What is wrong with my long menstrual cycles?
May 20, 2013 5:46 PM Subscribe
Screenshot of the past two years.
This is not an aberration, I have been this way since I was 13. There was even one year that I only had 2 periods the whole year. I have never taken the pill, or any contraception. I do not take any medications. I became sexually active in my early 20's. my first time meeting with a gyno was at 32, my current age.
I have always worried about my fertility, but I comfort myself saying I am holding onto my eggs for an important time instead of letting them go.
Do you know what is wrong with me?
This is a straightforward "talk to your doctor" situation. I am a woman of "childbearing age" who is normal weight and healthy and rarely has periods. My reason is that I have a pituitary microadenoma (a very small tumor) that affects my hormones. Doctor says as long as I don't want to have kids (I don't) that I just need to keep an eye on it and I am fine. This might be you. There could be all sorts of other reasons. It's a good idea to get checked out. Keeping track of your periods is great. The doc's office is where you find reasons behind the trends in that data you've been keeping.
posted by jessamyn at 5:51 PM on May 20, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by jessamyn at 5:51 PM on May 20, 2013 [2 favorites]
This isn't something someone on the internet can diagnose. Print out what you've been keeping track of and bring it along with you to an appointment with your gyno.
posted by These Birds of a Feather at 5:52 PM on May 20, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by These Birds of a Feather at 5:52 PM on May 20, 2013 [1 favorite]
You need to ask your doctor. You can ask to be tested for specific things like PCOS but this isn't something the Internet can diagnose for you.
posted by peanut_mcgillicuty at 5:53 PM on May 20, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by peanut_mcgillicuty at 5:53 PM on May 20, 2013 [1 favorite]
From when I got my period at age 12 through my late teens, I had periods that lasted months. Literally, my period would just go on and on and on. It was always very heavy and I had pretty large clots, the size of a quarter. I didn't know anything else and I got used to it, but my mom was thought it was unusual and took me to the gynecologist. I was put on a birth control pill, (even though I wasn't sexually active -- then because I was too young and eventually because as it turned out, I am a lesbian anyway). The pill itself started to regulate my periods but then I went off it, the crazy never-ending period came back. We did it a few times where I took it for a long time and tried to go off of it until my period just finally got on track. I haven't been on the pill in like a decade now and my period is totally normal. I have no clue how often I get my period now because I don't track it, but it is about once a month and it lasts about 3 to 5 days. Deviations in periods can be normal, or it could mean something. Either way, go to a gynecologist.
You may realize this by now, but waiting until you are 32 to get your lady parts checked up is reckless. I haven't "needed" to see a gynecologist in a very long time, but I still go for an annual Pap smear exam to make sure everything is OK. Every female should see a gynecologist regularly from the time they start getting their periods. And even if you are gay or don't plan on having kids, you can still get cancer or other problems that only a gynecologist can notice and fix. So, just sharing this PSA: if you are a woman, get your lady parts their own doctor. Your annual checkups should include, IMO, gynecologist, general physician/physical, dentist, dermatologist if you have fair skin and eye doctor if you wear glasses, etc.
posted by AppleTurnover at 6:04 PM on May 20, 2013 [6 favorites]
You may realize this by now, but waiting until you are 32 to get your lady parts checked up is reckless. I haven't "needed" to see a gynecologist in a very long time, but I still go for an annual Pap smear exam to make sure everything is OK. Every female should see a gynecologist regularly from the time they start getting their periods. And even if you are gay or don't plan on having kids, you can still get cancer or other problems that only a gynecologist can notice and fix. So, just sharing this PSA: if you are a woman, get your lady parts their own doctor. Your annual checkups should include, IMO, gynecologist, general physician/physical, dentist, dermatologist if you have fair skin and eye doctor if you wear glasses, etc.
posted by AppleTurnover at 6:04 PM on May 20, 2013 [6 favorites]
Oh, and I just want to add, in my situation they did a lot of testing and they couldn't find any specific cause for it or problem. It was just a natural deviation from what's common and I have had no problems reproductively since.
posted by AppleTurnover at 6:11 PM on May 20, 2013
posted by AppleTurnover at 6:11 PM on May 20, 2013
That was me until I finally resolved my chronic anemia that was far more severe than I realized. At age 40, I began having nonanemic periods every thirty days like clockwork.
I had a whole lot of other health issues going on as well. Solving the anemia was kind of a "tip of the iceberg" thing in some sense (or in reverse: I addressed a bunch of other things before the anemia resolved). FWIW: I have two sons, both conceived with no medical intervention (and damn little "trying"). For other reasons, doctors have expressed surprise at that. I "should" have fertility problems, and they do run in the family.
posted by Michele in California at 6:12 PM on May 20, 2013
I had a whole lot of other health issues going on as well. Solving the anemia was kind of a "tip of the iceberg" thing in some sense (or in reverse: I addressed a bunch of other things before the anemia resolved). FWIW: I have two sons, both conceived with no medical intervention (and damn little "trying"). For other reasons, doctors have expressed surprise at that. I "should" have fertility problems, and they do run in the family.
posted by Michele in California at 6:12 PM on May 20, 2013
Response by poster: It was not reckless. I could not afford it.
posted by squirbel at 6:23 PM on May 20, 2013
posted by squirbel at 6:23 PM on May 20, 2013
I have friends with irregular periods who have nothing at all "wrong" with them and I have friends who have irregular periods who are anemic or have polycystic ovarian syndrome. So yeah, go get yourself checked out. If you are still, or are ever again, concerned about the cost call your local county health department or Planned Parenthood. In my area, both of these agencies operate on a sliding scale and will be willing to help you work out a payment plan.
posted by WidgetAlley at 6:33 PM on May 20, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by WidgetAlley at 6:33 PM on May 20, 2013 [1 favorite]
My irregular period was due to PCOS, but originally I was just put on hormonal birth control to regulate it without getting checked out. My piece of advice to you is that if you are concerned about your fertility that you should make sure to get this checked out once you can afford to do so (although if you can't afford a single doctor's appointment then you probably can't afford to have kids), but if it is one of these issues that affects your fertility, you will want to know about it. Took me about 2 years (and a big workup and some fertility meds) to have a baby.
posted by treehorn+bunny at 6:36 PM on May 20, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by treehorn+bunny at 6:36 PM on May 20, 2013 [1 favorite]
This was covered recently on the Green but essentially ovulation/menstruation uses up a teeny tiny fraction of your lifetime of eggs. Menstruating more or less frequently or for a shorter or longer period of time does not have a material effect on your supply of eggs (compared to all of the other factors that influence it).
posted by telegraph at 6:38 PM on May 20, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by telegraph at 6:38 PM on May 20, 2013 [1 favorite]
It's a question that only your primary care person can answer. If you still can't afford to go back to the doc you've gone to, look up Planned Parenthood in your area (assuming you're in the U.S., of course). Many cities and counties also run low-cost clinics. Really, mefites are smart and have a lot of various experiences, but no one can here diagnose you.
Also: you are not "holding on" to your eggs. That's not how it works (in case you were not just joking). But see a doctor.
posted by rtha at 6:40 PM on May 20, 2013 [1 favorite]
Also: you are not "holding on" to your eggs. That's not how it works (in case you were not just joking). But see a doctor.
posted by rtha at 6:40 PM on May 20, 2013 [1 favorite]
Before I was on the pill, my cycle (since the start of puberty to my early 20s) was 38 days. My GP said it was within the range of normal. More recently I've seen a proper gynecologist and she said (based on that and some other stuff) I probably have PCOS (but don't need treatment for it since being on the pill seems to be keeping it all under control).
So yeah, if and when you do see a doctor, see a proper gynecologist, not just your primary care provider.
posted by lollusc at 7:37 PM on May 20, 2013
So yeah, if and when you do see a doctor, see a proper gynecologist, not just your primary care provider.
posted by lollusc at 7:37 PM on May 20, 2013
re: if you are considered "low risk" for cervical abnormalities they now only suggest pap smears every three to five years. http://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/uspscerv.htm
OP, my best recommendation to you is to bring this up at Planned Parenthood. They have low cost options and can refer you to a specialist if needed.
posted by feets at 8:04 PM on May 20, 2013
OP, my best recommendation to you is to bring this up at Planned Parenthood. They have low cost options and can refer you to a specialist if needed.
posted by feets at 8:04 PM on May 20, 2013
It was not reckless. I could not afford it.
Sorry, it *is* reckless. If you're in the States, go to Planned Parenthood. They offer a sliding scale, and I know for a fact that a check-up, including a PAP smear, runs about $85. Even when I was scrounging around in my couch for grocery money, I still could get to a check-up every now and then.
As noted above, you really need to talk to a doctor about this. It could be normal for you, it could be something with your pituitary, it could be fibroids, it could be PCOS, it could be just about anything.
posted by Specklet at 8:08 PM on May 20, 2013 [4 favorites]
Sorry, it *is* reckless. If you're in the States, go to Planned Parenthood. They offer a sliding scale, and I know for a fact that a check-up, including a PAP smear, runs about $85. Even when I was scrounging around in my couch for grocery money, I still could get to a check-up every now and then.
As noted above, you really need to talk to a doctor about this. It could be normal for you, it could be something with your pituitary, it could be fibroids, it could be PCOS, it could be just about anything.
posted by Specklet at 8:08 PM on May 20, 2013 [4 favorites]
That ship has sailed. You are seeing someone now and that is good. But it's too bad that they weren't able to address your concerns. If you saw a gynecologist recently, what did they say about your irregular cycles?
I am not a doctor but looking at your cycles they don't actually seem that odd to me. You have had one very short cycle, many cycles about average length, and two cycles that are twice as long as average, which probably means that one of your ovaries is a bit wonky and you skipped ovulating that month or something and did I mentioned that I am not a doctor?
If you are trying to conceive, taking your temperature every morning will give you an idea of when and if you are ovulating. If you have had unprotected sex for more than six months and you have not conceived, then at age 32 I would see a fertility specialist immediately to get some very simple and inexpensive tests done to rule out certain specific, easily solved problems.
Pediacast recently covered period problems, they are talking about adolescents but they go over the basic hormonal controls of the cycle and many potential causes of irregularity. That might be a good background for you.
Bottom line is that there are many possible causes for irregular cycles. Most likely it is just an idiosyncrasy. But it could also be an indicator of serious medical issues.
Are you obese? Do you have thinning hair? Do you have hair growing in other places where it didn't before? Are your periods heavy or very painful or do you have other symptoms during your periods? Are you tired all the time? Are you cold all the time?
posted by bq at 8:41 PM on May 20, 2013
I am not a doctor but looking at your cycles they don't actually seem that odd to me. You have had one very short cycle, many cycles about average length, and two cycles that are twice as long as average, which probably means that one of your ovaries is a bit wonky and you skipped ovulating that month or something and did I mentioned that I am not a doctor?
If you are trying to conceive, taking your temperature every morning will give you an idea of when and if you are ovulating. If you have had unprotected sex for more than six months and you have not conceived, then at age 32 I would see a fertility specialist immediately to get some very simple and inexpensive tests done to rule out certain specific, easily solved problems.
Pediacast recently covered period problems, they are talking about adolescents but they go over the basic hormonal controls of the cycle and many potential causes of irregularity. That might be a good background for you.
Bottom line is that there are many possible causes for irregular cycles. Most likely it is just an idiosyncrasy. But it could also be an indicator of serious medical issues.
Are you obese? Do you have thinning hair? Do you have hair growing in other places where it didn't before? Are your periods heavy or very painful or do you have other symptoms during your periods? Are you tired all the time? Are you cold all the time?
posted by bq at 8:41 PM on May 20, 2013
I think reckless is a very loaded and inappropriately used term, but I do agree, having waited this long is a very big deal. If you became sexually active at 20, you've had 12 years of time that would be very useful to your doctor to have documented so they can establish a strong baseline of knowledge about your fertility and your sexual health. And the thing is, as much as it makes me mad to say this, because I know how infuriating it is to be told what you can and cannot afford by someone who does not know you personally, you have to start looking at your health in this area as something you cannot afford not to take care of with the guidance of a licensed professional. Planned Parenthood is great resource if your primary care doctor is too expensive. Do not write off your health as something you can't afford anymore, though, because that way can lead to more trouble than you can imagine. Additionally, if you weren't joking about the holding onto your eggs thing, having a gyno explain exactly how your fertility does work will be such a good thing to do before you have children. Better to know now than have regrets later.
Please g back to your gyno and talk this over with them so you can get a solid record of your health going. It's worth the money, especially if you want to be a mom someday.
posted by These Birds of a Feather at 8:43 PM on May 20, 2013 [11 favorites]
Please g back to your gyno and talk this over with them so you can get a solid record of your health going. It's worth the money, especially if you want to be a mom someday.
posted by These Birds of a Feather at 8:43 PM on May 20, 2013 [11 favorites]
I'll admit I didn't see a dermatologist for the first time until I was 29. I didn't realize it was something I should do until I know someone who had a serious form of skin cancer. I went and it turns out I'm at risk, they removed some spots and told me to come back more often. But I was fine and chances are you are just fine too. Your cycle honestly doesn't sound that unusual to me because I know several people who had irregular periods. But if fertility is a concern for you, it's definitely something you'll want to talk to a gyno about. You mention you saw one, and yet you are still here asking what's wrong with you. Was the gyno you saw not helpful?
I have not had health insurance before and know how hard it is. I suppose it's a matter of priorities -- you can afford somethings and not other things because of how priorities fall. I would try to make this a financial priority, especially if you do want children, but at least until you can stop worrying about your health. Planned Parenthood is a good option. Depending where you live, there may also be subsidized health insurance if you qualify. When I was laid off, I got a cheap plan that covered everything for less than if I had looked for insurance on my own. And thanks to Obamacare, gynecologist visits are now considered a regular doctor's visit, meaning insurance has to cover it and it cannot be billed as a specialist.
posted by AppleTurnover at 9:38 PM on May 20, 2013
I have not had health insurance before and know how hard it is. I suppose it's a matter of priorities -- you can afford somethings and not other things because of how priorities fall. I would try to make this a financial priority, especially if you do want children, but at least until you can stop worrying about your health. Planned Parenthood is a good option. Depending where you live, there may also be subsidized health insurance if you qualify. When I was laid off, I got a cheap plan that covered everything for less than if I had looked for insurance on my own. And thanks to Obamacare, gynecologist visits are now considered a regular doctor's visit, meaning insurance has to cover it and it cannot be billed as a specialist.
posted by AppleTurnover at 9:38 PM on May 20, 2013
ditto on Planned Parenthood. if you are unemployed or struggling to get by, bring a copy of your pay stubs or unemployment paperwork on your visit at PP and they will get you signed up for low income or waived cost visits.
additional note about "Obamacare"- contact your insurance company to find out explicitly what is and is not covered. ie only SOME birth control brands have been covered by the new legislation, but not all. also find out what billing codes your doctor will use for what procedures and see to what extent your insurance will cover. insurance companies are tricky, they will do what they can to not dole out coverage. this handy script can help guide you when trying to find out what services are covered.
posted by cristinacristinacristina at 9:50 PM on May 20, 2013 [1 favorite]
additional note about "Obamacare"- contact your insurance company to find out explicitly what is and is not covered. ie only SOME birth control brands have been covered by the new legislation, but not all. also find out what billing codes your doctor will use for what procedures and see to what extent your insurance will cover. insurance companies are tricky, they will do what they can to not dole out coverage. this handy script can help guide you when trying to find out what services are covered.
posted by cristinacristinacristina at 9:50 PM on May 20, 2013 [1 favorite]
you have to start looking at your health in this area as something you cannot afford not to take care of with the guidance of a licensed professional.
I very much agree with this excellent point (disclaimer: I am a doctor). If you become sexually active in your early 20s and contract a cancer-causing strain of HPV, you could be dead by the time you're 32 (consider the story of Henrietta Lacks!). These are the sorts of things that thank goodness, we rarely see anymore because of Pap smears. I don't point this out to be preachy, but it is just one example to illustrate how not getting timely preventative care can end up costing you not only your health and potentially your life, but a lot more money later on than it would have up front.
posted by treehorn+bunny at 10:15 PM on May 20, 2013
I very much agree with this excellent point (disclaimer: I am a doctor). If you become sexually active in your early 20s and contract a cancer-causing strain of HPV, you could be dead by the time you're 32 (consider the story of Henrietta Lacks!). These are the sorts of things that thank goodness, we rarely see anymore because of Pap smears. I don't point this out to be preachy, but it is just one example to illustrate how not getting timely preventative care can end up costing you not only your health and potentially your life, but a lot more money later on than it would have up front.
posted by treehorn+bunny at 10:15 PM on May 20, 2013
Doctor, ASAP, since you're concerned. Be prepared for a full work up including transvaginal ultrasound. I also agree with the previous poster who said your cycles don't look so bad - its okay to have a few annovulatory cycles. All kinds of things have an effect on ovulation.
Have you read 'Taking Charge of your Fertility'? If you haven't it's very worthwhile and not as woo as the cover suggests. Still no substitute for a blood panel, pelvic exam and ultrasound, though.
posted by nerdfish at 10:37 PM on May 20, 2013
Have you read 'Taking Charge of your Fertility'? If you haven't it's very worthwhile and not as woo as the cover suggests. Still no substitute for a blood panel, pelvic exam and ultrasound, though.
posted by nerdfish at 10:37 PM on May 20, 2013
Not all Planned Parenthoods are sliding scale! Make sure you ask about this when you schedule an appointment.
People suggest this all the time on the green, but: I'd pick up a copy (from the library, or used off the internet) of Taking Charge of Your Fertility by Toni Weschler & a basal body thermometer for $10. Start charting your temperature over the course of your cycle & you'll get a better sense of what's going on/what your hormonal shifts are like.
(On preview--yes yes yes, nerdfish is right. Your cycles really don't look particularly strange to me. I'd definitely go to a doctor, but unless you're experiencing new abnormalities or are having the kinds of sex that could cause unwanted pregnancy, I wouldn't panic immediately!)
posted by tapir-whorf at 11:14 PM on May 20, 2013
People suggest this all the time on the green, but: I'd pick up a copy (from the library, or used off the internet) of Taking Charge of Your Fertility by Toni Weschler & a basal body thermometer for $10. Start charting your temperature over the course of your cycle & you'll get a better sense of what's going on/what your hormonal shifts are like.
(On preview--yes yes yes, nerdfish is right. Your cycles really don't look particularly strange to me. I'd definitely go to a doctor, but unless you're experiencing new abnormalities or are having the kinds of sex that could cause unwanted pregnancy, I wouldn't panic immediately!)
posted by tapir-whorf at 11:14 PM on May 20, 2013
Mod note: One comment deleted. Guys, we've pretty much covered the "eggs-aren't-saved" and "get-regular-checkups" bases now. Thanks.
posted by taz (staff) at 4:24 AM on May 21, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by taz (staff) at 4:24 AM on May 21, 2013 [1 favorite]
FWIW, I live in the Netherlands and nobody here goes to a gynocologist regularly (only when you have symptoms or are sick). Most women never see one. We only get offered pap smears every 5 years after about 30 years old (those are usually done by physician assistants in a GP practice). Unlike what you might think after reading this thread, Dutch women do not drop dead from deadly diseases all the time.
I do agree that this is an issue you should discuss with your doctor now that you have one. They can run some tests. My doctor told me that if I had always been this way it was probably nothing, that it would be more concerning if all of a sudden my periods changed from regular to irregular. But this may not apply to you and I would definitely bring it up with your doctor. I also second "Taking Charge of Your Fertility" as a great inexpensive book to learn more about your fertility. It would help you find out when and if you're ovulating.
posted by blub at 4:58 AM on May 21, 2013 [3 favorites]
I do agree that this is an issue you should discuss with your doctor now that you have one. They can run some tests. My doctor told me that if I had always been this way it was probably nothing, that it would be more concerning if all of a sudden my periods changed from regular to irregular. But this may not apply to you and I would definitely bring it up with your doctor. I also second "Taking Charge of Your Fertility" as a great inexpensive book to learn more about your fertility. It would help you find out when and if you're ovulating.
posted by blub at 4:58 AM on May 21, 2013 [3 favorites]
Are you by any chance very thin, very athletic, a person who spends a great deal of time on fitness? It's not uncommon for menstruation to cease completely in those whose lifestyle is focused on exercise. Even so, Planned Parenthood will be your best bet, both from the standpoint of finances and that of experience - that's all they do, and they know their stuff.
Checkup time.
posted by aryma at 5:16 AM on May 21, 2013
Checkup time.
posted by aryma at 5:16 AM on May 21, 2013
Response by poster: Guys - I'm not indigent anymore. I was a college student fresh out who was not getting a job in my field. Now, I have a job in my field and a gynecologist I see regularly. I already have an appointment on Thursdayy to ask him about this matter.
I framed the question here not to be told "the Internet can't diagnose". I framed the question to have ladies share stories of experiences and stories. Those of you who did, thank you.
Taking charge of your fertility! I just bought that book and I'm poring over it now. :)
posted by squirbel at 9:45 AM on May 21, 2013
I framed the question here not to be told "the Internet can't diagnose". I framed the question to have ladies share stories of experiences and stories. Those of you who did, thank you.
Taking charge of your fertility! I just bought that book and I'm poring over it now. :)
posted by squirbel at 9:45 AM on May 21, 2013
As aryma suggested above - is it possible that you have (and always have had) too little body fat? Just something no one has said outright yet:
A BMI of 18.5 or less (underweight) may cause irregular menstrual cycles and may cause ovulation (release of an egg from the ovaries) to stop. A BMI of 17.5 or less may indicate an eating disorder. Women at less than normal BMI should talk with their doctor about exercise, nutritional or hormonal issues.
from this site.
posted by kitcat at 11:30 AM on May 21, 2013
A BMI of 18.5 or less (underweight) may cause irregular menstrual cycles and may cause ovulation (release of an egg from the ovaries) to stop. A BMI of 17.5 or less may indicate an eating disorder. Women at less than normal BMI should talk with their doctor about exercise, nutritional or hormonal issues.
from this site.
posted by kitcat at 11:30 AM on May 21, 2013
Best answer: I've said it before, Taking Charge of Your Fertility should be required reading for every 13 year-old girl (or, you know, every girl).
Just wanted to say that if you are at all thinking about having a child, think very hard about having a consultation with an infertility specialist (Reproductive Endocrinologist). Generally speaking, regular OB's simply do. not. have the experience or expertise to diagnose and treat subtle infertility issues (or big issues, really). If your OB says "well, that's just how your cycle is", there are protocols that an RE can put you on to change your cycle and increase your chances of getting pregnant. No guarantees of course, but at least they have things you can try.
posted by vignettist at 12:31 PM on May 21, 2013
Just wanted to say that if you are at all thinking about having a child, think very hard about having a consultation with an infertility specialist (Reproductive Endocrinologist). Generally speaking, regular OB's simply do. not. have the experience or expertise to diagnose and treat subtle infertility issues (or big issues, really). If your OB says "well, that's just how your cycle is", there are protocols that an RE can put you on to change your cycle and increase your chances of getting pregnant. No guarantees of course, but at least they have things you can try.
posted by vignettist at 12:31 PM on May 21, 2013
Response by poster: Thank you for the name of the doctor I need to find. Now I can ask him to recommend me to a doctor!
posted by squirbel at 3:56 PM on May 21, 2013
posted by squirbel at 3:56 PM on May 21, 2013
Response by poster: I am a very healthy girl who weighs a normal amount. Over exercising does not describe me, rofl.
posted by squirbel at 3:57 PM on May 21, 2013
posted by squirbel at 3:57 PM on May 21, 2013
As a "share your story" anecdote, I had irregular periods until age 24, when I went on the pill. Then I had virtually no periods until I went off it at age 31. Ever since then - it's been maybe 8 months? - I've been 28 days, every time, without fail. I dunno if it's due to the pill helping my body sync up, age, or eating well. But there ya go.
posted by hishtafel at 7:13 PM on May 23, 2013
posted by hishtafel at 7:13 PM on May 23, 2013
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by greta simone at 5:47 PM on May 20, 2013 [7 favorites]