Just wondering - some of you may have noticed my posts over the last 6 weeks - had a new baby 6 weeks ago a beautiful little boy - my third son which leads me onto this question which may seem mad but you never know there may be a connection !
Two days ago I had my first period since the birth of my son and the following morning I started my first horrendous flare up right through my body from head to toe every joint affected. I have read in books and on this site that most new mums get a really flare about 6 weeks after the birth - which happened literally to the day exactly but also I am wondering is having a period - hormonal changes in body has anything to do with a flare up????
As my RA only came on the day i became pregnant I can't compare prior to being pregnant whether flare ups started when having a period. Has anyone noticed this or experienced this by any chance???
I look forward to receiving replies to this one as realyl curious!
I have also joined the RA chat site on MSN after reading a message from another member here - hope to speak to a lot of you members there too.
Oh absolutetly!
I always ...always.... feel worse just before my period. That's how I know it's coming. I swell more, I have more generalized pain..I just know it's coming. It's like being able to tell that the weather is going to change. You feel it in your bones and joints. Plus we retain more water just before and during menstruation, we get gushy...do I need to go on...LOL
Jackie
Since we're on the 'women things' I read that being on the contraceptive pill may have a protective affect on RA. I've hardly ever been on the pill - just a couple of spells and it did not agree with me at all. Anyone have any theories?
I bet the hormones and lack of sleep are feeding that flare.Hard being a woman.
I hope the pain eases off soon.
Julie-
I've read lots of different things about hormones and autoimmune diseases. Sounds to me like they really don't know how hormones affect it, they just know it does somehow. I have not been dx, but my knee pain and subsequent all over joint pain kicked in after I went off the pill a few months ago. We were going to try for our third child, but now are avoiding that until I get to see rheumy and find out what in the world is wrong with me! Maybe it's a coincidence, maybe not?
Jenn
I also flare prior to my period...but also unlike many women who have RA/FMS prior to preganancy, I didn't have a "remission". I hurt worse than ever, we're talking I was miserable and since I didn't know I was preggers....I was medicated. I had a taste of being unmedicated when I found out I was preggers too...worst two weeks of my life til the OB ok'ed a few meds.
Yeah, I feel awful just before my period. I HATE periods. I wish mine would just go away and never come back...lol. I would have gotten my tubes tied if it would have took away my "monthly bill"...LMAO....good ol' qoutes from movies!! Do you know which movie? it is out of the 80's.
I was on the pill for a year. Kept forgetting to take the pill....lol. But was on it. I do not remember if it made me hurt any worst.
I have one for ya's. My left ovary aches a few days before and then goes into sharp stabbing pains the first few days of my period. Does anyone else experience this? I did not have that much pain out of the left ovary before I had my son and the IUD put in. I have always had a cyst on it since I was a teen.
I have been on the pill since my freshman year of college (i started in umm.. let me think.... 89!)
I was DX's about 4 years ago... no change with the pill...at least for me...
Thanks for replies - will keep checking
Looks like then for us unfortunately not only do we have to suffer the dreaded monthly pains that every woman has to but we have the horrible RA on top!
S**t isn't it !!!
Men don't know their are born!!
I have had only 2 peroids in the last 10 months- the 2nd peroid was when they started me on MTX-I don 't miss them, doctor said I am not in menapause,I believe meds are keeping them away.sherrySherry I read somewhere that MTX will make you stop having your "monthly bill".
LMAO I just love using that quote....hehehehehe!!
I also miss my cycle quite often. I am told that I am not going thru menaopause. I cant say that I miss them much. However when I do have them I have the worst flare up..
I did forget to mention that the birth control I used was Depo-Provera. It had in the insert that it can cause joint pain and muscle pain as a side effect. It did stop my periods...they warned me it might happen and it did. The nurse said everyone would panic when it did..thinking something was wrong. Not me...that was a thrilling side effect for me. But the other side effect I had was that I gained 20 lbs when I first started it. The first cycle I was on was maybe 4 shots...so about a year of being on it..then I moved and hadn't found a new doc. I lost the weight I'd gained easily then...although not quickly. The second time I went on it, I gained weight and was on it with pred so I've not lost the weight at all. And that time, I noticed for a bit after I got the shots, I felt much worse...and as it got closer to shot time, I felt better. So I finally said no more.I seem to always have a pretty bad flare right about menstrual time as well. I mentioned it to Dr. Ding Dong and he said it had nothing to do with it. I find that hard to believe with everything I've heard and read. Sorry, no fancy colors or post today all...having nasty pain in my left shoulder today.
Peace & Love...Neasy
I've been doing quite a bit of research on this subject. I have read that it has been found that women with Lupus will flare during pregnancy. But people with Osteoarthrits symptoms reduce during pregnancy. There are studies being done on women with RA. Some say the lack of estrogen also affects RA. I've also talked to people on this board who have hystroectomies say that their symptoms got better after starting back on hormones. There is a thread on this subject further back on this board.
All I know is that I had a hysterectomy 5 years ago and took Estratest for 3 years until my Obgyn took me off of it due to my sisters breast cancer. And for the past two years things started happening to me. Hot flashes, dryness (you know where), elevated blood pressure and these RA symptoms. My blood does not say I have RA but my symptoms and the fact it responds to Prednisone my RA DR. says I have it. Thats why I think it's symptomatic.....cause by something different I am doing.
I found and almost full perscription of estratest that expired in January of this year but I said hell why not??? If it helps me then i'm going to take it.....I have mammograms every year and I can keep a close check on my breast......I've got to find something that will help me function. I haven't had a day without pain since March.
I printed alot of what I found but I think the stuff is at work. I went on google search and typed in "Rheumatoid Arthritis and Estrogen"
I'll see what I can find,
Feel Better,
KAT
kat- i thought if you had lupus it went away when you were pregnant, a guy my dad used to work with his wife had lupus and it always went away when she was pregnant...so needless to say she was always pregnant
shannon
I believe RA has EVERYTHING to do with hormones. I can tie all of my first symptoms and flares since to hormones.Congrats Mommy! Sorry your feelin' poor. Have a glass of good beer! It'll make you feel better and if your breast feeding, it's good for the milk
Peace.
[QUOTE=jooniper]Sherry I read somewhere that MTX will make you stop having your "monthly bill".
LMAO I just love using that quote....hehehehehe!!
[/QUOTE]shannon and all,
All I know is what I read last week about lupus symptoms increasing with preg. and ostio decreasing and the jury is still out on RA. I'm going to find the site I was on and post it here.... I think it was Mayo Clinic but not sure....will come back with links.....
Hey Roxy where is the thread on this subject...it's way back but I know it here somewhere.
Love to all and above all,
Feel better,
Kat
Hey you all,
here are two of the websites I was reading:
www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004//11/04/health/webmd/main653734. shtml
and
www.niams.nih.gov/hi/topics/arthritis/ffrheumatoid.htm
I'll keep looking cause there's more
Kat