Prolonged Menstruation after steroid shot

I can't seem to find anything other than this site to talk about irregular periods. I'm 53 1/2 yrs. old and haven't had a period since Jan. 2011. It's been 2 yrs. My first Steroid injection was 1/30/13. On Feb. 12th., I started spotting. On 2/13/13, I was bleeding very lightly. Today is 2/15/13 & I'm still bleeding. I only yesterday, decided it was the Steroid shot. I had 2 shots in both Sacriiliac Joints. I just had my second shot this past Wed. 2/13/13. I called the Dr. who injected me and said it was a side effect. He want's me to see my Gyno. So I'm seeing her on 2/20/13. I can't believe all that I've read on this sight that I may have my period for weeks. Now I'm scaring myself about getting Cancer? Who knows. The Doctors certainly don't communicate about it. I'll keep you posted. 

I'm sorry to hear this about your experience! I have written a couple posts on this site topic as well. I had 2 shots to the SI joint area as well and had irregular bleeding for months. If you want to get rid of it right away try a couple rounds of acupuncture with moxibustion. I wish there was a way to inform people of this side effect prior to injections and doctors don't seem to care.

I have an IUD and haven't had a period in 9 yrs but everytime I have an epidural I will abnormal bleeding that can go on for weeks. I had a injection on Tuesday of this week and that evening I started bleeding and am still bleeding sometimes quite heavily. That is why I have an IUDbecause I had such heavy periods. I dont have any hormonal changes or cramping just heavy bleeding. Sucks because the steriods help the pain but dont want to have period for weeks afterwards :( 

I really wish my doctor had said anything about the steroid shots side effects other than it may not fix the pain I am suffering from. I had a deep hip joint injection near the groin in early April, followed by two injections the same week in the shoulder/rotator cup and the bicep tendon. I am highly sensitive to all medication. After the first shot, I had bizarre profuse sweating bouts during the day and night sweats at night. I got the other shots because I just wanted the pain to end in my shoulder. My cycle was two weeks late. Then it went on for well over a week-almost two weeks. And the cramps were horrible. Now two weeks later, cycle is back again. Cramps not as bad this time. My hip is definitely better, but not my shoulder. Why don't doctors tell us these things? Why aren't all of these symptoms on webmd? They list the rare symptoms so I just don't get it. I am a very private person so I just hope by sharing this information, it helps someone else who has sensitivity to medications know possible outcomes. I guess the other word of advice, find good doctors. Good luck to all of you!

please tell me what treatment you taken to control this ,i am facing same problem I don't know what will do

Try acupuncture with moxibustion and try to lay off sugary/starchy foods. Moxibustion stopped the bleeding within days for me.

Im so glad I stumbled onto this post. I had my first epidural injection in march 2012, my period was late that month then when I got out it it went on for weeks, very heavy. Then a friend recommended black cohosh and soy isoflavinoids. This combination worked i about a weeks time. Now I set here over a year later having the same problem and realizing after reading all of your post that it is sor sure the injections as I just had a second injection at the beginning of June.... :( 

This same thing has happen to me. I had my first shot July 12, 2013 my period was on it lasted an extra week, I had my second shot July 26, 2013 my period came back on very heavy with blood clots, I have not had problems with my period in eight years. Today in August 2, 2013 I am still bleeding.

Relief to read all these posts! Have been losing sleep worrying what is wrong with me and ready to call OB-GYN. Had first cortisone shot in foot for plantar fasciitis on 7-26 which was day 2 of my period. 15 days later I am still on that period...not super heavy, yet not real light. No cramping at all but hot flashes and a few night sweats. Have been completely regular for many, many years. I will watch this cautiously before a heading to OBGYN. Feeling like the shot is the culprit. Hate to run up a bunch of unecessary bills, but don't want to miss anything either! Next shot is in two weeks...think I'm going to cancel that. It did help improve the symptoms but they are not gone! Don't know what I will do about the foot, but do not like the messed up hormones at all! So afraid of what a 2nd shot will do!!!! Never dreamed that a shot to the foot could cause all this!

There is a study just published proving that steroid injections DO lead to abnormal bleeding. The title is "abnormal vaginal bleeding after epidural steroid injection."  Tell your doctor about it as most doctors are clueless about this being real.

Thank the lord for this feed...I really thought I was bleeding internally or something. In a complete panic...until I read this. Thank you girls

I found this thread yesterday and it made me calmer. I got a steroid shot on Aug. 20 and also started taking doxycycline  for a tick bite. The steroid shot was for 20+ ant stings. I started my period on Aug. 27. It started out weird and slow for four days and then picked up for three. It tampered off but took forever to end. Finally ended on Sept.  5. It came back Sept 6 very very light and now on Sept. 10 it is a full period but not too heavy like my normal periods usually are. I went to the doctor today because I was having an allergic reaction to the antibiotics -- they were making me feel tired, loopy, had loss of appetite. I had a weird red area on my arm near the steroid shot. The doctor thought the red area was from the antibiotics. He told me that my period was likely messed up from the steroid shot. I've gotten steroid shots before and have never had this. But I've never taken antibiotics with them. He said it should regulate itself but if not I might have to have a D&C. I would try getting on the pill before I did that. I'm 44 and he said that periods go haywire at that age. He ran a bunch of blood tests mostly to see about the tick diseases. I am terrified I have something else wrong  with me. I think I've talked myself into that. But this feed reassures me. I will never ever take a steroid shot again.

On April 26 of this year, I got an epidural on the first day of my monthly. My monthly is already painful and heavy due to endometriosis and fibroids. The monthly lasted 41days.  No period for a month afterwards. Next period was extremely heavy.  Wait for it, I got stress hives due to the increase in histamine for 6 weeks. So many days home, no back pain but stabbing, scraping cramps in my lower abdomen, to my posterior and the top of my thighs. Now anemic and Vitamin D deficient to the point that I require prescrption Vitamin D.  Award winning pain management specialist never did the epidural during my monthly, he said it was not permanent. Now even more anemic since monthly is heavier than normal. So many days from work this year, in the poor house but....NO BACK AND SCIATIC pain. Had endo-biopsy, intra-vaginal sonogram, horrible year for me but no back pain. Best to all of you women who go through this.

I too have had the shots and thought I was experiencing early menopause and made and appointment with my OBGYN.  When I finally made the conncection between the shots and my period going on and on and on and called the Pain Mangement Dr. Office they said "I've heard of one other person this happned to"  The shot did  not help my pain BTW.  At least I know I'm not in early menopause. I'm going on about a month and a half of period with a slight two day break in between cycles.  Which is causing me MORE back pain!

 

Please get checked by an OBGYN if you have any changes in your cycle.  I've had 4 lumbar spine surgeries, my L5-S1 is fused.  I was referred to a pain management Dr in January 2013 for SI joint pain, common after lumbar fusion, he did a steroid injection.  It helped a little, but not enough for another.  He recommended steroid injections for my L5-S1 as well, I have continuing problems from the surgeries.  The injections for the L5-S1 were done in March and I started my period the same day, it was early, heavy, and it lasted about a month.  I mentioned this to the Dr in my follow up and he said it was a side effect that happened to some woman, not to worry, and it should resolve itself in a few months.  (Also, the injections didn't help, they never have.)

My period came and went for the next few months, but was really heavy and a few days longer than normal.  Then I started spotting in between.  That's when I got sick of waiting for my hormones to regulate and called an OBGYN.  I thought it was just a hormone imbalance, I'm too young to worry about anything else, my OB thought the same thing.  She sent me for an ultrasound anyway and the Dr doing the ultrasound decided to do a biopsy.  I got the diagnosis last month, I have UTERINE CANCER... it's early stage and treatable. I never read or post on these boards, I just don't want anyone else to not see an OB because the symptoms might be from a steroid injection.