Ovulation but no period for 8 months!

[LMBoston]

Morning,

I put up a thread about this several months ago and assumed it would have sorted itself by now but nope. I’m 48, had fairly regular periods (although getting lighter with very short luteal phase) until I had my copper coil removed in April.

Since then, not a single period or anything resembling one. I have been having the usual perimenopausal symptoms for a couple of years so would just assume it’s finally upon me — if I wasn’t still ovulating!

Almost every month I’ve had all my normal signs of ovulation (bloating, severe cramp for an hour or two, discharge, mad libido, frequent weeing) at the right time but no period follows. I’ve spoken to the GP and she checked with the specialist who removed the coil who wasn’t overly bothered… but that was after around 3 months and we’re now 8 months on.

Is this normal? Has the coil removal damaged me?! Or can menopausal hormone levels fluctuate so much that you have “enough” to ovulate but then crash so low that you don’t bleed? Not sure whether it’s worth trying to contact GP again. What do you think?

After 12 months of no period I’d be contacting the GP to ask if you need the thickness of your womb lining checking, as you’re under 50.
What age did your mum’s periods stop?

Hi @DustyLee123 thanks for your reply. I must admit I’ve started to worry a bit about my womb lining — surely if I’m ovulating it must be building up every month but then not shedding? Mum was 40 but she’d had a hysterectomy.

I’ll attempt to speak to a GP next year!

Yep, it’s not something to worry about over Xmas. My DD has PCOS and rarely has periods, but her lining has never been thick yet. You’ll probably start a period just when you don’t want to!

If you actually ovulate then you will definitely have a period. But your body can go through the usual hormonal "ramp up" as though it's going to ovulate, but not quite manage the actual ovulation. I'd imagine that's what's going on here.

Pay close attention for a sudden change in discharge after ovulation - that's my only clear cut sign that I've actually ovulated.

@Baircasolly If I didn’t have actual symptoms of full ovulation I’d agree. But I get the usual discharge and short-lived ovarian pain that says to me that I’ve released an egg… and then nothing. Makes no sense!

I often get the classic clear, wet discharge, along with other ovulation symptoms, without actually ovulating. If it then switches suddenly to thicker, white discharge, then that normally means I actually did ovulate, and I'll have a period 13 days later.

Just in case anyone else has this problem and stumbles across this — I’ve started my first period for 9 months! My ovulation was so painfully obvious this time that I was going to go to the docs if nothing happened… anyway, dreadful pmt over the weekend, bit of spotting and severe cramps Tuesday/Wednesday, then woke up at 3am this morning in agony and let’s just say, be careful what you wish for 😅

So whether it is/was menopause, coil removal or weight loss, it clearly isn’t something stuck or anything like that. I’m very interested to see what will happen next month!

Thanks for the previous replies and I hope this helps someone else.

OP, did you have a proper period? i've had exactly the same as you - no periods for 8 months but feel like I'm ovulating. Then last month I had the pre-ovulation egg white and ovulation pain - but only very brief spotting (nothing on a pad, only when wiping) and no actual period. Was that like yours, or did you get a 'proper' period this time round?

I have had this since July too - no periods but hugely bloated and dischargy approx once every few weeks. Also 48. If it’s not ovulation, what it is?! Excuse my ignorance, I should know this by now…

@OuiOuiMonAmi sorry, only just seen your post!

12 days after ovulation I started spotting. This went on for 2 days then I bled quite heavily for 1 day, then it sort of stopped and started again for another 3. So only one day of what I’d call a proper period! Not my norm, although I’ve pretty much given up on normal now!

@Bluearrivabus That’s why I was so perplexed — I thought I know my body well and could t understand how I could be ovulating but then no period. I’ve had a restless night with nasty ovarian pain, exactly 14 days after my proper bleed and 28 days since the last “ovulation”… so will see what happens now!