Women - menstrual cycle, weight, and fitness matters

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  • Idle_Moon
    Idle_Moon Posts: 151 Member
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    In September and October, I had very serious muscle soreness. They turned out to be several thrombosis in my lungs and currently a huge one in my groin. The hospital said that the pill could have caused the thrombosis.
    So I'm not allowed to have the pill anymore. My cycle is still regular, but much longer and heavier.

    Tomorrow, I'm getting the Mirena. I don't know what to expect... Will I be able to go to the gym after the appointment? How does it effect the cycle? The pill inhibited the ovulation. What does the Mirena do?

    Welp, kinda nervous. :grimace:
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 24,860 Member
    edited November 2016
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    Idle_Moon wrote: »
    In September and October, I had very serious muscle soreness. They turned out to be several thrombosis in my lungs and currently a huge one in my groin. The hospital said that the pill could have caused the thrombosis.
    So I'm not allowed to have the pill anymore. My cycle is still regular, but much longer and heavier.

    Tomorrow, I'm getting the Mirena. I don't know what to expect... Will I be able to go to the gym after the appointment? How does it effect the cycle? The pill inhibited the ovulation. What does the Mirena do?

    Welp, kinda nervous. :grimace:

    I also have had quite a serious episode of thrombosis in 2009 (hospitalised for 2 weeks) and apparently I am genetically predisposed to developing blood clots. I was taken off birth control pills immediately and told that I am not to take any hormone replacement therapy or anything of the sort.

    When I travel, I need to take Clexane injections. If I am going to be standing for any length of time, I need to wear compression stockings. And I was on Warfarin for a year.

    At my gynaecologist appointment yesterday, once again the Mirena was suggested. Turns out it leaches progesterone which is what causes the thinning of the lining. I mentioned my blood clot situation and my gynaecologist immediately backed off the Mirena suggestion. He says he is going to do some more research on it. Quite possibly I will not be able to use it after all because of the hormones.

    I'd suggest asking some more questions.
  • Idle_Moon
    Idle_Moon Posts: 151 Member
    edited November 2016
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    @Machka9 Thank you for your post. :smile:
    I've asked several doctors at the hospital and the GP why they advice the Mirena. They told me it's the oestrogeen in the pill which gives an increased risk. Moreover, the Mirena gives off the hormones only local in the uterus. So it isn't that heavy as the pill.

    Currently, I'm wearing a compression stockings and will be the next half year. Luckily, I am able to use new meds. I don't have to take the injections, since they developed new bloodthinning pills. :smile:

    I'm going to ask some more questions to the GP, but if assures that it won't cause any trouble then I'll trust him. :smile:

    Edit: Also... I don't think the pill caused my thrombosis. I've been taking it since I was 15 years old and never had any trouble with it. The hospital is still busy with the research. It might be a liver-disease and that would explain it, because the coagulation factors are made in the liver.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 24,860 Member
    edited November 2016
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    Idle_Moon wrote: »
    Edit: Also... I don't think the pill caused my thrombosis. I've been taking it since I was 15 years old and never had any trouble with it. The hospital is still busy with the research. It might be a liver-disease and that would explain it, because the coagulation factors are made in the liver.

    I was on the pill between the age of 17 to 42 (on and off, but mostly on), and I travelled a lot, with no problems at all.

    And then all of a sudden on the longest flight I've ever been on ... it happened.

    It turned out to be a genetic mutation, but my doctors don't want to take any chances with hormones.

    Anyway, I hope the Mirena works for you :) ... I guess I'll find out in a couple weeks whether my doctor will continue to recommend the Mirena or not.

    But my doctor did tell me to check out the Mirena website ... it might help answer some questions we both have. I am still a bit concerned about the exercise aspect too.
    http://www.mirena-us.com/index.php





  • LazyNightOwl
    LazyNightOwl Posts: 166 Member
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    I have a genetic blood clotting disorder I got from my dads side. When I told my gyno that his doctor advised his children to get tested he took my bc pills away from me right then. Said better safe than sorry (Was 28 and overweight at the time). Results came back positive so he said my best course of action for bc was a Paragard UTI since it was non hormonal. I was also told that I wasn't going to be allowed to do HRT when I go through menopause.... So hopefully I won't be too miserable with symptoms. So instead of the Mirena, have your doc look into a Paragard. I was told that my periods would be heavier and longer (always been 2 days of light flow then one day of spotting) and for about three months they were five days of "normal" size tampon use followed by two days of spotting. After that and up to current I spot for a day then have a day of light flow and then spot for a day. But a lot of my periods since the Paragard have been dead... I keep forgetting to ask my gyno about that....but enough rambling. I love this post and will be nominating it for a sticky!
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
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    @Idle_Moon, I would not plan to go to the gym immediately after getting your Mirena, but then again you may be perfectly fine. I had a bad vagal response to insertion, which I anticipated based on prior medical procedures. It took me about a half hour to feel well enough to get up and then I just went home and crashed for the day. Now, you may be perfectly fine, as my reaction certainly isn't universal. I'll also note that, despite my reaction, I plan to get another Paragard once my 10 years are up for this one.
  • Madwife2009
    Madwife2009 Posts: 1,369 Member
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    Idle_Moon wrote: »
    Tomorrow, I'm getting the Mirena. I don't know what to expect... Will I be able to go to the gym after the appointment? How does it effect the cycle? The pill inhibited the ovulation. What does the Mirena do?

    Welp, kinda nervous. :grimace:

    I had one fitted about three months ago and I was fine - I walked home from the clinic afterwards (2.5 miles) and a while after that I went out for a bike ride. The following day I was back to my usual crazy exercise routine.

    But I'm pretty tough - I've given birth four times with no pain relief - and the clinician was quite shocked at how well I withstood having the Mirena fitted as it didn't bother me at all (I had cervical screening done at the same time) and usually it affects women in some way. She was even more shocked when I told her that I'd walked home after the procedure and gone out for a bike ride as well when I saw her for a check-up a few weeks later.

    I didn't plan to go for the bike ride after the insertion but I felt well enough to go. I was expecting to feel pretty grotty but apart from a bit of cramping (which lasted about 24 hours) I felt fine. I went out for exercise as it had always helped before with period pains and I figured that this was pretty much the same thing. However, I have seen (as I worked there for a while) some women have quite a reaction to the procedure but that may be to do with having the cervix clamped to stabilise it.

    I think that you should plan to take it easy afterwards and see how you feel. If you feel okay then maybe go to the gym and see how you get on. Or just take a day off from the gym.

    As to what it does - it thins the lining of the uterus (which is shed during your period) and it also prevents sperm entering the uterus by forming thick mucus at the entrance that the sperm can't swim through. I believe that in some women it may prevent ovulation as well.

    Effects on the cycle: I didn't have a period for six weeks after the procedure but there was a lot of spotting, enough to put me off sex. The spotting stopped after that first period. I may be in the middle of another period, six weeks later but I'm not sure as it's like the spotting was at the beginning. Having said that, my weight has shot up (as it does before my period) so it may well be my period. The worst thing about it is not knowing when the next period is due - I was regular as clockwork before and now it's a case of every time I go to the toilet, I'm not sure what to expect :) All very odd.

    The very worst thing though, for me, was thinking that it was going to fall out. I was constantly checking the threads to make sure that it hadn't disappeared and it took me a few weeks to get my head around that.

    Hope the procedure goes well for you.

  • Idle_Moon
    Idle_Moon Posts: 151 Member
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    @Madwife2009 @jemhh @LazyNightOwl @Machka9
    Thank you all for sharing your experiences! Maybe I'll post my own experiences here once I have them. :smile:
  • grapaj
    grapaj Posts: 136 Member
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    Machka9 wrote: »
    Here's a question ...

    My Dr keeps suggesting the Mirena to me but I have never been thrilled with the idea of an IUD. It is right up there with the idea of getting contacts. Certain things are just ... <<shudder>>

    Nevertheless the suggestion of a Mirena is going to come up again soon, so here's my question ... if you exercise a lot, are they OK? Or do they dislodge or cause problems? I have no idea because I've never even entertained the idea of using one before.

    Are there downsides for someone who exercises a lot?


    I've had a mirena for 3 years and I have never even noticed it's there. No movement, no dislodging or pain. I lift heavy 4 days a week. If it wasn't for my better managed period it's like it isn't even there. HTH.
  • RachelElser
    RachelElser Posts: 1,049 Member
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    kshama2001 wrote: »
    This is great. Thank you! Does anyone have tips for how to deal with the emotional aspects of PMS? I do feel physically hungrier, so eating a bit more is good. But I also tend to get very depressed and apathetic, which leads to an "I don't care about anything" attitude. It makes it so hard to stay on track. It's so strange because logically I know what's happening, but I still have trouble controlling it.
    jemhh wrote: »
    Does this feeling last just a few days or longer? I don't get depressed or apathetic. Instead, I get crabby (crabbier than usual :flushed: ) and very small things irritate me for 2-3 days. Lately I have found that putting voice to this feeling makes it better in a way. Last month I said to my husband "I am just feeling so crabby and everything and everybody is annoying me!" and he said that I didn't seem crabby or irritated at all. That's a big change from the past when I would just try to hold it in and then would act out instead and, believe me, he would say if I was acting it too.

    Sometimes I get depressed; sometimes I get crabby. Either way, exercise helps. I'm drawn to cardio for depression and lifting weights for crabbiness.

    My OH teases me a lot, which I usually find charming, but when I'm feeling bad premenstrually I warn him that I'm a little fragile, and he stops for a few days.

    I nap, either way. If I want to eat, and I darn well know it's because of Mother Nature, I just go to bed.
  • Fuzzipeg
    Fuzzipeg Posts: 2,298 Member
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    Oh!. My heart goes out to all of you, suffering so very, very much.

    I've had problems in my time, long past, ended up with endometrial cancer at a younger age than usual. Its only in recent years, post hysterectomy that I've discovered all the problems I've had all my life were probably attributable to my being hypothyroid and with mineral deficiencies. Heavy, painful, sparse or close, or any combination of the problems I've read of above can come down to hypothyroidism. Most doctors do not have a clue and dismiss severe pain even clots as normal.

    The sad truth is that most people never receive the correct treatment for being hypothyroid because the issues are around conversion of the t4 to the t3 and t3 being usable within the actual cells, each and ever one of the tiny things. Reducing thyroid antibodies plays a large part in relieving Hashimotos thyroidits which is only diagnosed by testing for the antibodies which most doctors will not do, in some places they are not permitted to. They are not even permitted to test for t3 levels, under 4 indicates one would benefit from help. Thyroid problems play a large part in PCOS, Insulin resistance, diabetes T2, reproductive problems, digestive issues, heart problems and even cancers. There are "300 symptoms of thyroid problems" in a good list, please do a search.

    Many of you could be helped by taking a good vitamin and mineral supplement which includes iodine, selenium and zinc among others. Iodine should be at least 150 microns daily, its involved in the immune and endocrine systems. Others who also have digestive problems could also look into probiotics to restore your digestive biome with all that entails. Women's Health matters.

    Primarily please do your own reading, this is highly complex subject. Start by searching periods/hypothyroid. There are thyroid support sites with information, STTM stop the thyroid madness and National thyroid support sites and more. Please do not let yourself be fobbed off by doctors who have no idea or interest in the suffering you are enduring.

    For the majority who's body is in balance a period should be regular 28 days, as in lunar, it should be light and barely noticeable so nothing to concern yourself about.

    All the very best to everyone.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 24,860 Member
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    Fuzzipeg wrote: »
    Heavy, painful, sparse or close, or any combination of the problems I've read of above can come down to hypothyroidism.

    Many of you could be helped by taking a good vitamin and mineral supplement which includes iodine, selenium and zinc among others.

    I have been checked, checked, and double-checked for thyroid issues. All my doctors, in both of my countries, went to that as their very first thought when it came to all my irregularities. Everything came back normal and continues to come back normal.

    I also do take quite a good selection of vitamins and minerals. Because I can't use HRT and for other reasons, I have had to research and use vitamin and mineral supplements and some herbal supplements to deal with perimenopausal symptoms.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 24,860 Member
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    grapaj wrote: »
    Machka9 wrote: »
    Here's a question ...

    My Dr keeps suggesting the Mirena to me but I have never been thrilled with the idea of an IUD. It is right up there with the idea of getting contacts. Certain things are just ... <<shudder>>

    Nevertheless the suggestion of a Mirena is going to come up again soon, so here's my question ... if you exercise a lot, are they OK? Or do they dislodge or cause problems? I have no idea because I've never even entertained the idea of using one before.

    Are there downsides for someone who exercises a lot?


    I've had a mirena for 3 years and I have never even noticed it's there. No movement, no dislodging or pain. I lift heavy 4 days a week. If it wasn't for my better managed period it's like it isn't even there. HTH.

    My exercise is cycling, and I just recently learned that there is a string attached to the Mirena. I hate the tampon string, and I'm wondering how I would feel about the Mirena string. How noticeable is it?
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
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    Machka9 wrote: »
    grapaj wrote: »
    Machka9 wrote: »
    Here's a question ...

    My Dr keeps suggesting the Mirena to me but I have never been thrilled with the idea of an IUD. It is right up there with the idea of getting contacts. Certain things are just ... <<shudder>>

    Nevertheless the suggestion of a Mirena is going to come up again soon, so here's my question ... if you exercise a lot, are they OK? Or do they dislodge or cause problems? I have no idea because I've never even entertained the idea of using one before.

    Are there downsides for someone who exercises a lot?


    I've had a mirena for 3 years and I have never even noticed it's there. No movement, no dislodging or pain. I lift heavy 4 days a week. If it wasn't for my better managed period it's like it isn't even there. HTH.

    My exercise is cycling, and I just recently learned that there is a string attached to the Mirena. I hate the tampon string, and I'm wondering how I would feel about the Mirena string. How noticeable is it?

    The string is inside your body. It does not hang out. It can also be trimmed, up to a point.
  • Madwife2009
    Madwife2009 Posts: 1,369 Member
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    Machka9 wrote: »

    I've had a mirena for 3 years and I have never even noticed it's there. No movement, no dislodging or pain. I lift heavy 4 days a week. If it wasn't for my better managed period it's like it isn't even there. HTH.

    My exercise is cycling, and I just recently learned that there is a string attached to the Mirena. I hate the tampon string, and I'm wondering how I would feel about the Mirena string. How noticeable is it?
    [/quote]

    I wouldn't call it a "string". Nothing like a tampon string. There are two threads (probably thinner than cotton thread) which are trimmed so that they sit inside your body. Mine are curled up around my cervix.

  • sukhleenarora
    sukhleenarora Posts: 2 Member
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    Great Post
  • grapaj
    grapaj Posts: 136 Member
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    [/quote]
    I've had a mirena for 3 years and I have never even noticed it's there. No movement, no dislodging or pain. I lift heavy 4 days a week. If it wasn't for my better managed period it's like it isn't even there. HTH. [/quote]

    My exercise is cycling, and I just recently learned that there is a string attached to the Mirena. I hate the tampon string, and I'm wondering how I would feel about the Mirena string. How noticeable is it?
    [/quote]

    Wait, there's a string? Just kidding, LOL. It's like -- non-existent imo. I know I should check on it but................I don't.
  • Idle_Moon
    Idle_Moon Posts: 151 Member
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    Wow. It was an awful experience. The GP had to ask another GP to do it, because he coudln't get it right.
    Oh well... It's done. I couldn't go to the gym. I even couldn't go on my bike to get back home, had to take the bus.
    The pain is alot better now, and the bleeding too. Gosh... I bleeded so much.

    I wonder how my cycle will be now. I noticed that I got heavier on the week before my period, and that I would lose weight at the end of my period. So maybe that will be a tracking-tool to predict my period.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,372 Member
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    ladyreva78 wrote: »
    Bumpedy bumpy

    and that's new... getting menstruation like cramps around ovulation. :neutral: I kept on running to the restroom today thinking it was day one of my menstruation but it's no where near...

    Yes I have those too. It sucks. And I bleed around that time too :(
    tmarple93 wrote: »
    Do any ladies here experience some really easy periods and then some really serious ones? Most of the time I get the normal pms of being bloated and I get really hungry but other than that I'm pretty okay but some months, (my last period) I was severely bloated, had a CRAZY spike in my appetite and all I wanted was sugar and my mood was awful. Like I knew I was being irrational about things but I could not get out of the bad mood. I also had absolutly no energy what so ever and found it difficult just to go for a walk. My flow was also extremely heavy this month. And I had terrible cramps. Its just strange becuase it's not like this every month and always kind of takes me off guard. I also get really down about things. It really took a toll on me this last month and now that my period is over I feel way better and back to normal but I was just wondering if there are any medications I can take or certain things to do to help when it's that bad. Oh yeah I'm also eating in matinence right now so it's not from under eating I don't think

    It varies from month to month for me. Sometimes I cramp for 10 days, sometimes almost not at all, sometimes I don't bleed a lot, sometimes I leak through 2 'leak proof' pads... Heck last month was one of my worst period and it only came 2.5 weeks after the last one too (I was peeved). And yeah PMS is all over the place too, sometimes I'm not hungry, sometimes I'm crazy starving (the last few months have totally sucked about that), sometimes I get depressed and pissed off... Sigh.

    Don't get me started about the sore boobs...


    Idle_Moon wrote: »
    Wow. It was an awful experience. The GP had to ask another GP to do it, because he coudln't get it right.
    Oh well... It's done. I couldn't go to the gym. I even couldn't go on my bike to get back home, had to take the bus.
    The pain is alot better now, and the bleeding too. Gosh... I bleeded so much.

    I wonder how my cycle will be now. I noticed that I got heavier on the week before my period, and that I would lose weight at the end of my period. So maybe that will be a tracking-tool to predict my period.

    Yikes. I hope it works out for you at least.

    My cycle is the same though - maintain/gain before my period (at this point most of the gain is water weight from the munchies though), then lose water weight like crazy (ie, have to pee every 10 minutes) starting on day 4 of my period. That's how I lost all my weight too, lose nothing for 3 weeks, then 4-6 lbs in a week.
  • Madwife2009
    Madwife2009 Posts: 1,369 Member
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    Idle_Moon wrote: »
    Wow. It was an awful experience. The GP had to ask another GP to do it, because he coudln't get it right.
    Oh well... It's done. I couldn't go to the gym. I even couldn't go on my bike to get back home, had to take the bus.
    The pain is alot better now, and the bleeding too. Gosh... I bleeded so much.

    I wonder how my cycle will be now. I noticed that I got heavier on the week before my period, and that I would lose weight at the end of my period. So maybe that will be a tracking-tool to predict my period.

    @Idle_Moon

    Ouch. I'm really sorry to hear that it was a bad experience; I did think about you today and wondered how you'd got on.

    I'm not convinced that GPs really know what they are doing when it comes down to fitting coils etc - they can be so inept, purely because of a lack of experience. I went to a local sexual health clinic for mine as they do these procedures all the time (plus I'd worked there for a while) so I thought them more experienced in the actual fitting of the Mirena.

    The cramping will settle down, I promise. I was in discomfort for 24 hours and there was a bit of bleeding but that's to be expected, considering what's been done. You'll probably get varying degrees of bleeding over the next few weeks as well - mine was like spotting one day then a bit heavier the next, then lighter - all over the place really, until I had that first period six weeks later then it all seemed to settle down.