Pred induced perimenopause?

Hi all! Sorry I have not been keeping up-we were on vacation. I hope all are doing well.

I am pretty sure I am in perimenopause due to the prednisone. The same things happened last time as well, and hadn't fully resolved when I was put on steroids again this time so I am not sure if things would have eventually gotten back to normal or not.

Since I want another child, this is a bit concerning to me. Have any of you ladies experienced menopausal symptoms from steroid use? And if so, were they permanent or did they resolve? I am 35, and I know my mom started menopause on the earlier side, so this does not bode well for me, it seems. (plus my premenstrual symptoms are MUCH worse than they used to be-it is extremely unpleasant)

Thank you!

It makes sense since medications such pred, immunosuppressants, etc can actually acelerate the aging process.

I don't know if you being on DHEA is a good idea or not, especially while taking pred, etc.

quincy

I was around your age when I first experienced perimenopause and was done with my period at age 44. I didn't get UC until I was 52, so I can't blame prednisone for that one..lol. Although I do blame it for my osteoporosis, high blood pressure and while on the higher dosage...high blood glucose.

Thank you everyone for your responses, I appreciate it. I seem to be the oddball in terms of pred side effects, at least my GI thinks so, but I am sure the pred has caused this. Which, like you said, quincy, does make sense. But I was hoping it would revert back to normal! Baby making aside, I HATE the hot flashes (which did go away after a while the last time I went off pred), the cycle differences, spotting between periods, major mood swings, etc. It stinks-and I am miserable to be around!

My mom didn't start menopausal symptoms anywhere near this early, but she did start in her 40s. I guess it is possible the pred may have pushed the schedule ahead for me-blah.

Q-why do you think DHEA is not a good idea? Maybe there is something about it I don't know? (I am on a very low dose-5mg-I started after I was off pred-I think. It may have been at the tail end of my taper. I forget already.)

I will be seeing the doc who gave me the DHEA next week, so I will ask him about it-that reminds me that I need to have bloodwork done for that and should go tomorrow. My levels were low, which is why he started me on it in the first place. Definitely things are not right with me and my hormones. I'd really like to get it all ironed out and be back to being a reasonable person again.

YES. I feel the exact same, and I told my husband I would rather have surgery than go back on pred when the time eventually comes that I have a major flare again. I don't like being on all these meds as it is-in some ways I wonder why I bother. But I still have fears about surgery, I suppose. At any rate, I have no intention of doing pred again. If I start feeling like I am headed into a major flare again, I'll set up a surgery consult.

I did try Rowasa, and it made things worse within the first 2 doses-more urgency, more BMs and more bleeding. Of course, I was already pretty bad off at that point, so maybe it would have a different effect in my current state. I still have 25ish of them in the bottom of my linen closet, and I would be willing to try them again. I am not against emenas by any stretch-I just didn't have a positive experience with it the first time and haven't tried it again. I had the same experience, only worse, with the steroid rectals I tried. One was a suppository and one was like an injectable cream. I immediately got worse with both of those. In fact, the steroid suppository was prescribed to treat hemmies, then set me into a minor flare and that is how I ended up on the canasa in the first place. But I am definitely one of those who is good about using my rectals!

Thanks, Q!

Yes...and some one may never regain back after being on it. Yeesh...it definitely has its place, but eventually, it will stop working for UC.

To me, it's a very high price to pay...

I hope you try the enemas again...I would say give it a good fair try at least a week...you'll know then if you for sure cannot use them. Sucks if you can't and worse when you're crossing options off the list one by one quickly.

Keep us posted.

q