post menopausal bleeding 5 weeks after cortisone injections

Thank goodness I found this information. I have been a basket case for 3 days. I am 62 and have been without a period for 12 years. 3 days ago I started bleeding and slight cramping. I have an appoinment tomorrow with my gyno to be checked. I also had an injection in my foot 7 days before. Who would have thought it would cause this? I was sure I had some horrific cancer. I feel so relieved, and can't wait to get to the doc. to see if she had ever heard of this. Thank you all so much for your posts.

Best of luck at the GYNO! This random, post-menopausal bleeding is indeed worrying, but while I too was relieved to hear all these posts, I'm really shocked at how little the docs I've spoken to (three so far, one ORTHO and two GYNO's) actually know about this. Or maybe they "choose" not to know, for fear they lose people requesting cortisone shots (big business for them, I know!). Regardless ... I'm glad your feeling relieved and comforted by the people on this site and their posts. :)

I had an injection in my lower back a little over a week ago and got a big surprise! I have started a period after 14 years. I was terrified. I am so happy i found these posts so I just wanted to add my imput so it could be read and mabey help relieve someone elses mind. I have never had any female problems before except I completely stopped at the age of 44 and was told by my GYNO I was well into menopause at age 37. I had just had a child at age 36.  Hope this helps.

Just letting everyone know that there is most definately a relationship between the bleeding and the cortisone shot. My mother is 56 and is post menopause since 2009 and a week after her cortisone shot for poison ivy she began bleeding and cramping like a period. She of course got the whole cancer speech and the need for futher testing or wait it out a month and see if everything returns to normal. I appreciate you ladies posting your experiences because it has put my mothers mind at ease i just wondered if you had any other advice i could say to her to give her further  peace of mind. THk you all.

I had a cortisone shot in my knee a week ago and yesterday I started bleeding,today it's a heavy flow, I have been 3 years without a period, after reading other posts and articles .i know the injection which stopped my knee pain caused me to start bleeding again.will be talking with my doctor tomorrow.

Wow!! I'm so glas I saw this. Same thing here! I know cortisone injections do cause your period but I didn't imagine it could be possible if you are post menopausal. I thought I was going to die last night. I had cramps like I was a teenager again. Can someone tell me. Was this just a one time thing or did this start your menstral cycles again.  I'm only 45 and haven't had it in a year and so just got use to not having it. This was a heavy injuection that is suppose to last 6 months. So now I have to figure out if I want to live with pain or periods, lol.

I've had two cortisone shots in the past year and a half. Both times, a week after the shot, I got a full-blown, week-long period... cramps and all. But ... only an isolated one-time-period .... no repeats. And, I don't remember reading anywhere that other people had any more than the one period. I'd forgotten how miserable they made me feel. Anyway, I hope this helps. Best of luck!

I had a cortisone shot a week and a half ago, and although I have been I menopause for three years I am having a regular, garden-variety period.  At first, I was worried, then put it together: cortisone=steroids=hormones (loosely put!)  I also noticed the following: crave carbs, more hungry, psoriasis greatly improved, hot/cold sweats, constipation.  Ironically, the joint that was inflamed and precipitated the shot is not significantly better.  So, this post supports many, many impressionistic reports regarding a link between cortisone shots and affects to menstruation, posted here and elsewhere.  I hope doctors read these posts!

I too had cortisone injections approximately two weeks ago and had been without a period for almost three years. I started heavy bleeding this past Monday while out of town, of course. I am also taking a blood thinner so this did not help.  My doctor has stopped my blood thinner until I return home and I will be consulting my gynecologist as soon as we return.  I also had normal pap 4 months ago.  I was really stressed until finding these posts.  I am able to relax a little bit as is my husband.  Thank you all for sharing.

I've been taking methylprednisolone tablets for 5 days, and started spotting. (I'm 68 ....WAY past periods) and feel "crampy" - the whole bit. It's like A  mini-period now -- I will wiat until the steroid is out of my system before further action -- but thank you all for this info. How horrible that (one of you) had cancer testing -- weeks of worry etc. So, it sounds as if tablets can do the same thing as injections.

Thank you ladies for sharing your stories, I am 67+ and had a epidural steroid injection to calm my sciatica pain well 3-1/2 weeks later I started spotting my doctor recommended a transvaginal ultrasound and a pelvic one to make sure everything is fine, I'm due to do them this week but I bet that the steroids shots is what did if I haven't have periods since my early 50's it's amazing no one forewarns you that this could happen. We all seem to have experienced the same problem.
Thank you for sharing and giving me peace of mind until I get the results from the tests.

I just realized your post says it was made over a year ago but your case sounds almost identical to mine. After being post menopausal for five years, all of a sudden I started bleeding like a regular period, five weeks after having a cortisone shot in my shoulder. Of course my OBGYN told me that post menopausal bleeding is ALWAYS suspected to be cancer until proven otherwise. So they did a hysterescopy and removed lots of tissue from the endometrium, they found a small polyp that was completely removed too and sent to the lab and the biopsy came back negative, everything looked normal. This was exactly a month ago and to my dismay a few days ago I started having a very light period more like spotting that has lasted so far seven days!, I am dreading going back again to my OBGYN and hear her tell me she needs to do another hysterescopy. I have since then read a lot of posts about cortisone causing this although of course OBGYN do not want to even hear about it. I have read that cortisone can stay in the system for at least three months. Momgaz, did you find an answer for your questions? Did you stop having spotting? How many episodes you had? (My last Pap smear test was six months ago and it was normal, I have never ever had an abnormal pap smear and I am extremely healthy

I had exactly the same situation. Five years post menopausal, I had a cortisone shot in my shoulder and three weeks later I had a period. I freaked out and my OBGYN freaked me out even more when she said that all bleeding after menopause is suspected to be cancer until proven otherwise. I had a hysterescopy> She took lots of tissue from the endometrium and she found a small polyp which was removed too and sent to the lab. The results came back negative. THe bleeding stopped and I forgot about the whole incident. I was convinced that it was caused by the cortisone shot. Well it has been exactly a month later and I am having a very light period, more a spotting than a period, for the past seven days. How is that possible? I had a Pap test six months ago and I was normal, the biopsy they did was normal so what could it be? I have read that cortisone can stay in your system for three months? Momgaz, how many more spotting episodes did you have and for how long. I am DREADING having to go back to my OBGYN and have another hysterescopy done, it was so painful plus it is an invasive procedure I just had a month ago. Of course my OBGYN doesn't want to hear anything about cortisone shots causing this. I am extremely healthy at 59, never had cancer, or an abnormal pap smear.

I just had a gyn appointment. Same thing...spotting, thick uterine lining and I go to the dr every 6 months without incidence. I've been getting cortisone shots in my foot and started to spot. Mentioned this to the doctor and he said it was a possibility. I am relieved. I am scheduled now for a d and c and another procedure....think I should call the doctor and tell them about these posts......

I am 67 years old and I had a shot in my hip two weeks ago and as yet no pain relief. I was given a leaflet on possible side effects which included slight vaginal bleeding, low and behold I have just started with this, so ladies maybe nothing to worry about, I'm not worrying just yet, waiting to see how long it lasts.