Menstrual cycle changes

[meganfae]

My menstrual cycle was 25 days two months ago and 23 days this cycle. Now here's the background: I've always have perfect 28-day cycles. I could even judge with quite a bit of accuracy whether they would begin in the morning or in the evening. After a second trimester miscarriage three years ago, they went back to normal in two cycles. After the birth of my son (and while breastfeeding) they went back to normal in two months. I had an early miscarriage in September (I was only 5 weeks pregnant) and my cycle was back to normal after one cycle (this was also when my first significant exacerbation started). It was right before Thanksgiving that I was diagnosed with MS and, in the middle of December, I started on Copaxone and Nuvigil. Over Christmas I was on three days of 1000mg of Medrol, followed by a taper pack.
Is this normal for MS or is it probably just the drugs? I'm not trying to conceive (actually just the opposite...I'm charting so that I don't conceive).

[meganfae]

Went in for coagulation tests today! I'm kind of nervous and hope that I hear the results within the next week.

[meganfae]

Ok, so I'm reading up on it a bit and I've met some of the criteria. I've had a positive Lupus Anticoagulant test (right after I lost my first son) and, well, the pregnancy morbidity. Matthew was delivered at 17 weeks gestation and I had the early miscarriage. Noah was born two years ago, BUT I took a full strength aspirin every day while I was pregnant with him.

[meganfae]

I've read a little about Hughes only in the past few days and I do not know if I was checked for it. Does Hughes cause demylination?

[HVAC]

Try not to stress about the money. I freaked myself out about the the financial burden this would bring on my marriage.  I even considered not treating the illness and letting it take its course until I realized that would be more expensive in the long run. Things have worked out so far. It just does not help to worry. Easier said than done. For one thing if I stress it stresses my husband more. I got real depressed. I pulled it together and now things are o.k.

Reach out to us. Try to stay in the moment. I find nothing to scary is happening right at this moment. Mostly I get scared about what will happen next and things just are not as scary as I think they will be. Like my LP it was all this projected fear but the test was not fun but no where near as bad as I thought and now I hardly remember it.

Take care of yourself.
Alex

[Quixotic1]

I am probably covering old ground, but with the history of multiple miscarriages, were you carefully checked for Hughes Syndrome, aka Anti-Phospholipin syndrome which is a major MS mimic?

[Quixotic1]

MS should be a diagnosis reserved for the wealthy.

Q

[meganfae]

Thanks. Yeah, it really could be the stress. Between the new diagnosis and trying to figure out how to pay for the new diagnosis, I've been pretty stressed.

[Quixotic1]

Alex gave you the good scoop.  My vote would be for the culprit to be the steroids and possibly the stress of a chronic illness.

Q

[HVAC]

I have heard steroids can change cycles. I have never been on them except for asthma. I used to be regular as clock work then I went 28 months of an average of 21 days a month bleeding. I was having at least two full periods with symptoms like PMS a month. I even had an endometrial ablation and I still went on like that four eight months. For the first time in 29 months I have now gone over 30 days with no bleeding.

None of my doctors have an answer. Little is known about drug combinations and a woman's cycle. People with MS are often on many different medication.

Alex