ANA Discussion Forum
General Category => AN Issues => Topic started by: amymeri on February 03, 2010, 11:48:10 am
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Have any of the women who had ANs in their 30,40,50 have a change in their menstrual cycle?
I ask this question because my surgeons and doctors expected that I might have an earlier than expected menopause, and indeed I did notice a change in my periods (closer together, shorter) after surgery and now 4 years out I am having symptoms of peri0menopause about 10 years before my mother and aunt experienced it.
Thanks for your insights on this.
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I don't know anything about this but I will be watching to see what everyone says!! I am almost 40, you know... ::)
K ;D
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Hello,
I am 47 with a diagnosed AN in July 2009. Currently waiting and watching, but am getting closer to probably electing surgery. In regards to your question..... my cycles are whacked. They are crazy and have been this way for about 3 years. There'll be nothing one month and the next month I am keeping the hygiene business afloat (haha). :)I have not asked my regular physician if there is any correlation, but it's a thought. Will be interesting to see the response from other women. Another thought: my vitamin D level has been in the basement. Have had several injections and I am taking a daily supplement. I am not an inside person, so I am exposed to the sun alot. Just cannot seem to absorb the Vit. D.
Take care,
Lisa
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Hi I'm 38 and my cycle is regular like clockwork. Even when I was bodybuilding and extreme dieting I was regular, so I guess no AN hasn't caused any problems for me in that area.
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I did notice a change in my periods (closer together, shorter) after surgery
This is to be expected after anesthesia, steroids, pain meds etc
now 4 years out I am having symptoms of peri0menopause about 10 years before my mother and aunt experienced it.
Thanks for your insights on this.
Chart the days you start you period each month. Come up with 3 months of record taking and then go see an OBGYN and have your hormone level checked. If they can figure out if you are a 21 or 28-day cycle etc and know the 1st day of the last period they can test. They like to do this at the time you suspect ovulation as to see what the highest levels are.
I note on your signature that you had trigeminal nerve issues. I am not that versed on psychology so I am asking, “how close it that cranial nerve to the pituitary and pineal glands?†Some one with more physiology background maybe can help us out here.
Was anything noted on your most recent MRI close to the pituitary or pineal glands?
DHM
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I was 42 when I had my surgery. Sometime since then my periods have gotten closer together. Almost always exactly 4 weeks apart when they used to be closer to 32 days. Since I'm 46 now I'm thinking it might be perimenopause. My mother had a hysterectomy at age 28 so I don't know when someone in my family might go through menopause.
Jean
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This is a topic that's been discussed on the Forum more than once.
I can't remember the "outcome" though. When I get a chance I'll have to search and attach a link.
Jan
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44-45 next week...was as regular as clock work until my babies were born at 37 and 40. After my second things went to heck in hand basket. I am currently using Mirena due to very heavy flow after Thomas was born. Since the Mirena I never know when I'm going to have some spotting or nothing at all...
My Mom and Aunts went through early menopause. All 5 of them, at between 40-50 years old.
Soo...I don't think I'm of any help. Sorry.
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Thanks everyone
I am definitely peri-menopausal. I have many symptoms. But since I am so much earlier than my mother AND my twin sister and older sister are still having regular periods I just wondered if the earlier menopause might have something to do with the AN or surgery. Since I am within normal for perimenopause I don't know if I will ever really know the answer though. I always thought it curious when my doctors asked me if I was experiencing any signs--they obviously thought I would. And then VOILA...I was!
BTW: My vitamin D is also low. I think this seems to be the most "recent" epidemic going around....or maybe they are just looking now.
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hi my cycle was all ove the place for the 5 years before i found out i had AN, i was 43 when it was removed and that was the last time i had a bleed , i am now 3 years post op, really strange, i have always said homones may be involved.
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I started menopause at age 48. The next year found the AN and surgery and then onward and upward to NF2. 6 yrs later started off and on again bleeding and finally did the hyst last summer. I asked Slattery at the symposium if could be NF2 related and he did not think so. I did take hormones for 4 yrs but I know I was having AN symptoms before I ever took any. My surgeon does not believe ANs and hormones are related but who knows. Cheryl R
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Oh, this one has been tossed around here for years...... so, I did a little digging.... there has been talk in the medical community about AN's and Estrogen receptors. Now, I just did an online search and found these 2 studies that have been done in the past few years.... btw, note Dr. Wiet's name affiliated with the 2nd one.... he's such a nice man! :)
Phyl
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Out of Toronto:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2637072/?tool=pubmed
ABSTRACT
Objectives: To determine if a relationship exists between the presence of estrogen receptors (ER), progesterone receptors (PR), or vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and the size, growth rate, and behavior of vestibular schwannoma tumors. Design: Nine tumor samples from young female patients with large vestibular schwannoma tumors were preselected because they were presumed to be faster growing, more aggressive tumors. Immunohistochemical staining was performed using monoclonal mouse antibodies to ER, PR, and VEGF. Results: The mean age of the study sample was 32.3 years, mean tumor size was 3.2 cm, and the average growth rate was 0.4 cm per 2 months. The results of immunohistochemical staining for ER and PR in all nine samples were unequivocally negative. Eight of nine tumor samples stained positive for VEGF, with five demonstrating low intensity and three demonstrating moderate intensity staining. Conclusions: There is histopathological evidence for the expression of VEGF in vestibular schwannomas but not for ER and PR. Further studies are necessary to determine the role of VEGF and other molecular pathways in the growth of vestibular schwannomas and the application of anti-VEGF therapy as a potential treatment option in the future.
http://archotol.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/116/2/202
Estrogen and Progesterone Receptors in Acoustic Neuromas
Leif Klinken, MD, PhD; Jens Thomsen, MD, PhD; Birgitte Bruun Rasmussen, MD, PhD; Richard J. Wiet, MD; Mirko Tos, MD, PhD
Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 1990;116(2):202-204.
Abstract
• Acoustic neuromas are more frequent, larger, and more vascular in women, and their growth rate increases during pregnancy. Estrogen receptors were claimed to be demonstrated in these neoplasms for the first time in 1981. Since then, numerous diverging studies, using various biochemical and histochemical methods, have been published on the contents of estrogen and progesterone receptors in acoustic neuromas. We determined the content of estrogen and progesterone receptors by means of an immunohistochemical method, using monoclonal antibodies, which has proved to be reliable, reasonably sensitive, and clinically relevant in other tissues, especially in breast carcinomas. No estrogen or progesterone receptors could be found in 18 consecutive acoustic neuromas from 7 men and 11 women, ranging in age from 26 to 73 years. The results do not support preoperative hormone treatment of acoustic neuromas.
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Amy,
My doc told me he thought I'd had my AN for at least 13 years at the time of my diagnosis (1.3cm based on it's size ) and my daughters were 13 and 11 at the time. I had them rather later than most women (41 and 43) do and had already begun perimenopause. I actually began having symptoms later than my mom and my older sister but have often wondered if my pregnancies started things up. Hmmm.
Wendy
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any1 got any ideas about taking HRT? do you think it would cause a AN grow?
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I was on HRT prior to my AN diagnosis. I started it @ age 32 (when unbelievably I went into early menopause) and I wasn't diagnosed with my AN until I was 45 1/2.
Did the HRT have anything to do with my AN? Hard to say; don't think I'll ever know.
Prior to the HRT I had many years (8 to be exact) of injectible fertility drugs in high doses in an effort to get pregnant. Did they have anything to do with my AN? Once again, hard to tell; don't think I'll ever know that either.
Jan
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Still have clock work cycles, 3.5 years after surgery. I'm 48.5y/o.
Had the AN in there forever. So who knows????
Maureen
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I know its a hard question jan, i dont think i want too take the risk of taking it,any ideas to alternative supplements for menopause?
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anne -
I'm not sure what they have in Scotland, but here in the states there are a number of herbal-type or "natural" products you can buy over the counter. I recall one of them is called Estroven or something like that.
I don't know how well these products work, but it certainly wouldn't hurt to try some of them. If you find one doesn't work, then try another.
You might also want to ask the pharmacist @ your local drugstore, or your doc, for recommendations on these types of products. Perhaps they will know of some that work well.
Good luck,
Jan
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my cycle was all over the place for years in my twenties and early thirties. most of the time I would have it for two weeks and then two weeks off and then another two weeks on. this went on for years. as I look back during this time was when my hearing was going. I gave birth to my second daughter when I was 33 and then got an IUD. Now I do not have a cycle just some spotting here and there. I was dianosed at 37. and am now W &W.
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I was only 3 months post-partum and breastfeeding when I had my AN surgery in Nov 08. I didn't start menstruating again until my daughter was 14 months old (normal for me, as I was still bfing), but I have been regular since. 28-30 days apart, haven't noticed a change in the flow patterns either from how it was before. My initial symptoms showed up when I was pregnant the first time, got a lot worse right after I had the baby and then stabilized until I was pregnant with the 2nd. And then got bad enough right after she was born that I finally went to the dr. So I totally believe there is some sort of hormone involvement, although it may not be the ones they are looking at.
Vonda
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Sorry I can't help with that. I went into menapause just before diagnosis at 50.
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The hormone connection is interesting. There have been many studies connecting meningiomas with hormones but so far not ANs. Yet my surgeon also estimated my tumor at 10-14 years old and said the reason I had no real symptoms with it was because it grew so slowly.
My kids' ages at my diagnosis? 10 and 14. So did the tumor start during my pregnancies??
Amy
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Wow! That's interesting. I'm 47, and started going through perimenopause about 5 years ago. I have two sisters close in age, and neither one of them experienced that. My periods were so heavy and horrible that my Doctor recommended a hysterectomy--lots of fibroid tumors too. I have been so happy with that outcome--I take bio-identical hormones which are great. Now I'm wondering if all of it is related?
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hi what is bio-identical hormones , is it a injection or tablet?
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Hi Anne,
I am not sure about the form of the hormones, but here is a brief description by the Mayo Clinic: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/bioidentical-hormones/AN01133
Some of my friends swear by using the bio-identical hormones; however, since they say since are 'custom made' it can take awhile to get the formula correct.
Others say they tried these alternative hormones and no luck.
I am still not convinced i want to take any hormones thru this 'change of life.'
However, i recently had my vitamin D level tested and the level is very low, which can cause fatigue, etc.
Well - little did i know that vitamin D is really a hormone! So do i take the supplement or not that was prescribed by my doctor?
In my opinion, it's a battle all the way!
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Vitamin D deficiency is very common and my levels were also very low. Interestingly, when I started Vit. D and B12 to correct deficiencies, my perimenopause symptoms got much better. Fewer night sweats, sleeping better, less fatigue, better mood, and periods regulated.
Hmmmmmm
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I was just diagnosed yesterday with a tumor on my pituitary gland. I'm of the belief that this tumor caused my "hormone event" about 5 years ago, which corresponds with the size of my AN tumor. If AN's are hormone related it makes sense to me that the pituitary tumor would have been the catalyst. Anybody else with pituitary tumors?
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I was 49 when I had AN surgery and I had already gone into menopause. I believe I was 45 when I went, which was early than my mother. Maybe it had something to do with the AN. Could not be the AN surgery since it was after menopause had started.