Question for joggers/marathon runners please
 

I didn't know where to post this but I figured I'd have the best chance of finding all the runners in the Exercise forum.

I just started jogging within the last 3 months. I run about 4-5 days a week for about 40-50 minutes. The other day I ran about 3.5 miles on the treadmill at the gym in about 50 minutes...nothing drastic.

I'm now experiencing a "missing period" of some sort. I'm positive I'm not pregnant and I'm not anorexic in any way. TOM is technically 6 days late and all I have is minor spotting like when I was on BC pills in my 20's...if you didn't look for TOM you would hardly notice it's there sort of thing. Last few years they have been pretty normal to heavy with my IUD. I'm not necessarily complaining but is this a problem??? Anyone else have this happen? I've have heard this can happen from running but I didn't think it would happen to me since I'm not running serious distance. I'm a little freaked out. :?:

If I don't get a normal flow by Monday (sorry TMI) I will call my GYN.

Hi, a few questions - how old are you? Did you have any stressful events in our life in the last month? Are your cycles normally the same length every month? Is your IUD copper or hormonal?

I'm 38, no stressful events out of the ordinary, cycles are always normal time/length, IUD is Copper. Only change is frequent running. :shrug:

My best guess is that you just didn't ovulate this month (tends to happen occasionally, especially as we get closer to menopause - ack!) so it didn't trigger the hormonal chain of events that leads to menstruation. The spotting would be due to the buildup of uterine lining. (Calling the gyn isn't a bad idea for peace of mind, though.)

BTW, have you been happy with the copper iud? I am considering it, but it seems like nothing but horror stories online.

Copper IUD tends to make your period a little heavier (especially day 2) but other than that it's been fine. Very first period after getting it placed is really bad but then it settles. You'll also feel crampy for several days and then you won't notice it anymore. I've heard Mirena is better but I don't do well with hormones.

The only annoying part is sometimes I have spotting leading up to my period which makes the overall duration seem longer when you just want to get it over with. It's still approx 7 days. I'd recommend it to anyone that's done w/ having kids.

I don't think I'm pre-menopausal (dare I be that lucky) I think it's the running. My body isn't used to this much exercise, I was a couch potato for 37 years. There is spotting so it may still come, maybe its just late for the party.

Thanks.

my body skips its TOM whenever i put unusual stress on myself, physical, mental or emotional....family drama, TOM gone....exercising harder, TOM gone....change in diet, TOM gone...etc etc rinse and repeat...for years now

there WAS one month awhile ago, probably at least a year or more now, that i did take a pregnancy test from the store because i had ZERO signs of TOM, not a spot, not a cramp, nothing....i wasnt pregnant but still

Even though I'm having some spotting I took a pregnancy test too anyway just for peace of mind. It said negative but I'm still nervous since I've never missed a period...but I've never been a runner before either.

:tired:

That happened to me for a few months after I started running - especially distance. I asked my doc and he said it was nothing to be too concerned with. I'm also on Yaz which accounts for lighter periods to begin with so the combination kind of knocked it out completely.