Re: RA & increased flares around menstruation

[Guest guest]

I DO TOO! It is a given for me to flair for about a week and half

before and during menstuation...my rheumy made me feel like an idiot

when I suggested that the flares seem to coinside with my period

often.. He said he had never heard of this. I was just thinking today

about posting about this subject here... low and behold I sign in and

it is the top topic..

--- In , " Powers " <froghaven@...>

wrote:

>

> Hi Ladies,

> I too used to experience flares around the the time of

menstruation. I talked over my symptoms with my gyn. and we decided

that a decrease in the number of my periods would be beneficial for

me. I researched the topic before-hand and discovered that today

women have more periods than they did even 50 years ago. There was no

additional harm in using the birth control pills at a steady hormonal

dose than taking for 3 weeks and bleeding 1. Now I have 4 periods a

year and even they are mild. My RA flares were greatly reduced! I am

using Yasmin and just skip the " inactive " or dummy pills and continue

taking the active pills until it is time for my quarterly period.

>

> Now they are packaging a pill designed specifically for extended

use. See article below. I still use the Yasmin because I have few, if

any side-effects and we (DR. & me) are reluctant to change what is

working well for me. Please take the time to check out this option &

discuss it with your DR. I am SO thankful mine was willing to listen

and try it.

>

> Extended-cycle birth control a viable option by Baker

> Public Relations

>

> http://www.musc.edu/catalyst/archive/2004/co7-30extended.htm

>

> Intriguing advertisements for Seasonale, a new birth-control pill,

make a simple claim: in addition to preventing pregnancy, the pill

allows women to have only four periods each year.

> While the opportunity to sidestep a major inconvenience of

womanhood may draw more women to the product, the pill's true value

lies in its ability to spread awareness of the health benefits of

birth control.

>

> Melisa Holmes, M.D., associate professor of obstetrics and

gynecology, counsels many female patients about contraception and

said that despite the novelty of the new drug, its effects aren't

unusual.

>

> " Seasonale is the first FDA-approved birth-control pill

specifically designed for prolonged use, " she said. " But for years,

women have accomplished the same results using typical monophasic

birth control pills. "

>

> Typical oral contraceptives function on a 28-day cycle. For the

first three weeks, the woman takes a pill containing two hormones:

estrogen and progesterone. The estrogen prevents follicle formation

and helps prevent irregular bleeding, while the progesterone helps

prevent ovulation.

>

> During the fourth week, the woman takes a placebo pill. She

receives no hormones and consequently has her period.

>

> Thus, the woman prevents pregnancy without disturbing her menstrual

cycle.

>

> Seasonale and other monophasic drugs-those with an identical

hormone dose in each pill-merely expand upon the original regimen.

Instead of a three-weeks-on, one-week-off schedule, the pill provides

11 weeks of daily hormones followed by a week of placebos.

>

> The method reduces the menstrual cycle's frequency, allowing it to

repeat only once every three months. The number of periods women

experience drops from 13 each year to only four.

>

> " Women may see spotting (of blood) before or at the three-month

mark, so three-month cycles may not work for all women, " Holmes

said. " Yet some may be able to go longer than three months. It's

possible to take the hormone pills continuously until you start to

spot; then, take the placebos to allow a period. "

>

> Other than the obvious target population, the pill helps women on

whom menstruation is particularly taxing.

>

> " A lot of women can benefit from extended-cycle birth control, "

Holmes said. " Women who get migraines associated with menstruation,

who experience heavy, painful periods, or who suffer from any medical

condition that gets worse with their periods-depression, for example-

can reduce those problems by reducing the number of periods they

have. "

>

> Furthermore, she said that women who take birth control often reap

the advantages of better health.

>

> " Long-term studies clearly show that using birth control, because

of the hormones involved, does a lot for preventative health, " she

said. " Birth control reduces the risk of developing iron-deficiency

anemia, osteoporosis, endometrial cancer, and fibrocystic breast

disease. "

>

> Although researchers aren't sure why, birth control also reduces a

woman's chance of developing ovarian cysts. More importantly, long-

term use of oral contraceptives significantly reduces the risk of

ovarian cancer.

>

> Aside from the more concrete health benefits, women who take

extended-cycle birth control experience lighter, less painful

periods. In fact, periods on oral contraceptives tend to have 50

percent less blood loss per cycle.

>

> In most cases, the absence of menstruation shouldn't be cause for

alarm.

>

> " A woman who takes birth control can stop having her periods

without any health risks, because she's still getting the necessary

hormones, " Holmes said. " However, for anyone who isn't taking birth

control, a lack of periods could signal a serious health problem. "

>

> Avid female athletes often experience sporadic, extended-cycle

periods without taking birth control because their bodies lack enough

estrogen. The hormonal deficiency can lead to osteoporosis and stress

fractures due to loss of bone density. Physicians often prescribe

birth control for such athletes in order to replenish their estrogen

levels.

>

> As always, Holmes stressed, birth control does not protect against

sexually transmitted diseases. She debunked other myths about birth

control as well.

> " The main concern is that it causes weight gain or alters a

woman's mood, but that hasn't been proven scientifically, " she

said. " The biggest side effect is breakthrough bleeding. Of course

when you notice the bleeding, you can always take the placebo pills

and have your period. "

>

> Other side effects may include breast tenderness and nausea, which

usually occur when a woman first takes the pill. However, the issues

resolve within a few months.

>

> Holmes also asserted that no proven long-term risks exist, nor does

any relationship between birth control and breast cancer or

infertility after going off the pill. Conversely, some evidence

suggests that women who stop taking birth control may experience a

brief period of hyperfertility immediately after cessation.

>

> However, certain women should not take birth control, including

those who have a history of breast cancer; experience abnormal blood-

clotting (blood that clots too easily) or have had clots in their

legs or lungs; have active liver disease; and take certain

medications (primarily for seizures).

>

> For women concerned with cost, Holmes assured that extended-cycle

birth control costs about the same as three packs of typical birth

control, an equal supply. Similarly, the co-pay costs three times as

much.

>

> Cost and side effects aside, most women should be able to take

birth control successfully.

>

> " There are about 85 pills on the market right now, so chances are,

we can find one that works for a patient, " she said.

>

> For women who aren't ready to experience motherhood or for those

for whom menstruation is a test of will and endurance, extended-cycle

birth control may be a viable contraceptive alternative. With a

success rate of 97 percent, it provides a reputedly reliable tool

that can prevent pregnancy and turn a monthly visitor into a minor

distraction.

>

>

> Message 18

> From: " Kathe Sabetzadeh " lv2ryd@...

> Date: Tue May 30, 2006 3:08pm(PDT)

> Subject: Re: Enbrel

>

> Hi :

>

> I have been on a combination of Methotrexate and

> Enbrel now for about six months, and have felt benefit

> from this. Do you take anything other than the

> Enbrel? If not, your doctor might look into combining

> another medication with it like Mtx or Arava,

> sometimes that helps the Enbrel to work better. I

> think that this whole thing is very hormonal so it

> would not be too strange to have increased flares with

> your periods - I no longer have mine (thanks to the

> heavens!), but it still seems like I do get hormonal

> once in a while!

>

> Powers

>

>

>

>