Pandemic affecting menstrual cycle ?

[Mikki2019]

Has the last 5-6 weeks affected your cycle ?

This is fascinating. Usually I have cycles of around 23 days. April through to June 31 days and 36 days. I'm likely perimenopause but so far I've only had two completely skipped periods in the past 18 months. Never a longer than average cycle.

This is so interesting, I've tried googling, but it's put all period issues down to stress, I don't feel that this could be what has affected me at all. Can't help but wonder if it would be a higher profile investigation if it was a male issue!!!

You could be right @BingsDracSula!

My last period was early March,my cycles are usually only about 23/4 days, so that's several missed periods!

In feb I had bad symptoms

loss of smell, difficulty breathing, throat like barbed wire

(but not tested). All I could manage was to bedrest for about 5 days, then on day 6 my period came and ALL the wuflu symptoms just disappeared spontaneously.

Replaced with my usual, wretched, poisonous prostaglandin migraine (and period).

It reminded me of when i was pregnant, 9 months of morning sickness then - puff - disappeared the moment DC was born. Maybe hormones?

My periods have been very light and my moods surrounding ovulation and the run up to my period have been really, really dreadful. I think the stress of all this plus not being out and moving as much might be affecting things.

@StrawberryJam200 It sounds like we are in the same boat! Have you taken any pregnancy tests (if you have sex)? I've had 4 negative tests so I'm waiting for a 3rd missed period then will get checked out at the GP.

I have seen threads on other forums where GPs are saying they're seeing huge numbers of women calling them for missed periods at the moment.

Not a chance of pregnancy here, nope! More likely to be menopause for me but I really don't think it is.

Shorter circles (25 days) and very painful clotty period. Awful.

Opposite here! My last period lasted more than 2 weeks! Never had that before

Interesting! I get that it could be hormonal, but it must be quite a severe change to hormones to delay periods for months or change ladies cycles so significantly!

Me!!

But the opposite of most comments.

I have PCOS and haven't ever had regular periods since about age 16. Mostly long cycles like 50-60 days, went for a few months without before, very rarely at 'normal' intervals.

Since lockdown have had 4 week cycles!!

Guess it's a good thing. Really strange that it could be down to lockdown.

Yep! Really irregular! I did read something about it on the news a few weeks ago! It’s definitely a thing! Damn stress!

I am so glad one of the ladies from another thread I’m on shared the link to this one. My last period was mid April and I’ve been worrying like mad. Even booked blood tests in with my dr in three weeks time. I stopped the pill in March and had my withdrawal bleed followed by my first real period in April. The April one came exactly when expected so I thought I was regulating quite well... then bam.. nothing for 2 months. Should also add all pregnancy tests have been negative!

I know this is a bit of an old thread now, and there are a few similar ones, but just wanted to record that my period started today! This is my first one since early March! My cycles rend to be about 23 days only so it's at least 6 missed. A very welcome return.

I wonder if anyone else has experienced such a long "pause presumably due to pandemic"?

I searched this thread out because my period is behaving weirdly too. I’m on the mini pill and have had no periods bar a wee bit of spotting for ages. A fortnight ago I had a very light period out of the blue, and this week am bleeding again. I’m 47 so could be meno, but very strange that the mini pill has been working completely fine.

My DP has been made redundant so definitely lots of stress here.

How is everyone else doing?

I thought after my missed period in April I was back to normal in May but I've just missed another period in June. It's a relief that it has come now. I'm 36 and hoping it's stress related. You can see from my Fitbit tracker how strange it all looks!

@tigerbear

Same! Was wondering about this too. My period was about 2 weeks late, and really short. Very heavy bleeding on first day, small amount the second, and now gone already on the third day!

Same. The one before was late too.

Mine have given me more symptoms like feeling Warmer, feeling sick, headaches etc. Definitely worse!

Interesting thread.

I've started a thread having just take northisterone due to heaviest period I've had that lasted 18 days before medication.

I started mini pill in December that seemed to lighten them and then had suspected covid in March.

I've had no end of constant and heavier and heavier periods since.

Digging this thread back up that's been quiet for a couple of months. Is anyone having what feels like worse moods. Worse symptoms. Heavier bleeds. More sleepy?

I have hated every period in lockdown but I've reduced my walking to less than half of what I used to because we've been home. I've tried to walk but it's harder with two children to drag along. One was at school and the other used to nap in the pushchair. Real life is resuming Thursday and I'm hoping the routine makes all this settle.

Even ovulation has become a thing! Spotting and feeling warm and sick for a day every month!

I've had two normal-ish periods now, which was quite exciting. Yes with many mums returning to something like normal it would be interesting to know if all cycles normalise. Hope yours does!

Mine have been all over the place but I am 48 and have been peri-menopausal for some years now so I don't think lockdown or covid have had anything to do with it.

Oh and my Fitbit tells me I am on my period constantly, it can't keep up with all the changes in terms of length of actual period and length inbetween.

Do you think it could be because we are not around other women so much anymore? (And definitely weren’t in full lockdown if working from home). Even know, we are still keep a distance when we are with people.

Random musing - thinking about the fact that women’s periods start to sync when they spend lots of time together. If that that is even true, but something I’ve always been told. Maybe we are affected by the influence of one another’s hormones all the time and now we are left with just our own...