advice

[Edhelraen]

My periods have always been very steady but the last 2 months, it suddenly got very weird. There's no blood on the pads I wear, and only light blood shows up on toilet paper when I wipe. I went to my doctor and she advised me to get my blood taken so she can see if I'm lacking certain hormones that's making my period abnormal, but the thing is, I'm still having that light bleeding and it's been going on for at least a week now. Should I go see a gynecologist after hearing back from my doctor? I'm not sure if this is normal or not. I have asked my friends and they said they have experienced what I'm experiencing as well, but every body is different. Last month I also had the light bleeding happening, but it stopped after 5 days like my regular period would, but this month it's still going. It's just gotten me very anxious and worried that something might be wrong with my body, but I don't feel like anything is wrong. I'm not fatigued in any way etc.

[Heather]

Hey there.

Did you go ahead and get that blood test done? If so, have you heard back yet on the result of that testing?

Can I also check in with you to see if anything else has been going on with you that can result in this kind of impact like:
• restricted eating or low body weight/fat
• overexercising
• stress (ha ha, I know, we've all got gobs of that right now)
• possible hyperthyroid issues, which often present with things like feeling hyper or tired, weak, having difficulty sleeping, feeling nervous or irritable, or sensitive to heat

[Edhelraen]

I got my blood work done and my doctor has seen me. She said my hormones are normal but there were abnormalities within my blood cells. I have Thalassemia Minor so she said my red blood cells were already small to begin with, but somehow they're not getting enough nutrients throughout my body, so my body began to cut back on my reproductive system as a way of defending itself.

She advised me to eat more healthy meals and sleep on a regular schedule and exercise more to help it get back to normal so I've been following her advice.

[Sam W]

Hi Edhelraen,

I'm glad to hear that the blood work gave you some answers as to what's going on, and that you and your doctor are trying some things to address it. Is there anything else about this issue, or another topic, that we can help you with right now?

[Edhelraen]

I'm thinking I should go see a OBGYN tomorrow. I just started randomly bleeding again today and it's not even supposed to be my period. I'm getting a bit worried about my body now at this point.

[Sam W]

If you're worried, then going back to see an OB-GYN is a good call. It may be that this is just more cycle irregularity, but talking with a healthcare provider will help you determine what's going on and if there are more ways to address it.

[Edhelraen]

I spoke with a OBGYN a few days ago and she suggested I get a ultrasound done of my uterus to see if there's any polyps or abnormalities since that's what she thinks may be causing my periods to be weird. Now I have a dilemma, and that is my period did finally come like 2 days after I went to see her. I believe it may be due to me not ovulating the past 3 months, so my body finally decided to shed the lining since when I use the bathroom and wipe, I see pieces of the lining on the pad and toilet paper.

I'm just curious, is it possible for a period to not stop bleeding? I did some researching and saw that if one didn't ovulate, their next period will be longer than normal since the body has to shed the uterus lining. I'm still going to get the ultrasound done though, but I'm just somewhat relieved my period finally came but now the paranoid side of me is afraid I won't stop bleeding for some reason DX

[Heather]

Well, not forever, no. If someone just kept forever having uterine bleeding it would not be from a period. People can have periods that last for weeks sometimes, though.

But how long are we talking for you right now? Mind, I still think you should follow up with the advised tests.

[Edhelraen]

It's only my 5th day haha, I know, it's too early to start panicking but I'm just a bit worried lol. I do intend to go through with the ultrasound on the 23rd though. I hope my period stops by then

[Sam W]

A five day bleed is very common, so I'd say it's not cause for concern just yet. But I hope the appointment on the 23rd goes well and that you get some more insight into what's going on with your body!

[Edhelraen]

Thank you! I hope so too! Honestly, at this point I feel like my body is trying to get rid of 3 months worth of period or something lol. I still see uterine lining being shed when I wipe after I use the toilet. I just hope it stops soon because all this is just causing me stress and mental anguish that my period won't stop bleeding or something lol >.< I'll give it one more week and see if it stops on its own, if not then I'm definitely gonna talk to my doctor about it next week when I go for the scan.

[Marisha]

Hi Edheraen,

Good luck! We look forward to hearing your update if you want to continue navigating this health journey with us!

[Edhelraen]

I just wanna know if it's possible for a period to last longer than 7 days due to your body still expelling uterine lining? I feel like this is my case currently because when I use the toilet and wipe sometimes, I can still see pieces of my lining being shed on the paper. I'm wondering if this can be a cause of my period being so long this time since my body is essentially trying to expel uterine lining that's been accumulating for 3 months.

[Edhelraen]

I just want to update that I went to the OBGYN at the hospital again today in regards to my bleeding. She prescribed me some medication to take to stop the bleeding and gave me a exam. This was my first time being examined by a OBGYN and she put something inside my vaginal cavity, I'm not sure what she did though. She did tell me to wait until I do the ultrasound to see if there are any further complications. I guess in the meantime I'll take the medicine to stop the bleeding and wait until next week XD

[Sam W]

I'm glad you were able to get to the exam and that you're making progress in figuring out what's going on! I suspect what she put in your vaginal canal was a speculum, which is a tool OB-GYNs use during exams (you can look at some examples here to see if they match what she used: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speculum_(medical)).

[Edhelraen]

Update: I went to a private OBGYN instead and got a ultrasound done. Turns out there's a cyst in my left ovary and that's what's been making my period behave so weirdly. My OBGYN couldn't get a exact measure on the size since I still have uterine lining inside that hasn't been passed out yet apparently. She gave me medicine to take to restart my period to clear everything out, then I need to go back to get another ultrasound done. I just want to ask if anyone has had any experience with the drug called Duphaston? That's the medicine she gave me to help restart my period.

[Siân]

Hi Edhelraen,

I'm glad you managed to get an ultrasound and a clearer idea of what's been causing your periods to behave strangely! Afraid I have no experience of Duphaston myself, but I can see if anyone else around here does

[Edhelraen]

Update: I went to my OBGYN after taking the pills as prescribed. She did another ultrasound and my cyst is gone! That's good news, I'm relieved it's nothing serious now. She did pop the pimple I had on my vagina and gave me some meds and cream to put on it though. She also said to wait a month and see if my period returns to normal itself, since she said if I wanted her to help, she'd only prescribe me hormones to take and I don't want to do that unless I have no choice.

I'm just finally glad the pills she gave me did work and my cyst went away as well.

[Urna]

Hello Edhelraen,

This is great news! Thank you for the update, we're so glad that the cyst went away and the pills worked for you! Fingers crossed that your period returns to normal before next month, and you don't have to get on hormones. Take care, and let us know how it goes!