is it normal to get your period every other week for the last three months at the age of 42 I feel very tired and moody

Hi Anon,

Thank you for reaching out to EmpowHER and sharing your question with our community! Typically, are your periods normal, sticking to a 28 day cycle?

Irregular periods can be caused by a variety of things including:

• stress
• travel
• birth control
• new medications
• excessive weight loss or weight gain
• increased exercise
• illness
• changes of hormone levels

Usually periods are every 28 days, so it is a bit unusual your period is coming every other week. However, like I mentioned above, several things can cause irregular periods. Also, if you are experiencing increased tiredness and moodiness, that could be a connection. I would suggest talking with your doctor or gynecologist. They will be able to asses the situation and help determine what exactly is causing your period irregularities.

It is also very possible that your are going through perimenopause, which is the transition from having menstrual cycles to moving into menopause. During perimenopause, your hormone levels change, which can cause changes to your menstrual cycle. The change in hormones can very well be what is causing tiredness and moodiness too.

Here is our perimenopause condition page on EmpowHER: https://www.empowher.com/condition/perimenopause.

Here are some other helpful articles that talk about perimenopause and its symptoms:

https://www.empowher.com/perimenopause/content/perimenopause-and-perimenopausal-rage 

https://www.empowher.com/perimenopause/content/perimenopause-what-expect

I hope this has helped! Please keep me updated and let me know if you have further questions.

Best,
Erin