Prolonged Menstruation after steroid shot

I'm surprised you didn't have weight gain to top it off. After my cortisone injection, my period won't seem to end either and to make matters worse, I keep gaining weight.

Same issue here. Had 5 cortisone injections in my lumbar spine to treat facet joint inflammation which was given me terrible back pain and sciatica. Had the injections on the 1st of August. My period started on the 10th of August, but it started very light for a few days (as if it was the end of my period) after that I bled for 5-6 days fairly heavily I would say. Then it seemed like it was getting lighter, but a few days later I started bleeding heavily again and now with big clots which I never had before. Called the hospital where I had the injections done, and the doctor who was on duty that day, didn't think it would be the cortisone and told me to go to my GP. Couldn't get a GP appointment soon enough so went to the walking centre. The doctor I saw also didn't believe the steroids were causing the bleeding. I have fibroids so the doctor thinks they are causing the bleeding. But I know my body and I know that it's the cortisone. I am even more convinced now after reading all the posts here. Anyway it's now been 3 wks since my period first started and I am still bleeding pretty heavily, specially in the mornings when I have to change tampon or towel every our or so. Much lighter in the evening which is a bit strange. The doctor at the walk in centre gave me tranexamic acid to help stop the bleeding, have been taken it for 2 days now with now results yet. Have also booked a GP appointment to get things checked properly. Oh and I have been taking iron supplements, drinking green smoothies and cut off all the naughty stuff, coffee, alcohol, sugar... guess it will help my body recover if I keep my diet clean. Just hope I will stop bleeding soon!

This is exactly what happened to me. I have pertussis so they gave me one steroid shot. My period started a couple of days earlier than it was scheduled. I bled dark brown blood for the first week and then it turned dark red. I am now on day 11 of bleeding. I am 41 and have never bled longer than 5 days in my life. I am still cramping and bloated. I didn't bleed for half of today and thought maybe I was done, but it came back full force this afternoon. The worst part is... the shot didn't even help me at all with the pertussis. Now I have this and the pertussis. I'm so upset with my doctor over this. If they would have warned me this could happen, I would have not had the shot.

Just thought I will leave an update. Went to gynaecologist, as soon as I told him about the cortisone shots he thought that this was the reason for the bleeding. He said that two years ago he would have said no, but he has seen it happening too many times now! I had all tests done, ultrasound, blood tests everything came back normal apart from very low iron. The consultant who performed the ultrasound said that yes I have large fibroids (which I knew) but their location wouldn't cause bleeding. So it's now confirmed that the cortisone injections indeed caused all the bleeding. By the way I stopped bleeding around a 10 ago, but had a little spoting yesterday, and my period is not due for another 10 days. I was hoping that all the irregular bleeding was now behind me but don't know what is going to happen in the next few days... On a positive note my back pain has improved since the injections. Not only because of the cortisone but with lots of exercise recommended by the physio which I do at home/work 4-5 times a day.

I received 2 steroid injections 3 weeks apart. My cycle ended the day before my last injection. but the day after it i started spotting and did so for 8 days straight then suddenly i started bleeding like a faucet nonstop and fierce. My Gyno said its the steroids and im freaking out. How long will this go on. i dont even want to leave home. The bleeding is TOO MUCH! Please tell me why is this happening!

I was freaking out the first time ... But I hope my post will help others as the posts before mine helped me to ease my worry.

It all began in May this year (2015) when I woke up to sharp shooting pains down my thigh and then my back. I had a fall back in October last year but sprung back up and thought I'm young (32) I can manage and didn't feel any serious pain. By May month end I was at my doctor can hardly walk without pain. He had me on meds that made me dizzy and get blurry vision (prednisone and cyclobenzaprine ... Just in case anyone has to take those, they didn't work). I stopped the drugs because when I read the side effects online before I got to my doc (primary care) I knew it was dangerous. Eventually he recommended me to a spine and pain specialist ... And there continued this nightmare.

I had two shots back to back 30 days apart. First in June and second in July. I've been keeping track and notes to date, my period started (second one after my shot) 13 days late. [ both times on the shot I was ending a period. After the first shot my period was 12 days late. I got the second shot at the end of my period and it eased up but continued for a bout 12 days] so this time my period started with dark brown spotting and then what looked like tar (I almost freaked out, but then I saw it was really dark blood). That happened from 9/19 - 9/23 and I was actually praying for my period to really start so it could end for that cycle. Well that was on 9/24 till now today as I'm posting 10/11 I'm still having my period, going on 20 days.

I'm going to see my GY doctor because I want to just make sure nothing else is affected internally. To say the least I feel exhausted alot, get headaches, and found myself Eating a lot of ice (signs of anemia) and some days I just feel dizzy. Oh the biggest draw back well not as big as having 2 week long period but I had worked hard to shed 50 lbs and I gained 20lbs ... Talk about frustrated.

Oh, I went back to my pain doc for the post opt. Check up before the second shot and I was still having pain and he didn't some manual test and we had to get the second shot ...I told him bout the excess bleeding and he casually said it's rare but I've heard of it. I felt so dismissedish. His secretary told me she had a similar situation after her epidural steroid injection (esi).

Today, however, after 2 shots back to back, my pain has reduced to barely there and depending on how active I am or what sitting/sleeping position I'm in, there is pain but I will manage that with acupuncture. The shots worked for me and I was to do the 3rd round .... Heck no ... Next time any doctor poke my back is for when I'm on the delivery bed. Hope this post helped, tried to as detailed. Will update later.

Mine went on for 6 months. I would have my period for about 10 days, it would stop for about 4 days and then start again. It pretty much stayed heavy throughout and was painful. Finally went to the Gyn and she put me in birth control pills to help stop it. What's worse for me is that I went through early menopause as a teen and normally only have a period 2 times a year after I take progesterone. It's strange that corticosteroids are causing me to have them at all, but worse to have them for such a lengthy amount of time. It's been a year, just had another injection and it's worse this time around. Trying the BC pills again to control it.

Saline injections right into the heart of where the cortisone shot was given.

Thank you so much! This same thing is happening to me and my pain management nurse said she never heard of it. ugh idiots

I'm 58yr old and haven't had a period in over ten years, I had the steroid shots and the epadural done two wks ago, now I'm cramping and passing clots, I will call my pain dr in morning to find out why this is happening..

I had an injection of prednisone and cortisone and my period arrive 2 weeks late then i had a very heavy and long menstral cycle; my periods are normally normal. Also 9 months ago i had a fibroid removed so its not from that. I really believe my almost 10 day bleeding and cramping must be from my prednisone and cortisone injection in my shoulder for my shoulder injury.

My husband had monthly Prolozone injections for a year for DDD and a pinched nerve/bulging disc and he's more or less OK: no more sciatica pain at all, no more foot dropsy. He just needs to build up his thigh muscle strength. We're happy that he didn't go for back surgery that the doctors had recommended (immediately) as the only possible solution to the problem.

hello all well it is November 11, 2015 and i am still bleeding. It just wont stop. im starting to feel like he gave me too big a dose of steroids in my back and joints. I am so emotional, i go from hot to cold in seconds, crying all the time. i dont know what to do. My case is a workers comp thing and i feel like I was given too much in effort to get me back to work. because irregardless to my bleeding for almost 2 months now he wants to do it again because i am still in pain. he just keeps saying i gotta get you out of pain. i am so upset by all this my life has been turned upside down.

I'm going through the same thing. I had a cortisone shot in my knee October 16th and November 13th. I've been on my period for 17 days. The the first 7 days were my normal period. Then I stopped for 2 or 3 days, then I started spotting for 5 days. Now I'm right back on it again. I went to the ER. He said he'd never heard of the cortisone shot doing that but it is possible because of the hormones. All my blood work and urine test was fine. I just want this to end!!!

Hello all,
Due to a broken bone in my back I had an epidural steroid injection in my lower back on October 5th. First my period came 5 days late and lasted 8 days. ( normally 5) Then I had terrible bloating and discomfort for 2 weeks. I also had unusual mucus and bloody spotting. Then, 8 days before my November period was due I started spotting brown which turned to bleeding, which in all lasted another 8 days. More bloating and now I am spotting brown again a week before my period is due. I went to an oncologist who didn't seem overly concerned but has ordered an ultra sound and pelvic MRI since I have existing fibroids. I mentioned to the doctor the possibility of the steroids causing this and he had never heard of menstrual irregularities due to steroid injections (id**t!!)
So...like everyone else, I am still worried that maybe there is something really wrong....but there does seem to an awful lot of us having similiar issues. Anyone experienced the same symptoms as me? I am 43 and have had no signs of menopause yet and my estrogen levels are ok.