People who menstruate - chaos with weight loss?

amskinner87

Hi everyone

I've been dieting since the 1st January and lost just under 50lb. I have a hormonal coil fitted and haven't really had periods for several years.

However, over the last 6 months or so I have started getting periods again and they are painful and chaotic (for example I've had 3 in the last couple of months with a week between the last 2!). It just seems like I'm constantly bleeding and in pain.

I'm not worried as it's not heavy bleeding and pre-coil I've always had irregular bleeding. I also bled for about 8 months straight when the coil was put in

I've seen articles that suggest that because fat cells can store estrogen that the release of that with weight loss can wreak havoc, but I don't know if this is backed up by actual research.


Soo, I guess my questions are..

1. Has anyone else suffered in the same way with large weight loss?
2. Does anyone know if there is any credible research to explain why it might happen?

Thanks folks, what would we do without the fun of periods to keep us entertained?!

quiksylver296

I have had hormonal issues with weight loss, but not to your extreme. More severe PMS, mostly. I've also seen that hormones are held in fat cells and are released with weight loss. It makes sense.

I do think you should check in with your OBGYN, too.

deannalfisher

any chance the coil maybe came out somewhere along the line?

RelCanonical

I think it would be worth a doctor's visit just to be sure it's not an issue with the coil. I've had hormonal issues with losing weight as well, but it was only acne. Losing weight actually helped regulate my cycle to a pretty steady 30 days, whereas before it was quite a bit more variable.

concordancia

We store a lot of estrogen in fat, which gets released when we shed the fat.

It should stabilize after your weight stabilizes, but I still think it is worth checking in with your gyn, as they may suggest a different birth control solution for you.