Question for the ladies (TOM)
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Dragonwolf
Posts: 5,600 Member
(Guys, seriously, it's "girl talk" stuff. You've been warned.)
Has anyone else experienced changes with their TOM after going primal/paleo?
My periods have been spotty ever since I got pregnant in 2006 (a combination of depression and the birth control I was on afterwards resulted in me gaining weight and royally f**ing up my cycles). In 2009, I went on Metformin due to hormone issues, and they started back up, which soon resulted in me getting pregnant again, but after the baby, my TOM never returned. I chalked it up to getting Mirena within a couple of weeks postpartum, before they ever started back up. After all, I had had them before I got pregnant, and I'd lost weight since then, and Mirena is known to make periods light or go away entirely.
I've been tracking my food on MFP for over a year, been working out in various forms for the better part of the past 3-4 years, with martial arts being my current main one as of the beginning of this year, then adding weight lifting in April. My period would come something like once every 3 months or so, be not really enough to warrant more than a pantyliner, and be gone within a day or two. However, once I started eating along the Primal Blueprint style, my periods have started up again, almost immediately (like, within a week or two), and have been the heaviness they were before 2006 (and have thus far restarted their usual schedule), as if nothing ever happened.
Has anyone else experienced changes with their TOM after going primal/paleo?
My periods have been spotty ever since I got pregnant in 2006 (a combination of depression and the birth control I was on afterwards resulted in me gaining weight and royally f**ing up my cycles). In 2009, I went on Metformin due to hormone issues, and they started back up, which soon resulted in me getting pregnant again, but after the baby, my TOM never returned. I chalked it up to getting Mirena within a couple of weeks postpartum, before they ever started back up. After all, I had had them before I got pregnant, and I'd lost weight since then, and Mirena is known to make periods light or go away entirely.
I've been tracking my food on MFP for over a year, been working out in various forms for the better part of the past 3-4 years, with martial arts being my current main one as of the beginning of this year, then adding weight lifting in April. My period would come something like once every 3 months or so, be not really enough to warrant more than a pantyliner, and be gone within a day or two. However, once I started eating along the Primal Blueprint style, my periods have started up again, almost immediately (like, within a week or two), and have been the heaviness they were before 2006 (and have thus far restarted their usual schedule), as if nothing ever happened.
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I actually talked to my gyn about this. I take birth control and have for a very long time to help control cramps, so my cycles are very very regular. After eating strict paleo (seriously no cheating) for a month I got my period like a week early (even on birth control). Naturally I completely freaked out.
My gyn said that when the body goes under any kind of stress that a change in cycle can happen and then told me to give it a month to see if it works itself out. Which it did even though I was still eating strict paleo.
One thing to consider is that paleo/primal influence hormone production (in a good way). The idea is to maintain constant blood sugar which has and effect on insulin (no spikes or drops in blood sugar level out insulin production). This in turn regulates a whole bunch more hormones. I'd have to find the references but this could have an impact on your cycle.
Best idea is to talk to your gyn. Are you still taking metformin, you may want to get your hormones and insulin rechecked to see if you still need to be on it.
Good luck!0 -
Just my experience but mine have been regular for years, down to the day typically. When starting Primal, I noticed no difference except less bloating around that time, and fewer PMS symptoms leading up to it.0
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I actually talked to my gyn about this. I take birth control and have for a very long time to help control cramps, so my cycles are very very regular. After eating strict paleo (seriously no cheating) for a month I got my period like a week early (even on birth control). Naturally I completely freaked out.
My gyn said that when the body goes under any kind of stress that a change in cycle can happen and then told me to give it a month to see if it works itself out. Which it did even though I was still eating strict paleo.
One thing to consider is that paleo/primal influence hormone production (in a good way). The idea is to maintain constant blood sugar which has and effect on insulin (no spikes or drops in blood sugar level out insulin production). This in turn regulates a whole bunch more hormones. I'd have to find the references but this could have an impact on your cycle.
Best idea is to talk to your gyn. Are you still taking metformin, you may want to get your hormones and insulin rechecked to see if you still need to be on it.
Good luck!
Been off the Metformin since a couple months after I got pregnant. As for hormones, the last two blood screens I've gotten have come back clean (the "worst" being my non-fasting blood glucose level of 104), so neither my gyn (who did one of the screens), nor my GP (who did the other) felt the need to put me back on it.0 -
My cycles are a little less regular when I'm eating fully primal or paleo, but I don't care. I no longer have cramps to the point of vomiting and my pms is significantly less horrible to the point that my family has noticed. I think even mire than the weight loss and how I great I feel, that's what keeps me eating the way I do!0
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Mine are completely irregular and currently not showing up (I'm on the pill). I'll be curious to see if things change when I go off it in a little while.0
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"After eating strict paleo (seriously no cheating) for a month I got my period like a week early (even on birth control). Naturally I completely freaked out."
This happened to me too!0 -
Just my experience but mine have been regular for years, down to the day typically. When starting Primal, I noticed no difference except less bloating around that time, and fewer PMS symptoms leading up to it.
I experienced the same thing on paleo. Pretty predictable, as always (unless I've forgotten a pill) but the PMS symptoms are much less. Since going paleo, I've actually been wanting to get off hormonal bc pills and try a non-hormonal method of bc so that I can be better in tune with my hormones. I was off the pill for about a year and when I went back on it, I felt like a different person come that time of month (crazy mood swings!). I would talk to your Gyn again if you're concerned, but it seems to me like you've probably reached a good healthy hormonal balance since things are "working" again!0 -
Wow, this is really interesting. As someone who used to sell an IUD, it really surprises me that you went from no period on Mirena (which is common) to getting one again on Paleo diet. I'm not a doctor, but I would definitely think to blame that on hormonal changes... both stress hormones due changes, as well as changes due to food-related hormones (phytoestrogens from soy products? dairy?) that perhaps you have cut out of your diet with paleo,
I'm on Mirena too. I still get my period, but irregularly, and very light. I wonder how Paleo will affect my cycle - it never occurred to me that it would.
Maybe you should post this on Paleohacks.com and see what kind of response you get.
It would be an interesting study if someone would care to study this!0 -
God bless menopause! :drinker:0
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I just actually had my first since going primal and I used to get debilitating cramps (like no joke fetal position pain) and that didn't happen at all this time. I have always been pretty regular, but the cramps and mood have been getting worse so I'm amazed I was fine this month0
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After going strictly Primal, I got mine a week early (3 week cycle) and the next month a week late (5 week cycle) and then seemed to level out to 4 weeks again. But, the one thing I noticed the most was the LACK of cramps, bloating, irritability, and acne. I only had "weird" feeling in stomach one day and that has been it for PMS symptoms.... don't even crave sweets and I used to down chocolate by the gallon!0
