the flu, please let me know.
It is awful to not be able to plan a vacation or go anywhere. I am very petite I weigh around 100 lbs but eat healthy. Don't know if it's just a weak immune system, but I am desperate.

Doctor said he has never seen a case like mine, but I am 38 and I have never had this c**p before in my life. It just started when I was 35.
It has almost taken all of my energy and I feel as though life is just not worth living like this.

I too started my flu symptoms with my period after 35. My dr says it is an hormonal imbalance So I am now off the pill, to see if it helps. Regarding the weak immune system. I also was Diagnosed with MS about a year before these symptoms started. I kinda wonder if it is one in the same. Two days before I start my perios I get hit with a migraine, nausea, and finally I vomit and then feel fine. I lasts maybe 12 hrs. And it happens every month. And never any other time. I have heard of women having this issue but usuall there whole life of once hit menopause. But at 35?

Like everyone else, I was relieved to know that I am not alone in my monthly flu that ends after I start. I recently noticed the pattern of my illness coincides with the week before I start and escalates the day before. I assumed I was just catching everything that anyone brought home. So for the past 2 years I have been diagnosed with mono, strep, flu, sinus infection etc. because my symptoms always include a fever; I am treated with some sort of antibiotics. I also quit eating meat a couple of years ago. Based on the majority of the feedback, it would seem the anemia, low iron and the lack of absorption of vitamin b from the low iron and low blood count may be the answer? I bought iron today and going to try vitamin b shots. I am 41 and have had all the blood work done which resulted in nothing significant except low vitamin D. Thyroid is good as well. You begin to feel like a hypochondriac when the doctors just keep treating you and it keeps coming back. Any insight would be great and I will let you know if my iron / vitamin b quest is of any vslue

Like everyone else, I was relieved to know that I am not alone in my monthly flu that ends after I start. I recently noticed the pattern of my illness coincides with the week before I start and escalates the day before. I assumed I was just catching everything that anyone brought home. So for the past 2 years I have been diagnosed with mono, strep, flu, sinus infection etc. because my symptoms always include a fever; I am treated with some sort of antibiotics. I also quit eating meat a couple of years ago. Based on the majority of the feedback, it would seem the anemia, low iron and the lack of absorption of vitamin b from the low iron and low blood count may be the answer? I bought iron today and going to try vitamin b shots. I am 41 and have had all the blood work done which resulted in nothing significant except low vitamin D. Thyroid is good as well. You begin to feel like a hypochondriac when the doctors just keep treating you and it keeps coming back. Any insight would be great and I will let you know if my iron / vitamin b quest is of any vslue