Coronavirus and Periods

[Skittlesss]

Bit of a weird one, but has anyone seen anything about how covid-19 affects the menstrual cycle?

I have a bit of a cough - but I cough a lot in general anyway, so I don’t know - but the weirdest thing is that I got my period a few days ago. It came on time, but it is SUPER LIGHT, barely going on to the pad. Which is very odd for me - I normally have to double up on sanitary protection and still flood/leak a few times in the first few days. This is the exact opposite. Defo not pregnant.

I wondered if anyone’s seen anything anecdotal about covid-19 sufferers and their cycles.

Mine have stopped completely. I have period pains, sore breasts but no period. I was wondering if it was my age (47) or whether it was because of the coronavirus. I've heard that stress can cause periods to stop. However, I don't consider myself stressed.

Mine was late last month, by 4 or 5 days. I knew I couldn't be pregnant but honestly I'm usually like clockwork, bang on the day. I guess it could be stress or a side effect of lockdown.

My period was almost a week late, which is pretty much unprecedented. I thought maybe it was because I was syncing with DD, having spent so much time together.

3 teen DDs, my poor DH!!

Yes we seem to by syncing.

It does make blood clot more but wouldnt think periods.
But i did wonder if hormone fluctuations affect how severe covid id at the time

It's certainly possible for illness of any kind to affect the menstrual cycle. I skipped a period entirely following flu. My periods had been like clockwork and no chance of pregnancy at the time

I also think stress/ anxiety , or any change in diet/ exercise can affect periods.

Stress, worry and anxiety have a huge impact on cycles.

I was very ill for 7 days, all covid symptoms (lost sense of smell, difficult to breathe....) - but not tested - then day 8 got my period and all symptoms disappeared ( to be replaced by my usual period too-high prostoglandins massive headache )

Now this is interesting! My last two were super light and usually they are crazy heavy.

I don't think I've had covid but my period came early either last month or the month before and I'm usually as regular as clockwork. I put it down to stress.

Interesting! My recent period was very, very light as well, definitely not pregnant either? Then when I came off my period became very dizzy, fatigued and legs like Jelly for a few days. Dr put it down to side effects of the tablets I'd recently been put on....

My periods are always very heavy and normally last 4 to 5 days for quite a few years but last one a week ago and only lasted 2 days and much lighter

I’m 45 and have been having erratic, heavy and more frequent periods for a good 18 months but since my last one ended last week of Feb - absolutely nothing. I have frequent cramps but nothing has appeared... interesting to hear these similarities stories.

Strange as my last 2 haven’t been as sore as normal - however heavier but shorter - I did wonder was it anyway linked to corona too

I’m glad it’s not just me! I’ve had Covid symptoms for the past month (after being exposed to a confirmed case) & am just recovering now - I had a similar experience to you. A very light period two weeks after my last, a few days into the symptoms starting. I just assumed that it was virus attacking any system that it could get to.

Mine is late too, grr. Although I'm finding it hard to track the weeks with nothing to distinguish them.

Illness can affect periods, as a pp has said. I had bacterial pneumonia a couple of years ago and my period started just before I was admitted to hospital, but instead of the usual 3 days of pretty heavy bleeding, it was really light. Probably a good thing!

Has there been any widespread reporting (I would be surprised!) of this? My period is normally a 28 day cycle and here I am waiting on day 40... I believe I had C-19 in late March, then a very heavy couple of days, shorter than my normal cycle, and nothing since. The absolute lack of any real exercise since lockdown started may well be contributing, together with stress, but it is odd.

If you look at the Pandemic affecting Menstrual cycle thread and the one about menopause symptoms which I think I linked to on the first thread, you will see that quite a few are reporting all sorts of disruptions to their usual cycle/ lack of cycle. Also that yes, there have been articles published about it - saying it's anxiety related, so not a direct effect of having the virus.

Thanks @StrawberryJam200, I'll look up those threads, I didn't spot them earlier.