A 28-year-old woman from London, UK has revealed that she suffers from a rare and “painful” condition that makes her allergic to her menstrual cycle.

After having an intrauterine device (IUD) inserted in her uterus in April, Georgina Jelly began suffering from rashes, itchy and burning eyes, and headaches.

Initially, doctors believed she was having an allergic reaction and prescribed oral steroids and antihistamine medications, which temporarily relieved her symptoms.

“I felt a weird burning sensation in my eyes. They were constantly watery and my cheeks were also red,” Jelly told British news agency SWNS. “I thought it might be a reaction to something like my fabric conditioner. My GP prescribed steroids and that seemed to calm it down,” he added.

However, three weeks later the symptoms returned, more severe than before, affecting his vision and giving him severe headaches.

Despite undergoing an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) at St Mary’s Hospital, which came out clear, doctors diagnosed her with eczema.

“But I knew it wasn’t like that,” said Jelly, “I felt ignored. The doctors kept saying it was just eczema and tried giving me topical steroids, but I knew there was something else wrong.”

When her symptoms reappeared three weeks later, Jelly noticed it coincided with her menstrual cycle.

After doing her own research, she suspected she had a rare condition called progesterone hypersensitivity and sought a formal diagnosis.

All About Progesterone Hypersensitivity

Progesterone hypersensitivity is an allergic reaction to progesterone, a hormone produced by the ovaries, which peaks just before a woman’s menstrual cycle. Symptoms of this condition include rashes, hives, swelling, redness, and itching. In severe cases, it can cause coughing, shortness of breath, or even anaphylaxis.

A person has to control their symptoms with corticosteroids and antihistamines or take medications to reduce or block progesterone production.

“It was horrible. My eyes were so red it felt like I was wearing an eye mask, and it affected my vision. It was incredibly painful and frightening,” she said.

Jelly’s doctor eventually started her on Depo-Provera contraceptive injections, which stopped her periods and caused no further allergic reactions. Since then, she has felt much better.

“I feel so much better after having the coil (IUD) taken out. It was so painful and horrible, and we had no idea why it was happening,” she said.

Jelly, who works full-time and also has a daughter to take care of, ended up spending around $520 (roughly Rs. 44,000) on creams to fix the problem.

“I knew it wasn’t just eczema. You know your body, and you should always trust your intuition,” said Jelly, who is now raising awareness about progesterone hypersensitivity.