So, its that time of the month

So, it's that time of the month.......


Now, if you're in the slightest bit offended or squeamish about certain female things, don't read any further. Not that I'm going to go in to any real details, but I know some people don't like discussing "women problems".


The reason for this today is simple. I've had excellent specialists in the time since my diagnosis, and yet, one thing that I know has been discussed amongst the woman with RA *or general inflammatory arthritis* is when your period is due. I didn't notice it to begin with, but I suddenly became aware that just before I was due to menstruate, my arthritis some days before (it can vary between 2 and 5 days ahead) goes on the rampage, and ramps itself right up. I'm not alone with this, and yet when I've mentioned it to my specialist, they don't appear to find it important or relevant. I've also not read anything in any literature about this being a possible problem or symptom - although there might well be some out there, I've just never seen it.


I find this strange, simply because if I had known about it before hand, I could ensure I took precautions to help lessen its impact when it does occur. I can set my watch by my cycle, so I can also now predict when I'm going to get hit by the arthritis, and this helps me enormously, because I can sit and plan in advance. Not something you can often say with this disease. But now, I know when to try and rest, and not have too much marked in on the calendar. It doesn't mean I stop life altogether, but I can plan around what I know is coming, and therefore actually get more from those days than if I didn't have warning. So I have to ask why isn't this something that is studied more by the specialists? Its not just a co-incidence a lot of women are like me, and yet still, unless we discuss it among ourselves online, we most likely would never have made the connection. This also seems to show that hormonal changes can have a massive impact on how the disease manifests itself. 


So come on medical profession, please begin to actually listen to your patients and look in to this more, or at the very least, give warning in literature to people that there is a high chance this could happen to them if a woman.