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Periods every other week. Anyone else?
  • bethkay
    Posts: 11Member
    I've started having my period every other week.  What's wrong with me?  Anyone else go through this?  I will be 38 in a couple of weeks.  Is this like a pre-menopause symptom?

    I do have a doctor appointment with my OBGYN in a couple of weeks, but I am worried.  If anyone else has been through this, please share.  I could use some advice.

    Thank you. =)
  • anonymommy
    Posts: 1,491Member
    Are you on birth control?  I had that problem once, including horrible cramping and huge clots.  Turned out to be nothing...just something that happens sometimes.  They gave me a huge dose of birth control to get the bleeding stopped and get everything back on track and that was the end of it.

    I hope yours turns out to be something equally simple! 
    >:D<
  • PurpleFlowersPurpleFlowers
    Posts: 5,781Member
    Ive had that, then it switched to every 5-6 weeks. My periods havent been regular in a few years. I will be 43 next month and my gyno says im perimenopausal. I cant take birth control pills but I hear that they help regulate things.
    Stay away from my chocolate and nobody gets hurt!

    I think I like who I am becoming...
  • bethkay
    Posts: 11Member
    Thanks for the responses!  I really hope it is nothing too concerning.  I don't take Birth Control, so that's not it.  Hopefully it is just the aging process.

    I've heard that thyroid can cause period problems and fibroids.  


  • BellaBefanaBellaBefana
    Posts: 8,707Member

    I was the Queen of the 12-14 day cycles for most of my adult life.  Around 40-42, my periods pretty much just stopped. 


    It can be a lot of things, some serious most not so much.  If you're bleeding very heavily, feeling like you might be getting anemic because of it or anything like that, see if you can get in sooner rather than later, if for no other reason than peace of mind. 


    There are blood tests that can be done to tell if you are peri-menopausal, the big one is your FSH level.  It starts to rise as you enter menopause, when I started TTC through IVF, my fertility specialist said he'd never seen an FSH as high as mine (30 is post-menopausal, mine was over 90).  I was 43 when this was done.

    Bite me, cupcake!
  • BellaBefanaBellaBefana
    Posts: 8,707Member
    And yes, a hypoactive thyroid can cause changes to your menses.
    Bite me, cupcake!
  • bethkay
    Posts: 11Member
    Thank you for the response.  I really hope it's just normal body changes.  My mom did have thyroid cancer, so that kind of worries me about the thyroid. 

    I am so nervous!  I just want to be ok.  
  • BellaBefanaBellaBefana
    Posts: 8,707Member
    You'll be just fine.  If you're that worried, though, see if you can get in earlier.  Call your doc and if nothing is available, ask them to put you on a call list if anyone cancels.  You can also ask her to order lab work ahead of your appt., so she'll have the results.  At the least, you'll feel like you're doing something, and if you do need thyroid meds, they can be called in based on the test results.
    Bite me, cupcake!
  • bethkay
    Posts: 11Member
    That's what I was thinking.  Maybe I will call ahead and get my lab work done so it will be ready and I won't have to wait on those results at least.  I HATE going to doctors.  They scare me!  heheh. 

    I'd just not go, if I could, but I got a family to think about.  I have to be in good health for them.
  • alisenicolealisenicole
    Posts: 42Member
    Can I ask you if you ever found out what was wrong? I went from having mine every other month to every other week. I am 22 and don't know if i should just wait it out??
  • amyclarkamyclark
    Posts: 213Member
    When I was about 20 or so I had my period for 6 months straight. Not spotting, but actual, really painful periods.   I went to see a specialist, a man, and he told to to try to take my birth control for longer and to get fewer periods.  Idiot, like I needed to wait 3 months to be told that?  My family doc told me I may have D.U.B (dysfunctional Uterine Bleeding) but to try switching my birth control to a different one and see if that helps.  I did, and the periods regulated again.  10 years and a kid later and it never happened like that again.  So my advice would be to switch birth controls and see if that helps, and if not, keep going to different doc's till you find one that helps you.
  • LaurelLaurel
    Posts: 110Member
    Mine started coming every 20 days and got really, really heavy. I got an endometrial ablasion in March - best thing EVAHHH!!
    Insanity is hereditary - you get it from your kids. ~Sam Levenson
    You know the only people who are always sure about the proper way to raise children? Those who've never had any. ~Bill Cosby
  • BellaBefanaBellaBefana
    Posts: 8,707Member
    @alicenicole:  you need to make an appointment with your doctor if you're having periods every other week.  It's probably something simple that a quick course of hormones can adjust, but periods every other week is not normal.
    Bite me, cupcake!
  • bethkay
    Posts: 11Member
    Sorry I haven't replied in so long.  But they did an ultrasound on me an didn't see anything irregular, just a slightly enlarged uterous.  Which the doctor said was probably just from having 3 kids.

    So I don't know.  Since then the periods have been better.  One cycle I went 28 days!  Which for me was miracle.  The next one i went 21 days.  This one I'm on day 21 and still haven't had a period yet.  

    They have somewhat gone back to normal.  The doctor didn't put me on any treatment.  
  • momsaidnomomsaidno
    Posts: 1,801Member
    when i had the copper iud i had my period alllll the time. had it taken out right back to normal.

  • cheesehead4ever
    Posts: 734Member
    Laurel said:

    Mine started coming every 20 days and got really, really heavy. I got an endometrial ablasion in March - best thing EVAHHH!!




    I've started thinking about that.  Mine is still every 28 days but average flow for women is supposed to be 2 ounces in a period and I was losing at least 8 ounces. (use the Diva cup so I know how much).  My Dr. put me on high ibuprofen doses which has dramatically helped with the flow and clotting.  But I know I can't do that forever.  Even though I KNOW we are done having babies, just the thought of doing something that will make it permanent bothers me. (I'm 38 right now)

    My mom had a hysterectomy in her mid 40's due her having her period for 21 out of every 28 days.  Many of those days she would go through 2 tampons in an hour (both in at the same time!).  If ablasion had been available, I'm sure that would have been done.  Although I still wondering why she had a full hysterectomy instead of partial.  Believe me, menopause was not welcomed by her!

    Does it hurt?

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