[Kimberly]

#1065135

Hi Sandy – Hopefully, others who have had RAI will chime in with their experiences, but I’m wondering if your periods stopped because you were hypER, rather than because of menopause? I know that having lighter or skipped periods can be a symptom of hypERthyroidism…whereas heavier periods can be a sign of hypOthyroidism. Hopefully, you can get some additional feedback on this.

[sutan351]

#1018476

Hi Ladies….

I’m 47 (Now Hypo) after RAI in Sept of 09 and was orginally diagnoised in Jan 06 with Graves/TED. Anyway…my question is a little off topic and has to do with Menstrual Cycles. If anyone out there is around my age, maybe you can relate. The Graves threw me into early menopause and I basically stopped having periods the last 2 years. I was told I was in Menopause (another lovely time of life ) and have been dealing with all those related symptoms. I just stared getting periods again and didn’t know if anyone else had this experience post RAI or a stop/start of your menstrual cycles.

Thanks for any feedback.

Sandy

[ewmb]

#1065136

46, almost 47, and periods have been really strange,off cycle etc. since getting Graves three years ago. GYN said that it could be the Graves and possibly perimenopause too. He did an FSH test and that came back a little off but my endo said that being hyper could cause that test to be off too. I’m still not settled on my replacement hormone after RAI in May 09. Almost there but periods are still strange. I think it’s a little of both. You might want to make sure that someone knows about this and get tested for Osteoporosis too. I now have that at this early age. All docs say caused by hyper state. I can’t do any kind of treatment right now for that as I am not post menopausal. It stinks doesn’t it having all these weird changes to your system and then having the period thing on top of it all. I always feel better, less hyper, after my periods came and went. Then about two good weeks and then hyper feeling again even though I’m technically not hyper right now.

ewmb

[Corinne]

#1065137

Hi,
Maybe this isn’t totally relevant, because I am only 24, but when I was very ill (Hyper), my periods stopped completely. That ended up being about 6 months. Before then I had periods that lasted like one hour for maybe 5 months before that. So all together don’t remember the last time I really had a normal period. Then, I did RAI and for the couple months I was closest to "euthyroid" I had ever been and felt great, I started getting a period again, not totally normal, but I thought they were going to come back for good. When I crashed into Hypo I skipped again, and that is where I am now. I have done regular pregnancy tests, just in case, and they are always negative. My doctor says this isn’t totally unheard of (she didn’t say it was common, but rather just that it could happen). So, maybe what your doctor said was menopause, really was just due to you being hyper….and now as you normalize it will be coming back. I have my fingers crossed that mine will come back so I don’t have to worry about not being able to have kids!
-Corinne

[mifis]

#1065138

Thyroid imbalance completely messes up your cycle. I am also 47 and was barely having a cycle when HYPER. On Methimazole I was still measuring low on TSH but my periods were heavy and frequent (and I felt HYPO) and I took myself off the meds and now in remission and cycle has returned to almost clockwork rhythm. It affects everything. i don’t think there’s a body system that isn’t affected by thyroid dysfunction. Good luck to you!

[thompson91]

#1065139

I’m 37. However ever since I had my last child when I was 31 my cycle was off. I was told this could be perimenopause which they said could last for years. My thyroid tests at the time were fine. I decided to go on Juel Fe a light birth control pill, which made them regular. I’m still thinking if I didnt go on that maybe I wouldnt be Hyper/Graves since that has hormones in but the GYN says its such a small dose it should not have. Family dr seems more sceptical. However, even now with being on the bc I sometimes dont have a full cycle. As someone else said it can affect it. From what I understand its a cycle the hormones affect the thyroid and vice versa being a complicated circle. My grandmother ended her cycle early and I thought maybe thats what was happening to me. Sometimes I still wonder if thats what was happening and now here I am. I’ve been thinking of stopping the bc to see what happens. Good luck to you! Oh to be a man someday or have them be a woman for a day to see what we deal with ” title=”Very Happy” />

[StacyQ]

#1065140

Sandy,

I am 36 years old and had the same problem as you. Just a little background on me..Diagnosed with Graves in June 2007, chose to do methimazole for 2 years then caved into the RAI (best thing i ever did. Do not regret it and wish i did it sooner!) Anyways, while i was on methimazole my period would skip once and a while but when i got the RAI done I quit getting periods…PERIOD! I was sure that i was going thru early menopause because i was getting the sweats, etc…everything that goes along with menopause. After 7 months without a period, i went to the gyno to find out what was going on. I didn’t go sooner because my endo said that since my Synthroid wasn’t right yet, that maybe it was affecting my cycle. In a nutshell, the gyno wound up putting me on these pills for 10 days that supposed to give you your period…NOTHING! Then she sent me for an ultrasound…NOTHING WRONG. Finally, she put me on birth control pills. I FINALLY GOT MY PERIOD! And that was about 5 months ago and i’ve been regular since then. The problem that i’m having now is that my blood pressure has been very high (i have hypertension too) plus i’m nauseous in the mornings. I would like to give my body a break too so i’m gonna call gyno to see if i can go a month without the birth control to see if my body will go back to normal. I really don’t want to be on these pills. They did the job and really hope my body gets back to normal so i don’t have to take them anymore.

Good luck to you! You’re not the only one that has/had a nonexistent period!

Have a great day!
Stacy

[TraceyAnne]

#1065141

Hi everyone, I just wanted to chime in to get a little feedback on this menstrual cycle issue also. I was diagnosed the end of 2009 but I didn’t have symptoms for a very long time. When I finally started having them almost a year later (in full force mind you), I went back to the endo and started taking Methimazole. I have been on 15mg/day for 3 months now and as of last week, my T3 and T4 are within normal range, but my TSH is still very, very low. My cycle has always been extremely regular, 25-27 day cycle for 3-4 days, my whole life. When I started having symptoms, my periods became very light. My regularity didn’t change but the flow and duration were about half. Now that I am feeling almost normal again, my last 2 periods have been at 19 and 20 days, lasting 4-5 days. I am feeling very normal otherwise, although I have gained a couple more winter pounds than usual, but do not feel hypo at all. So, is it the meds, or just a part of the messed up thyroid? This is not a menstrual schedule I want to have and I am hoping it will normalize again. Any words of wisdom? Thanks! Tracey

[Ski]

#1065142

It’s a very common phenomenon with wacky thyroid hormone levels – hyperthyroid produces shorter, lighter, less frequent periods, and hypothyroid produces longer, heavier, more frequent periods. Once thyroid hormone normalizes, periods will too (of course, until peri-menopause begins). I hope that helps! I know it’s unnerving, on top of everything else!

[Author]

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