Slapped into Menopause or perimenopause

I am 47 years old with cidp too–but have not had any signs of menopause yet–still very regular menstrual cycle. Many of my high school friends have said they have stopped having regular cycles and are in peri-menopause. So its hard to say if cidp played a role in yours or if you may have started anyway?? Do you have older sisters or mother—you could see when they started, that might give you an idea for your self…..best of luck with it—just what you needed on top of a new cidp diagnosis–right!!! But i guess it’s inevitable–part of being a woman. Lori

If you’ll check around on the forum, you’ll find that some of the posters here experienced menopause after GBS-CIDP hit them. I also know of an old friend who got menopause at age 36 after being affected by a neurological illness. There are also many of us on our forum who have gained a lot of weight since GBS due to our lack of mobility and a change in metabolism.

I’ve never had the IVIG or any medication for the condition, so I know that I can rule out those factors in my own sudden menopause and rapid weight gain over the past 3 3/4 yrs. I was already on corticosteroids for asthma since 1993, had a good, athletic build & weight stability till GBS hit me. Since then my waist has changed because I just can’t bend and move like I did before this happened. During onset, I lost about 15 lbs. within a few weeks. But after I stabilized a few months later, I gaining it back, and since then, although I’m eating less, I’ve still been gaining more weight, especially in my legs and waist (where I can only move awkwardly and slowly). Total weight gain since GBS: 57 lbs.

With strict diet and portion controls for the past few months, I’ve been able to lose about 10 lbs. I’m still about 22 lbs higher than my usual weight. Also helpful was developing a different way to exercise: lying down and doing leg and arm exercises. I cannot exercise much when standing up, it is actually detrimental, so I rest a lot after gardening, housework and errands. Another thing I’ve noticed is that I’ve been losing mass and muscle strength in my upper arms and shoulders, probably because my hands are on the walker handlebars whenever I go anywhere outdoors. My arms need to swing, so I’ve started doing exercises just standing on the floor and swinging my arms. It relieves a lot of the cramping and pain, and hopefully will build up some muscle again, if possible.

My point is that there were lots of major changes for me since GBS hit me.
And I’m trying to find ways to achieve my best ‘new normal’. Some things I may not be able to change, but God help me to change the things I can.

I went through a very early menopause at 45, probably from the pred.