Can I Have A Regular Period If I Have Pcos
If you have PCOS, you may experience missing or irregular periods. Its also not uncommon to have long cycles , or very light bleeding when you do have a period.
Despite this, it IS possible to address the underlying causes of PCOS to help regulate your cycle.
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It’s Easy To Get The Care You Need
See a Premier Physician Network provider near you.
Irregular periods can make it difficult and frustrating to predict when you will ovulate.
Irregular periods can stem from both minor and more complex conditions, from hormonal imbalances to uterine fibroids.
But take heart. There are many treatments and procedures today to help regulate rogue menstrual cycles, reduce heavy menstrual bleeding and track ovulation, even with an irregular cycle.
If you’re trying to get pregnant, even though it may take a little longer or require some extra effort, many women with irregular menstrual cycles do get pregnant and deliver healthy babies.
The more you learn about how your cycles work, the better equipped you will be.
How To Track Ovulation When You Have An Irregular Period
While women with regular cycles can simply assume theyre ovulating at the same time each month, its a bit trickier for those with irregular periods. Fortunately, there are a few ways to figure out your bodys schedule.
The first sign to look for is mucus. If you get a lot of clear, sticky mucus in the middle of your menstrual cycle, then youre probably ovulating, says Beth Taylor, an OB/GYN with the Vancouver-based Olive Fertility Centre. The mucus, which is secreted thanks to an increase in estrogen, means your cervix is ready to be penetrated by sperm to get pregnant.
Another way to determine if youre ovulating at all is to track your temperature each morning with a basal body temperature thermometer, which can hone in on small changes up to 1/100th of a degree. After the egg is released in your body, both estrogen and progesterone are flowing. The progesterone causes your bodys temperature to increase by half a degree Celsius .
But this method is a bit tricky for women with irregular cycles. Because the temperature change indicates the egg has already released, it means you need to have sex just before the increase in order to hit your fertile window. Most women track their temperature and use the data to predict when its going to rise in future months. But even if your cycle is a little unpredictable, It can be useful in looking backwards to see: am I likely to ovulate? And when? says Carson.
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When Will I Get My Period After Birth
In the postpartum phase, youll experience a vaginal discharge of blood, mucus, and uterine tissue. This discharge, known as lochia, starts off heavy and bright red. Within the next six to eight weeks, it will lighten, become more irregular, and turn dark brown/yellow before tapering off.
Although lochia resembles a periodand youll need to wear a pad to control the blood flowits not the same thing as menstruation. Your actual period wont return for a few weeks or months after giving birth. The timeline largely depends on whether or not youre breastfeeding.
If youre not breastfeedingyour period will probably return four to eight weeks after childbirth, according to Amina White, M.D., clinical associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
If you are breastfeedingyoull likely get your period much later, since prolactin wards off ovulation. Menstruation may take weeks or months to return. Irregular periods while breastfeeding are especially common if youre doing a combination of formula-feeding and breastfeeding.
Interpreting Forum Posts About Depo
The most important thing to know is that Depo-Provera is not known to increase your risk of infertility after that those 12 to 22 months. In other words, Depo-Provera use is not associated with an increased risk of infertility in general.
Ovulation take a while to return due to your body not yet metabolizing the medication completely. Not because Depo-Provera has somehow caused a long-term infertility problem.
With that said, in just about every thread about Depo-Provera on infertility forums, youll find women saying their fertility never returned, even after 2 years. Sometimes, they will assume that this was caused by the shot. This isnt backed up by the research.
Remember that infertility occurs in 1 in 8 couples. This includes couples who choose to use Depo-Provera. There will be women who cant conceive after Depo, even two years after Depo, but this isnt due to the birth control shot. They would have struggled to conceive without Depo-Provera as well.
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Irregular Period Symptoms And Causes
Menstrual cycles generally range from 21 to 35 days, and anything outside of that timeframe is considered irregular. Varying cycle lengths are also cause for concern, especially if they change by more than a couple of days each month. .
Medical conditions like polycystic ovarian syndrome or thyroid disease are the most common causes of irregular periods, according to Michele Hakakha, M.D., an OB-GYN in Beverly Hills, CA. Certain lifestyle factorsincluding stress level, weight, exercise, and dietmay also affect the menstrual cycle. And sometimes irregular periods have no known causes at all.
It’s always important to get checked out by your doctor and run the appropriate tests. If your provider can’t find any glaring irregular periods reasons, he/she may diagnose hypothalamic-pituitary-axis dysfunction. “This is a big medical term for poor communication between your ovaries and brain, leading to less frequent ovulation,” says Dr. Hakakha.
Can Birth Control Can Protect Against Other Conditions Too
Birth control pills can also help with a wide range of other conditions, from anemia to hair loss.
Heavy periods may make you prone to anemia due to the amount of blood lost. When youre anemic, you dont have enough red blood cells to carry healthy amounts of oxygen throughout your body.
Anemia can make you feel tired, weak and even out of breath. By lightening your period or making you skip it altogether, the pill can reduce the amount of blood loss and alleviate anemia symptoms.
If you have certain types of hair loss or excessive hair growth , birth control pills can be a surprising treatment. They regulate the amount of androgens, male hormones, in your body. Keeping androgen levels within normal range may also help hair growth return to normal levels.
Birth control pills can also help with many other painful conditions, like migraines, mood swings and polycystic ovary syndrome . If youre not sure whether birth control will help you, read more about when to talk to your doctor about painful period symptoms.
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How To Lower Testosterone Levels
Lowering androgen levels is crucial to balancing your hormones and overcoming infertility. Once male hormones are decreased, you will begin menstruating and ovulating regularly. Its not uncommon to conceive shortly after lowering testosterone levels. Once your hormones are regulated, even the most annoying PCOS symptoms begin to diminish.
I’m Trying To Get Pregnant: Tips From Upmc In Central Pa
You are trying to get pregnant! Here are some tips that may help increase your chances of becoming pregnant:
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The Easiest Method To Check For An Irregular Period
A one-off occasion of a late or early period should not cause concern. To check, record the last day of the last period to the first day of the first period. Repeat for at least three months. A significant difference over the timeframe means a possible irregular period. To be safe, schedule an appointment with a gynecologist.
Detecting Ovulation When Cycles Are Irregular
If you are ovulating, but irregularly, youll need to make a special effort at determining your most fertile time. There are many ways to predict ovulation. You might need to use more than one to help figure out when is the best time for you to have sex.
Ovulation predictor tests work a lot like pregnancy tests, in that you pee on test strips to determine when youre most fertile. However, in some women, the tests give multiple false positives. This is especially common in women with PCOS.
Another possible pitfall of using these tests when your cycles are irregular is that youll need to use more than the average number of test strips. You dont use the tests your entire cycle, but only around the general time you might expect to ovulate. When your cycles are irregular, that possible ovulation window may be longer than it is for other women.
You may want to consider charting your basal body temperature . BBT charting can show you when you actually ovulated. You can also share your BBT charts with your doctor. They may be able to use this information to make a diagnosis.
Of course, the most accurate way to detect ovulation, or lack thereof, is through a trans-vaginal ultrasound and/or through bloodwork taken at your physicians office. Talk to your doctor about these options to determine if they are right for you.
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When To See A Gp
You don’t need to get medical advice if you have always had slightly irregular periods or you’re still going through puberty.
But see a GP if:
- your periods suddenly become irregular and you’re under 45
- you have periods more often than every 21 days or less often than every 35 days
- your periods last longer than 7 days
- there’s a big difference between your shortest and longest menstrual cycle
- you have irregular periods and you’re struggling to get pregnant
There might not be anything wrong, but it’s a good idea to get checked out to see what the cause might be.
You might be referred to a specialist called a gynaecologist if you need any tests or treatment.
Can You Get Pregnant If You Have Irregular Periods
Yes. Irregular menstrual cycles dont always affect fertility. In fact, plenty of women with irregular menstrual cycles get pregnant and go on to have normal pregnancies. So if you’re wondering whether irregular periods mean infertility, the answer is no, but this may make it harder for you to get pregnant.
That said, when your periods are irregular, it makes it much more difficult to look to your cycle for fertility bulletins so you know when to try to conceive. Usually women will track their cycles to determine when ovulation happens. But going months without bleeding and then getting your period without any discernible pattern, or always having irregular periods, can make that type of tracking unreliable. Instead youll have to be on the lookout for other signs of ovulation, since cycle length wont tell you what you need to know to be able to time baby-making sex.
The real concern when it comes to irregular periods is that occasionally the condition might indicate irregular or absent ovulation. And if you dont ovulate, you cant get pregnant. Problems with ovulation are responsible for up to 30 percent of all cases of infertility. If it turns out that your menstrual irregularities signal an ovulation problem, now’s the time to consult with your physician to have an evaluation to see if you will need help getting pregnant or if there are any underlying health issues that should be addressed first.
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Types Of Irregular Periods
Menstrual irregularities often cause pain and inconvenience, making them a cause for concern for many women. These disorders may or may not indicate an underlying condition related to infertility or difficulty getting pregnant. A fertility doctor can be helpful in determining this.
Abnormal ovulation is often the underlying cause of irregular periods. Hormones regulate the menstrual cycle and ovulation. While menstrual disorders can be caused by alterations in hormone levels, these disorders can also sometimes disrupt the hormonal balance, further affecting the menstrual cycle.
Amenorrhea
Amenorrhea is the absence of a menstrual period. This can be a temporary or permanent lack of menstruation. Missing one period is generally not cause for concern, and missing a period can also be an indication of pregnancy. But missing more than one period in the absence of pregnancy may be a sign of an underlying disorder that can cause infertility.
Amenorrhea caused by a structural, genetic, or hormonal condition that prevents menstruation from beginning in puberty is called primary amenorrhea. Conditions that can result in primary amenorrhea include gonadal dysgenesis, Turner syndrome, PCOS, androgen insensitivity, and congenital adrenal hyperplasia.
- Excessive amounts of androgen
Oligomenorrhea
Menorrhagia
There are several possible underlying causes of menorrhagia, some of which can impair a womans fertility. Causes include:
Spice Things Up With Ginger
Ginger is used as a home remedy for treating irregular periods, but there isnt any scientific evidence to show that it works. However, ginger does seem to have other benefits related to menstruation, primarily related to relieving pain.
A 2014 clinical study of 92 women with heavy menstrual bleeding showed that daily ginger supplements may help reduce the amount of blood lost during menstruation.
Taking 750 to 2,000 mg of ginger powder during the first 3 or 4 days of your period has also been shown to be an effective treatment for painful periods.
demonstrated that 200 mg of ginger every six hours is effective in relieving pain in those with primary dysmenorrhea.
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What Should I Know About Storage And Disposal Of This Medication
Keep this medication in the container it came in, tightly closed, and out of reach of children. Store it at room temperature and away from excess heat and moisture .
Unneeded medications should be disposed of in special ways to ensure that pets, children, and other people cannot consume them. However, you should not flush this medication down the toilet. Instead, the best way to dispose of your medication is through a medicine take-back program. Talk to your pharmacist or contact your local garbage/recycling department to learn about take-back programs in your community. See the FDAs Safe Disposal of Medicines website for more information if you do not have access to a take-back program.
It is important to keep all medication out of sight and reach of children as many containers are not child-resistant and young children can open them easily. To protect young children from poisoning, always lock safety caps and immediately place the medication in a safe location â one that is up and away and out of their sight and reach.
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What Causes Irregular Periods
There are a variety of reasons why you may be experiencing menstrual irregularity. Excessively heavy or prolonged periods is called menorrhagia.
Common symptoms include a period that lasts longer than 7 days or bleeding thats so heavy you have to change your period product every hour.
Causes of menorrhagia may include:
- Medications. Some anti-inflammatory or hormone medications can affect menstrual bleeding. Heavy bleeding is also a side effect of IUD birth control.
- Hormone changes. An excess of the hormones progestin or estrogen, which regulate the lining of the uterus, may cause heavy bleeding. Hormone imbalances occur most frequently in people who have recently started menstruating or those approaching menopause.
- Medical conditions. Pelvic inflammatory disease , endometriosis, inherited blood disorders, and benign growths and cancers have all been found to possibly cause menstrual irregularity.
Primary dysmenorrhea is a condition that causes extreme pain before and during menstrual periods.
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Keep A Healthy Weight
Rapid weight loss or weight gain can mess with your menstrual cycle. Other factors, such as high body weight or health issues like PCOS, can also influence your flow.
A 2017 survey of almost 5,000 women found an association between weight loss or gain and an increased risk of irregular periods. And other research suggests that having particularly high or low body fat can influence your hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian system , which regulates your reproductive hormones.
Bodies come in all sizes and shapes, so theres no perfect weight for regulating your flow. Instead, focus on settling into a stable, healthy weight for your body.
Regular exercise has all kinds of health benefits, including regular cycles and period pain relief. Getting your blood pumping = fewer cramps and a potentially more predictable flow.
The CDC recommends aiming for 30 minutes of aerobic activity per day. That includes:
