Questions about a first period

[Libra]

Hello! Could someone please answer these questions that I have about a first period? Here they are:

1. Does having Marfan's syndrome affect when you will get your first period? I have it, and it causes my weight to be impossible (or hard) to change, making me naturally skinny and underweight, I am at 77 pounds currently and I am scared that it may have an affect on when I get my first period, because many people say you have to be 100 pounds to start it.

2. Does taking a hormone support medication delay your first period? My mother gave me some to take, saying that it would speed up the time when I get my first period, but before I continue taking them, I want to know if it would delay the first period somehow.

3. Does stress affect when you get your first period? This one is really confusing me. Some places, it says that when your stressed, it speeds up your period, and the other places say it just delays it. Will it delay it? Because I'm stressed all the time, and I'm afraid it'll make getting my first period late.

Now number four is asking if this was my first period or not:
A week ago I kept waking up in the morning 3 times from cramps around my hips and waist area, and I continued cramping the rest of the day.
At around 5 PM I went to the bathroom, and when I wiped, on the tissue was a light pink liquid. I wiped two more times and it was there, but it stopped and didn't happen again.
But the odd thing was, when the liquid was wiped off, I stopped cramping entirely, and I felt happier. (Which my mother said would happen once I got my period)
What really throws me off about this is that: There was none of the liquid on my underwear, and it wasn't really gooey like normal first periods should be. It was just a light pink liquid.
My mother said that it was probably my urine changing colors from vitamins she gives me every night, but I don't see how my urine would change from 18 hours of when I take them, and it hasn't happened before or again, but she gives me different ones every night, so I don't really know.
My friend told me that the same thing had happened to her around my age, too, and she got her real first period 10 months after, around her birthday (we both have the same birthday).
So what do you think? Was that possibly my first period? Or is it some kind of sign that it will come soon?

Thank you for any kind of answers.

[Eddie C]

Hello there, Libra. Welcome to Scarleteen!

I am not an expert in this issues but when someone with more knowledge comes around they will pick up your question for sure. But I wanted to let you know that someone saw your question and that we are not spacing out replying to you.

But what I can say for sure is that this is something that you can always ask to your healthcare provider, if you already have one. And also, are these vitamins and hormone treatments something that your doctor are prescribing? If so, again, they can explain much better what the side effects are.

[Libra]

Hello Edith_*! Thank you for the friendly welcome and advice!
These vitamins and hormone supporters aren't prescribed by a doctor, they're all natural medicines that are found online, so there is nothing being prescribed to me, and my mother doesn't want me to be prescribed with medicines from doctors.

[Heather]

Being very low weight usually does delay periods starting, because to menstruate, a person needs a certain level of body fat (which isn't the same as weighing a certain number of pounds).

What you described certainly could have been your first period, however.

We can't really pitch in about what impact any of these supplements or natural medicines may be having, particularly without knowing what, exactly, they are. If you'd like to give us a list here, I'd be glad to do some research for you.

[lilpeoplez]

Taking herbal medicine doesn't usually cause any odd side affects, but I'm a bit concerned because you mentioned that your mom also purchased hormone supplements online... If you could figure out what supplements you're using I'd be happy to help.

As for stress, yes it can delay not only your first period, but many. It is pretty common for someone with a lot of stress and low weight to have their periods come later or less often than I'll others. It is possible that what you are experiencing is called spotting, it's completely normal and can happen inconsistently roughly 6-12 months before your first actuall period.

[Redskies]

just adding a note here that it really depends which herbal medicines, per what side effects are possible. "Herbal" or "natural" does not automatically mean "mild" or "harmless" or that it can only be good. Herbal medicines are medicines, and they can be as potent and as complex as Western medicines. It's best to get proper health advice from someone who has some good knowledge about health and herbal medicines before taking any.

[Libra]

Everybody wondering, you can find the Amazon listing for it here. It's the exact thing that was ordered.
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Reusing this thread as something happened yesterday I'm questionable about.

Yesterday at around 5:00 PM I went to the bathroom once again, and found a weirdly colored mark in my underwear, it turned out to be a bright red drop of blood.
I checked around to see any signs of bleeding from the possible source, but there was nothing at all, not even today or hours later.
But this was a really small drop of blood, maybe half the size of a dime? Earlier today I've been having really bad lower back cramps, and my right thigh was cramping.
Although, your first period should look like old blood (dark red) correct? As the drop of blood was bright red, like it's fresh.

Does it seem clarified this is most likely spotting, like lilpeoplez said? Or is it something else?

Also, I'm sorry if I'm starting to get a little annoying, this is just making me really confused and I can't find any articles on the things happening to me. If it helps, I'm around 80-82 pounds now and not so stressed. I've been moody lately and I've been lashing out (not violently) at some people before apologizing, but I feel like it's revolving around the reason my significant other is gone for a week.

[Mo]

It's hard to know if what you experienced was a period or not; first periods can be very light and while lower abdominal cramping is more common with periods I know some folks can have back cramping as well. So, that's certainly what it could have been but there's just no way we can know for sure.
If you haven't checked in with a doctor I think that might be helpful - regardless of your mother's feelings about medication, talking to a doctor about the bleeding you've been noticing (and checking in with them about that supplement so they can make sure it's appropriate to take in your particular situation) sounds like a good idea. Whether they prescribe you anything or not, they're going to be best-equipped to evaluate your situation.

[Libra]

Thank you everyone for the help. Could I by any chance have more opinions/thoughts on the matter before I go see a doctor?

[Redskies]

I'm not sure there's much useful anyone can add to what Heather and Mo have already said. Is there something you feel you need before seeing a doctor?

Too, I know you said your mother doesn't want you to be prescribed things by a doctor. Do you already have a doctor who you see, or do you need any help with finding and accessing a doctor?

[Libra]

Nope! I have a doctor already, and I plan to be taken to them in a few days/a week or two. Thank you for the help and offer!
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Here I am again though, another problem, I am so sorry for using this thread so much although I have nowhere else to go to for answers.

November 20th, I woke myself up at 5 AM with absolutely horrible stomach cramps or around-stomach cramps.
I ended up rushing to the bathroom trying to find a way to cure it, but it only stopped after diarrhea had passed, so about 10 minutes.
I thought it might have been something related to my period, but I ignored it since it only happened once.
Thing is, I've been getting small cramps around my stomach/in my stomach, but they aren't as bad as the ones said above, they're small and they don't disturb me at all. Just a little uncomfortable.

Now, today, I got the exact same pains. Same everything. Including diarrhea and having it stop after 10 or so minutes. But I'm very confused since they're about a month apart, just like a period should be?
I'm not stressed, or sick.
Are these good signs it's coming soon or really soon? Are there any ideas on what it could be?

FYI: There's no blood involved when this happened both times. At most there was a little pink-ish tinge of liquid on the paper like I said in the first post. If it helps, I was drinking a cup of green tea right before this happened.

I'll be asking the doctor about this, but I want to get any information I can if that's okay. Thank you in advance!

[Sam W]

Hi Libra,

It's possible that this is connected to your cycle and period in some way given the timing (too, some people have intestinal distress like diarrhea as part of their period or PMS symptoms). However, your best approach is the one you're already planning: asking the doctor about this, as they'll have more of an ability to diagnose it and maybe even give you something to manage those symptoms.