ladies - anyone get early symptoms of menopause

Hi all

Over the past year I went to the doctor with very heavy periods (september 2010), with memory issues, which I was told were concentration issues (also 2010) and in early 2011 I went complaining of night sweats.  I first got the night sweats last summer but initially put it down to the unusually hot weather but they have been getting increasingly more regular.  In fact I have had them for 4 nights in a row which is unusual.  The doctor sent me for tests for menopausal symptoms (FSH) and for tyroid.  All came back clear twice now. 

I have also been very moody and I might add slightly paranoid of late. 

I am still of the opinion that it is one of the above - most probably the hormonal as that can fluctuate and therefore give the clear tests. 

I was just wondering if other UCers have had early menopause.  I know that it is possible with autoimmune diseases and my Doctor also knows but I still think that she is not taking me seriously and I just don't know where to go from here.  It could of course be something else but whatever it is I need to find out.

by the way I am 38

Apologies if you have covered this previously.  I did a decent search through the posts but didn't note any mention of it.

There was a study I read that showed Crohn's patients had menopause about 2 years earlier than average. I think there's a pretty wide bell curve on age of menopause, but I can tell you that I had trouble conceiving in my early 30s because of poor ovarian response. American women go through menopause on average at age 50. I am almost 49 and pretty much there. Not much difference if you ask me.

Here's one thing about testing FSH. You must do it on the 2nd or 3rd day of your menstrual cycle, otherwise it is of little value. And the blood test has to include a measure of your E2 (a type of estrogen) so that the doctor can interpret the FSH result accurately. If your E2 is higher than 50 on this test you cannot get a good reading of FSH.

My FSH was 12.6 when I was 35 (normal fertile women are below 10). Ten years later it was 22. Last fall, at age 48, it was 50. Typically menopausal women have FSH values over 50, so my OB's nurse told me I was in menopause. Ha, ha, I'm still menstruating, although not that frequently.

If you are having hot flashes, it could be from your UC or changes in your menstrual cycle.

I started getting hot flashes when I was 36 and over the years it got worse. Whether it was related to UC, I have no clue. I no longer have cycles due to an ablation but my hot flashes eased...which I am not sure how that could be.

beta,

Have you ever been on prednisone?

After my diagnosis with UC, I was put on 2 rounds of prednisone, and soon after that I didn't get my period for 3 months. After some research, I started taking gelatinized Maca Root Powder every day in my protein shakes, and within a month my periods returned. I didn't take the Maca for my periods to return, but I knew that the prednisone had screwed up my hormonal system and wanted to correct it naturally, that's the reason I took the Maca. At 53, it's no picnic to still be getting my period (with the great pains and all), but my gyno says there are a host of advantages to keep getting your period and delaying menopause , i.e. osteoporosis, heart problems, breast health.

Anyway, perhaps that's why you and alot of the others here in response to your query have gone into such early menopause: prednisone?