I'm not quite sure where to post this, and I must warn you it borders on TMI... however, I have concerns...

Does anyone else have trouble with their periods?
My cycles are inconsistent (though I've never been all that regular)... I can go months without, then sometimes it feels like I'm bleeding like a stuck pig for weeks on end. And there are clots... I don't know if this normal or not? I haven't talked to my doctor about it (yet)

Does anyone else have issues with this? Should I be concerned?
And will it effect my overall fertility?

I'm 32, and while I am NOT actively trying to get pregnant, it is on my mind... a LOT! I'm at the age where most of my friends are having kids. And I've ALWAYS wanted children... however that is not the issue. (pregnancy would be BAD right now, with no job and my boyfriend's 13 year old driving him nuts, however we're not exactly consistent with birth control).

First off, if pregnancy would be "BAD right now", get consistent with the birth control, please!

A lot of women experience hormonal issues like you describe and some are weight related. I would talk to your doctor as soon as possible to rule out any issues (PCOS, endometriosis, ovarian cysts or something else).

This is an issue that many women with a substantial amount of weight to loose experience. Excess body fat causes our hormones to be CRAZY. I have heard this from countless women that are around the 300# mark. My sister has suffered with this for years.

I have been around 250 twice in my life and my periods are much crazier than when I'm at an appropriate weight.

BTW - beautiful profile picture, you and the scenerey!!

THANKS!! I was in Tortolla, British Virgin Islands last year!

Yes, I have PCOS actually so my periods are allll over the board. When I lost weight down to 250 (from 320), they started to be more normal (although still 40+ days apart). Then I went from 260 to 180 in 7 months and lost it again (menrea I believe they call it) due to the rapid weight loss.

I know, from my doc, that not having a regular period can affect the cells in your uterus and MAY lead to cancer (don't panic though... I dont mean to scare you...)

It is worth checking out - you can try many ways to bring it on. Personally, I cannot take anything with hormones due to previous blood clots so I am now using a Copper T IUD (been just over a month)... of course, that TOTALLY prevents pregnancy sooooo...

I would definitely make a doctors appt - better safe than sorry!

I agree with others that have said to talk to your doctor. There are so many reasons for period troubles.

Mine are quite regular, but I too have the heaviness and clots. Sometimes it's so bad I can't go in to work. There is nothing the docs can do about mine (we are ttc, so I can't go on the pill or have ablation.) It was a relief to know that the cause it minor though (uterine lining starting to grow into uterine muscle-very common.) I'd say go to the doctor, if nothing else, for peace of mind.

Mine are totally inconsistent and have been since I started. I don't have periods unless I'm on birth control; I have PCOS.

It will be worth discussing with your ob/gyn if you're concerned about any of the issues you're having. It probably won't affect your fertility unless you want to get pregnant, in which case I think the longer between periods, the more frustrated you can become and may resort to fertility treatments.

Happytobeamomof2--I also have PCOS but have had difficulty losing weight. My OBGYN said that is due to the PCOS. It took me over a year to lose 30 pounds and I have pushed things into high gear and have only lost 6 pounds in the last 5 and 1/2 weeks. Can I ask if there was a specific plan you followed to get down to 180? My goal weight is 175.

I'm currently keeping a food/water/exercise diary, keeping between 1500-1600 calories, choosing healthy options that are low or no fat with lots of veggies and fruits and working out 3-5 times a week. I just wanted to know if there were foods to avoid, herbal supplements or other options that you did.

Thanks!

I've been right where you're at. I have been diagnosed with Insulin Resistance which is a common symptom of Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (of which polycystic ovaries is just one of many symptoms). When I was trying to get pregnant, I wasn't ovulating. Very irregular periods is a symptom of not ovulating. When you ovulate and the egg is not fertilized, your body gets the signal and you have a period roughly 2 weeks later. If you're not ovulating, you'll eventually have a "period" because the uterine lining can only hang out for so long before it has to be shed - resulting in a really heavy period. I would say that you are probably not ovulating right now and need to see a doctor if you are interested in getting pregnant. I was prescribed Metformin and it both helped me lose weight and I started ovulating again. As you continue to lose weight, you may find that you start ovulating again on your own. I hope this helps. I struggled with infertility for years before having kids, and I tend to dump crazy amounts of information even if it's not needed or wanted. Sorry if that's the case.

LaughingGirl78:

Here is an idea of what I eat in a day and what type of exericse I do... maybe that will help???? I dont take any suppliments, just a daily multivitamin. i dont avoid any healthy foods. i eat to the food guide. i very very rarely eat junk food and if i do, it means i cut out something healthy to make 'room' for it in my 2000-2100 range.

Breakfast:
1 cup oatmeal, 1/2cup grapefruit juice (lower carb than oj), 3 tsp brown sugar, 1/2cup skim milk, 530 cal total

snack:
piece of fruit and two single serve yogurt (no fat) 170 cal total

Exercise:
I do one strenuous hour every day. today is spinning. (i have a personal trainer twice a week, also take classes, run on treadmill/outside, occasional yoga etc. i mix it up LOTS as long as I am burning at least 700cal/session I am happy)

lunch:
varies a lot - today is homemade chili and melba toast, and 1/2 cucumber, 490 cal total

snack:
carrot sticks, piece of fruit 100 cal total

dinner:
varies a lot - tonight is chickpea stew, brocolli and dry hashbrowns (ie made without oil or butter) - 525 cal

snack:
because of my eating disorder, it isimportant that i dont go to bed hungry. my therapist asked me to add 150 cal snack before bed. she suggested a piece of toast with some cinamon sugar on it. this has helped me get over 30 days without a binge!!!

my doc/therapist told me it was important to have protein at every major meal. i find that if i am light on protein i am very weak the next day. i am carb heavy in the morning and slowly decrease my carbs throughout the day. i dont count my veggies in my calories (cucumber, carrots, celery etc). i make a lot of crockpot meals because i can control salt and fat and i find that a lot of them are bean based which is cheap, easy and high in protein.

feel free to ask me more or email me directly even... [email protected]

This is exactly my case. I take Metformin (well, the extended release version, Glumetza) - and it has helped with weight loss.

Is Glumetza a generic? I know Metformin is the generic of Glucophage. I'm asking because after my pregnancies, my obgyn has prescribed the lowest dose of Metformin for me, and I don't think it's working. I was on twice this doseage before my first child was born, and I was at least maintaining my weight. After my last, on the lower doseage, I put on 30 lbs easily. I have a dr appt with her in a couple weeks, and I want to request to be put back on the higher doseage on extended release. If she won't do it (which I understand since she's not the one who prescribed it in the first place, I don't think she's comfortable upping the doseage) I'm going to get referred to an endocrinologist to be tested again, and get my doseage set correctly.

I "tried" metphormin (glucophage) for insilin resistance brought on by my PCOS and lost 100 lbs in 2003 (which i promptly put ALLLLL back on when I got pregnant). After the pregnancy, I thought going back on it would 'solve' my problems. It did nothing the second time.

My doctor actually told me, in the end, that metformin has no effect on insulin resistance (mine, while on metformin, actually got WORSE) but becuase it makes food move through the intenstines faster, it helps people loose weight, sometimes.

Personal opinion - Since I have tried both "healthy weight loss" and "metformin weight loss" I believe exercise and healthy eating are FAR MORE EFFECTIVE AND SUSTAINABLE

I was put on Metformin for weight loss and ended up with low blood sugar a lot; I'm borderline hypoglycaemic to begin with. It's a scary feeling to have to get up and force yourself to eat at 2am.

The calorie tracking and exercise tracking is helping me more than the Metformin did in the 2 months I took it. I still eat a lot of sugar, but it's mainly fruit sugar now, though in the last few days, I've eaten some ice cream.

The clots are pretty normal.... the irregularity might or might not be normal, but it sounds like some irregularity is normal for you. If you aren't in any discomfort and there haven't been any major changes, I'd bring it up at your next annual well-woman exam. There are plenty of medical reasons that can impact your cycle- some serious and some not so much so,. Excess weight can definitely affect your hormone levels and/or ovulation patterns... as can hormone-based birth control methods (up to 3 months after your last dose). And any change- weight loss, weight gain, stress- can mess up even a normal cycle. For me: periods tend to be a little over 30 days apart, but the exact length varies by a day or two each time. During a recent move, I nearly skipped a period (just light spotting), then had a horribly heavy one 2 weeks later... then had a normal one 2 weeks after that. So yay for stress. Birth control pills made my period a little bit lighter, and my cycle a little bit shorter. Depo Provera caused me to cycle only 1x every 3 months (about 4 weeks before my next shot). When I got my IUD, I had heavy bleeding for about 6 weeks straight- so much so I went to get my iron levels tested. I wasn't even anemic (and I have low iron on a good day)... amazing what the human body can endure. But aside from occassional (and explainable) disruptions, any fluctuation in my cycle is minor enough that I don't pay it much notice. As for clots... I had more when I was younger, but I definitely get some. When I got the IUD, they were so big they *hurt*. I think it's just a matter of how much the lining breaks down before it breaks free, so everybody and every body is a little bit different- but scarring or endometriosis can make them more likely.