Irregular periods

[TrickortreaT2]

Hi i have always had irregular periods since i started when i was 13. I am now 30.
Im trying to conceive but no luck
Is there anyway of making periods regular? Anyone suffered with irregular periods? Doctors have done all tests to check pcos thyroid etc but everything cones back normal

Can someone please give some advice

Not particularly useful for you, but as I’ve been reading/thinking about this subject quite a bit and I do have a medical/biology background - so few things to think about - one is do you need to regularise them? Do you know if you are ovulating (can take home urine tests to monitor for a LH surge) - if so then you just need to monitor that, yes it’s a wider window when you could ovulate but for TTC purposes it doesn’t matter when you ovulate, just that you do (and get the sperm there obvs!).

Second is are you absolutely confident that any underlying medical issues/imbalances/deficiencies are fully ruled out - has your GP just said “normal” or have you double checked exactly what tests were run and what the results are - get a print out of the actual numbers - some things can be ‘normal’ or ‘within range’ but are still not optimal so could be improved IYSWIM.

How irregular is irregular for you btw, how much do your cycles vary by? This is something I’m trying to work out to judge if my own cycles are ‘irregular’ or not! Thanks :-)

Long term irregularity of periods have physical causes; problems with the thyroid gland, polycystic ovaries or PCOS should be properly investigated for. You need a diagnosis first and foremost.

In your case they may have missed something. What blood tests have been done to date and on what cycle days?. Any other tests?. I ask only as such tests taken on the wrong days can give misleading and otherwise meaningless results. What sort of doctor have you been seeing to date re this issue?. Some GPs are simply not up to speed when it comes to dealing with such issues.

Thank you for your replies @attilathemeerkat and @starjasmine

My doctors are rubbish!!! I have had bacterial vagognosis for the past 3 years. Everytime i went doctors they would do tests or just ignore and tell me its normal to have that 'smell' and some of them would do a test and results always came back negative. And they would leave it that.
Begining of this year i decided to walk into a sexual health clinic instead. Straight away did tests, were very understanding and told me it is bacterial vagonosis
And gave me antibiotocs which work but infection comes back within a week. Second time went to sexual health clinic same thing they were really good and said they will pass my notes on to my gp for them to look into this issue
The next day my gp rang me up gave me a appointment to see them
I went for my appintment yesterday. Walked in and the doctor said so how can i help you?? !!! I just thought this is a joke! I explained to her that ive been going to a sexual health clinic and they need you to look into my problem as this has been going on for too long
Only then she said oh il have to refer you to gyno!
Thats my helpful doctor and it really puts me off going to doctors as it feels like they not going to help or care.

I feel like the tests they do are wrong, why does everything come back normal but if i go to a sexual health clinic the problem shows up.

Yes your right i should start monitering and check if im ovulating

Ive been reffered to see a gyno i just hope they good and not useless like my doctors

GPs are just that, generalists, for managing quick/easy fixes, common standard things or long term conditions with plans set by specialists - it’s a good thing the GP has referred you to a specialist. In the meantime it might be an idea to get a copy of your blood results so you can see exactly what was tested. And get some ovulation sticks to see if/when that is happening.

How is your bmi? High of low weight can affect cycles, same with diet/overall health.

There are supplements you can take that claim to regulate too, you can find lots of info online as there are a few options. I also second the suggestion to test for LH surges to see if you're ovulating, you can get bulk packs of the tests from eBay/amazon for a few pounds. You can download apps like glow/Ovia to record the results and track other signs like cervical mucus and temperatures for a fuller picture.

Is going private an option? The London women's clinic offer an 'MOT' package for around £2/300 and do a suite of tests which may be more comprehensive than your gp. I'm sure there are other options, I've just looked at this one recently.

BV is not really serious- in the UK you can buy OTC tests for it. I think you can also buy treatment for it and it's not anti-Bs all of the time.

It won't affect your cycles and it won't affect getting pregnant.

No, there is nothing you can do to control your cycles. If you feel you are infertile or semi fertile, you need to ask to see a specialist but on the NHS you will have had to try to get pregnant for a year first.

Hey guys i did a ovulation test, can someone tell me if the faint line means ovulation please. Thanks

Check the picture please

@codenameduchess i have done a ovulation test ive posted a picture of it, does faint line mean im ovulating

@TrickortreaT2 no, the line needs to be as dark or darker than the control line to be positive

Pressed post too soon!

I recommend the glow app, it analyses the tests for you and if you also log cm and temps you get a good idea of what's happening 🙂

Ovulation tests like this are next to useless when it comes to irregular periods. They are really adept at giving you a false positive result. CM is also a poor predictor of ovulation and temp charting is also problematic when the menstrual cycle is irregular; you could end up with a chart that is impossible to interpret at all.

My advice to you therefore is to go back to your GP and insist on being referred to an NHS subfertility unit.

I have had a very similar menstrual history and in my case the underlying cause was PCOS.

If your doctors are that useless or unhelpful tea, I would also suggest you register with another GP practice. Please do not faff about with ovulation sticks like you are using.

OP, how irregular are your periods? Do you track them?

Thanks for the reply guys yes i record my periods star, it varies every month sometimes ill have a 30 day cycle and sometimes il have a 114 days long cycle @codenameduchess thanks for that, according to app called femo meter that means im on high chance of ovulating lol i guess that apps useless then
I will try the glow app

If your breasts are getting tender and sometimes get sharp pains in stomach could that be a sign of ovulation? The other day during sex for the first time there was a sharp shooting pain on the lower ight side of my tummy, i had to push him off i was burning below for a while too.

@attilathemeetkat sorry to hear about your pcos, are your periods still irregular? And i agree ive been charting my cycle for years and i cant see no pattern, and im planning on changing my gp , ive been reffered to the gyno, i hope that will give me some anwsers

I first went to docs about my irregular periods when i was 18
And everytime ive been they used to say its ok you have nothing to worry about plus tour nit trying for a baby yet, and when u do all you need to do is have folic acid lol and one time one of the gps took me quite seriously and she tested through a scan and saw no problems which was 4 years ago. But i no longer believe in they results after all this. Thanks for the rey guys and sorry for the questions i keep asking im just confused and getting worried and sometimes its better talking to other people. God bless you all x

Apps and charting are not worth bothering with when it comes to irregular cycles. Would not therefore bother with the glow app either. Concentrate your efforts instead on changing your GP, seeing a gynae and getting a diagnosis.

What is probably happening here is that your body is trying and failing to ovulate. The cystic follicles associated with PCO can and do disappear, only to be replaced by further cystic follicles. This may be why none were seen on the scan, it also takes a highly skilled operator to spot this.

Yep, these remained irregular right up to peri menopause. PCOS does not go away of its own accord but it can be managed. I would have thought that polycystic ovaries or its related syndrome is the root cause of your long term menstrual irregularity.

It sounds awful, Was it hard to get pregnant

I wouldn't say charting is useless, I have pcos and irregular cycles but through charting I can usually tell when O is coming or has happened- whether it's day 14 or 140. Just knowing if you're ovulating is useful.

Op, it is harder to get pregnant, or it was for me anyway but knowing what you're dealing with makes a huge difference. I know I have pcos so was able to have medication to assist ovulation which resulted in dd now 4 and another baking now. You can have blood tests to check for androgens and hormone levels as well as scans, definitely switch GPs and push for investigation then if you're trying for a year (or 6 months I'd over 35) with no luck you can see a fertility specialist.

Many PCOS patients end up having charts akin to a diagram of the Rocky Mountains so are impossible to determine with any degree of accuracy. These people are far less likely than a person without PCOS to be ovulating at all, let alone regularly.

It is also quite possible to actually have a period without actually ovulating and many gynaes themselves do not take note of such charts primarily because they are so unreliable. Ovulation is less likely to happen if the menstrual cycle is consistently irregular as in the case of the OP and myself and so assistance re conceiving is needed.

Knowing what you are dealing with is useful and OP you need a diagnosis first and foremost. For me clomid was a non starter due to my elevated LH levels so I had diathermy surgery where the cystic follicles were punctured. This worked but there is no one therapy or treatment that will eradicate PCOS if it is present.

Thank you i will ask them to test my LH levels and congratulations codenamedouches thats great news, i will be asking gynolgist to test for everything x