Hi,
Your family and friends are right that you "shouldn't worry" about your 18-day cycle period, but that does not mean that there is not an underlying reason leading to your abnormal cycles. Having a loved one tell you "not to worry" is different than being educated and empowered yourself...and taking control of your own health.
You now know that a normal cycle (for most women, most of the time) is 21-35 days, and your cycle is considered "not normal". Since it has been occuring for an extended period of time, you at least want to inform your doctor. (ironically, what your loved ones are considering "regular", but could also be replaced with the word "chronic" if there is a medical condition).
What you do with this information is up to you, but it is recommended that you talk with your doctor about your abnormal cycle, even if it is "regularly" abnormal...it is still abnormal. There may be nothing to worry about, as some women can fall outside of this "normal" range (it is a range and not carved-in-stone), but it is best to take charge of our own health and rule out certain medical conditions. Nothing to worry about...it could be anemia, but I want to make sure you are listening to your body and talking with your doctor.
Regarding your iron pills: what did your doctors tell you, in regards to what treatment effects you should expect when taking your prescription? If you do not know...please make a quick phone call to your doctor's office (you can talk with a nurse) and ask. You need to know why you are taking the pills, how long you should wait before realizing effects (seeing a positive change or a decrease in symptoms). How long are you expected to take these pills, and are you expected to return for lab tests to test for improvement in iron levels?
You are correct that your anemia could be leading to some menstrual irregularities, but please tell your doctor about your symptoms and let your doctor make that conclusion, based on your unique situation (not what has happened to other women, as each person is different...even though we can absolutely learn from other's experiences. We just can not extrapolate their experience and make it our own).
I hope you do keep us updated! Please call your doctor and ask about your anemia, menstrual cycle and iron pills, so that you are fully informed about the what/why/how regarding your prescription. It is also good practice for future doctor visits to ask all of these details about treatments prescribed.
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Hi,
Your family and friends are right that you "shouldn't worry" about your 18-day cycle period, but that does not mean that there is not an underlying reason leading to your abnormal cycles. Having a loved one tell you "not to worry" is different than being educated and empowered yourself...and taking control of your own health.
You now know that a normal cycle (for most women, most of the time) is 21-35 days, and your cycle is considered "not normal". Since it has been occuring for an extended period of time, you at least want to inform your doctor. (ironically, what your loved ones are considering "regular", but could also be replaced with the word "chronic" if there is a medical condition).
What you do with this information is up to you, but it is recommended that you talk with your doctor about your abnormal cycle, even if it is "regularly" abnormal...it is still abnormal. There may be nothing to worry about, as some women can fall outside of this "normal" range (it is a range and not carved-in-stone), but it is best to take charge of our own health and rule out certain medical conditions. Nothing to worry about...it could be anemia, but I want to make sure you are listening to your body and talking with your doctor.
Regarding your iron pills: what did your doctors tell you, in regards to what treatment effects you should expect when taking your prescription? If you do not know...please make a quick phone call to your doctor's office (you can talk with a nurse) and ask. You need to know why you are taking the pills, how long you should wait before realizing effects (seeing a positive change or a decrease in symptoms). How long are you expected to take these pills, and are you expected to return for lab tests to test for improvement in iron levels?
You are correct that your anemia could be leading to some menstrual irregularities, but please tell your doctor about your symptoms and let your doctor make that conclusion, based on your unique situation (not what has happened to other women, as each person is different...even though we can absolutely learn from other's experiences. We just can not extrapolate their experience and make it our own).
I hope you do keep us updated! Please call your doctor and ask about your anemia, menstrual cycle and iron pills, so that you are fully informed about the what/why/how regarding your prescription. It is also good practice for future doctor visits to ask all of these details about treatments prescribed.
April 26, 2011 - 10:37amThis Comment
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