My periods keep getting shorter...

I used to be a 35 day girl, since I started losing weight, I've now had 30, 27, 24 and now a 21 day cycle. Has anyone else experienced this?? It feels like I'm always on now
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Replies

  • GottaBurnEmAll
    GottaBurnEmAll Posts: 7,722 Member
    How old are you?
  • G8r4evr
    G8r4evr Posts: 45 Member
    Almost 39
  • julie_broadhead
    julie_broadhead Posts: 347 Member
    Make an appointment with your gynecologist. It’s possible that it could come from stress. It could also be a sign of an infection.
  • GottaBurnEmAll
    GottaBurnEmAll Posts: 7,722 Member
    edited May 2018
    G8r4evr wrote: »
    Almost 39

    I'd check with your gynecologist. You are a bit young for perimenopause, which was my first thought (your symptoms are common for that). While some hormonal upheaval can possibly be expected with weight loss, it wouldn't hurt to have things checked out with your doctor.
  • G8r4evr
    G8r4evr Posts: 45 Member
    Yeah, I was wondering about peri too. Apparently, it's possible at my age...especially since I started at 10. It's just weird that they shortened at the exact same time I started dieting.
  • GottaBurnEmAll
    GottaBurnEmAll Posts: 7,722 Member
    G8r4evr wrote: »
    Yeah, I was wondering about peri too. Apparently, it's possible at my age...especially since I started at 10. It's just weird that they shortened at the exact same time I started dieting.

    Yes, it is possible. I had early peri, but don't assume everyone else is like me ;) Mine dragged out though, and I had both my kids during it!
  • G8r4evr
    G8r4evr Posts: 45 Member
    Love the weight loss, but I miss my longer cycle.
  • serindipte
    serindipte Posts: 1,557 Member
    edited May 2018
    Mine changed after I had my son. I used to have a full 28 days off between hell weeks, now it's the more standard 28 day complete cycle, but my 'on' days have come down from 7 to 4, so there's that!
  • RunsWithBees
    RunsWithBees Posts: 1,508 Member
    I’m 43 and about 2 years ago my periods went from being consistently always every 28 days to being unpredictable every 25, 23, 21 days. After mentioning it to my gyno and getting checked up, the doc said there’s no problem as long as it doesn’t go less than every 21 days or last longer than a week because it can cause anemia or be a symptom of other problems. Definitely get checked out and mention it to your doctor.
  • GottaBurnEmAll
    GottaBurnEmAll Posts: 7,722 Member
    edited May 2018
    G8r4evr wrote: »
    Love the weight loss, but I miss my longer cycle.

    How much have you lost? I'm thinking it would have to be a very large amount in a fairly short time to have an impact on your cycles that would be so drastic, but I'm just spitballing here.

    Definitely do talk to your doctor.
  • G8r4evr
    G8r4evr Posts: 45 Member
    I'm down 38 lbs since January. I just assumed the weight loss was the cause because the change in length happened at the same time, but I'm reading it may be the anti anxiety medicine I'm on as well..
  • seltzermint555
    seltzermint555 Posts: 10,740 Member
    I agree with the standard "talk to your doctor" advice...always a smart idea.

    However, I wanted to chime in here because I always had about 30 days between the end of one period and beginning of the next. I started menstruating at age 13-14 and that was pretty much like clockwork the entire time, up until age 35 when I'd lost over 100 lb. I am 41 now and since age 35-36 when I lost the majority of my excess weight, it's roughly 21-24 days between the end of one period and beginning of the next.

    Doctor is unconcerned and I'm not in perimenopause according to her. No other symptoms.

    A friend lost 90 lb and her periods went from every 28-32 days to every 21 days like clockwork. Her doctor is also unconcerned. Just for whatever it's worth, a couple more anecdotes from the internet...
  • GottaBurnEmAll
    GottaBurnEmAll Posts: 7,722 Member
    G8r4evr wrote: »
    I'm down 38 lbs since January. I just assumed the weight loss was the cause because the change in length happened at the same time, but I'm reading it may be the anti anxiety medicine I'm on as well..

    The plot thickens! Do talk to you doctor, just to ease your mind at the very least.
  • Fitnessmom82
    Fitnessmom82 Posts: 376 Member
    I've always had 25-28 day cycles. After about 40 pounds lost they started to come every 21 days. Have been that way every since. And they last 7 days. Lighter, less painful and more tolerable. But long and not far between. Doctor said it was fine. Said anything shorter than 21 days or a period longer than 7 days is an issue.
  • G8r4evr
    G8r4evr Posts: 45 Member
    edited May 2018
    Thanks so much ladies. You've definitely eased my mind. When we were trying to conceive my long cycles seemed like a curse, now I actually miss them!! Every 21 days...ugh, mine are usually 7 days too, it's like no break ;(
  • rose2_0
    rose2_0 Posts: 150 Member
    Mine gets wonky with weight loss/deficit.

    I just wish it would go away honestly.
  • Lyrica7
    Lyrica7 Posts: 88 Member
    Mine was at 40 start of a long perimenopause and fibroids-time for s checkup maybe?
  • Fitnessmom82
    Fitnessmom82 Posts: 376 Member
    G8r4evr wrote: »
    Thanks so much ladies. You've definitely eased my mind. When we were trying to conceive my long cycles seemed like a curse, now I actually miss them!! Every 21 days...ugh, mine are usually 7 days too, it's like no break ;(

    Big hugs! It's the worst!! And I get bloated a few days before, the entire week of and when I ovulate. Currently have about 10 days per month when I see the scale go down. I know it's all normal and blah blah blah, but some times it's so frustrating!!
  • collectingblues
    collectingblues Posts: 2,541 Member
    G8r4evr wrote: »
    Thanks so much ladies. You've definitely eased my mind. When we were trying to conceive my long cycles seemed like a curse, now I actually miss them!! Every 21 days...ugh, mine are usually 7 days too, it's like no break ;(

    Big hugs! It's the worst!! And I get bloated a few days before, the entire week of and when I ovulate. Currently have about 10 days per month when I see the scale go down. I know it's all normal and blah blah blah, but some times it's so frustrating!!

    Same here! I have a 28-day cycle, and my water retention lasts for 10 days at the start, and at mid-cycle (I don't ovulate, but still get mid-cycle retention), so there are *two* days in between from the start of the month until the 20th or so, and then I have 10 days to show any losses in between... It *sucks*.
  • Lillymoo01
    Lillymoo01 Posts: 2,865 Member
    Ladies, there is a shining land of happy menopause at the end of all this hell. It's lovely. I promise you. It will be yours some day. My cycles were hell too, and I was peri for 20 years. We were trying to conceive so I knew about it from bloodwork.

    20 years! That makes me want to cry. I'm only a few years in and am over the hot flushes, frequent toilet visits at night and irregular cycles (anywhere from 3 weeks to 3 months).
  • deputy_randolph
    deputy_randolph Posts: 940 Member
    Mine was all over the place when I was heavier...anywhere from 20-40 days. When I lost weight, the start date became more predictable...closer to 22-32. I also found that I was Vitamin D deficient. Since supplementing with D (I have to take 5000 ius daily). Like clockwork, I'm on 28 day cycle.

    I see this predictability as a good thing. I didn't like the longer, haphazard cycles.
  • GottaBurnEmAll
    GottaBurnEmAll Posts: 7,722 Member
    Lillymoo01 wrote: »
    Ladies, there is a shining land of happy menopause at the end of all this hell. It's lovely. I promise you. It will be yours some day. My cycles were hell too, and I was peri for 20 years. We were trying to conceive so I knew about it from bloodwork.

    20 years! That makes me want to cry. I'm only a few years in and am over the hot flushes, frequent toilet visits at night and irregular cycles (anywhere from 3 weeks to 3 months).

    I didn't have symptoms for 20 years, thank glob! If it weren't for the blood work, I wouldn't have known. I just had peri level hormones, but my cycles were still fine. I only had the weird symptoms for about 10 years. Which yeah, that's still bad, but you get used to them after a while. Towards the end, the periods *really* space out, like my last two came every six months. And I didn't have any hot flushes the last two years or so.
  • G8r4evr
    G8r4evr Posts: 45 Member
    I'm looking for anything to lengthen mine. Vitamin B helped one month, Im hoping it will help again.

    Had no idea peri could cause shorter cycles. I'm losing weight, on new medicine, new supplements and about to turn 39. Not sure which is the culprit.
  • 2baninja
    2baninja Posts: 518 Member
    It could be a little of everything, I lost 26 pounds and my last period went from a normal 6-7 days to 3, the length of my cycle has always been in the 25-30 day range- last day to 1st day, that hasn't changed.
    My gyno, has told me if I lose, it will get lighter, if being down from 7 to 3 from 26 pound, maybe I'll be at nothing when I hit 60 pounds....lol. But I'm also 49, so there's that....
  • whitpauly
    whitpauly Posts: 1,483 Member
    G8r4evr wrote: »
    I'm looking for anything to lengthen mine. Vitamin B helped one month, Im hoping it will help again.

    Had no idea peri could cause shorter cycles. I'm losing weight, on new medicine, new supplements and about to turn 39. Not sure which is the culprit.

    What kind of supplements are you taking?
  • Abby2205
    Abby2205 Posts: 253 Member
    I have a similar pattern since I turned 40–shorter cycle, plus longer, heavier periods, so just super all around. I saw a gynecologist and did some reading, it is very common with advancing age. I tried a progestin-only BCP to reduce bleeding, it had the opposite effect—bleeding or spotting almost all the time. Plus I was very irritable, but I can’t be sure if it was the BCP or just annoyance at bleeding ALL THE TIME.
  • G8r4evr
    G8r4evr Posts: 45 Member
    whitpauly wrote: »
    G8r4evr wrote: »
    I'm looking for anything to lengthen mine. Vitamin B helped one month, Im hoping it will help again.

    Had no idea peri could cause shorter cycles. I'm losing weight, on new medicine, new supplements and about to turn 39. Not sure which is the culprit.

    What kind of supplements are you taking?

    A bunch. About 10 a day...
  • G8r4evr
    G8r4evr Posts: 45 Member
    Abby2205 wrote: »
    I have a similar pattern since I turned 40–shorter cycle, plus longer, heavier periods, so just super all around. I saw a gynecologist and did some reading, it is very common with advancing age. I tried a progestin-only BCP to reduce bleeding, it had the opposite effect—bleeding or spotting almost all the time. Plus I was very irritable, but I can’t be sure if it was the BCP or just annoyance at bleeding ALL THE TIME.
    Abby2205 wrote: »
    I have a similar pattern since I turned 40–shorter cycle, plus longer, heavier periods, so just super all around. I saw a gynecologist and did some reading, it is very common with advancing age. I tried a progestin-only BCP to reduce bleeding, it had the opposite effect—bleeding or spotting almost all the time. Plus I was very irritable, but I can’t be sure if it was the BCP or just annoyance at bleeding ALL THE TIME.
    I was considering a low dosage pill, but worried it might make things worse, with everything else I have going on. :(
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    Yep. 21 days cycle. It totally sucks. Although I got lucky this time and made it to 26 days. I just turned 40 but it's been happening for a year. Oh and I have anemia too and severe bloating and always feel awful a couple days into my period.

    PMS is hell too.

    GYN says it's normal.