What's the longest you've gone...?
kamakazeekim
Posts: 1,183 Member
My baby was born this past November and I still haven't had a period. Before having him I was averaging 3 periods a year (I did go a whole year before without one). When I do get them they are excruciatingly painful and the flow is so heavy that at times I'll soak through both a super plus tampon and a pad in just over an hour. They tend to last about 2 weeks with the first week being crazy painful and heavy and then the second week being what I can only imagine what is considered normal for other women.
I'm on birth control and the endocrinologist kept telling me that should be regulating it (obviously it's not!)
What have your experiences been? Do other people go that long in between periods? Is PCOS the reason why they are so heavy and painful?
I'm on birth control and the endocrinologist kept telling me that should be regulating it (obviously it's not!)
What have your experiences been? Do other people go that long in between periods? Is PCOS the reason why they are so heavy and painful?
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Replies
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Is PCOS the reason why they are so heavy and painful?
Most likely, yes. The most common symptom of PCOS is irregular or missed periods. And then when they do come, they're a b*tch.
I usually only have 3 - 4 periods a year. When I do, I'm loading up on muscle relaxers.
Edit to say: Once you start getting your PCOS under control, you should see your periods start to regulate.0 -
The longest I went without my period was 6 months. I had two successful pregnancies 14 and 9 years ago. I developed PCOS around 4 years ago. I can only assume due to poor eating habits and little activity I developed PCOS. No idea. My body is that of someone 20+ years older than me (34). I've had my gall bladder out, developed PCOS, had a uterine prolapse which lead to a hysterectomy, and I still have issues to be fixed. I really have no option but to get serious about my health for not only my sake, but for my kids. Wishing you all the best.0
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The longest I've gone is 9 months while pregnant. Other times I would get it 4-7 weeks apart. Never were really heavy or missing just sporadic. On bc now and they are pretty much every 30-35 days.0
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It makes me nervous because I have only had 1 this year.... I think it's the fact that I am so heavy too...0
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The longest I've gone has been a year and a half, then I bled for six months straight (this was right before I was diagnosed).0
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Mine were sporadic but I have gone like 2-3 months with out. But since I had my baby 3 yrs ago they have been coming every month and painful some months heavier than other and then some easy but they come every month now. I was diagnosed with PCOS when I was 18.0
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The longest I've gone was eight months because I stopped taking Metformin, Spiro, and BC. When I finally went to the OBGYN, she gave me a ten day course of progesterone to induce a period, and booked an appointment with an endocrinologist for me. The endo put me on 2000mg Metformin, which tore my stomach to pieces, so on the advice of the OBGYN and endo, I backed off to 1500mg. With the combination of metformin, diet, and exercise, I've been steadily losing weight at a healthy rate. My period has *almost* regulated itself, and I feel better than I have felt since I first started exhibiting signs of PCOS 16 years ago.
If you haven't talked recently to your doc, my advice is to do that. If you have, and you don't feel that they are helping or hearing your concerns, my advice is to find a new doc. I went through four gynecologists before I found one that would listen to my PCOS concerns (she has PCOS too, which helps).
Good luck!0 -
The longest I've gone was close to a year. And the one I had was provera induced.0
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Man i wish I could go that long with out I seem to always at least have spotting at least 2 times a week im lucky if i can go 3 days with out. ):0
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The longest I have gone without is 2 years! I didn't miss it at all but it scared the crap out of me at first because I was like where did it go and then I forgot about it for a while went to the dr. was prescribed something don't remember what now(was 8 yrs. ago) and put be on bc when bc tore me up I quit taking it. Have started having one again recently and I am hoping it is because I have lost some weight haven't changed anything else but eating habits and more exercise! But now that I have started again it is not nearly as painful as I remember it being either!0
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Right before being diagnosed I had gone 9-10 months without getting my period. Now, if I go over 3 months, my doctor gives me provera to force it. I was told it is unhealthy to not have it at least every 3 months because there can be a build up, so taking the provera essentially "flushes it out".0
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The longest I've gone without a period has beed about 6-7 months. Me and birth control pills have a hate, hate relationship. I first started taking them because my period had been on for about 3 weeks. The pills made my period go off and come on a month later. I stopped taking them because they were a hassel to remember. I started taking them a year later after becoming sexually active and not having a period for 6 month. My period lasted 22 days! It seemed as if the pills made my flow heavier. That episode happened twice, so now I don't take birth control pills at all.0
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Before being diagnose I would go about 6 to 8 month. With meds I have been pretty regular until just recently0
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My baby was born this past November and I still haven't had a period. Before having him I was averaging 3 periods a year (I did go a whole year before without one). When I do get them they are excruciatingly painful and the flow is so heavy that at times I'll soak through both a super plus tampon and a pad in just over an hour. They tend to last about 2 weeks with the first week being crazy painful and heavy and then the second week being what I can only imagine what is considered normal for other women.
I'm on birth control and the endocrinologist kept telling me that should be regulating it (obviously it's not!)
What have your experiences been? Do other people go that long in between periods? Is PCOS the reason why they are so heavy and painful?
I didn't get my period all through highschool, got it a couple times when in jr high and then it stopped! This was before PCOS was really known, and I was just told you need to lose weight and it will come back. I was losing weight and then it just stopped! Jerks, they didn't know the answer so they just assumed. When I was 20 I went to an endocrinologist and she diagnosed me with PCOS right away. I started lowering my carbs, and alas my period came on its own! But then it wouldn't go away! So she eventually put me on the pill to regulate my period and she also told me it shrinks the cysts. So this definitely helped me get a period, but i have been very lucky in not having many side effects in regards to the period. They are still pretty light, the only symptom i do get sometimes is bad cramps. And one other bad side effect was big cysts, super painful when they rupture
maybe your dose isn't high enough or too high?0 -
What's Spiro?0
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I was two years with no period once. It came back with a vengeance one morning and I had to go to the clinic, turned out I was having a miscarriage. I haven't gone that long since but a few months does go by sometimes even 6. I started metformine but it makes me so lightheaded and shakey I had to stop.0
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What's Spiro?
Spiro is short of Spironalactone. It is used for unwanted hair growth and it is also a diuretic. I have been using it for over a year and see such a big difference. Still have the hair growth, but it grows slower and not as heavy.0 -
I was mostly regular at 5-6 weeks UNTIL i was put on spiro (which i don't really see any positive effects from, hair wise - and my pill smell and taste minty). Now i'm getting a lot of false alarms, I'll go at least 8 weeks, and it was already painful, now it's like a slasher movie being filmed in my uterus when it does come around. I see my endocrinologist next month, I'm wondering if I should stop the spiro and maybe try BC....0
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My period got pretty regular once I started exercising. But if I slack It is gone again, it really seems to depent on my activity and my exercises done. I have it pretty regular every month now, but the longest I have been without was I think 8 month.0
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The longest I've gone without a period was a year- all of 2011. I've had irregular periods since I was a teenager, so for a long time I thought it was normal, until I found out about PCOS. I have many of the symptoms, but no insurance to see a professional to say yay or nay on a diagnosis. In the meantime, I've been taking Evening Primrose for female balance, dropped about 46lbs, more vitamins, and I've managed to have two periods in a row for august and september. We'll see about October...0
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I NEVER went without a period. The only reason I knew something was wrong was because every month I am in so much pain that I am doubled over in the fetal position bawling my eyes out. No amount of pain killers help. Of course, I was on birth control from age 19 to 22. I got pregnant, but started up right away and was back on birth control after 3 months. I was 23. I thnk that is why I was so regular.
I was almost too regular. Every 21 days almost to the day from the end of one to the beginning of the next. Even after I quit taking the pills, it was like I was still on them because I was that regular. Finally, three years ago, I was in so much pain I went to the ER. They gave me a sonogram and was diagnosed then.0 -
I had PCOS before I got my cycle. The ovaries had about 3 cysts from ages 16-22 I never had regular cycles...MAYBE 5 ...a year?
Then I became ...active *ahem* and the thing started coming all the time.
After losing about 130 pounds...I get one almost every month, but it is painful....
I'm actually trying to get my doctor to remove my ovaries because the cycle makes me REALLY depressed, and I'm basiclly bed ridden for the first day.
Metformin was a life saver for me, I mean I hate it cause my stomach feels unhappy, but it's worth it in the end.
The second thing we tried was the depo shot....
F.U. Depo.
If you need support, feel free to add me.
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The longest I ever went was three years. It was before I was diagnosed, I knew that something was wrong because I also gained close to 70 lbs that year and the only thing that changed in my life was that I wasn't working out as much anymore. I didn't have health insurance, so I couldn't go to the doctor. When I finally went, she started immediately testing me for PCOS and then immediately put me on birth control to start my period.
I have been off the pill for about three years now due to how sick it makes me, but now my periods come extremely sporadically, about one every six months, sometimes I will get lucky and hit four periods in a beautiful 28 day cycle...but not normally.
Really glad to see that there is a group for this.0 -
Yes! PCOS is the reason why periods are painful and heavy. But BC should lessen those symptoms and regulate your period almost immediately. I had to go on BC because the last period I had in DEC 2010 lasted for 2months and was so heavy I needed a blood transfusion and take BC three times a day to make it stop. The next month I could take regular dosage. Periods were amazing while on BC. But I only stayed on them for about 1yr because they made my weight skyrocket (even though they claim they don't...they do...just about any womyn on BC experiences the same problem) When I got off, pounds melted off with my usual diet and exercise.
I just so happend to be Gluten Intolerant as well...just found out this past July. I've noticed that every since I've gone gluten free, I've had 2 periods in the last 3 months that didn't kill me (sadly I'm speaking literally about the killing part)...which is a big triumph. Have no clue if me going gluten free is why, but it's worth looking into.0 -
I want to say 4-5 months.....i really dont remember i stopped keeping track because they were so spiratic. i can still remember the first time i missed a period, i was 15, i told my mom, so she took me to the doctors becaus she thought i was pregnant (i was still a virgin) doctor gave me a pregnancy test, and he too was sooo convinced i was pregnant and having sex put a flashlight to the test because it came back negative. I have had the symptoms of pcos most of my life, yet i barely became diagnosed last year. And it wasnt even my doctor who diagnosed......0
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