Am I mad to think that too much isolation has affected my menstrual cycle?

[sugarfreegum]

I am 42 and had regular periods all my life until the pandemic hit. Since then, I have been living alone and working from home. It has been incredibly hard being alone so much. I am taking steps to changes things, but that's a different thread. My question is about my periods. They went crazy as soon as the lockdowns started in 2020. I immediately went for 3 months without one (never happened before) and they have been irregular ever since, with some spells of returning to more regular. Am I crazy to think the isolation could be causing this, or even bringing on peri menopause early? I went to see a gynae but she said I am too young for peri to cause such irregularity (sometimes no period, sometimes it comes after 2-3 weeks). I have no other symptoms that I know of. It might be an odd theory to have but I have always had that thing of my menstrual cycle syncing with the people I live with (sister, housemates at uni, etc.) And I cannot explain it well but being alone all the time is making me so depressed, I just wonder if it could be sending my hormones crazy as well.

Perhaps it’s related to stress and diet and exercise?

Did you have covid? Possibly even asymptomatic? There was a lot of talk at the time about women experiencing weird affects on their menstrual cycle after covid.

Stress? Peri or menopause

My periods got closer together in peri.

it is early menopause. my gradma's ended when she was only 43

I don’t have an answer about your menstrual
cycle but I just wanted to say you have my absolute heartfelt sympathy about struggling with pandemic-induced loneliness. I expect there are a fair few of us, it’s been so sodding hard. Sending you the very best wishes for changing things 🌸

Yes, I had it several time through 2021-22. First time around was long Covid and it was the most unwell I have ever been, it really hammered my body. The irregular periods started before I caught it though - as soon as we went into the first lockdown.

It could be stress / emotional upset?

Thank you @SashaPearce I really feel like it sent my life off course in a way that I can't get back from, whereas everyone I know seems to have returned to normal ages ago. I am not self-pitying but the loneliness is making me quite unwell I think. Sorry if you have experienced anything similar

I’ve nothing to help other than to say I’m experiencing exactly the same thing. Mine went haywire after the covid jab. I had my (copper, so non hormonal) coil out about a year ago to see if that helped and they have just got further apart and really light. I’m also 42.

You’re not too going to be perimenopausal at all. It can last for up to 10 years! Plus many people go through early menopause. My Mum was 40.

However, Covid, long Covid and stress can also impact your cycle. So not the isolation as much but the emotional impact of that.

I

The only other reference point I have is my mum and sister, both of who started to experience peri at about 46-48, which I think is the standard. In terms of Covid, I had it three times inside a year, plus all the jabs, each of which made me feel really ill. God that was a shit year!

I think maybe the stress of the lockdown and then having multiple Covid infections close together maybe put a lot of stress on your body.

The covid vaccine has been reported to affect women's periods. (Not an anti vaxxer I just remember reading something about this.)

Sorry you're feeling lonely.

I don't think you're crazy. I've always worked in teams of predominantly women and we always aligned very quickly. It's been weird being at home and also I now work mainly with male teams. It's taken a while to adjust.

@Mamamia32 thank you

Mine do this. Often I could say to someone at work oh no I've started my period and they would say me too or I did yesterday. I seem to sync to others

I am fairly sure that recent studies have shown that women's periods aligning is a myth. I see if I can find more info!

https://health.clevelandclinic.org/myth-truth-period-really-sync-close-friends/

This article discusses the myth of periods syncing. There are lots of other articles and studies too. The article also mentions other factors that can cause irregularity such as stress and chronic illnesses. Maybe it's that OP. I hope things get better for you soon!

Definitely peri

Yeah, I think I put it badly in mentioning the syncing thing. I guess I really meant, could the loneliness / isolation be causing it to happen?

Did you have the covid jab? There were reports of that affecting many womens cycles.

It will more than likely be peri, mine did exactly the same at 43 and went on with that kind of irregularity until they stopped altogether at 49.

It seems unlikely that isolation itself is causing symptoms. But a mix of stress, worry, peri, etc could well do it.

I’m not convinced at all by your GP’s pronouncement that you’re too young. I’m 3 years younger, mine have just started to get a bit irregular with no other cause in sight. I know several women the same.

Sounds like you’ve had a really tough time of it lately. I hope you can find some more good times soon.