Question for the ladies/girls .. re. menstrual cycles .. and PMT.

[Saffy]

Is it possible, do you know, to have PMT if you are having irregular periods?

 

[fuzz16]

no idea..

 

[bengal77]

Can you explain what PMT is?

Irregular menstrual cycles can be symptoms of several disorders. Blood tests should be able to rule a few out. I think that the most common cause of irregular periods is PCS, Polycycstic Ovary Syndrome. Are you able to go to the doctor? If you don't have health insurance you can utilize Planned Parenthood. They provide low cost services on a sliding scale for income. Check into your local health department too. They often provide low-cost reproductive health services.

 

[degrassi]

Can you explain what PMT is?

PMT or Premenstrual tension is just another way of saying PMS.

I would assume you could still experience PMS with irregular periods. As long as you are still having periods and having fluctuations in your hormones I would think PMS could also happen.

Have you talked to your doctor?

 

[irishbunny]

I do, usually a few days before, and I'm irregular.

 

[Raspberry82]

So what symptoms do you get around the time of your period other than having it be irregular? Do you get really bad cramping that is unusual or pains in your ovaries? Like how irregular? A couple days or we're talking really way off?

It not unusual for women to have harmless cysts form in the ovaries, this can be from a couple of different reasons, but most often it is from:

1) not getting enough iodine and lack of iodine can create harmless, but painful ovarian cysts. Iodoral is a common safe iodine supplement people use for this reason and it makes the cysts go away with regular use (usually people take 1-4 tablets a day for a month.)

2) your female hormones are out of whack. This is pretty unusual for pre-menopause women unless you have an illness that affects your hormone levels. Most doctors have a 4 week saliva test that you do a few days each week throughout your cycle to test hormone levels.

I personally had an ovarian cyst show up a couple months ago, hurt like crazy on the first day of my period. Took Iodoral daily for a month and it is gone now.

Iodine is really important for our thyroid and ovaries to function normally.

 

[Myia09]

I am on the Depro Shot Birth Control and haven't had a period in 3 years.
I am pretty sure if I had one, I'd cry and freak out.

 

[Raspberry82]

Your doctor should be able to test your iodine levels, I believe with a blood test, but I don't remember exactly how it is done. If they can't, get a new doctor who knows his stuff . They may want to test your thyroid function as well since hypothyroidism can also contribute to low iodine levels, which would contribute to throwing your hormones off and decreasing overall iodine levels in your body.

You want to get the iodine levels back up, but not take too much iodine either. Too little or way too much can both be bad.

 

[Raspberry82]

Myia09 wrote:

I am on the Depro Shot Birth Control and haven't had a period in 3 years.
I am pretty sure if I had one, I'd cry and freak out.

Wow, that would totally freak me out not getting a period ever. How would you tell if there's something wrong with your female hormones or reproductive organs? Menses is one of the best indicators if anything is off or needs to get checked out.

 

[pocketsizedrhino]

My irregular periods a few years ago lead to the diagnosis of hyperthyroidism. Your thyroid levels can be checked with a blood test--thyroid issues are very common in women. I take medicine for it now and the BC pill also helps keep things nice and even too.

 

[pOker]

Having an irregular period is NOT ALWAYS a sign of a problem..
It varies by the person..
I was always regular until I miscarried last year, ever since then I have been irregular and I know that I have no problems.

 

[mistyjr]

:hug1

 

[mistyjr]

I always been irregular. And still Am after i had my 3rd child.

 

[BethM]

Raspberry82 wrote:

Myia09 wrote:

I am on the Depro Shot Birth Control and haven't had a period in 3 years.
I am pretty sure if I had one, I'd cry and freak out.

Wow, that would totally freak me out not getting a period ever. How would you tell if there's something wrong with your female hormones or reproductive organs? Menses is one of the best indicators if anything is off or needs to get checked out.

I'm on a different BC that also stopped me having a period. Like Myia09, I haven't had one in 3 years. I always got really really bad premenstrual symptoms, now I don't have those, either. I don't miss having my period at all.
I see my doctor once a year, and he says I'm fine.

 

[Myia09]

Yup, once a year its requred to get a pap smear and make sure your okay, I have been just fine.
Depro causes no lining or the egg to be realeased so there is also no worry in not having a period
The only downside to Depro is sometimes it can cause calcium deficeincy and every 3 years you have to get your bone mass tested, which I had mine and I was fine but I take supplements just in case.
I am horrible taking daily pills, so the pill is NOT an option for me.
Plus, I could be fine never having a period again.

 

[BethM]

Myia09 wrote:

Plus, I could be fine never having a period again.

Me too.

 

[bengal77]

Raspberry82 wrote:

Myia09 wrote:

I am on the Depro Shot Birth Control and haven't had a period in 3 years.
I am pretty sure if I had one, I'd cry and freak out.

Wow, that would totally freak me out not getting a period ever. How would you tell if there's something wrong with your female hormones or reproductive organs? Menses is one of the best indicators if anything is off or needs to get checked out.

Women on any kind of birth control pill/shot/patch do not have a real period anyways. There is no medical reason to have a period when you are taking a birth control medication. The yearly exam is still required so your doctor would check then for any problems at that time.

PMS is a collection of symptoms, not a disease. Irregular periods are not caused by PMS and they do not necessarily cause PMS although you certainly can have both at the same time, even with an irregular cycle. Usually if you have both it's due to another underlying factor. The only way to find out what is wrong (and yes, irregular periods can be quite serious) is to go to the doctor and get blood work done. They may also require an exam of your pelvis and an ultrasound of your pelvis if the blood work shows something. I have three friends with PCS and irregular periods. One developed cysts that had to be surgically removed. Please go see your doctor if you have irregular periods. Although they aren't always a sign of illness, it is a very common symptom (and usually the first) for reproductive problems.

 

[juliew19673]

The best way I've found to diagnosis a hormone problem, is to get blood work checked weekly by your Gyno so that they can "track" how your hormones react over the 28 day cycle. Then you can see if your body is producing to much or not enough estrogen/progestorin. Further you need to see if your thyroid is working correctly. This will give you either an answer or a direction to figure out what is going on. I was on Depro for 6 months (for endemitroisis - sp?)and it was hard (your in menupause for all intents and purposes) but it corrected the problem - at that time was in my early 30's, now middle 40's and have in-frequent night sweats (hate) and sometimes just feel "not right" - not bad, perse. Part of life..

Your body is always changing as you get older - pap smears, blood work are part of the "joy" of being a woman. Keep on top of the pap smears and ask your Dr. if you think something is wrong and push to have it checked it out.

Finally, exercise is really one of the best cures for PMS - walk, jog, etc. It does help. Best of luck and good topic.

 

[irishbunny]

Raspberry82 wrote:

So what symptoms do you get around the time of your period other than having it be irregular? Do you get really bad cramping that is unusual or pains in your ovaries? Like how irregular? A couple days or we're talking really way off?

It not unusual for women to have harmless cysts form in the ovaries, this can be from a couple of different reasons, but most often it is from:

1) not getting enough iodine and lack of iodine can create harmless, but painful ovarian cysts. Iodoral is a common safe iodine supplement people use for this reason and it makes the cysts go away with regular use (usually people take 1-4 tablets a day for a month.)

2) your female hormones are out of whack. This is pretty unusual for pre-menopause women unless you have an illness that affects your hormone levels. Most doctors have a 4 week saliva test that you do a few days each week throughout your cycle to test hormone levels.

I personally had an ovarian cyst show up a couple months ago, hurt like crazy on the first day of my period. Took Iodoral daily for a month and it is gone now.

Iodine is really important for our thyroid and ovaries to function normally.

It varies from a couple of days to a few minutes before I get my period, it varies each time, I feel bloated and get cramps. I guess it is way off, some months I don't get one, sometimes I won't get one for months at a time, and then I'll get it every month for awhile. The months I do get it though, it comes between the 23rd and 31st of each month.

I'm young though, and have been told it is fine to be irregular while your young, so I'm not worried about it

 

[Raspberry82]

It is possible for some women to be that irregular. I'm sure it is nothing so long as your period does come back even if it disappears for 1-2 months.

Having it totally disappear for months or longer (unless you're pregnant) is usually only with people who have serious eating disorders, so their body shuts it off due to malnutrition and lack of fat to support an egg.. which is dangerous.

But I would get the ok from a Gynecologist first just to be sure. Periods coming and going could possibly be an imbalance of some kind and that should get checked by a doc.