Two Weeks Later...Not You Again!

October 4, 2009 11:05 AM

Is there a way to lengthen my annoyingly short menstrual cycle? Discussion of menstruation and good times after the jump!

OK, I'm a female college student, in good health, etc. Historically, my menstrual cycle is a solid 28 days, give or take (it's very predictable). However, whenever I come back to school, it drastically shortens to 19-21 days, which is hellaciously irritating. I don't have particularly awful periods, unlike some women I know, but it's a nuisance to have a 3-week instead of 4-week cycle.

Is there any way to regain a normal-length cycle? I have a good idea that it might be stress-related, but that might be just an inclination without medical merit. It's not just a beginning-of-the-semester thing where living on a hall with other women makes the hormones go nuts; this lasts for as long as I'm at school.

I'm not interested in taking birth control to artificially regulate it for a variety of reasons. But does anyone have other solutions or advice to go back to a 28-day cycle? My uterus will thank you.

posted by fantine to health & fitness (17 answers total)

I've noticed that my cycle is shorter when I don't exercise regularly. Maybe an exercise schedule will help (mine: moderate cardiovascular workout three times a week).
posted by mirileh at 11:23 AM on October 4, 2009

You may be seeing a change because you're in school, and therefore (probably) sleeping less, and therefore (probably) being exposed to artificial lights for longer periods of time. See this abstract.
posted by rtha at 11:30 AM on October 4, 2009

I had this happen to me for about two years. My cycle was exactly 21 days and my periods lasted precisely 3 days. It gradually lengthened all on its own and now it's back to a normal 28 days, but my period lasts for some hazy indeterminate length of time. It's one of those things where I'm never entirely sure if it's over because the last two-three days are so spotty.

Along the lines of what rtha said, my period straightened itself out when I got on a regular sleep cycle. When I had 21 day periods, I was sleeping at bizarre hours and seldom more than 6 hours at a stretch. I was tired all the time. After getting my sleep under control and consistent (with the aid of melatonin), my period also regulated itself.

School's tough, but if you can go to bed at the same time every night and get up around the same time every morning, that should help. Also: try to get up "early" and expose yourself to bright light in the morning. Sunlight is best, if not, turn on all the lights in your room. You can get full-spectrum UV lights which should help - especially if you also are susceptible to SAD.
posted by grapefruitmoon at 11:59 AM on October 4, 2009

Are you living in a women's dorm or a sorority? Women affect each other's periods through pheromones, and after a long time living together all of them will synchronize and have their periods at exactly the same time. It may be that the synchronization hasn't happened yet and you're being tossed for a loop by two competing synchronization phases among your housemates.

If so, the solution is to move out. Or just be patient and wait until one of the phases wins over the other one.
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 12:14 PM on October 4, 2009

Birth control pills will hard-wire your period length to exactly 28 days.
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 12:15 PM on October 4, 2009

Chocolate Pickle--poster doesn't want to go on the pill.
posted by 6:1 at 12:18 PM on October 4, 2009

Also, Chocolate Pickle -- there is actually very little evidence for the synchronicity of periods (see: the link you posted), and it is certainly a weaker effect than any medical thing causing a shortened period.
posted by brainmouse at 12:21 PM on October 4, 2009 [1 favorite]

OK, looks like I could improve my sleep (it is a little wacky and there sure isn't enough of it) and exercise habits.

Chocolate Pickle, regardless of the veracity of the synchronicity of periods theory, I stated that this is a longer-term thing, not just at the beginning on living a new place. I also can't move out of my dorm and I'm not interested in BCP.

Keep the ideas coming!
posted by fantine at 12:41 PM on October 4, 2009

N'thing sleep, exercise, a regular schedule.

Still, though - if you're willing, can you talk a little bit about your aversion to hormonal contraception...? Are you uncomfortable with the idea of preventing ovulation, are you worried about the side effects...?
posted by archofatlas at 1:36 PM on October 4, 2009

My cycle is always 21 days and the only thing that ever changed it was hormonal birth control. But for me 21 days is normal, it sounds like it's not so normal for you (although not abnormal as such either). So I agree that improving your sleep cycle, exercise routine and generally staying on top of the stress may help. Try to undo the changes that happen when you go to school (as much as possible, I know this isn't easy!) and hopefully the changes to your cycle will also undo. These are all things you'd probably benefit from in other ways even if they don't work on your cycle, and you'll get benefits even if you can only make things a little better (so get better sleep some of the time even if you can't all of the time, it's still better than none of the time). So it's kind of a win win situation.

Anything beyond the life style changes that you might take to change your cycle, supplements or whatever, are going to be messing with your hormones (assuming they even work). In that case you're much better off taking actual birth control from a doctor. There are other types of hormonal birth control besides the pills which can have an effect on your cycle, on the off chance it's just the pill part you don't like. But you're totally entitled to not want to take hormonal medication at all (and I don't think you need to justify this decision), just keep in mind that even non-prescribed compounds and supplements can fall under this category.
posted by shelleycat at 2:33 PM on October 4, 2009

My #1 suggestion is, don't be afraid to ask your gynecologist. 21 days is fine if that's your normal, but this is definitely the kind of thing I'd run by him/her.

It would be extremely informative to know which phase of your cycle is short. The time from your period to ovulation (follicular), or the time from ovulation to your next period (luteal)?

To find this out, you need to figure out when you usually ovulate. You could grab a box of ovulation tests from the drugstore, and test every day till they're positive, and/or pick up Taking Charge of Your Fertility, and start charting your cycle. I highly recommend the book; I learned a lot about my body from it.

Different hormones dominate different phases of your cycle, so once you know when you usually ovulate, you'll be able to get more specific advice on treating a "short follicular phase" or a "short luteal phase".

In the meantime, everyone's advice on healthy living is spot on; don't underestimate the basics!
posted by for_serious at 3:15 PM on October 4, 2009 [2 favorites]

I know you said you don't want to go on the pill. I'm gonna suggest you take a bigger, braver and way less hormonoally-intensive step: the Mirena IUD! I don't get my periods at all anymore.
posted by samthemander at 8:38 PM on October 4, 2009

for_serious, thanks for your suggestion about tracking the phases of my cycle -- I tend to be vaguely aware of when I'm ovulating, mostly from emotional reactions to certain things, but I haven't tracked that. I have tracked the length of my cycle for over a year though, and it shows the clear pattern of reverting to 21 during school semesters.

samthemander, I have no problem with an IUD in general, but I'm not interested in going for any birth control right now because I'm not currently sexually active (flashback to Juno, anyone?). Also, I don't want to get rid of my periods altogether, just get back to a 4-week deal.
posted by fantine at 9:04 AM on October 5, 2009

Not currently sexually active doesn't mean you won't become sexually active, I'm guessing (and this is assuming you are hetero- or bisexual; ignore if you're lesbian), and it's better to be safe than sorry for these things. Hypothetically, you meet a guy--it's college, it happens--and the condom breaks or you forget to use one--it's college, it happens (but it shouldn't! everyone should have condoms handy if they enjoy penetrative sex)--and then you have stress and horrible anxiety. I understand there can be health concerns with the pill, but you should honestly evaluate them in comparison to the potential pitfalls if something goes a bit pear-shaped.
posted by dirtynumbangelboy at 12:19 PM on October 5, 2009

dirtynumbangelboy: Not to derail, but as a woman, I've got to say that the pill isn't as easy as all that. I, for one, can't take it. It's just not an option for some people. I know that you mean well, but you're a gay man who doesn't have to deal with possible pregnancies. Women who sleep with men can feasibly decide to shy away from hormonal birth control for any number of reasons.

Like I said, I can't take it. I take other medications which would interact with the pill and reduce its effectiveness. For some women with a history of depression, the pill can trigger a depressive episode or even a pyschotic break.

Please trust a woman who says that the pill is NOT an option. The stress/anxiety of a broken condom are worthy considerations, but so is every other aspect of a woman's reproductive life.

And to the OP, so this isn't a total derail: I always know when I'm ovulating. I track my cycle meticulously, and I can tell you that (WAY TMI HERE) there is a very noticable change in the consistency of vaginal discharge at ovulation. It becomes very clear and slippery, almost like lube, really. Also, when I ovulate, all I want to do is have sex and eat cheese. Apparently, I'm part mouse. From this, I know that I naturally have a short follicular phase and a longer luteal phase, and that having my body all out of wack had shortened the luteal phase considerably.

Once you know what to look for, it's not hard to tell when you're ovulating. It's a handy thing to be aware of, both in terms of preventing and (if you roll that way) at some point creating pregnancy.
posted by grapefruitmoon at 1:18 PM on October 5, 2009 [1 favorite]

grapefruit, I get that--thus the point about health concerns. But the OP stated clearly "but I'm not interested in going for any birth control right now because I'm not currently sexually active", not due to drug interactions or other health issues.
posted by dirtynumbangelboy at 1:22 PM on October 5, 2009

Just to address the slightly deviating topic here: no, I'm not sexually active (and yes, I'm straight), and no, I don't plan on having sex this year. It's not a matter of "oh, it's not happening right now, so I'm not going to take precautions."

grapefruitmoon, I know what you're talking about. So I think I'll start keeping track of those phases distinctly on my chart and see what I discover.
posted by fantine at 3:00 PM on October 5, 2009