Can Low-Carb cause early menstruation?

hollycreel

My apologies if this is TMI........
I have just started living Low-Carb, and my daily carb intake is only about 20-30 grams per day. Can reducing one's carbs to that level cause menstruation to occur earlier than normal? I am on the birth control pill, so I am a little shocked by the early arrival. Any advice would be much appreciated. Thanks!

DianaElena76

I've never heard of that, but I've been spotting/bleeding about every 2 weeks since starting this WOE.... although in my case it's likely due to other factors such as my body trying to get itself normalized after three pregnancies in a row, the baby no longer breastfeeding, getting a depo provera shot in November, and getting Essure implants (for sterilization; also in November). I'm curious to know if the diet has anything to do with it otherwise, though....

Dragonwolf

It's quite common for keto to change your cycle. How it changes it (and whether it's a good thing) varies from woman to woman, though. Check out /r/xxketo over on Reddit, or the keto group here, for more info.

Fat4Fuel2

I get mine early now too while on the pill. Also, there's more PMS, cramps, and menstruation.

spunkyabroad

Mine was all over the place when I first started. It seems to have settled now though. 11 months in, but I also suspect I am in pre menopause.

DianaElena76

Oh gracious, I had no idea!!

KnitOrMiss

Burning fat in general dumps a lot of extra hormones in the bloodstream...so keto doing it increasingly makes sense!

glossbones

Mine came almost a week early my first month after keto. Two cycles later and it's back to normal.

KaysKidz

I am still as regular as ever. 4/11 last month, 5/7 this month. I have always been 26-28 days.

sweetteadrinker2

mine comes whenever it likes(thanks depo), but I've noticed I bleed longer now. Fat is such a huge part of hormone regulation that losing a bunch can really screw with your cycle.

minties82

I had an extremely long cycle once I started keto. I think it was 60-odd days.

cindytw

I atually have better results with low carb, but then again my body is wacky! Unfortunately after a lot of invasive testing, nothing is wrong with me!

DianaElena76

minties82 wrote: »

I had an extremely long cycle once I started keto. I think it was 60-odd days.

I've had an extra long cycle before--always 45-60 days and lasted a week or more, ever since I started as a pre-teen. Now I'm having it every 2 weeks for a couple days. Blah.

Dragonwolf

sweetteadrinker2 wrote: »

mine comes whenever it likes(thanks depo), but I've noticed I bleed longer now. Fat is such a huge part of hormone regulation that losing a bunch can really screw with your cycle.

Mine's regular, thanks to the Inositol (it's been regular ever since I started it), but since I switched to carnivore, my last period (which is the first I've had since switching) was about twice what it has been for the past year. It felt like a "real" period, instead of half-assed barely-more-than-spotting that I'd been having. And it lasts a couple of days longer. Since I have PCOS, this change is a very good thing, as it means I'm actually shedding the uterine lining. It was interesting to see that change, though.

DianaElena76

I have to say, bleeding every two weeks SUCKS! And it always happens on the weekend, so hubby is starting to think I'm actively avoiding him, which is so not the case. It's Mother's Day weekend, and I am bleeding and bloating and cramping so much. Misery..... Okay, rant over. For now.

mongoosealamode

My period ended about two weeks before I started keto, Then it started 2 days after I started keto and lasted nearly 3 weeks. I have an IUD so it is usually very light but I had some heavy days in those weeks..
I am back to normal now though!

BookAngel_a

I wish I had found a thread like this last autumn! I did very low carb from August to October before sadly falling off the wagon for six months. My first period during low carb came a week early and I thought I was losing my mind, since I've always been super regular. It was also heavier than normal. The second and third months were more "normal" for me. I am back on very low carb now for about a week and my period came today - 1 week early again. So it's definitely something that happens to me too! I have no idea why - it must be something to do with a shift in hormones.

kleighsamboer33

mine came a week early but only lasted for 4 days instead of the usual 8 or 9 days. I also has less bleeding and minimal cramps.

DianaElena76

I've had heavy bleeding every two weeks for about two days. Like clockwork. I've never had anything like this before.