Why is my period so much different this month?

And, for sure your not pregnant right? Of course someone is going to ask that.

if you had just come off the pill I would say it is from that, but if you have cycled normally since January it can’t be that. It is very common for people on high dose pills to have a lot of bleeding initially with the first cycle, but then they go back to nornal.

Do you have fibroids? If you do they might have started to grow not that you are off birth control and one might be causing more bleeding. You would need an ultrasound to diagnose it.

Take some iron while you are bleeding so heavily.

BC is just weird, in general. Going off hormones seems to over-compensate for a lot of things. Could have some correlation with the amount you’re noticing now. Next time you’re in to see your lady-doctor, you should ask her. It’s probably nothing, but it never hurts to ask.

I find my period varies greatly with my diet and exercise schedule. I haven’t been on BC for years and years and every now and then I get a killer heavy period but then my body goes back to it’s normal pattern.

Have you lost weight? Estrogen is stored in fat, so if you lost some, your period could be heavier.

@Ponderer983 It’s the opposite. Women who are two lean stop cycling all together.

@JLeslie I didn’t implying that she is emaciated or anorexic or too skinny and lost MORE weight. She could be 250 pounds and have lost 10 lbs this past month. That would cause more menstrual blood. I am assuming she is a healthy woman.

@Ponderer983 I still don’t understand why that would cause more blood? Less estrogen causes more blood? Why do you think that? Do you have some sort of link? That seems ilogical to me.

No I haven’t really lost weight. Maybe a little, I’ve been biking a lot. But nothing noticeable.

I should note that since I asked this question, it seems to have gone back to normal and isn’t crazy heavy anymore, but yesterday through this morning, yikes.

I am very sympathetic to your concern although I can offer nothing based on my own experience.

I can’t imagine what it must be like to not be able to consult a gynecologist about such a matter. Can I presume you live in the USA and like so many can not obtain medical care without severe financial hardship?

Your question deserves to be answered by an expert in the female reproductive system.

@Dr_Lawrence I wouldn’t run to the doctor anyway. I hate our system, don’t get me wrong, but I dislike doctors quite often too. A lot of the time I can predict of they will be able to help me or not. Going to a doctor when it is questionable whether it is necessary is a problem in your system too, because Canada still works on a billing system like the US, the only difference is the doctor bills the government. So, if people run to the doctor all the time you risktaxes gojng up, in America we risk premiums.

Don’t get me wrong, if @deni continues to have atypical bleeding I think she should get it checked, but a slight heavy day? One time? I wouldn’t go.

I do not advocate that Canadians run to the doctor for every little thing. Most of us don’t and patients who misuse or abuse the system are often gently guided by the doctors how to decide when an office visit is justified. We also have available toll-free access to public health nurses to whom more routine questions can be directed.

There is another significant difference beside who gets billed. Doctors in Canada get paid a much more reasonable fee than is charged by US doctors. Our hospitals operate on a cost recovery basis not as a for-profit corporation returning huge profits to shareholders.

Patients who require diagnostic tests don’t have to choose between feeding their families and getting necessary medical tests.

I don’t know what gynecological symptoms require prompt medical attention.

@JLeslie The only link I could give you is my gyno’s phone number. I am on a medically supervised weight loss program with my gyno. I am on seasonique (period once every 3 months) and after losing 11lbs in 2 weeks, I started getting breakthrough bleeding, just as heavy as my period would be, but I still have another 5 weeks until I am supposed to get my period. She said that with the loss of fat (where estrogen is stored) more estrogen is being released into my body, creating this pseudo period (and to the contrary, if someone has no fat, as you mentioned, they can not store estrogen, therefore no period). Once my body adjusts to the weight loss, my period should regulate itself. I’m sure there is a link out there to this, but I trust the word of my gyno from just a week ago.

@Ponderer983 Interesting. I never had heard of such a thing.

@Dr_Lawrence Well, I completely agree with you there. America is a mess for crazy high fees and a basic lack of integrity in the system.

See if it is a recurrent problem. If it is, talk to your doctor; if not, probably just a result fo coming off the pills. Periods can change after pregnancy as well.

I’m not sure of the biological reasons for this, but my guess would be that if you don’t have a lot of blood and tissue to “lubricate” through the contractions, maybe it would be more painful than if you had a lot of blood to soften the cramps? I believe I have endometriosis, although I can’t get a doctor to take me seriously (“all women have cramps, get over it” is the usual response). Sometimes I have light periods, sometimes heavy. I rarely use super tampons but I have had to do that too recently and it’salso been less painful than a couple of months ago. I almost think that some of those clots are coming out, and that would create more blood and less pain. It would be interesting to get a professional opinion, if I could find an actual professional.