Menstrual Periods - Girls, any thoughts?

I usually miss 1 period a year but I did notice some interesting things. I went on Imuran when I was about 13 and my period was very heavy sometimes lasting over 7 days. When I got married (my first marriage) I went on the pill my period did get lighter and the length of time lessened as well. I have been on BCP for 7 years. I started at the lowest dose BCP out there back in 2000. I had a flare and was on pred after starting that pred (just the medrol dose pack ...6 days of pred tapering) I was getting my period every other week. My GYN then switched me to a different low dose BCP I have not had the every other week issue since. In January of 2007 I had been in remission for a few months and had been tapering off CD meds and I had bronchitis badly and it wouldnt go away so my pulmonologist pulled me off imuran he told me for a cpl weeks but I had to see my GI soon after he took me off the imuran. After stopping Imuran my period is now 7-8 days in length again heavy however not as heavy as it had been prior to BCP.

Since I've been really ill I've stopped getting my periods, even though I've been on the same birth control for years.  I haven't had a period in 3 months or so.  The not-having-a-period thing is usually multifactorial...stress, malabsorption, other illness, diet, birth control, exercise, etc. can all affect it and so it's really hard to come up with one thing that is likely causing it.  I would get a CBC (complete blood count), folate, and B12 checked out to make sure you're not anemic or have an active infection.  And then try to eat as best you can and hope for the best!

Thanks for the posting!  Last year I talked about it with my GI dr and my Ob/Gyn - the GI dr (who is awesome) didn't know, and my Ob/Gyn said it could be a number of things (like losing weight, stress, etc) - so I went back on the pill and I did get it again, so I could do that but I am 32 and don't want to rule out not having kids so would rather figure this out now.  I am going to have to be on 6mp (or something) for the rest of my life, per the GI dr - is not having a period a listed side effect?  I feel like there are so many side effects anyway.  I personally do not like taking 6mp, I feel lousy when I am on it, completely drained and constantly have the feeling like right before you get a cold - I can feel the medicine in my body and it makes me feel toxic.  I am on 75 mg, which the dr says is based on my weight so I guess I can't have a lower dose.  So aside from the worry about the whole fertility issue, it is also worrisome about the effects of 6mp on a baby. 

Gosh, it was so much easier just having run-of-the-mill colitis with no meds.    

I was diagnosed by my GI dr with the colonoscopy, they put me in the hospital right after that, I have had a few of them before and they said colitis, but this time it was colitis with symptoms of Crohn's (I had ulcers in my throat and an eye infection and a random bruise on my leg and few other markers of Crohn's).  I just had another colonoscopy this past time too.

I think the problem is that before last year this didn't effect my life that much - I would have problems here and there but until I got really sick and a new diagnosis and am on lots of medicine it seems to just be a lot going on.  I know they say you can go for years with just colitis and they don't know why but something can happen to trigger a flare up to Crohn's. 

I am just trying to figure out if not getting my period (which has always been regular but maybe due to being on the pill) is a side effect I can either fix or expect to come back (i.e. when I stop the pred, if I gained more weight, if my body just needs time to regulate, etc) 

Mine would stop when I lost a lot of weight. It would return when I got things under control.

Bingo Wednesday...you just hit the mark on my problem. I'm 46, peri-menopausal, diagnosed in Jan. 2006 & had my first major weight loss (30 lbs) & intestinal resection in July of 2006. My periods were always clockwork & normal prior to my Dx. Having said this...It is my feeling it's "mostly" the predinsone that messes with me. Prednisone can mess up several female hormones, one of which is progesterone. Progesterone would need to be tested 2-3 days prior to starting your period. Well, since the prednisone I've been on in the last year has ranged from 60mg to 10mg daily(which I'm currently on), I have gone up to four months without a period to a period that lasted 7 freaking weeks straight, to no period for 2 more months and this month I've had 2 periods. This last one is very heavy and very painful. I've seen my Gyn and she has done several vaginal ultrasounds and CT scans to watch a reoccuring ovarian cyst(s) throughout the last year. Everything has come back normal or at least within range. Sigh! She now feels that my options are down to two...surgery to remove everything but the ovaries or NATURAL hormones to stop the irregular periods and/or constant bleeds. She won't put me on birth control pills or estrogen because of the Imuran and cancer risks. The GI says she'll only endorse the surgery if cancer cells are present. Sigh! So ....in response to your question, If the prednisone is messing with my cycle and progesterone levels, how the heck am I suppose to know what 2-3 days before my period really is and when to test the progesterone! I know this doesn't necessary help your situation, however, I thought you may want to see where "the elder" stands now. I am fortunate enough to have had my children before I started all the drugs and wish you all the best in your decision to become pregnant! I was suppose to have my GYN appt. in the morning for the annual pap & exam and to discuss where to go from here...but of course...I'm bleeding to heavy for that! SIGH!