Hi clearbear, yes , I know exactly what you are going through!! In jan-'98 I had to have a hysterectomy. I had beed haveing problems with my periods for about a year or so. They started getting closer together. First -3\weeks apart and then two, until I was having a continuious flow. Talk about being miserable!! finally I could not take it any more. I was also in alot of pain with them. My flow also was very heavy. To the point that I had to be hospitalized!
There is more to the story,but I won't go in to all the details here. You need to see a doctor soon!! Don't wait like I did. I almost lost my life because I put it off so long. I have no clue if it had anything to do with my lupus, but I wouldn't be surprised. It seems to hit all areas. Your the first one i've heard who was having similar problems.........
Sharon

I get the opposite. The high dose steroids cause me to not have one at all. Of course, as I say this, I am randomly bleeding.

If anyone has a good idea about this, please let us know!

Hugs,
ladybrannon

Well ladies...The obygyn said I could be pregnant.

I am not, nor do I want to be. Just tested today. Negative negative negative.

No real answer to the periods, nobody knows. The rheummy said to call the oby/gyn so...

It's over for this week, i'll let you know after next week. They seem to be coming closer together (three weeks, then two weeks, who knows, maybe really after next week?)

have a good thanksgiving all.

Clarebear

Im like lady b, mine stop coming most of the time. And when they do come they are very light. Also very nerve racking as you never know when to expect it.
I dont know if its lupus related, but my doc said I was going through the change at 36 I have to think it has something to do with the lupus, because why would someone at 36 start going through the change
I now take hormone supplements for this. Added to all the other meds I take. It doesnt help the period situation, but it does help with the hot flashes and mood swings.

Hugs to all,
kris

Kris -

my doctors won't let me go on any hormones. Period. Pardon the pun. Its a kttle frustrating because i'd been on the pill for so long but they are afraid I might have a huge flare or something.

Thanks for the info though.

Clarebear

Hi i'm melissa,well for me it went shorter and shorter 3 weeks apart then two then all the time, I found out my kidneys were bleeding and I had procrastinated so long that I only had a third of my blood left and had a blood transfusion.Then the same thing started happening and I thought it was my kidneys again and found out I was pregnant so it's a mystery to me to if it was my lupus or not, but I would say get to your doctor right away!Wish you well, and anwsers melissa

I thought this may garner attention! Anyway...The update on me and my forever-closing-in periods is that my obgyn finally convinced my rheummy to let me take the pill. It's called camilla and it's very very very light and is synthetic so no "real" hormones" are entering my system. It is so sensitive though that it must be taken within two hours of itself daily (meaning that if I take it at 9 am, I can take it at 7 am or at 11 am but not earlier or later). And I cannot cannot skip a dose whatsoever.

My period came a month after the last one. Of course, it came this week though but it was very light and I am very happy because it didn't hurt like the dickens (oy, the puns!)

happy holidays all!

Clarebear

Thanks clarebear! I am going to mention that to my docs. That sounds like a good, possible solution for some of us! Thanks for sharing.

Hugs!
Ladybrannon

Same thing is starting to happen to me. Periods all the time. But I think I can track this to when I started plaquenil. I think plaquenil is the cause of this problem. Have you guys been on plaqueil before??

Shawna

I've been and off plaquenil several times...Never had it interfere with my menses. Anyone else?

:d
hugs,
ladybrannon

Yah yah it's been a while since i've checked this out

no plaquenil (sp) but had chemo for the _slight_ nephrological aspects. The chem of course caused the periods to go away, come back...But haven't had chemo since december and the every two week thing ended, but in march I had the every-two week thing again. Periods are getting lighter too but still very crampy in the beginning (not to mention that other side-effect, which pleases the hubby because it's before all that mess even begins)...

I was secretly kind of hoping to get pre-menopausal. Not having kids so it would have helped greatly, the "natural" birth control.

Ta ta

You know...I had a lupus friend that just told me that they told her that if she really knew that she did not want kids... To go have her tubes tied...Or the likes, it could help with the hormones...Which they think play a huge role in flares!

What do you all think of this?

Hugs,
ladybrannon

Been considering that for a while. The hubby is offering to be fixed. We keep talking about it, I think we will do it -- on my part if it really does help with the flares -- and not have to worry anymore.

Tying tubes still means periods though, doesn't it?

Yes, you will get periods.

Shawna

You can always go the whole nine yards...

Anyone considered that?

Hugs,
ladybrannon

No not yet. I am a little scared to do that as I know how illusive lupus is.
At the moment I am not really doing much about it because I want to give my body a chance to figure things out again. There isnt much they can do about the period thing anyway and my case is much more complicated then just frequent periods. Doesnt frequent periods mean active disease? Will ask my dr about that one. I have a really excellent medical team at cedars that are trying to figure things out. I hope they do. Will leave any new information I learn.

Thanks!
Shawna

Ok, funny movie. Didn't see the sequel.

Anyway, didn't consider the whole nine yards. Rheummy in raleigh was always wary of going back on the hormone-filled bc pills, which I never did go back on but did go on a synthetic-filled bc pill to control the cramps...Which I never, ever felt in my life. Now I think I know what being hit by a mac truck is. Regardless, we've discontinued with those because the cramps got bad again.

Will discuss the hysterectomy with doctor in july when I see him.

Cheers all! Mayday is around the corner!

Talk to the doctor today. He says they dont know whay the frequient periods come that it is not the lupus itself rather a medication or a side effect of inflammation. All I know is that I was cool with the periods until I took plaquenil.

Shawna

Thanks for sharing, leucara!