I am going to be 50. I am experiencing hot flashes, headaches and bloating before my period worse than ever. Does anybody have
Experience with post menapause and rheumatoid arthritis? Does it get easier after menopause due to no more hormone fluctuations? Is anybody still on steroids after menopause? I am currently taking humira, leflunomide and 6 mg prednisone and my doctor is worried about the prednisone! Every time I try to taper below 5mg I flare awful. Just hoping to hear someypoidtive and hopeful these fluctuations with my hormones are rough
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I do wonder sometimes whether very low doses of pregnenolone could replace prednisone without the side-effects. Not really much info out there on the internet - this was the only thing I could find:
"I'm amazed that no one has ever tried pregnenolone for HRT reasons?!
Obviously, I have done loads and loads of research and started on a very low dose and increased very slowly.
After 6 weeks - no flushes, less aches and pains, clearer mind, increased motivation, more concentration, more energy and the only thing that has actually worked for my arid lady garden I have also added progesterone - what a rebel eh?!
Everyone is different and NO ONE on this forum is an expert on menopause/HRT, and everyone must do their own research if they use this 'product', which is a naturally occuring hormone. But if we are going to move forward in this area we have to try new things.
Pregnenolone, is a precursor hormone and produces oestrogen, progesterone, testesterone, DHEA etc. It is said it will make what the body needs, unlike DHEA which I probably would never take.
Sub lingual or micronized tablets are the best. Normal tablets dont seem to have an effect and transdermal are too weak.
I hope this helps some of you. Conventional HRT (and I swapped around many times) didnt help me, nor did any herbal remedies."
What has been shown to help very effectively is supplementing with natural progesterone. Not chemical HRT. To supplement with natural ptogesterone is safe and beneficial in many ways even after menopaus.
Yes, I take natural progesterone 100 mg 12 days a month. It helps significantly but the day or two before my cycle is
So bad physically still. I flare, horrible headache and bloating . Might need higher dose
I was lucky, I never had any menopause problems. I'm 67 and have had RA for 31 years. If you can eventually stop using Pred, it would be better in the long run. I still take 5mg daily which is much better than 40mg. I had the high dose as I have Vasculitis, not for my RA, but such high doses caused Osteoporosis and I have 4 spinal fractures. I take Methotrexate and Leflunomide for RA. I can't take HRT as I have had Breast Cancer, so take anastrazole which prevents my body from making Oestrogen, which doesn't help the OP at all.
Progesterone is an estrogen antagonist and besides good for bones! Needs to be natural progesterone though! Have you ever talked about this alternative with your doc?
My cancer was both Oestrogen and Progesterone positive, so I can't even have Progesterone. Even though I know it's good for bones.
I had exactly the same at onset of menopause. Sweats, bloats, various aches and pains and twinges. I never knew if it was menopause or high bp or low thyroid. Neither did the docs tbh. Then 12months ago a RA diagnosis.
Now prednisolone adds to the confusion!
My rheumy told me that below 7.5 mg pred is around the level that the body produces naturally so .... Im going to try to reduce from 5mg and do it vvvv slowly slowly seems to be the advice as in 1mg reduction gradually over 1 month.
Just as a precaution or to rule it out maybe get your thyroid function tested as that can also happen at menopause ?
Sorry can't comment on Menopause as I'm not there yet but I can comment on flaring every time you hit a certain dose of Pred.
I had spent 5 years trying to get off Pred. I would always flare badly when I hit 5.5mg Pred. I am now at 3mg Pred. - reducing by 0.5mg every 4 weeks. To get there I had to hit 20mg MTX.
I was on Entercept when instarted on the Menopause, I take Soya isolflayes from Holland and Barrett, and have helped a lot, but helped in the winter as well. Hope it is helpful.
Hi, I know this is an older post, but I was going into menopause when my RA was diagnosed, and it was miserable. I started with 80mgs prednisone and Leflunomide, then a couple of years ago I started Humira also. During menopause and once we got it controlled, my doctor was also worried about bone loss with the Pred and wanted me to taper. I am/was on the same medications as you are(Leflunomide, prednisone, Humira) and want to tell you that though it was difficult and slow, I was able to taper off the prednisone. Once I got down to 5mgs it took 1 1/2 years of tapering off completely, at only 1/2 of or sometimes even 1/4 of 1mg tablets every two weeks. I couldn't handle going any faster because I would have flares if I dropped a whole mg at a time. My Rheumy helped me by giving me 1mg tablets after I got to the 5mg, and once I got down to under 5mgs. More pills, but they are so tiny. I used a pill cutter. I also would cut one pill into fourths and that would last for four days of 1/4 doses(like when I did 4 1/4mgs a day). Even when I periodically have to go on 20mgs again I do a slow taper like this. Like I said, for me it took a while, but the benefit is no or minimal flares. So of you are still trying to taper, or need it in the future, I hope this helps you.
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I have also added progesterone - what a rebel eh?! 
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Rheumatoid Arthritis or ?????
