Ask MetaFilter posts tagged with menstruation

Bulimia-filter, unfortunately: why is my period in overdrive?

Anonymous — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 13:30:37 -0800

Eating disorders can make your period stop. So why does it seem like mine is making my period occur more often? I know YANAD and YANMD - and I have a great shrink, am in hardcore treatment, and am seriously getting better, I promise - but I have a lingering question about menstruation and eating disorders.

I am currently recovering from bulimia. Over the course of my eating disorder, I've noticed that if I purged a lot (more than 3 times a week) that I would start getting my period twice a month, instead of just once.

The "second" period would come with no warning, no PMS or anything else that I usually feel before proper monthly menstruation. It tends to be a bit lighter but still more than just spotting.

Do any medically-minded MeFites know what could cause this? It's happened to me four or five times. I had a bad week last week and was purging again, and - wham bam - there comes the random period.

Any ideas would be wonderful. Thank you.

Red States vs Blue Pills

Anonymous — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 17:25:05 -0800

Dumb birth control pill question: why don't I need to use a backup method while taking the sugar pills? I started the pill a week ago. The brochure states that if I miss more than two days of the pill, I MUST USE A BACKUP METHOD OF BIRTH CONTROL OR I MIGHT GET PREGNANT (It really is in all caps). But during the "period" week, when you're missing seven days of active pills, no backup method is necessary. Why? What's the difference, especially when I'm supposedly allowed to reschedule the inactive week anyway?

I'm on Ortho-Cyclen, so there's no funny business with varying levels of hormones - all the pills are the same, except Week 4.

What got me wondering about this is that I inadvertently began taking the pill a week before my actual period, because I was spotting and mistook it for Day 1 (my cycle is super irregular, which I'm hoping to correct with the pill). So now, my actual period is here (I'm still taking the active pills), and I was thinking about putting off the sugar pill week for four weeks so I don't have to deal with this again so soon.

But when I take the sugar pills, how is that different from just missing pills? Are they assuming you won't have sex while you're bleeding?

I really, really, really, really, really don't want to get pregnant.

(Anonymous due to the hysterics that would ensue if by some hiccup of the cosmos my mother were to find out that her 27-year-old daughter is having premarital sex.)

Make my period stop. Please.

Anonymous — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 18:06:31 -0800

My doctor put me on a new brand of birth control (Lybrel, which claims to "remove your period"). After one month, my period started and has not stopped--and I am almost completely done with month two. It is aggravating. How can I stop my period? For more explanation, I am 19 years old, can't put birth control on my insurance (my parents would not be happy people), so my doctor gives me sample packs. It's really up to what's in the office on the day I come in which determines what brand I'm on for the next three months. I am sexually active, but not over the summer.

This happened last time I tried to skip my period with the pill, but I was switched to Loestrin 24 Fe shortly after, which I loved, and that stopped it immediately.

Basically, um, why is my menstrual cycle refusing to allow me to not have a period? This isn't just "light spotting" but light to heavy legitimate bleeding, for over three weeks.

How can I stop it? I have a Pap smear scheduled for later in the month (which I've already had to reschedule twice due to this stupid period) -- should I just go off the pill until then and then ask for either a prescription for Loestrin or a different sample pack with placebos? Or should I ride this pack out and see what happens?

If I just stop taking the pills, will my period fizzle out? Is there ANYTHING I can do to make my period stop? It is seriously getting annoying. Would switching IMMEDIATELY to another brand stop it? If so, I can call my doctor and have her write me the prescription.

Any help is appreciated. If you need further info, email ihateyoulybrel [at] gmail.com.

Do animals menstruate?

kyrademon — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 18:22:16 -0800

Do animals menstruate? More specifically, are there non-primate mammals that shed their uterine lining in a manner analogous to menstruation, either seasonally (if they have a seasonal cycle), or year-round? Also, are there non-primate mammals that bleed in a manner similar to menstruation, but stemming from another biological cause (i.e., not a shedding of the uterine lining)?

Abnormal menstrual bleeding with no apparent cause; has this happened to anyone else? (Not for the squeamish, sorry!)

Anonymous — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 05:52:51 -0800

I'd really appreciate any thoughts. My period is usually pretty regular - every 26-32 days for years, (though three months ago my cycle was 37 days long). Last month it came and went as normal (5 days long) but then, about three days later, I noticed more kind-of watery blood. Then, in the night, I coughed and some very bright, red, new-looking blood dripped out for about an hour. There was no pain and it wasn't excessive (didn't fill a pad), but kinda scary. This lasted in a more watery form for another 4 days. I went to the doctor and she did some STD and pap smears - normal. I got a blood pregnancy test about a week and a half later, (just to rule that out) and there were no hcg levels. My doctor set me up for an ultrasound. This also came back normal.

I can't seem to find anything on google that fits these symptoms, yet that bright blood seemed so weird. It wasn't just like a long period. I understand that diagnosing polyps requires another test. Has anyone experienced anything like this? I just want to make sure I'm covering the bases as I am leaving the country for a while in September. I am Canadian and (gratefully) covered by medicare here.

I'm 32, and in good shape/health, no drugs, no medication other than a vitamin supplement I've taken for a long time. Some stress in my life but not too excessive.

How can I shorten my period naturally?

Anonymous — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 15:11:47 -0800

Is there a way to shorten my period that does NOT involve birth control? I have a period that lasts seven to nine days, seven if I'm lucky. At least three to four of those days are quite heavy. It's a huge pain, for reasons detailed under the cut. Would weight loss work? Diet? Increased exercise? Ancient herbal secrets? Is there anything, anything at all? Has anything caused a permanent shortening of your cycle? The heavy seven-to-nine day period has been the norm since I hit puberty, minus the time I was on birth control. Three to four of that is extremely, change-a-heavy-flow-tampon-every-hour-or-two heavy. Another three to four is moderate flow. I get one or two light days on a good month. It is a pain--it's expensive as I go through pads and tampons like mad. The heaviness is a deterrent to my sex life, since neither of us are keen on doing it under an endometrial waterfall. It provides a week of constant worrying about leakage. And due to the length combined with the need for the pad-tampon duo, I don't get as aired out as I should and develop a monthly yeast infection at least halfway through.

My total cycle length is anywhere from 30-32 days. While on birth control, it shortened to 28 days, with a four-day period of light to moderate flow. I was very pleased, just not with all of the negative effects of it. I have tried multiple forms of hormonal birth control and all have caused problems, so I'm not looking for that answer right now.

I would like any suggestions, even wacky ones, of ways to shorten my cycle naturally. Weight loss, diet, herbal remedies, whatever. Please, I'm desperate!

Having extra periods?

Anonymous — Sat, 24 May 2008 20:57:58 -0800

I've been getting "extra" periods... Lately, I've been getting an "extra", very light, period between my normal ones. This has happened three times now, and I wanted to see whether you think this is something to worry about.

I might be providing way more info than is required for a relatively simple question, but I wanted to make sure!
I started my periods when I was 11 (now 20), and, after initially being a bit irregular, everything evened itself out until things were pretty much normal.
I started university in Autumn 2006, and since then things haven't been quite the same: first, my first period since arriving at uni was about 2 months late. I assume this was due to moving to a different city and suddenly living on a corridor in halls full of other girls. After that, my period came back, pretty much as it had been before.
A few months after that, I started getting worse period pains, different to those I'd had before - 'aching' pain in my hips and thighs, and feeling a lot more 'hot and bothered'. This usually goes away after the first day or two, and it's been getting a bit better the past few months.
Now, since March, I've been getting "mini" periods in between my usual ones - so a period every two weeks or so. The "extra" ones are very light, so light the first couple of times that, if I didn't wear a tampon or sanitary towel, it wouldn't seep through my underwear. The most recent one (this past week) was a little heavier, though not much. These "extra" periods have also been coinciding with my girlfriend's periods (we've been living together since last Autumn).
I am not, nor have I ever been, on the Pill or anything like that. I have been fairly stressed at times during the past few months, perhaps over a longer time period than usual, but I've never noticed stress affecting my menstrual cycle before. I don't think my diet has changed much lately.

Any advice on whether this is normal or something I should get checked out?

So the horror stories about Depo were true...

Anonymous — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 20:47:45 -0800

I was on depo briefly, reacted badly, went off as soon as I could, but the after-effects still linger. Do I wait for the drugs to flush out, or is this more serious? I went on Depo Provera in December of last year. The first 5 weeks or so were great, but then the bleeding started. It's pretty brutal - essentially I'd have 17-19 days of bleeding ranging anywhere from spotting to light-period, a 3-4 day breather, and it'd start all over again.

Naturally, I did not go in for my second shot. I was supposed to get it renewed on February 28th of this year. At the time of this writing, it is April 3rd, and the cycle of 19-days-3-days-19-days has not stopped, and it is driving me insane (I am on day 20). It's light enough that I only wear a liner, but it won't. Freaking. Stop.

I've read enough horror stories about women reacting badly to depo and the effects lingering long after, but those seemed to be more in long-term cases. I was on it for all of three months. I have no other symptoms to speak of. No fatigue that I can tell, no headaches, no cramps (not since February at least), I occasionally feel a bit bloated but even then it's a bit of a stretch. Normally I'm on a 29-35 day cycle depending on how stressed I am that month, with each period lasting around 6-8 days.

I am 19, not on any other forms of drugs (other than caffeine, ha-ha, and even then at most one cup a day), healthy, relatively fit, lower end of weight spectrum, etc. Fairly stressed, yes, but that usually manifests itself in slightly later periods and acne for me, not spotting/breakthrough bleeding.

Is it normal for the effects to linger THIS long after such a short time on the drug? When can I expect it to fully flush out? Or could it be something more serious?

Period-free for life?

crazycanuck — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 14:02:26 -0800

I'd like to suppress my menstrual period for the next twenty years. Is this a good idea? I have not had a menstrual period in two years. At first I was pregnant, then I had a Mirena IUD inserted postpartum. I stopped nursing almost 10 months ago, so I'm pretty sure that my period is not coming back until I have the Mirena removed. Hooray!

My current thinking is that I'll just replace the Mirena every 5 years, thus suppressing my period for the next twenty years or so. Is this a good idea? I can't find any good research on this topic. Is somebody even studying this? Can I get myself on some list that will email me if it turns out that long-term period suppression is a really bad idea?

Skipping periods on birth control

Anonymous — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 06:31:33 -0800

Skipping periods on birth control - how does it work, and why didn't it when I tried? I took a pack of birth control pills (21) as usual, and decided to move straight on to the next pack without taking 7 days off for my period. (I did this because I wanted to not have my period for Valentine's day.) I should also mention that the first pack of pills was also my initial month (have been on birth control in the past, but just started again). I didn't pause before starting the 2nd pack, but plan to stop for 7 days before the next pack, as per the instructions.

I thought this was ok, but a couple days into the new pack, I started to bleed - not full menstrual strength, but some spotting. This has been going on for about a week, and seems to be slowing down. So, it looks like I had a very light period anyway, despite my attempt to use birth control to skip it this month. Why did this happen? Is there anything wrong with what I did? What if I continue to have spotting for a long time?

In general, how should one go about using birth control to skip periods, and how often is it okay to do this? Why did I not succeed in doing this?

One more question: is the 7-day placebo/no-pill period flexible? Can I stop the pills for fewer than 7 days? Since my packs don't contain placebo pills, I'm worried that I will forget to start again after 7 days' break. If I decide to start taking pills again after 3 or 4 days and do this long term, is there any negative affect?

Lastly, does any of this affect the contraceptive protection I am getting? I would assume not, but better safe than sorry...

Should I celebrate a child's menstruation? How?

parilous — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 12:42:56 -0800

[Ladies filter] My niece just got her first period -- how to celebrate? Or is that a weird thing to do? My niece (who is living with us semi-permanently) just started menstruating.

I thought it might be cool to celebrate it with something to mark the occasion, but have gotten mixed reactions about it from the girls at work. Besides, so far, I've only been able to come up with a "girls' night out" at a fancy restaurant and don't know if that's just too lame to be memorable.

So, AskMe Ladies, what did your mom (or guardian) do when you got yours?

Let's hope this doesn't jinx it.

crinklebat — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 19:03:03 -0800

Why would using a menstrual cup make periods shorter? To the squeamish: this question, shockingly, contains details about menstruation. I have lost about a day off the end of my period since starting to use the Divacup six months ago. I'd say this was something I was making up, but other people on the web have observed it too. I'm not complaining, but why would this be the case?

For background, I started using Nuvaring in January which took me from about a week to about five days of bleeding almost immediately. Then I started using Divacup around May (at which point my boyfriend remarked that I had delegated all my girly tasks to my vagina) and it seems like every period has been slightly shorter than the last. At this point I can take out my cup after the end of my third-and-a-half day or so and experience only minor spotting.

Again, I love this, but I can think of absolutely no reason why it would happen. Anyone else experienced this? Any medical types with thoughts on possible reasons?

How long does it take for the hormones to leave my system?

schroedinger — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 18:52:18 -0800

What can I expect from taking a break from hormonal birth control? How long does it take the hormones to clear out of your system? Which hormonal birth control side effects disappear and which stay? Factual and anecdotal advice welcome! I am currently on NuvaRing and have decided to take a break from hormonal birth control for at least a few months. I would like to let it all clear from my system and see how my body and mood changes when everything is "normal", then possibly start again-- though probably with the Mirena IUD. I'm wondering what to expect from this "off" period. How long does it take for the cravings and moodiness to stop? Will my boobs shrink immediately? When will my period go back to pre-BC flow? Is this a gradual process or abrupt? Will these BC side effects disappear at all? Does it depend entirely on my individual chemistry?

I would love to hear your experiences on going off, and whether or not you went back on and why.

Female plumbing filter: routing issues?

Anonymous — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 07:30:23 -0800

Shouldn't the uterus empty from above, not the side? From my understanding of female anatomy, a tampon should fill from the top down. I've noticed during my last couple cycles that they in fact fill from about halfway down, leaving the top half (the half opposite the string) clean. After running a couple "self diagnostics", it seems that the blood comes from a spot about halfway up, on one side. Not from the top, which is where I would expect anything coming from the uterus to come from. What's going on here? Is this normal?

Tracking periods using iCal?

The corpse in the library — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 20:06:05 -0800

Suggestions for tracking menstrual cycles using iCal? There are many good suggestions in this thread for on-line thing-a-ma-jigs, but I'd like something that works with iCal to help me predict my astoundingly irregular periods. Suggestions?

The logistics of using birth control to regulate menstrual cycles

Phire — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 19:46:32 -0800

Can birth control prevent ovulation a day or two before it occurs? I'm down for an appointment this Friday to get on birth control pills. My period tends to fluctuate between 30-40 day cycles, but calculated against a 28 day cycle, ovulation would be this weekend.

If I started the package on Friday, would I end up having my period in three weeks' time, or is it too late in the cycle to regulate this one?

Neverending Period

bash — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 09:01:26 -0800

My period won't stop. And I'm not 14. I recently asked a medical related question about all the drugs a doctor was putting me on, and five days after I got the shot of steroid she gave me for hives, and five days in to a mega antibiotic she put me on, I got my period. So now I've been on my period for about three weeks, and it started 5 days after my last period ended. I called this "doctor" and she was all "wow. that's really weird. that's not a side effect of anything I gave you. it couldn't be anything I gave you, and it's not a big deal," but I think she's lying and an idiot.

Anywho, I think my real actual period just started, and i'm exhausted and feel like crap. I'm afraid that when my real period is over, the fake drug induced one won't stop. Is there anything I can do to make this stop?

Also, she wouldn't name the steroid shot she gave me, but based on my research it seems like prednisone. (I asked her what it was several times and she dodged it).

PMS. WTF.

Ambrosia Voyeur — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 09:35:21 -0800

What is the evolutionary relevance of PMS?

Why do I look pregnant when I get my period?

Anonymous — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 11:06:24 -0800

Why do I look pregnant when I get my period? I get the following symptoms with my period:

severe bloating
(to the point my clothes don't fit)
constipation
(sometimes accompanied by the kinds of cramps that one gets with diarrhea but when I go, I'm too constipated for anything to happen)
back pain
(the day before and on the first day of my period, so bad I have to take a day off work)
sharp pains during bowel movements
(but only when I get my period)

I'm in my 30s and symptoms have gotten worse over the years. My period used to take up one week of my life. Now it takes me three weeks to work through all the horrible symptoms and I am tired all the time. Recently I've been cheating by taking a low dose estrogen pill, I skip the placebo because even with the pill my periods are still bad. So I go without them and have been generally fine and able to lead a normal life again.

(I got caught out this month because I missed a pill and now my period is here oh joy and its back to pain and misery)

I went to an ob/gyn a year ago and he thought the likelihood I had endometriosis was very low. I'm beginning to think about getting a second opinion.

Anyone else have these symptoms? Are these just in the normal realm of menstruation and I am just very unlucky in having them all? Can I keep going with this placebo skipping jive for much longer?

Oh please NO suggestions about getting pregnant/having kids. That is not in my life plan.

Cheers.

Do not care for the crimson wave

sweetlyvicious — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 22:08:48 -0800

I'm going back on the pill again and wondered what the best course of action is... A few months ago, I underwent surgery to remove uterine fibroids. Since then my cycles have been virtually pain-free. But what I really want now is to skip periods.
The gynae prescribed Ortho Novum and I'm getting the generic variant (Necon). He also mentioned that even if I didn't have my period, I could start the pill right away and skip the inactive pills after the 21 days. It's been about 2 years since I last took the pill (Yaz) so I'm a bit fuzzy on how it all works.
Is it better to wait to start when I have my period (which will be in 2 weeks)? Is there a great deal of difference in waiting?

Is NuvaRing giving me an unstoppable period?

schroedinger — Fri, 08 Jun 2007 09:16:52 -0800

Is my NuvaRing making my period wonky, and will it eventually stop? Has anyone had similar side-effects from starting on the Ring? Womanly cycle details inside. I was on Ortho TriCyclin Lo until the end of April. I stopped because it was making me crazy and crave chocolate all the damn time. I used no hormonal birth control during May. This month I began NuvaRing. A week-and-a-half ago my period started (though three days late). On the second day of flow I inserted the Ring, as per its official instructions booklet. Now my period has yet to stop, though for the past week the flow has been very light.

Previous to OrthoLo I usually menstruated six to seven days. I had no initial side-effects switching to OrthoLo, and when I was on it my periods lasted about five days or less, and were much lighter than previously. This whole ten-day period thing is an entirely new and unwelcome development.

Has anyone experienced similar side-effects from switching to the Ring or birth control in general? Do I need to wait it out or see a doctor? It is going to stop some time, right? God, I hope it will stop.

Seeking a Speculum (in the Hands of the Right Person)

Anonymous — Wed, 18 Apr 2007 14:18:05 -0800

GynoFilter: Please help me find a good, compassionate, and knowledgable gynecologist in the Bay Area (preferably East Bay but will travel. Preferably female but am flexible). I'm new to the Bay Area, and would be very grateful for some recs for a good gynecologist. As the ladies out there no doubt know, a good gyno is hard to find.

I'd especially appreciate those recs for doctors who have been able to diagnose and treat somewhat complicated cases with expertise and compassion. The specs here are that I've gone from having two periods a month to none at all, gained 20 pounds in 5 months, and was diagnosed two years ago with premenopausal osteoporosis (I'm only 32). These details intersect in what I have no doubt are all kinds of intricate ways with a number of other complicated medical problems

The kicker, of course, is to find a doctor who is also covered by my insurance plan, is taking new patients (many primary care physicians and gynecologists are not), and has an open appointment sometime before the next presidential election. But in the meantime I'd just be happy having some names to work with.

How does a woman menstruate in space?

whitewall — Thu, 12 Apr 2007 12:53:49 -0800

How does a woman menstruate in space? This is the product of a terrible lunchtime discussion at work: how does a woman menstruate in space? We assume that on earth menstrual fluid leaves the womb and travels down the vagina and out the body because of gravity. So what happens when there's no gravity?

The best Google has turned up is a section on "Menstrual Efflux and Retrograde Menstruation" in this report from the American Physiological Society. All the report really says, though, is that "the role of gravity in menstruation should be investigated to determine whether retrograde menstruation is increased and how peritoneal fluid is distributed." Which is a question, not an answer.

So. Period in space. Put a tampon in. Is there anything on it or does everything just stay inside you? Move around? Why?

Help me find a lost film I saw online

cilantro — Sat, 07 Apr 2007 14:56:50 -0800

Looking for a video I saw online a while ago - an educational film made to teach mentally retarded girls about menstruation. It looks like it was made in the late 60's, early 70's. It was very calm and repetitive and a little bit eerie, but sweet and gentle at the same time. The whole family talks to the young girl about what menstruation will be like and her older sister demonstrates how to use pads.

What's the connection between menstrual cycle and orgasm?

Anonymous — Sat, 10 Feb 2007 13:28:00 -0800

Uh, Embarrassing-Sexual-Question-Filter? There seems to be some connection between being at the end of my menstrual cycle (that is, days from starting my period) and how easy it is to orgasm (that is... not at all.) Is this Science, or something I'm making up? Probably someone obviously from all the scary menstrual talk, I'm a girl, 30s. I don't use hormonal birth control, or, in fact, medication of any kind. I'm healthy. I have a very regular menstrual cycle.

I ordinarily find it fairly easy to climax. I have a high-ish sex drive, I guess: if it matters, I think I average around 35 climaxes over a month, with my boyfriend, if he's around, or, um, not, and all of this applies to both situations.

The highest point of the bell curve seems to be around the midpoint of my cycle, presumably around ovulation. About three of four days before my period is due to start, my libido drops somewhat. I'm still happy to partake, should my boyfriend bring it up, but am less likely to initiate. Once things are actually happening, everything still feels good, but also, somehow... "muted". It's still pleasurable, but it becomes difficult to reach orgasm. Not impossible, just more difficult: more difficult the closer I am to starting my period. I find that I need sharper and sharper stimulation to get there (hence the "muted" description) and when I do orgasm, it's more of a relief than it is an OH JESUS OH JESUS experience.

Don't get me wrong. It's still an orgasm. I don't mean to complain. It just feels a LOT like the orgasms I struggled bitterly to have when I was taking SSRIs, years ago: the loooooong battle to get there, the... less-than-gloriousness when you finally do.

I've started to keep track of my fertility over the last few months, so this is the first time in years, possibly forever, that I've been really aware of where I am in my cycle. That's where my newfound realization comes in. I'd always had a vague awareness that my libido fluctuated somewhat throughout the month, and that sometimes sex was more fun than other times, but my new charts make this pre-menstrual quasi-anorgasmia really obvious, and I'm curious:

Is there a reason for this? High school biology was a long time ago, so my understanding of how a rise or drop in hormone levels might impact a woman's sex drive and ability to climax is really rusty. All the helpful sex ed texts I'm finding on this issue seem to think that most women experience a moderate-to-severe increase in libido and sex greatness just before their period, which is obviously not my experience.