Question for the ladies only please... | Arthritis Information

 

For any of y'all who have been there, um, well, how did you figure out "the change" or even the 'pre-change change' was coming?

The last three months I had some abnormal (for me, anyways) things involving my 'girl stuff'.
I'm pretty sure it's some kind of hormonal goofiness causing it.

I just had my yearly visit w/the gyno--probably the month before I noticed my oddities. Anyways, everything was fine. (Oh, I also had an ultrasound to check on my fibroid. If I had anything bad going on in there, I imagine that would've picked it up.)

Just wondering, is 38 "too young" for that to be starting? Do AI diseases screw with your hormones, too? And how would ya know the difference?

I see my pcp on Thurs., but I'm pretty sure he hasn't had personal experience in that department.

 

http://www.webmd.com/menopause/guide/guide-perimenopause

crabbyhermit - as far as I know there is some research that shows women with RA are more likely to start menopause earlier.

I am having similar issues. For about 12 years even before my RA was dxed, my cycle went strange. It would be a 28 day cycle and then 36 the next month and then the third would be three weeks late.

This all changed recently. I am now missing month after month. and I don't know why:
Aug 08 - missed
Sept 08 - period
Oct 08 - missed
Nov 08 - period
Dec 08 - missed
Jan 09 - missed
Feb 09 - missed
Mar 09 - missed

And no sign of a period yet in April.

I am 40. I discussed with my GP the possibility of going into early menopause related to the RA and she thinks it's possible. She is going to do some blood work on my hormone stuff to see what we can find.

Hope this helps somehow.
me too Lindy!!  completely in menopause at 44!  So far still fertile. 48. I had the hormone blood test to check because I'm on the pill so it keeps your period coming whether you had menopause or not. Dr. says he'll check me again at 50. My mom went early at like 42 but she says she was never bothered by any horrible symptoms. Hope it will be the same for me.

Doesn't some meds we take cause us to go into early menopause?

I had a hysterectomy at 34. Last year, at 38, I thought I might be going into menopause because of fatigue and horrible sweats (like showering in your clothes kind of sweats). My gyn ran tests but found nothing. A few months later I was dx with RA. I think the sweats were related to the RA.
Anyway, I found out that even though I'm not officially in perimenopause, 38 is not too early. Some women start in their mid thirties.Menopause - 43  done, over and out................ Thank you all for being so candid.

I appreciate the link, Lindy. I had done a few searches, but most of what I pulled up was links to websites selling 'natural' hormone replacement stuff.

I do have a few of the symptoms listed there, so maybe.....
The biggest attention-gettin' one for me is the tender boobs. I've been getting that a few days before my periods. The first time scared the livin' crap out of me because that was always the first sign I had of pregnancy. (Even though I couldn't remember doing "it" that month, --another symptom--'decreased libido!--I immediately went out and bought two tests. I really thought for sure they were going to be +!)

They're still pretty much on schedule, however, duration is shorter. (Only one day of actual bleeding, and the consistency of that is 'thinner', I'd guess you'd say...)

Anyways, I will have my doc. check those hormone levels. Hopefully I'll be one of those lucky gals that breeze through it. I was completely menopausal at 42.   It happened so fast with no warning at all. finished by 35 and loving it.....Well I'm the youngest in the group.....youngest to go into menopause anyway. Mine all started at 33. A year later I had no period at all. I'm now 38 and they consider me to be in menopause. My hormone levels started checking testing in the menopause range early on in the process....there's no denying it; although several doctors have looked at me funny when asked "What's the date of your last period?" They still feel the need to open the chart as if they don;t beleive me. RA definitely makes menopause come earlier but it is not so good on the bones.   I pop and creek and make all kinds of noise I never use to make.  It may make the RA worse too because during my ovulating time I always felt the most well.   Now I do not have that time when I feel good.I was done by 46.  I am 48 now fixing to be 49.wonderwoman2009-04-08 17:14:33This is interesting that so many RA ladies had early menopause. I started having hot flashes and skipping periods at age 43. I still remember my first hot flash - I was waiting on a good looking guy at my store and I couldn't figure out why the hell I was sweating like a pig. He wasn't my type! I have osteo issues due to the early menopause, though I am a heavy exerciser and not a delicate little thing by any means.

That was several years (nine) before I was DX with RA. Seeing these posts makes me wonder if early menopause and RA have a connection. I think you need to be mindful of cardiac issues when you have early menopause as well. That's why people who need hyserectomies when they are young leave the ovaries intact.My OB started doing dexa-scans as soon as she figured out I was in menopause. 33 is early for a dexa-scan for normal women but she wanted to chart my osteoporosis risk and as luck would have it I already showed osteopenia on the first one. Two years later it was not only in my hip but my lower spine as well. That's another concern for all of us so if any of you haven't had a dexa-scan it's best to have one so at the very least they will have it on firle to compare to in the years to come. This is interesting. I stopped at 40.   I was peri-menopause in my 30's--I was actually tested because my period started and would not stop!  Then they put me on some hormones for about 6 months.  When I went off the hormones--it was horrible.  When my bodyfinally adjusted from taking those, I had no symptoms--it was done.  I was not taking any RA drugs at that time, I did not symptoms yet of RA.  But this is very interesting that all of have been through this so young.  I am glad--life is easier without dealing with periods.  That first year I bleed off and on at a very irregular pase. It went from too much to too little.....to nothing. I was tested and confirmed peri menopausal at 35. I had an hysterectomy at 37. Still got the ovaries, can go 4/5 months with no breast tenderness and then wake up with painful boulders which need strapping down to stop movement, then they're back up a week or so later (this has been my pattern since last december. We talk about this at work and I cant believe the amount of women where I work who've NEVER had period pains, let alone boulders for boobs... where's the justice in that then?
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