Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Gill Mojo]

I guess I just want to know if this is common (No such thing as normal, right )

For about the last 6 months, although my periods continue to be depressingly regular (aside from one which I skipped completely), they have changed quite noticeably. Firstly, I have started getting excruciating pain around ovulation (received wisdom seems to say this is due to little water cysts which burst and then the pain goes away). I have never had ovulation pain in my life, so this is completely new to me.

Secondly, the course of my period has altered. It starts (and excuse the graphic nature here) with a day of brown staining, then a day or two of nothing, then three days of Niagara Falls, replete with heavy clots, and then nothing for a day, followed by a couple of days of vague, not worth the effort staining. This is all new to my body.

So please, is this kind of change in the nature of my periods something lots of ladies go through?

[dazned]

Yep unfortunately sounds about right ,on the joys of this time of life 

[Taz2]

Yes that sounds right although I'm not sure about the ovulation pain if you have never had it before? It may be worth getting this checked out.

The stop-start nature of periods in peri is because the hormones are no longer stable as they used to be.  They are released at odd times so your body begins to shed the lining as normal and then the hormone is switched off or on and so the shedding stops or slows and then it all changes again so the shedding starts again.. etc etc.  Also, although periods can be a pain (literally) lots of us found that it's good to hang on to them for as long as possible as it's only after they stop that real meno symptoms begin. Sounds incredible I know to want to keep having them!

Taz x

[Gill Mojo]

Thanks for the explanations I'll see how the ovulation thing goes. At the moment it is once every three months or so. If it gets worse or more frequent, I'll go bother a professional

[Taz2]

Is it always on the same side i.e. does it only affect one ovary?

Taz x

[Gill Mojo]

No, it alternates. Does that make a difference do you think?

[Taz2]

I just wondered as, usually, the ovaries release an egg alternate months. I would always get ovulation pain one side one month and then on the other side the next month.  There's a brief explanation here http://www.yourhormones.info/glands/ovaries.aspx

Taz x 

[CLKD]

Sounds about 'normal' to me ……. brown staining was my 'problem' at the end of my intermittent periods ……. all my Life had I had painful, heavy, clotty periods until I took The Pill ……. which at least eased the pain.  It took about 2/3 years for periods to appear/not before they disappeared 

[Gill Mojo]

Thanks for the reassurance all; nice to feel included

[20032003]

The on-and-off switching.... Does that also affect cramps? The last couple of periods have been weird in that sense too. Take this one for instance. Started Friday morning. Cramps . Also cramps yesterday. Today I thoght the cramps were over, but I have an on-and-off burning cramping this afternoon. Still bleeding and when I go to the toilet I have drops coming out. It's like the bleeding can't get going really good, but instead drags out both with the bleeding and the cramping. Looked back on my last period (I have an app ) and could see that I had cramping days 1, 2 and 4... Weird to skip a day and get it back. Is that what you're talking about, Taz?

[Taz2]

Yep - that's what I'm talking about   

Taz x

[20032003]

Yep - that's what I'm talking about   

Taz x

Hmm... I wonder if that's why my stomach is acting up then too? I've always had stomach upsets with my periods, but at least they made some sense before...

[CLKD]

HORMONES   

[Gill Mojo]

CLKD, you make me  so often. Always spot on with the comments. Hormones indeed

[20032003]

Hrm... On cycle day 9 now. My boobs are itchy (I usually get itchy instead of sore, or both), I've had some slight cramping an an increase in discharge. About to ovulate soon again?