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Electronic Mail Memorandum - Privileged
Lang Michener
Barristers & Solicitors-Patent & Trade Mark Agents
BCE Place, P.O. Box 747, Suite 2500
181 Bay Street, Toronto, Ontario  M5J 2T7
Telephone (416) 360-8600  Facsimile (416) 365-1719
Date:3/18/98      Time:1:17 PM

Subject: A FEMALE CELIAC QUESTION

Hi people,

I have a question re: connection between Celiac and severe menstrual cramps.

I may be Celiac, my brother and his son have it and I have experienced many of
the symptoms.  I am having the biopsy tomorrow.

I occasionally (and more and more frequently) experience severe menstrual
cramps. If I do not get Naproxen Sodium in time, on the first day of my period
shortly after the bleeding begins, I will experience terrible abdominal pain and
very severe cramps which make it difficult for me to walk.  The pain usually
peaks with about an hour where my bowels empty with diarrhea and at some point
my stomach empties through vomiting.  During this hour I  sweat profusely,
soaking whatever clothes I am wearing.  The intense pain usually continues for
another three or four hours during which time I can only lie down and sleep
through it.  Recently, the cramps, and nausea have begun to last into the second
day, which is quite unusual for me.

My PMS symptoms have also become more prevalent, with more severe bloating,
water retention, headaches and arriving earlier (although it is difficult to
tell what is PMS bloating and potentailly Celiac bloating).

Has this type of thing happened to anyone else out there?  Could the severe
periods be a result of untreated Celiac?  Does Celiac exacerbate PMS bloating
and menstrual cramps?

I will summarize all responses.

Kim