Cycle Changes: Others Dealt With This? (Full Version)

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SassySarijane -> Cycle Changes: Others Dealt With This? (2/11/2009 3:24:05 PM)

I am planning on talking to the doctor about this first of all, but am in the middle of switching doctors due to my last doctor's office suddenly no longer taking my insurance. It's going to take a bit to get going on this and it is not a situation that I believe warrants an ER visit in the meantime yet.

Ok Ladies (all advice welcome from whomever btw) my periods have always been very regular, 28 days, with no more than a day or two either way for fluctuation, unless I was pregnant, so this is a very different thing for me. I am 38, very close to 39 and over the past 12 months now have noticed my periods 10 of the last 12 months start 7-8 days late with the other 2 months one being  a week early and the other maybe 2-3 days late. Nothing else about them has changed, same duration, same heaviness, same symptoms as usual each time, just the when

Have any of you gone through this? Could it be indicating I am close to menopause? Something else? I'd really like to know if others have gone through this and what it lead to or whether it went back to normal or was indicative of a problem.

Like I said, I am getting to a doctor as soon as I possibly can to discuss this, but in the meantime, I'd really like to know if others have dealt with this.

Thanks.



aravain -> RE: Cycle Changes: Others Dealt With This? (2/11/2009 5:51:09 PM)

My mother experienced this (she's 50 some odd now) around age 40, but it wasn't a sign of menopause, but something bigger. I can't remember what it was, but after it started (about 2 years in) her periods became quite quite heavy. Enough that she went and saw the doctor about it. They tried to stabilize and 'force' periods on time with the pill (she had her tubes tied, so wasn't using birth control), assuming that they'd be normal if they were on time... they weren't.

She ended having to get a shot that basically jettisoned her into menopause. [:@] A child should NOT have to go through his mother's menopause twice (I have), but it DID stop her from having periods for a couple years, and when they started again, they were even lighter than they had been normally. 'Course, this happened until about a year or two ago when she started going through (natural) menopause.



Long story short, seeing your doc is a good idea :) At this stage they'll probably just want to keep a watch on it... but if something else happens be sure to have the doc on speed dial!


(I wish I could say I found all of this out recently... but my mother really wasn't that closed about it when I was a kid [:'(] Imagine being 10 and having mom talk you you about her period and how heavy it is)



FelineFae -> RE: Cycle Changes: Others Dealt With This? (2/11/2009 5:58:49 PM)

cycles can be fickle. give mine the slightest excuse and it will go off kilter. there are many things that will cause it, most are totally harmless. but go to the doctor, it's not something to be ignored especially if you are used to a predictable moon time. hope all goes well- feline



lovingpet -> RE: Cycle Changes: Others Dealt With This? (2/11/2009 6:50:15 PM)

Stress, changes in diet, changes in sleep patterns, physical demands.  Then there are the more medical things anything from menopause down to subtle changes in hormonal levels.  Lots of things can do this, but for the most part it tends just to be watched and noted.  If you seem to be having other problems and this continues keep them listed and dig deeper.  I mean anything.  My period issues are turning out to have more to do with major hormones (non female, btw).  It has lead to fatigue, aches and pains, migraines, vision and hearing changes, chest pain and blood pressure issues, and on and on.  Cycle changes are a symptom of something.  It may be a symptom of too busy a life.  It may be a symptom of female nature.  It may be a symptom of something you would never guess in a million years.  Keep an eye on how it develops and make sure your doctor follows up on it.  If it becomes necessary, seek more specialized or expert help.  Best wishes to you!

lovingpet



DesFIP -> RE: Cycle Changes: Others Dealt With This? (2/11/2009 7:00:19 PM)

Perimenopause can start 10-15 years prior to reaching menopause. So if you're 38, then you should hit menopause around 50.

You could have something else going on, and a doctor's visit is recommended whenever you can get in. But the odds are that it's peri.

http://www.womenshealth.gov/faq/perimenopause.cfm



servantheart -> RE: Cycle Changes: Others Dealt With This? (2/11/2009 11:37:12 PM)

My cycles have always been exactly like yours.  Textbook normal.  But over the past couple of years I've been noticing some changes.  For one, they are coming closer together...one month I even had a 23 day cycle.  In my case, I'd have to say that for the most part the bleeding has lightened up somewhat (of course now that I've said that, I'm sure I'll soon have the heaviest one of my life [8D]).  My last two cycles have been strange as well.  I had one tiny spot of blood, but felt exactly like I normally do on the first day of my cycle when the bleeding is usually at its heaviest, and had all the discomforts of my regular period...cramps, backache, pain around my ovaries (from endometriosis), fatigue, bloating, emotional lability, etc. but there was no bleeding except for the scant amount from earlier.  Nothing.  Then a couple of days later, my regular bleeding pattern starts up.  I seem to recall reading somewhere that at the beginning of perimenopause this shortening of cycles can happen before changing to the opposite end of the spectrum in which they begin to happen less frequently before disappearing altogether. 
 
You're already on the right track in planning a visit with your OB/GYN.  I  hope you are able to get the answers you seek. 
 
SH

~edited~
In addition to the links already provided, perhaps you'll find the following website on perimenopausal transitioning helpful.  Good luck :)
 
http://vascular-events.com/sitemap.aspx



TranceTara -> RE: Cycle Changes: Others Dealt With This? (2/12/2009 3:16:13 AM)

I think seeing a doctor is a good thing to do.

I used to be like clockwork with my cycle. Then I began to notice changes. I had gotten a checkup and there was nothing wrong, so I realized for me, it was peri-menopause.

Then, last year I went through some really weird changes, not bleeding for half a year, then bleeding heavily non-stop for over 6 weeks. Then nothing for a couple of months, heavy bleeding. And now I can spot for a day, or bleed a few days here or there. I began researching a medication I was on and found out it screwed up cycles as well as shut down the adrenals and long-term use interrupted the communication between the pituiatary gland and the adrenals. So, I am in menopause, but the medication may have kicked it in prematurely or may just be giving it an extra craziness. If you are on any medication, check with your doctor to see if it may in fact be a side effect.

lovingpet made some great points.
quote:

Stress, changes in diet, changes in sleep patterns, physical demands. Then there are the more medical things anything from menopause down to subtle changes in hormonal levels. Lots of things can do this, but for the most part it tends just to be watched and noted. If you seem to be having other problems and this continues keep them listed and dig deeper. I mean anything. My period issues are turning out to have more to do with major hormones (non female, btw). It has lead to fatigue, aches and pains, migraines, vision and hearing changes, chest pain and blood pressure issues, and on and on. Cycle changes are a symptom of something. It may be a symptom of too busy a life. It may be a symptom of female nature. It may be a symptom of something you would never guess in a million years. Keep an eye on how it develops and make sure your doctor follows up on it. If it becomes necessary, seek more specialized or expert help. Best wishes to you!


Good luck.

TT



Zechriel -> RE: Cycle Changes: Others Dealt With This? (2/12/2009 4:59:19 AM)

Good morning!
I have to agree with the others here. Periods can be so tempermental, as long as I hit pretty close to my date and it comes once a month, I am a very happy girl. When it doesn't, I know I am preggie. And yeah you could hit perimenopause anytime now. I am 36 and in summer of 2006, I started having all kinds of problems vaginally. For one whole year, they kept treating me as yeast and bacterial infections. Found out that I have vaginal atrophy and it gets worse when my hormones change right before/after my period. So they consider me peri already.

Definitely go to the doctor and get checked just to rule out everything. I had to have all the tests done twice and so many different meds to get this thing diagnosed.  If it checks out then ask them about it, most likely they will say, no you're too young but really the majority of women I have talked to age range all over the place. It's hell, I know cause so much of our identity as women is attached to that area but good luck darling!
Love,
Zechriel  [sm=car.gif]



sub4hire -> RE: Cycle Changes: Others Dealt With This? (2/12/2009 7:07:43 AM)

It could be stress induced.  You could be having more or less sex than normal.  You could be close to menopause.  You could have cancer.

Essentially what I am saying is it could be anything.  Your life isn't worth nothing to not get it checked out.

Hopefully you will find out it is nothing but you can't take that chance.




camille65 -> RE: Cycle Changes: Others Dealt With This? (2/12/2009 7:22:20 AM)

My cycle has been all over the map since 2005, sometimes going 5 months without a period.

If it isn't hijacking (Sari, if you want me to I will start another thread) could someone tell me what exactly is involved with hormone testing?
I am 43, my mother went through menopause at about 57. None of my older sisters have hit it yet, the oldest is 10 years older than me.

I have MAJOR fears about seeing a gyn, so maybe if I know ahead of time what kind of tests to expect I can actually follow through with them.

Thankies..



urlittleprincess -> RE: Cycle Changes: Others Dealt With This? (2/12/2009 7:59:30 AM)

this sounds like peri-menopause to me...the period of time when your body is getting ready for menopause.  there is a wealth of information about it online...here is a link that was straight forward...try not to worry too much but you are making a wise decision to see your doctor! i hope your insurance issues get sorted out soon!  
http://www.project-aware.org/Experience/perimenopause.shtml




came4U -> RE: Cycle Changes: Others Dealt With This? (2/12/2009 8:29:10 AM)

Could be anything.  I'd get that pap and fast...as well as getting your blood hormone levels checked.  It could be anything from a blockage(clot), cyst or worse.

I have had my 'friend' like clockwork unless I was knocked up, something like this would send me into a frenzy to the doc within a day of being late.



sub4hire -> RE: Cycle Changes: Others Dealt With This? (2/12/2009 9:03:25 AM)

It is a blood test Camille



Maya2001 -> RE: Cycle Changes: Others Dealt With This? (2/12/2009 9:42:17 AM)

quote:

If it isn't hijacking (Sari, if you want me to I will start another thread) could someone tell me what exactly is involved with hormone testing?


A very simple blood test(s) and may possibly want a urine sample and or saliva test

they may do an estrogen test, FSH, testoserone, progesterone  blood tests

it helps them know if the hormone levels are in the correct range  could help them diagnose possible problems with your ovaries, pituitary or adrenal glands

the site linked I really love as it explains what the tests mean and what they are checking ..it does not cover everything  but I have it useful

http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/estrogen/glance.html



SassySarijane -> RE: Cycle Changes: Others Dealt With This? (2/13/2009 4:37:57 AM)

First of all, thank you so very much to all who've replied here. I very much appreciate the feedback on this. Thank you also to all who've wished me well on whatever it turns out to be. I will definitely be getting to the doctor on this asap. 

quote:

  (I wish I could say I found all of this out recently... but my mother really wasn't that closed about it when I was a kid [:'(] Imagine being 10 and having mom talk you you about her period and how heavy it is)



Thankfully, my mom did not become so open about things until I was an adult.

DesFIP: That is what I'm suspecting it is at this point and thank you very much for the link you provided. I appreciate that.

servantheart: Thank you also for the link you provided. It is much appreciated.

The reason at this point I am leaning towards thinking it is possibly perimenopause is because the only change at all so far has been the length of time between periods. They still suck, are still heavy, still just as always except for that one change.

quote:

If it isn't hijacking (Sari, if you want me to I will start another thread) could someone tell me what exactly is involved with hormone testing? 



Not hijacking at all as far as I'm concerned and I'm glad you brought it up.

urlittleprincess: Thank you as well for the link and the well wishes.

sub4hire and Maya2001: Thanks for answering the question on hormone testing and Maya thanks for that link.

I am working on the insurance glitch and getting to a new doctor asap. I have been tracking this over the last year, carefully noting everything and still it is only the length of time between that has changed. I don't feel it warrants a trip to the ER, but I know it definitely warrants a trip to the doctor. I discovered the insurance glitch when I called to make the appointment and was told my insurance was no longer accepted there.



califsue -> RE: Cycle Changes: Others Dealt With This? (2/13/2009 3:52:34 PM)

I have never had regular cycles unless I was on the pill and only in the last couple of
years since passing the age of 50 have my cycles come like clockwork. I always went
anywhere from 28 to 45 days or longer between periods. Now, it is 25/28 days.
The doctor has comfirmed I am finally in peri. My mom stopped having her cycle
by the time she was my age. However, my older sister didn't finish till she was 60.
Go figure. The best bet is to talk to the doctor.



SassySarijane -> RE: Cycle Changes: Others Dealt With This? (3/3/2009 8:31:31 AM)

Quick update:

I have found a doctor and made an appointment, unfortunately the first available appointment isn't until April 7th, so will be awhile yet, but at least the appointment is made.

Thank you again so much to those who responded to me here. I very much appreciate it.



SavageFaerie -> RE: Cycle Changes: Others Dealt With This? (3/3/2009 6:52:58 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: camille65

My cycle has been all over the map since 2005, sometimes going 5 months without a period.

If it isn't hijacking (Sari, if you want me to I will start another thread) could someone tell me what exactly is involved with hormone testing?
I am 43, my mother went through menopause at about 57. None of my older sisters have hit it yet, the oldest is 10 years older than me.

I have MAJOR fears about seeing a gyn, so maybe if I know ahead of time what kind of tests to expect I can actually follow through with them.

Thankies..



When I went last May for a check up at the gyn I have ever really had a predictible cycle but they were nothing that put me down...then I started missing period all over the place.  I already knew I had been in peri for many years so had already been dealing with night sweats and hot flashes.

He not only took a hormone test and no I dont know what the key level is, but he followed it up with a sonogram on my ovaries to check on my egg population which was all but gone.  He then pronounced me in menopause, a cycle will sneak in now and then or just a spot for a day.  The only thing that has really changed for me is the hot flashes got to the point I was internally boiling and had to finally resort to HRT which I had hoped to be able to do without.

I have noticed that I do still cycle because I can feel days of extra irritability and even bloat, nothing comes of it. Perhaps its the hrt.

And I can absolutely say that menopause or peri cuts my sex drive down....I dont thing anything can :)



littlewonder -> RE: Cycle Changes: Others Dealt With This? (3/3/2009 6:59:20 PM)

When I was young my cycles ran like clockwork. Every 28 days it was on time whether I was on the Pill or not.

After I had my child it went back to a normal pattern for the most part but was usually off by about a week or so.

Since I had my tubal though about 8 years ago, I never seem to know when I will get it. I can go for months with it being pretty regular but then depending on different situations it changes. If I exercise too little or too much, if I gain or lose weight, if I have sex on a regular or irregular basis, the weather, etc...it's become extremely fickle anymore and the older I get the worse it gets.

It sucks but I keep reminding myself that maybe it means in a few more years I won't have to worry at all about this problem! Yay!



RainydayNE -> RE: Cycle Changes: Others Dealt With This? (3/4/2009 6:53:09 AM)

if you are really worried about it, i would consult a professional, because it could be a sign of something. do you know around when your mom or grandmother or aunts hit menopause? the time frame can be somewhat the same in a family. so if they ran into it around the age you're at now, it COULD be the reasons.
cycles change around alot, though, for any number of reasons, and i'm sure you already know what those are.
take stock of any changes that have happened in your life/work/family over the last 12 months, and find out about when menopause tends to hit others in your family.
mine were always pretty wacky, but after this one really baaaad situation, they mellowed out and became SUPER regular, which is weird and confusing for me. seriously. haha
so i would do that stuff first and hm... well also, if you do go to a doctor, try going to a female one. a male doctor might discount this as "well your cycles just change alot, it happens."
not saying ALL male doctors will, or the doctor you have right now might be female, i dunno. =p 



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