What is going on here? Period question for the ladies

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sarahliftsUP
sarahliftsUP Posts: 752 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
This may go into a TMI question.. so not for the queesy ones, and it is a question about the menstration cycle and the effects weight loss/exercise may have on it.

So I have been regularly exercising now for about two months. This means about 4 workouts a week, around 40-45 minutes each time. I got my period on September 9th, which was normal. I'm on birth control so I expect my period about 3-4 days after taking my last pill and don't take the sugar ones. Period lasts roughly 5 days.

This is all fine but yesterday I started cramping. I didn't think anything of it.. just thought I was tired and hungry. But after going for a run, I came back was baffled, as Aunt Flo had came for a second visit this month!

Has anyone had this happen to them? I'm not going crazy with exercising, just running 3 times a week..sometimes not even that and doing Jillian Michaels about once or twice a week. This is where the TMI comes in, but the consistency of the liquid wasn't the same as usual.. I don't know if that means anything but it was like it was the ending of it but more darker and thicker. I know this is disgusting but is this serious enough that I should go to the doctors? Or is it just that my body is stressed by the weight loss and change in activity?
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Replies

  • niclexiemom
    niclexiemom Posts: 6 Member
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    This can be related to your new healthy living. The best thing is to talk to your doctor. Are you taking you pill the same time everyday. I am much older than you and only have had a twice visit when I didn't take my pill the same time each day.

    Debbie
  • FeatherStone13
    FeatherStone13 Posts: 16
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    I've heard of this happening before. Is it a real period, or just spotting? Sometimes you get break thru bleeding on the pill in the middle of the month and that can be normal depending on how "much" it is. If it happens again talk to your doctor.
  • jillybeanruns
    jillybeanruns Posts: 1,420 Member
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    No, it happened to me quite often from January - June (when I lost 27 pounds). I wasn't overly concerned about it because I know it's normal for your cycle to get messed up (even on birth control) when you're losing weight and exercising heavy. I did ask my doctor on my routine visit and she said it was to be expected but if it continued once my weight leveled off, to come back and see her.

    Not sure that this matters, but I'm on Jolessa (generic for Seasonique) and I only get my period every 3 months. It has gone back to normal now that my weight has leveled off, but you might want to just call your doctor and make sure they think it's normal.
  • 6Janelle13
    6Janelle13 Posts: 353 Member
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    there is something called break through progosterone bleeding. if you have been on the same pill for a year or two it can occur. it usually is very bad cramping and also a period like flow (mine were generally heavier then my usual). it can last as long as a regular period and once you have it once it may happen again with more frequency. changing pills can prevent this cycle.
  • Sasssy69
    Sasssy69 Posts: 547 Member
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    EXACT same thing happened to me. I started exercising 5-6 days a week, and cut back on my calories, and it messed with my period. I don't know if it's because I was working out with a partner (and you know how your body tries to synche with other people) or something else. I went to my dr and she said it could possibly be stress, but not to worry about it unless it happened for three or four months in a row. I'm also on BC, so it should be regular. Might want to just check in with your doc to be sure though.
  • XFitMojoMom
    XFitMojoMom Posts: 3,255 Member
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    Ummm.. weird coin-ki-dink... it was a full moon... actually something they call a "Super Harvest Moon". Next Super Harvest Moon will be in 2029, so not a regular occurrence. I'm about 5 days early this month.
    I should state that I don't usually reply to these threads because I can't stand talking about TOM, but mine was way off this month.
  • atynk
    atynk Posts: 400 Member
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    This started happening to me after I lost a significant amount of weight. Doctor had to switch my birth control to either a higher or lower dosage ( im not sure which)
    so good idea to talk to ur dr
  • darkling_glory
    darkling_glory Posts: 239 Member
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    The same thing happened to me after I started a running program. I asked my OBGYN about it and she said that it was perfectly normal and should correct itself after a month or so.

    Good luck!
  • MzBug
    MzBug Posts: 2,173 Member
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    It can happen when you lose weight according to my doc. From what she said hormones can be stored in fatty tissue, and when the fat breaks down it frees the hormones into the system, thus causing some minor fluctuations in cycles. It kind of overloads the system briefly. Keep an eye on it, and if you have any other symptoms, or you continue to have short cycles get it checked out.
  • jlsaven
    jlsaven Posts: 5
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    I've been dealing with this for years. Switching the pills has not helped at all. First I was just bleeding heavily for about 20 days out of the month, then it switched to having two periods a month - both with horrible cramping and heavy flow. Cutting out gluten and casein is helping this some - periods are not as heavy now, but still I deal with two a month. I also just started acupuncture, and my practitioner says that this should help things significantly, with time. As with any new changes, sometimes things get worse before they get better, so no improvement yet.
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
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    Call your doctor. It may be related to your diet and exercise but that could be a coincidence.
  • sarahliftsUP
    sarahliftsUP Posts: 752 Member
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    I've been on the same birth control pill for 7-8 years now. Whenever I started it way back in the day, it's always been the same so I can't see that messing me up. I guess 5 pounds is a lot, my body was used to my starting weight for over a year or so. I guess the change in activity level and calories messed it up?

    I'm glad though that it has happed to several of you as well during this. I will wait it out and see what happens.. If it happens again next month then I will go to my doctors.
  • sarahliftsUP
    sarahliftsUP Posts: 752 Member
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    Call your doctor. It may be related to your diet and exercise but that could be a coincidence.

    Never thought of this either... maybe I should just to be on the safe side.

    I'm vegetarian and my mother was anemic.. so I don't want to take chances or anything.
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
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    I've been on the same birth control pill for 7-8 years now. Whenever I started it way back in the day, it's always been the same so I can't see that messing me up. I guess 5 pounds is a lot, my body was used to my starting weight for over a year or so. I guess the change in activity level and calories messed it up?

    I'm glad though that it has happed to several of you as well during this. I will wait it out and see what happens.. If it happens again next month then I will go to my doctors.

    I was on the pill for 13 years with no problems. Then one day, I started having two-week long periods and they were getting heavier and heavier with no other recent changes in my lifestyle. My doctor switched my pills four or five times and did blood work and I finally had to change my BC method altogether.
  • jlsaven
    jlsaven Posts: 5
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    I was on the pill for 13 years with no problems. Then one day, I started having two-week long periods and they were getting heavier and heavier with no other recent changes in my lifestyle. My doctor switched my pills four or five times and did blood work and I finally had to change my BC method altogether.

    I am very much in the same situation, as I was on the same pill for 12 years with no problems at all, and then (with no changes either) it just started being insane. What method of BC did you end up choosing? I've switched pills several times with no help. I've done some research, but am having a hard time making up my mind...
  • jlsaven
    jlsaven Posts: 5
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    I was on the pill for 13 years with no problems. Then one day, I started having two-week long periods and they were getting heavier and heavier with no other recent changes in my lifestyle. My doctor switched my pills four or five times and did blood work and I finally had to change my BC method altogether.

    I am very much in the same situation, as I was on the same pill for 12 years with no problems at all, and then (with no changes either) it just started being insane. What method of BC did you end up choosing? I've switched pills several times with no help. I've done some research, but am having a hard time making up my mind...
  • ley1
    ley1 Posts: 115
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    amazing that i should find this post tonight!

    I started actively trying to loose weight 7 weeks ago and have lost a stone so far through healthy eating and lots of lovely exercise (where i previously did none).

    i had a stronger period than normal which lasted longer than usual, 2 weeks instead of 1.

    a week later after an extended run, i find that af is back, stays for a week again.

    goes away for another week and after this weeks hardest work out i start spotting the "old blood" and have been since.

    I have the implant (implanon) and got so annoyed i've got an appointment at the family clinic on monday to talk about it!

    I had a suspicion that it had something to do with exercise but didnt have the foggiest that it really could be anything to do with it!!
  • nikkijennings
    nikkijennings Posts: 130 Member
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    I've been on the same birth control pill for 7-8 years now. Whenever I started it way back in the day, it's always been the same so I can't see that messing me up. I guess 5 pounds is a lot, my body was used to my starting weight for over a year or so. I guess the change in activity level and calories messed it up?

    I'm glad though that it has happed to several of you as well during this. I will wait it out and see what happens.. If it happens again next month then I will go to my doctors.

    I'm in the UK, and it is normal practice to change the type of BC we are on every 5-7 years..... I am now on the Myrena Coil (Coil plus slow release hormone attached and lasts for 5 years) I now get nothing- nada- rien de tout!!!!! Fabulous!!!!! :wink: :laugh: :bigsmile: :blushing:
  • ChantelleSlight
    ChantelleSlight Posts: 39
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    Hi, I have had the Implanon for about a year now, and from the absolute beginning I wasn't having any bleeding. That was up to 2 months ago when I started to regularly do exercise, I started getting really sore about 2 weeks before and then started cramping a week before. But it wasn't as bad when it finally started. I asked the doctor about it and he said that it was because of the exercise and that it should start to sort itself out again.
  • ley1
    ley1 Posts: 115
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    Hi, I have had the Implanon for about a year now, and from the absolute beginning I wasn't having any bleeding. That was up to 2 months ago when I started to regularly do exercise, I started getting really sore about 2 weeks before and then started cramping a week before. But it wasn't as bad when it finally started. I asked the doctor about it and he said that it was because of the exercise and that it should start to sort itself out again.


    thats nice to know, mine has been in for 9 months with no problems until i started working out!

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