Irregular Periods
Please help!
I am almost 22 years old and I have always had really long spans between periods or a really irregular cycle.
Usually my periods were occuring ABOUT every 2 months apart but since my second year of college I have noticed that my cycles have been anything BUT regular. During my second year I only had 2 periods (one was the almost regular 2 month wait, the other I waited nearly 6 months for). I thought it was just school related stress triggering the delay and I was not sexually active, so not having to deal with periods I took as a blessing.
I have now been out of school and living with a MUCH lower stress level for a year and a half now and there is still no consistancy. In fact it has gotten worse. I have been carefully monitoring my periods since July 2008 and there has been no pattern what so ever and the range has been anywhere between 29 days to 107 days. I have a serious boyfriend and even though we are using protection (although I am not on a birth control) we are both tired of the constant freaking out about pregnancy. He is also concerned since we both would like to have kids one day, we are wondering how much this is going to affect our chances.
I seen a doctor who sent me for blood work and seemed a little uncaring about the fact that I JUST WANTED REGULAR PERIODS OR TO KNOW WHAT THE HECK WAS GOING ON. She sent me for blood work. The tests came back as normal. And I left with no answers from her.
I know I am not pregnant because I am having my period now. It started on the 29th of October. The one I had before that one started on July 15.
I am fit, but probably only fitting in 2 hours of serious excersise a week and I have minimal stress in my life.
If anyone has any answers on what I should do or what my problem is I would REALLY appreciate it.
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Dear Anon,
Thanks for your post. I can understand why you would like to know why you are only getting 2-3 periods a year.
Do you feel any irregular pain or heavy bleeding during the times you get your period? Many times irregular periods are common in teens but tend to regulate slowly over time. Sometimes they remain irregular but this doesn't necessarily mean there is something wrong with you. However, I would continue to press for answers because in the two instances that I've known women with irregular periods, they have both been cyst-related, this shouldn't scare you but asking for a pelvic ultrasound doesn't sound unreasonable to me.
Good Luck, I hope you get some answers soon. Remember that if any particular doctor seems dismissive to your concerns you are always entitled to change to a different doctor.
Thanks for the advice.
No I do not feel any pain beyond cramps and I do not think the bleeding is heavy enough to be uncommon.
How common are cyst related problems?
Anon,
Ovarian Cysts, believe it or not are actually quite common in women and most of the time are harmless. Some women never actually realize that they've had a cyst because many times they are not bothersome and will disappear on their own after a couple of months without treatment.
You may not have any symptoms, but remember that if you get an abrupt onset of pain or pain accompanied by fever and/or vomiting-- you should see a doctor.
Good luck, I know it can be frustrating not knowing why your period is irregular but you may really have nothing to worry about since your labs are perfectly fine and you have no other symptoms of illness. Again, a second opinion never hurts.
Hi Anon,
Irregular menstruation is very common these days and is often due to some form of hormonal imbalance. Do you know what type of blood work your doctor ordered for you? It sounds like you have periods amenorrhea. An absence of menstruation for 3 or more months in a woman who has previously menstruated is called amenorrhea.
The most common causes of amenorrhea are:
PCOS or poly cystic ovarian syndrome
Thyroid dysfunction
Abnormal prolactin production
Hypothalamic related causes
It sounds like you may need to find another physician who is willing to work with you to find out what is causing your irregular cycles. It is great that you are trying to figure this out now and not in 10 years when you are desperate to get pregnant. I would recommend finding a qualified Naturopathic Doctor in your area to work with you. www.naturopathic.org is a good place to start.
Thanks for the reply!
I have been a little busy since I last replied, so I have not had much time to look into finding another doctor.
Thank you for the link, but I was wondering if you had one for Canadian doctors?
I called a few Gyn in my area but for most of them require references from a doctor, how can I request a reference without insulting the doctor I went too, since she is one of my family doctors. Any suggestions?