Anyone else’s period all over the place lately?

[Lesserspottedmama]

I’ve always been like clockwork but the last three months I just don’t know what’s going on. I skipped a period which has never happened before, this month I’m just having spotting. What has prompted me to ask here is my sister said she is in a WhatsApp group with 14 other women who she used to go to Pilates with and 3/4 of them said their cycles are all over the place too. Then my next door neighbour who is post menopausal said she had a bleed for the first time in almost 4 years! So I was curious if any other women have had any irregularities?

I’m 39 so it could be age related, but I went from pretty regular to immediately all over the place as soon as the lockdowns began. During the first lockdown I was alone and didn’t have a period for three months. It felt related to me, as though my body sort of shut down.

It could be linked to the lunar cycle as well. I had the astra zeneca vaccine on Sat & on Sun my period started a week early. I've always had a regular 26 day cycle until recently. I'm in my early 40's.

There is a study looking into this as a side effect of the vaccine

If it has happened to you can you please yellow card it? It’s really important these things can be properly followed up

Yes but I'm 41. I did have the AZ vaccine a couple of months ago though.

I haven’t had the vaccine yet but, now you mention it, my periods have been weird lately. Especially the last couple. The most recent one started a week early and then seemed normal, but turned into 2 more weeks of spotting. I was actually rooting about ip there to see if I’d “lost” a tampon, because I did that once years ago and it gave me weird spotting. Nothing was up there.

Mine have been up the wall for at least a year now but I'm 44 and almost certainly peri. Am fully Pfizered but I simply wouldn't know if I was late/early as my cycle has a mind of its own these days.

Mines weird too, 34 not had the vaccine. Normally every 28 days but seems to be more 30 - 40 now. The longer cycle started about 6 months ago, my 11 year old Dd started her period around that time so I assumed it was to do with syncing with hers.

Yes I thought that and I'm on the pill and haven't had the vaccine.

I'm normally really regular because of the pill and they've been starting a day or 2 late and been far lighter than usual.

It's weird.

Maybe people who haven't had the vaccine but have haywire periods had asymptomatic COVID?

Yup, no vaccine, 31. Last month it was a week late and before that it’s been coming on slowly, takes about a week of spotting to finally arrive!! My friend, 40, had a week late period too same time as me!! ??

@AngstyMom

Maybe people who haven't had the vaccine but have haywire periods had asymptomatic COVID?

I'd never thought of it like that but I guess it's possible

Have you had covid ?

It's a very common symptom on the long covid facebook group that I belong to . Especially in the 35 to 50 age group so peri or fully menopausal

I've actually just been put back on the pill to take back to back from my gp. Long covid fatigue and joint pain was flaring up directly in line with the oestrogen rises in my cycle . Pill is flattening out the peaks and troughs in oestrogen - 2 months in and it's making a big difference (even if the breast tenderness is a compete bastard)

Yes! I'm early 30s and my cycle has been 30-34 days for the past 10 years since I came off the pill.
Since Nov/Dec my periods have been all over the shop. Last month my cycle was 52 days, this month 25. I don't seem to have any symptoms of early menopause or anything serious.

Ps. Never knowingly had Covid and haven't been vaccinated yet.

Yes, same, after I had covid last March, I have long covid and messing with my periods has been part of it and many many others. I can skip a couple of months and then have a very heavy 10-15 day period, it’s awful. So weird that so many are experiencing the same.

95% certain DH had covid March 2020. So we probably had it then if ever. Periods were normal back then!

I do wonder what this means for ovulation as we are TTC soon sooo do you assume you’re gonna ovulate later? Will google rather than derail 😄

Really interesting to hear others similar experiences. I haven’t had covid as far as I’m aware, or anyone I know. I have it would have been completely symptomless.

Sorry. I meant to say - IF I have had covid then it would have been completely symptomless.

My friend has a theory, it’s not proven that women’s periods synch up but it is a theory that we’ve heard for years (hormones and pheromones are ‘catching’) so social distancing could impact this?
Or just the stress of lockdowns, isolation and our lifestyles changing, like less exercise, worse diets, more drinking etc. It’s all very interesting though.

Sync*

Mine have been quite erratic but over the last year I've had covid, had the vaccine and both my daughters have started their periods so could be any or all of those things affecting it.

Yes but not unusual for me though, mine is most definitely the peri menopause I’m 46 and noticed a change in my periods about 6-7 years ago.
For the last 3 years I don’t know whether I’m coming or going. Don’t know when I’m due on or even if I’ll get a period at all. If I do get a period can be practically non existent or soaking through my jeans every hour for the first day. Cycle length has varied between 8 and and 73 days!

On the months I don’t get a period, I’ll get pmt on and off until I do get the next one which is horrid, have been particularly vicious today but no sign of any period yet!

Haven’t had vaccine yet, so won’t be able to tell if that has an effect on my periods or not.

It's a vaccine not a spell.
Saw this article today which explores some myths about periods and vaccines.

vajenda.substack.com/p/the-covid-19-vaccine-is-a-vaccine?r=fbh1f&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&utm_source=twitter

My first period after the vaccine lasted 17 days!! I'm only normally on for 5. I am 50 though.

That Vajenda article and others of its ilk just fuels anti vaxxers IMHO. It simply denies there is a method by which the vaccines could alter menstruation and therefore says it isn’t happening. It clearly is happening and we don’t know why and at least there will be a study into it

These vaccines are new and so much isn’t understood about women’s bodies. These kind of articles show breathtaking arrogance that I feel undermines faith in the system