Hi All,
Just got back some new blood results suggesting that my leutenizing hormone levels are low and that is why I've not had a period for over 7 months. I am not post-menopausal. Has anyone here had this symptom as a result of MC? I am sure it is related to my colitis. I feel sometimes like my body is just fighting and attacking itself and things are shutting down as a result. My PCP is working @ a hospital for 3 weeks so her fill in wants to refer me to an endocrinologist, which I am going to follow through on. I'm sure they'll want to put me on a low dose of testosterone. Yeah...another med!
Good news is that I've tapered back down to 3mg. of budesonide every other day & continue to experience Normans!
Ammenorhea....
Moderators: Rosie, Stanz, Jean, CAMary, moremuscle, JFR, Dee, xet, Peggy, Matthew, Gabes-Apg, grannyh, Gloria, Mars, starfire, Polly, Joefnh
Cathy,
The bad news is that HRT commonly triggers MC symptoms, and virtually all endocrinologists are unaware of the consequences, (they are only concerned with the endocrine system -- not the digestive system). Hopefully, you will be luckier than most, and your endo will know something about MC.
Good luck with this.
Tex
The bad news is that HRT commonly triggers MC symptoms, and virtually all endocrinologists are unaware of the consequences, (they are only concerned with the endocrine system -- not the digestive system). Hopefully, you will be luckier than most, and your endo will know something about MC.
Good luck with this.
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
I will be surprised Tex but will continue to advocate for my health! I had to push again to have the doctor order this blood work as clearly something is amiss with my hormone levels and my poor husband (in addition to me) is feeling frustrated trying to deal with my irritability, mood swings, and lack of sex drive, (TMI, sorry) It's times like these that I just want to bury my head in the sand but you know, I'm just not built that way, I don't like not being 100%. I will update on what happens with the endocrinologist. I was pleasantly surprised that the opthamologist I went to drew the connection between my MC and eye problems so maybe I will be surprised again!
Tex, you stated "The bad news is that HRT commonly triggers MC symptoms". What kind of MC symptoms are you talking about? I was diagnosed with adrenal fatigue last year due to low hormone levels which had stressed my adrenals and threw me out of whack physically and emotionally. Taking bio identical HRT sublingual trokes helped me a lot, so I am curious as to why HRT triggers MC symptoms....or do you mean HRT can be one of the culprits that can trigger MC?
Mandy
Mandy
Mandy,
They apparently trigger MC. Some members are unable to achieve remission from MC while taking contraceptives, or HRT. Even the transdermal patches can cause D for some women. It seems that most members who are taking the bio identical supplements are not willing to try to do without them to determine if they are the cause of their symptoms, so they must work pretty well, otherwise.
Tex
They apparently trigger MC. Some members are unable to achieve remission from MC while taking contraceptives, or HRT. Even the transdermal patches can cause D for some women. It seems that most members who are taking the bio identical supplements are not willing to try to do without them to determine if they are the cause of their symptoms, so they must work pretty well, otherwise.
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
Tex, bio identicals are without a doubt, a life-saver for me. The hormones keep me regulated, and without them, I would be experiencing sleep problems, adrenal fatigue, anxiety, sweats, irritability....well, you get the picture. Strangely enough, a lot of menopausal side effects mirror MC exactly, such as gastro distress, aches and pains, brain fog, etc. Sometimes it is hard to discern whether it is a hormonal imbalance or a MC problem, though.
Mandy
Mandy
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MBombardier
- Rockhopper Penguin
- Posts: 1523
- Joined: Thu Oct 14, 2010 10:44 am
- Location: Vancouver, WA
Well, everyone knows by now that thyroiditis is the big rock I am working on now. My labs are great, but the symptoms are not, so I started managing my own care. I have been taking my temp several times a day for three weeks now and (cover your eyes, Tex) lo and behold, I ovulated this month. Judging by the sudden lack of periods, I had not ovulated since January. So, considering the relationship of thyroid to adrenals, and their relationship to estrogen/progesterone, that's something to think about, even if your labs look good.
Marliss Bombardier
Dum spiro, spero -- While I breathe, I hope
Psoriasis - the dark ages
Hashimoto's Thyroiditis - Dec 2001
Collagenous Colitis - Sept 2010
Granuloma Annulare - June 2011
Dum spiro, spero -- While I breathe, I hope
Psoriasis - the dark ages
Hashimoto's Thyroiditis - Dec 2001
Collagenous Colitis - Sept 2010
Granuloma Annulare - June 2011
Marliss, what kind of thermometer are you using? The old time mercury are almost impossible to find, and the digital are a joke. I have three expensive digital thermometers and everyone one of them, taken at the same time, give me different readings, as much as one degree off! And, if you don't mind, what symptoms are you experiencing, if your lab work looks good?
Mandy
Mandy
Mandy,desertrat wrote:Tex, bio identicals are without a doubt, a life-saver for me. The hormones keep me regulated, and without them, I would be experiencing sleep problems, adrenal fatigue, anxiety, sweats, irritability....well, you get the picture. Strangely enough, a lot of menopausal side effects mirror MC exactly, such as gastro distress, aches and pains, brain fog, etc. Sometimes it is hard to discern whether it is a hormonal imbalance or a MC problem, though.
Mandy
Glad that you are having success with the HRT. Marliss, I would have no problem managing my own care as well, if it comes to that. Believe me, even though I hate the budesonide, it has given me my life back and I will take a prescription to help me with my other symptoms, if need be.
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MBombardier
- Rockhopper Penguin
- Posts: 1523
- Joined: Thu Oct 14, 2010 10:44 am
- Location: Vancouver, WA
Mandy, I just have a cheap ol' digital that I've had for years. They used to make them better than they do now. You can find the mercury thermometers on eBay sometimes. Some people say you have to use the mercury for accuracy, and others say the digital are just fine.
Symptoms have decreased as I have increased dosage of desiccated thyroid. They were fatigue, inability to lose weight, scanty eyebrows with the outer third pretty much gone, depression, cold, hair loss, low libido, plaque on my teeth, afternoon naps, puffy eyes and face, fun stuff like that. If you want a list of symptoms that might or might not be caused by thyroid problems, look here: http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/long-and-pathetic.
I am still not losing weight, but I wonder how much that is associated with bloating from my current flare. I had lost 2 lbs. I have eyebrows now, and plaque has decreased on my teeth. I get things done now with lots of energy except when I am randomly attacked with MC fatigue because of my current flare. I lie down in the afternoons, still, but rarely sleep. Usually just lying down for 20 minutes or so and reading rejuvenates me. Just a couple of days ago a friend asked me if I was losing weight because my face is thinner, so the puffiness is going away.
Up until the 70's, when the TSH test was developed, doctors medicated thyroid based on symptoms. There are still a few doctors out there who will do that because the TSH test is a joke. It tells nothing of what is going on with T3 at the cellular level, which is what is important.
Symptoms have decreased as I have increased dosage of desiccated thyroid. They were fatigue, inability to lose weight, scanty eyebrows with the outer third pretty much gone, depression, cold, hair loss, low libido, plaque on my teeth, afternoon naps, puffy eyes and face, fun stuff like that. If you want a list of symptoms that might or might not be caused by thyroid problems, look here: http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/long-and-pathetic.
I am still not losing weight, but I wonder how much that is associated with bloating from my current flare. I had lost 2 lbs. I have eyebrows now, and plaque has decreased on my teeth. I get things done now with lots of energy except when I am randomly attacked with MC fatigue because of my current flare. I lie down in the afternoons, still, but rarely sleep. Usually just lying down for 20 minutes or so and reading rejuvenates me. Just a couple of days ago a friend asked me if I was losing weight because my face is thinner, so the puffiness is going away.
Up until the 70's, when the TSH test was developed, doctors medicated thyroid based on symptoms. There are still a few doctors out there who will do that because the TSH test is a joke. It tells nothing of what is going on with T3 at the cellular level, which is what is important.
Marliss Bombardier
Dum spiro, spero -- While I breathe, I hope
Psoriasis - the dark ages
Hashimoto's Thyroiditis - Dec 2001
Collagenous Colitis - Sept 2010
Granuloma Annulare - June 2011
Dum spiro, spero -- While I breathe, I hope
Psoriasis - the dark ages
Hashimoto's Thyroiditis - Dec 2001
Collagenous Colitis - Sept 2010
Granuloma Annulare - June 2011
Just got back from the endocrinologist who was wonderful. She took the time to answer my questions and did make the connection between my MC causing the low Leutenizing hormone levels. I gave 5 more vials of blood and she may order a brain scan to rule out a pituitary tumor, depending on results from the blood work. One explanation is that my poor body is so stressed out from the MC that it began shutting down. I'm a little freaked out about the tumor as this could also be what has caused my vision problems and headaches but we shall see what the results show. A good visit nontheless.
Also on a positive note, I have successfully gone to 3mg. of budesonide every 3 days!
Also on a positive note, I have successfully gone to 3mg. of budesonide every 3 days!
Hi Mandy and Cathy,
Cathy please keep us posted on your testing results. I had a lot of extremely weird neurological issues last summer concurrently with WD. Some of the troubling ones were I had at least 3 incidents of blurred vision and on the same day inability to do high level math equations all day. I also had the more frequently mentioned anxiety, dizziness, ataxia, feeling like you are walking at a 30 degree angle for about 4 months. All of this occurred b/f getting on Entocort and I was on no other drugs at the time. At the time I thought the WD was separate from all of the other symptoms which I just chalked up to periomenopause due to age. I probably went to at least 6 docs during this period and nobody tied anything together. One female doctor actually laughed at me when I said I could not do high level math equations all day. She said I was lacking estrogen. Another female doctor told me "women tough it out during this time." I finally ended up trying the lowest dose HRT. All of this occurred b/f my CC diagnosis and before I found this forum. I cried and cried at the end of October when I stumbled across the section of this forum that said not to take HRT. The blurred vision and inability to do math goes away typically 3 hours after taking HRT. I've tried to get off of HRT twice and I'll stop taking it for 4-6 weeks and "put up with" increasing anxiety until one day I wake up with extreme anxiety, blurred vision and problems doing math again at which point it goes away 3-4 hours after taking HRT. I know it is extremely dangerous to take HRT after the World Health study showing increased cancer risk, heart risk, Alzeimers risk etc, etc, etc. So I'm going to reattempt getting off of HRT again and see how it goes. In my case HRT did not cause CC or WD. I had WD for a 3 full months b/f taking HRT. Perhaps HRT slowed my healing. Who knows.
Mandy....I agree with you that a lot of MC symptoms mirror periomenopause issues and it is tough to tell what is causing what. In my case HRT did not cause MC. I had MC three months b/f taking HRT. I've never taken hormonal birth control methods in my life so that was never a cause for me.
Last summer was almost "the perfect storm" of really weird symptoms. I'm guessing MC made hormonal issues worse or hormonal issues made MC worse but who knows.
I've never reported on this because I was concerned about being "flamed" on the internet. I've gone to the same physician's assistant for gynecological issues for 25 years and her comment when I said I flat out could not do math all day was "there is something else going on." i.e. in 25 years of doing her line of work she had never come across a woman who flat out could not do math equations all day. Her comment kind of reaffirms my statement that I think MC made hormonal issues worse or hormonal issues made MC worse. For a woman to go through menopause naturally you are told to eat right, do yoga, get plenty of sleep, and eat soy which is all fine if you can do math.
I'm now off of Entocort for 4 months and I'm going to retry to get off of HRT in the next 4-8 weeks or so. I just want to be stronger in my diet and gut healing b/f trying another drug taper. Hopefully I won't get flamed by my report. Sometimes you have no choice but to try a drug and be on it as short a time as possible.
Cathy, please keep us posted as I know the blurred vision can be frightening. Brandy
Cathy please keep us posted on your testing results. I had a lot of extremely weird neurological issues last summer concurrently with WD. Some of the troubling ones were I had at least 3 incidents of blurred vision and on the same day inability to do high level math equations all day. I also had the more frequently mentioned anxiety, dizziness, ataxia, feeling like you are walking at a 30 degree angle for about 4 months. All of this occurred b/f getting on Entocort and I was on no other drugs at the time. At the time I thought the WD was separate from all of the other symptoms which I just chalked up to periomenopause due to age. I probably went to at least 6 docs during this period and nobody tied anything together. One female doctor actually laughed at me when I said I could not do high level math equations all day. She said I was lacking estrogen. Another female doctor told me "women tough it out during this time." I finally ended up trying the lowest dose HRT. All of this occurred b/f my CC diagnosis and before I found this forum. I cried and cried at the end of October when I stumbled across the section of this forum that said not to take HRT. The blurred vision and inability to do math goes away typically 3 hours after taking HRT. I've tried to get off of HRT twice and I'll stop taking it for 4-6 weeks and "put up with" increasing anxiety until one day I wake up with extreme anxiety, blurred vision and problems doing math again at which point it goes away 3-4 hours after taking HRT. I know it is extremely dangerous to take HRT after the World Health study showing increased cancer risk, heart risk, Alzeimers risk etc, etc, etc. So I'm going to reattempt getting off of HRT again and see how it goes. In my case HRT did not cause CC or WD. I had WD for a 3 full months b/f taking HRT. Perhaps HRT slowed my healing. Who knows.
Mandy....I agree with you that a lot of MC symptoms mirror periomenopause issues and it is tough to tell what is causing what. In my case HRT did not cause MC. I had MC three months b/f taking HRT. I've never taken hormonal birth control methods in my life so that was never a cause for me.
Last summer was almost "the perfect storm" of really weird symptoms. I'm guessing MC made hormonal issues worse or hormonal issues made MC worse but who knows.
I've never reported on this because I was concerned about being "flamed" on the internet. I've gone to the same physician's assistant for gynecological issues for 25 years and her comment when I said I flat out could not do math all day was "there is something else going on." i.e. in 25 years of doing her line of work she had never come across a woman who flat out could not do math equations all day. Her comment kind of reaffirms my statement that I think MC made hormonal issues worse or hormonal issues made MC worse. For a woman to go through menopause naturally you are told to eat right, do yoga, get plenty of sleep, and eat soy which is all fine if you can do math.
I'm now off of Entocort for 4 months and I'm going to retry to get off of HRT in the next 4-8 weeks or so. I just want to be stronger in my diet and gut healing b/f trying another drug taper. Hopefully I won't get flamed by my report. Sometimes you have no choice but to try a drug and be on it as short a time as possible.
Cathy, please keep us posted as I know the blurred vision can be frightening. Brandy
Brandy,
Similar to certain drugs, food sensitivities, etc., HRT does not cause adverse side effects for everyone who has MC. If you're able to maintain remission while using HRT, then there is no reason not to use it, as far as MC is concerned. Remember, we're all different, and we all have to develop our own optimal treatment program.
Tex
Similar to certain drugs, food sensitivities, etc., HRT does not cause adverse side effects for everyone who has MC. If you're able to maintain remission while using HRT, then there is no reason not to use it, as far as MC is concerned. Remember, we're all different, and we all have to develop our own optimal treatment program.
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
Brandy, if I may, what kind of HRT are you taking? Is it bio-identicals? Because there is a BIG difference between bio-identicals and other forms of HRT. Bio-identicals are what helped me to re-balance myself. Hormones affect everything in your body and I do mean everything. Lack of the proper hormones caused my adrenals and thyroid to become fatigued. I love bio-identicals and what they have done for me. However, you need a specialist in hormone therapy, because I have found most out there are clueless! My PA is a God-send and checks everything. Then every 6 weeks I retake blood tests and she tweaks/fine tunes the hormones. You would not believe how much hormones can change, even in such short amount of time as a month, when you are going through perimenopause/menopause.
Mandy
Mandy