After giving birth and breastfeeding my son, my periods returned in January 2020. I got my official UAT diagnosis in June 2020.
My periods have never returned to a regular cycle. I've just had a 13 day cycle. 😫 With an average cycle of 23 days.
I know that it doesn't count officially as 'irregular' but I'm so fed up of it. My bloods are looking pretty good at the moment and I've been waiting for my cycles to level off and they just haven't.
Am I being impatient and things will settle down? Or should I be thinking about peri menopause? (Although I'm only 36!)
I've taken levothyroxine since I was 30, now 42, but around 36 things really started to go downhill for me on Levothyroxine. My thyroid levels dropped and it resulted and heavier cycles, which resulted in low ferritin levels as well. I also thought maybe I was going through this perimenopause but that was way off. At 38, I went to a reproductive endocrinologist who did an ultrasound of my ovaries dying my cycle and told me I was absolutely not peri. Personally too little thyroid hormone will make my cycles heavier and too much thyroid hormone will make them very scant and suppressed. If you have hypothyroidism and take levothyroxine and you're only 36 then I would contribute the irregular cycles to the thyroid hormone.
That's reassuring. My cycles have remained much the same (aside from length) regardless of what dose I'm taking. Currently on 50mch levo, 60mg NDT, and 10mcg T3.
I feel more normal than I have in years. My most recent results (after introducing T3) are:
Over 20 years ago, at age 32, I had my last period--I had gone through menopause and didn't even know it. When I first got my period at age 14 it was super regular. With a huge dose of PMS, it would show up. Once a month, I stayed home from school or ended up in the nurse's office because of severe cramps. Around age 25, I started skipping periods every now an then. I didn't worry about it because I thought it was no big deal, and frankly, I was grateful not to have to deal with it LOL. Around 30, they were very infrequent, by the time I got to the doctor I was told I was in menopause. I was shocked because I didn't know one could be postmenopausal at 32 but at the same time I was happy not to have to deal with tampons and pads, etc.
18 years later at age 48, I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism caused by Hashimoto's and two years later at age 50, I had my 1st DEXA scan and it showed that my lumber spine t-score was -3.9. If you haven't had a DEXA yet, that -3.9 pretty much means that my spine is 39% less dense than the average 30 y.o.'s spine.
I'm a pretty healthy person. My weight has always been in the healthy range. I don't smoke, I don't do drugs, and I rarely drink. I exercise and my diet has always been pretty healthy. My parents made us drink milk with meals growing up etc.
I do not have any fragility fractures and I have not lost any height. If you aren't fracturing or losing height there are NO early warning signs for osteoporosis--they call it a silent disease.
I am sharing all of this because, after being diagnosed with osteoporosis at age 50 (I'm now 54) and doing a lot of my own research, I've learned that every time you skip a period, it can cause bone loss.
Unfortunately, I was not given HRT when I went through early menopause--that probably would have helped my bones significantly. Additionally, I was recently digging through old medical files and found a TSH test from when I was 32 that showed my TSH was 3.3--my thyroid was probably already whacky at that time and I just didn't get diagnosed.
If your periods are irregular, for the sake of your bones, make sure your doctor is doing something to keep your estogen levels up.
My periods vary 23 - 28 days mostly, I have had a 56 recently after spotting for 23 days.
Before DX I was having periods every 13-14 days.
Mine are heavy and clotty (fibroids blamed)
I am 49, was put on HRT for symptoms of tiredness brainfog nightsweats hot flashes at 43 (incorrect DX) 2017-2021 HRT contained lactose (I’ve only recently discovered intolerance/allergy) and initially helped but after covid in 2021 symptoms were identified as hypo confirmed by blood test.
I take transexamic acid for a few days each month which helps by day 3 of period.
I’ve been offered mefamic acid but allergic to aspirin so contraindicated.
I’ve been offered a mirena coil but no thanks, I’ve only just lifted out of my gloominess from years of undiagnosed hypo and overdose of HRT hormones.
Second period on 125mcg due any day so will be interesting to see any difference this month and next.
Ultrasound for fibroids showed ovaries still in business so HRT was definitely a bad idea.
I had my female hormones tested in April last year. Oestradiol is only 9% on range which could well be my normal hut doesn't look quite right to me, especially with FSH high in range. I don't know what that means for my ovaries though. 😂
My periods have always been very light. Still are and only 3 days of bleeding. I've had to odd one that felt more 'normal' 5 days with a healthier flow.
we had menopause training at work, expert said FSH blood tests before actual menopause (as in 12 months from last period) can be very misleading. I’ve no idea if that is the case. I don’t want to cast any aspersions just sharing what I’ve been told, did a doctor report on Medichecks results? Did you have to take at a certain point in your cycle? I’m interested to know if the work expert is correct.
I’m convinced my symptoms were thyroid/autoimmune related now and not peri menopause. My instinct is to optimise thyroid meds as a priority.
I guess the only way to find out is to trial your chosen treatment and test and see how you go with symptoms.
Yes, had to take it on Day 3. Drs report was a copy paste job. Didn't say anything meaningful.
I've got a call with a menopause clinic near me tomorrow so I'll know whether I'm barking up the wrong tree then! 😂
I also thought it was all thyroid bit painfully low libido and short cycles are the biggest 2 remaining symptoms I have... Which can also be cause by low estrogen so... Who knows!
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