How long did it take for your cycle to regulate after being on the pill?

[mrshjb]

I came off Yasmin in October last year after being on various pills for 10 years ish and have had 3 AFs since. I've had two 55 day cycles and one 29 day cycle. Doctor did basics tests and everything appeared normal. I appreciate much more in-depth tests are required to get a full picture though. I've started on the OPKS and my BBT thermometer has just arrived so hoping to try and work out what's going on soon. In the mean time I'd like to hear other people's experiences please and also any tips if you have them!

Thanks :)

I came off pill in November 2013, my cycles have been between 30-34 days. Everyone is different though!

Lucky you! Thanks for sharing!

My cycle never regulated itself but it was irregular to begin with. There was an underlying cause; PCOS.

What basic tests were done?. I have a feeling your doctor missed something here. Three periods in 6 months is not normal at all, the pill also leaves your system very quickly after taking the last tablet.

You should be checked to see if PCOS or problems with the thyroid gland are present, both can be detected via blood tests.

I would avoid both charting and OPK's (particularly those) with irregular periods as it is likely that you are not ovulating regularly if at all currently. These are simply not worth using at all if the menstrual cycle is irregular. You could well end up with either a temp chart akin to the Rocky Mountains and/or multiple positive OPK results.

I would return to the GP and request a day 2 blood test (to check and compare your LH and FSH levels against each other). If GP continues to mess about see another GP and ask for a referral to a subfertility unit as well. Sorry to sound so strident about all this but it is all too easy to be fobbed off.

Mine never regulated either - I stopped the pill almost a year ago. I think the pill may have masked underlying issues, although I don't remember what my cycles were like before I went on it. The GP wasn't bothered at first, but after 9 months did the basic tests. My LH/FSH ratio was perfectly fine, so was prolactin and testosterone. But the progesterone test showed no ovulation, so I was referred to a fertility clinic. They did a scan and said it was pcos. But another progesterone test showed ovulation! So if your cycles stay irregular and long, go back to the GP to ask for a referral. This will get the ball rolling, because I know how frustrating it is when you're ttc and your cycles are just soooo long and unpredictable. However, it doesn't have to mean you have no chance of becoming pregnant in the meantime!

I used OPKS, which worked ok for me and I took BBT as well. I didn't really need it as I could track my cervical changes easily.

Attilla I had many years of perfectly regular periods before I went on the pill. I did have thyroid tests done and my level is 1.6, everything I've read says 1-2 is ideal for conception. I would presume PCOS wouldn't just come on in later life and if I had the condition it would have affected my periods before I went on the pill?

I had a lot of other fertility tests done. I picked up the blood test results today so I could go through them properly. Granted it was only done at one point in the cycle but everything was showing as totally normal and correct for the point in my cycle that I turned out to be.

If I'm still having problems after another couple of cycles I will go back, but I really think they'll tell me I have to give it more time seen as all my general stats are perfectly normal and I have no other health issues or symptoms. And everything seems to say that it's very normal for it to take a while for your hormones to kick back in after being on the pill for a long time. I know it's not the case for some women, but it definitely does seem to be the case for a lot of women.

Re the OPKS, I know you get multiple positives if you have PCOS, but I've actually not had any this month. The month I did use them I got a positive over one day only and then my period arrived on time. I am starting to temp because then if I do find myself going to the doctors again at least I will have something else to go with.

bamber it's so annoying how complicated it all is. Have you got a definite answer on what the issue is for you now then?

Attilla just checked my blood tests and it was LH and FSH levels that were being compared.

I've also read that set day tests aren't necessarily accurate because not everyone ovulates at the same time etc. So not really sure what more they could do there.

I was on microgynon for 15 years, it took 9 months to conceive. I'd had only 4 AF during those 9 months, one cycle lasted almost 90 days! don't panic but there's no harm in seeking some answers while you wait.

Wow 90 days is a long time! Good to show you still managed to conceive before it had settled down though! Thanks for sharing!

Mine never regulated after coming off the pill. I didn't have a period for a year, and after that only three periods a year.

"Attilla just checked my blood tests and it was LH and FSH levels that were being compared.

I've also read that set day tests aren't necessarily accurate because not everyone ovulates at the same time etc. So not really sure what more they could do there".

What was the result of that test?. They've probably missed something here to do with that. I think your second paragraph refers more to day 21 tests but again that done a few days either side would not make much if any difference to the final result anyway.

The day 2 is a far more useful test to have done overall as that is at the beginning of the cycle. LH and FSH are two very important hormones as they start the ovulation process; if these are awry then ovulation is affected. LH and FSH can look ok if only looked at separately; this is why they need to be compared. Were your levels actually compared?.

I stopped taking the Yasmin pill last June!
Had several normal 32 day cycles then last October had a 72 day cycle.
Another 2 normal 32 days and have just had another cycle lasting 70 days!
I have no idea whats going on
Ive heard it can take 12 months to settle after stopping the pill so I'll give it another couple months and see what happens!

atthestroke did you find out if anything was wrong?

somewhere that's crazy isn't it. On the plus side at the least it's just every now and then, but that's a long time to be waiting, must be a bit of a killer, especially if you're TTC?

Attilla yeah tests were taken and then period arrived about a week and a half after that. Results are as follows and I've included the scale next to them.

LH levels: 41.8 u/L (1-13 off peak, 19-103 mid peak)
FSH levels: 14.1 u/L (2-10 off peak, 5-22 mid peak)

Oestradiol levels 755 pmol/L ( that comes under the luteal phase section which is 205-786 pmol/L)

mrs, LH/FSH should be taken between day 1 and 4 of your cycle, so between the first and fourth day of your period. Then you can compare the ratio between them. This is not always accurate though, because my ratio was fine and it was still PCOS. PCOS can entail many things. In my case, it was based on a scan showing pco, irregular cycles and acne even though my testosterone level was fine. The fertility centre was going to start me on clomid to induce ovulation, but I got a bfp just before that, so now I'm hoping it will work out and I can skip all the meds!

Progesterone does depend on specific days of the cycle. It should be taken halfway through your luteal phase. What they should do with irregular cycles is start taking it at cycle day 21 and then continue every week until it shows ovulation or you get your period.

somewhere sound like those two long cycles were anovulatory. This can happen now and again. Most of your cycles are a good length, so I wouldn't worry!

"LH levels: 41.8 u/L (1-13 off peak, 19-103 mid peak)
FSH levels: 14.1 u/L (2-10 off peak, 5-22 mid peak)"

That is very suggestive of PCOS being present; there is a marked difference between LH and FSH. These are your day 2 results?.

I would be asking/insisting on a referral now in your particular circumstances.

A "normal" cycle is a cycle length of between 21 and 35 days or with less than 4 days of variation from month to month. Given the two 55 day cycles those were likely to be anovulatory ones and the 29 day one may well have been anovulatory as well. It is quite possible to have periods without ovulating.

Progesterone is only part of the story; if it happens that your LH and FSH levels are out of whack then this will be affected as well.

Find out properly why your periods are so irregular; it is certainly in your interests to do so. PCOS as well is a very individualistic disorder and does affect each woman with it very differently.

No those aren't day 2. As I said above they were taken a week and a half before my period arrived. So end of cycle. Not early cycle.

bamber sorry I've only just seen your comment. Thanks for the info :) glad to hear you got your BFP before you needed medication!! Congratulations :)

Thanks mrs .

Yeah you can't draw any conclusions on the LH/FSH ratio if it was taken that late in your cycle. The thing with PCOS is though that it is very complicated and GPs are often not bothered. Sometimes you have to push for investigations or a referral. But you should also give it time after stopping the pill, like you said, for your body to get back to normal. However, if you're worried it's always useful to go see the doctor.

Thanks for that. I am a very pushy person, but I need to be sure that I have a reason to be pushy first! The nhs website says give it 6 months after coming off the pill so that's what I'll do and believe me I will push for further tests if necessary. I don't want to be put through tests for no reason and it's not like I'm dying and I am only 26 so I definitely think I cam afford to give it a little bit more time. Just wish I could find a way to worry about it less!!

Thanks again :)

I came of microgynon at the beginning of January and I've had 32, 25 and 24 day cycles and no BFP yet.

I'm temping and worried that they are low, will give it another couple of months before asking the doctor about it.

Came off rigevidon, was on microgynon before that (they said it changed name) in October. Had a three day period five weeks later and have settled into a 26 day cycle since. Was regular as clockwork before and seems to have happened again.
Still TTC but am using OPK this month so will see how that goes.

After I came off the pill in January I've had 2 normal periods. 1st cycle was 30 days and 2nd cycle was 26 days. I was on the pill for years and had the jab which really messed my body up xx good luck