Periods and the covid vaccine

[ArabellaScott]

I just saw this - apologies if it's been posted before.

'Scientists launch study to find out if COVID-19 vaccines are causing period changes after hundreds of women notice irregularities'

Also US based, so perhaps won't apply here, but still may be of interest.

www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-9495727/Researchers-studying-women-report-changes-periods-taking-COVID-vaccine.html

The comments are veering into some pretty wild conspiracy theories, but I found it really interesting that there is potentially an impact on periods - especially after learning about immunity and oestrogen, etc.

Some very complex interactions, perhaps?

The virus is believed to bind to ACE2 and ovaries are full of ACE2 receptors. Please report via the yellow card app, so the MHRA collect data on this.

I really hope they also look into the effects of Covid itself. As others have said, the virus has also been linked to period issues.

I agree @Tealightsandd but this thread is about periods and the covid vaccine.

If we knew the effects of the virus better, we would have better understanding of the vaccine. Tealight is correct when talking of a novel virus which we are still coming to understand

@DiscontentedWoman

The virus is believed to bind to ACE2 and ovaries are full of ACE2 receptors. Please report via the yellow card app, so the MHRA collect data on this.

That's interesting.

And worrying.

@unwashedanddazed

I think it's really good that this is being talked about more widely. Sometimes 'anecdotal evidence ' gets dismissed far too quickly. Last spring many people were talking about loss of taste and smell with covid and people called it anecdotal evidence, yet now it's listed as a major symptom.

I've seen theories about undiagnosed mild endometriosis being a cause of these period changes, which I thought was interesting. However I also saw a woman on Twitter say she had a period two years post-menopause following vaccination but didn't think too much of it. Post-menopausal bleeding is a serious health symptom that needs proper investigation! I also wonder how this can be a 'period' in the proper sense of the word, as that surely involves the release and non-fertilisation of an ovum?

I think there is much serious investigation that needs to be done regarding this issue. Fertility is very precious indeed and we should take no risks with it.

I agree. Also I feel it's important to understand the mechanism that's causing this changes from the point of view that it's potentially causing women to need to have fairly time consuming, intrusive investigation into why their bleeding patterns have changed.

I'm following any developments with interest before deciding what to do about the vaccine for myself.

I think it's great they are investigating it as it clearly is affecting some women. I have to say though that I have had both AZ vaccines and my period, which I track with an app, was totally unaffected and turned up on time both times.

I wonder if anxiety (about covid, about the vaccine?) plays a part? The only time my periods have been affected has been in times of stress, after a bad breakup etc.

www.theguardian.com/world/2021/apr/23/covid-vaccines-periods-menstruation-changes-data-experts

I haven't yet had the vaccine but every woman I know who has had covid (including myself) has had their periods go haywire since then.

It is hard to tell; mine are wonky anyway. So data from me is probably useless.

At the same time, in a woman who's potentially sensitive to what ever is the effect of either Covid or the vaccine and doesn't know or hasn't noticed a huge difference in periods pre Covid, it could be enough to make an impact in tenor body.

I have noticed that a run of viruses which I tend to get every winter, which affects asthma, does seem to impact spring periods. And my autumn periods, after a good summer and holidays, are better.

I think one of the obvious difficulty with gathering data is that older women were vaccinated first, and will have passed menopause. Or will be going through menopause, which will cause unpredictable cycles.

I'm 49, and my periods stopped for a coupe of months when I had covid in early January. I think there has been reports that Covid can in itself have an impact on menstrual cycle.

My periods were late after I had the jab but they were messed up anyway.

Have reported to yellow card, which id never heard of before this thread.

It's funny, it's not the first time my periods have stopped after medication, the first anti depressants I tried had the same effect. The (young male) gp looked at me, checked his reference book and said that isn't side effect, do a pregnancy test.

It's only now I think about how it wouldn't have been listed as an effect, as the drugs would mostly have been tested on men.

I haven't had the vaccine but I had Covid in the first UK wave last year. From the onset of symptoms I had six months of crazy irregular periods, despite being totally regular before then. I started ttc just after recovering from Covid and no luck yet... is there anywhere I can report this to anyone doing a study?!

I have attempted to report to the yellow card scheme, but couldn't get it to add more than one symptom, so I ended up with two reports and explaining loss of menopausal symptoms was a challenge.

I had a super heavy, painful period after my first jab. Its settled down again now.

Interesting, I am early 40s and normally have a pretty regular cycle. I had my vaccination on about day 6 of my cycle, I went 42 days between periods!

I just checked back to when I had suspected covid (before testing outside hospital) and also had a longer than usual cycle.

I thought I already read something in the press about this which essentially said that women were imagining it and stop being so silly.

The knee jerk reaction that women are hypochondriac etc is just so crap.

Yes, I had mine CD 15 and it's now CD 35 with no sign of it, I normally am regular as clockwork with 27 day cycles. I've taken a pregnancy test but it was negative, and I think it would be showing up now, a week past my missed period.

I've had at increased peri symptoms in me since jab; just found this. Mainly joints and insomnia.

I don't know if the actual jab has affected me that way; I'd had a stressful couple of weeks before the jab and my period started on the day. I was very achey anyway with it, plus a mild cold, so for all I know this was going to be a bad month.

It sounds like Covid can certainly enter and so affect (?) tbe ovaries as mentioned up thread. My guess is a jab wouldn't have the same effect but who knows.,

www.news-medical.net/news/20210225/High-expression-of-ACE2-receptors-in-developing-ovaries-increases-SARS-CoV-2-risk.aspx

I have some Israeli gfs who have told me about several vaccinated women there experiencing unusual menstrual cycles and vaginal bleeding. I get so nervous about being labeled a KAREN if I even so much as question how safe this vaccine is for women. I suppose I am deeply aware of how disposable women have been treated by society and how we're constantly being experimented on/blamed/ told we're being over the top/ told we're being party poopers/told we're prone to over exaggeration and gossip/told to just shut up and take it. Women are often treated like cattle and being treated like that lends itself to paranoia and questioning the intentions of those around you especially men in positions of power (from gps, vaccine ceos, ppi.

My period has been much heavier than usual, I only had the jab a couple of days before it started. Also have had an absolute fucker of a week with my cluster headaches, so this explains a lot!

I feel almost left out. My period was normal. It was a bit late but I'm peri so nothing unusual.