How long does your period last for? PCOS

[MapleLeaf0]

Hi everyone,

I have PCOS. Only recently after taking metformin for 5 months my periods have thankfully returned.

My question is, how long does your period last for and are they light? Heavy?

Does it always start on the same day every month?

My periods were always regular but fairly long and heavy before Metformin. Metformin lightened them and made them last a normal 3-4 days but I still wasn’t ovulating. I was unable to ovulate without ivf meds.

A week (6-7 days)

@GrumpyHoonMain how did you know you had pcos? Did you manage to become pregnant after the meds?

@MarshmallowPink are they heavy on all days or just the first few days?

I have PCOS but am not on any medication. I seem to have a period every month, usually around 4 days and typically heavier on the first day or two. The cycle length seems to change though, often between 22-29 days.

Just heavy for the first few days. My periods have never been like clockwork but inositol seemed to really help to give me a predictable cycle

@littlemissalwaystired thanks for your reply, this is helpful.

Are you trying for children or have been successful in having children?

@MarshmallowPink

Thanks a lot for this.

What kind of inositol do you take? I have heard a lot about it but haven't tried it yet

I didn’t know until I was referred for infertility. The NHS gaenocologist diagnosed me by sight for pcos and started me on metformin while we waited for blood/ scan test results and she was right. Metformin and clomid didn’t work by themselves and I was only able to ovulate when my IVF treatment started with metformin, inosutol, co-enzyme q10 and injectable hormones. I also have an autoimmune / clotting issue but that impacted implantation not ovulation and were fairly easily sorted out

Period is usually every 2-3 months, very heavy and can last up to two weeks. Sometimes go up to 5/6 months without any bleeding or just light spotting. Not on any medication.

Metformin regulated my periods. Just have the odd cycle where I'm maybe a week out but that's it. The first few days it's heavy but then tapers off and generally lasts 5-6 days. I've fallen Pregnant 4 times 3 times whilst on metformin but unfortunately miscarried every time. When I had my ultrasound done for my most recent Pregnancy she checked my ovaries and they were totally clear from cysts. Just my left one was more larger than my right one. At the moment though I'm just not sure if the bleeding I'm having now is my period starting back or the remnants of my miscarriage 3 weeks ago

I take this : www.naturesbest.co.uk/multivitamins/nutrition-for-young-women/myoinositol/

Metformin didn't regulate my cycle, they would vary between 20 and 50+ days. My periods were heavy (apart from the first and last days) and could last anything from 4-16 days. I am now pregnant but it took clomid and ovulation stimulation injections to make that happen. Metformin did not help me ovulate at all.

@Lozz22 I'm really sorry to hear that.

I hope you have success in your next pregnancy.

@Lozz22 were you taking metformin during pregnancy? x

@MarshmallowPink

Thanks a lot for this x

Does anyone have any advice on how to get pregnant please? (Fingers crossed I keep having periods)

Might be a silly question!! I just need tips

I'm very irregular with cycles between 16 days to 9 months with bleeding that lasts between 4 to 7 days with varying heaviness. Ive been pregnant 3 times, my first was 7 weeks early and very tiny for his age due to pre eclampsia and then I miscarried my next 2 babies within 6 months of each other.
I don't really have any advice other than I use ovulation tests every day I'm not bleeding but have found that I can only get pregnant if I ovulate on day 18

When they happen, usually 7-10 days but sometimes up to 14. 3-7 of those days will be very heavy, typically. Massively irregular, my last period was in May, the one before that was Jan/Feb I think.

Before I had my son my periods were so long. I could literally be having the same heavy period (and I mean really heavy, like dripping down my legs even when wearing Tena Lady incontinence pads for an hour) and I could be bleeding constantly for about 6-8 weeks. Then I would have a 2 or 3 days break then it would start again. Again for another 6-8 weeks.

The first 3 years after having my son I had no periods.

Then in the last 18 months I have been having a period every month and it usually lasts anything between 3-7 days however there’s no pattern. Sometimes it comes the first week of the month, sometimes the last, sometimes it skips a month and I will get it extra heavy the following month but still a DRASTIC improvement from before.

I hated those days...it was so horrible. I had to constantly wear black as I was always bleeding. I would rarely sit down as my flow was so heavy that even after putting on a new pad - within an hour I would be soaked and the chair I was sitting on would be stained.

One time I changed my sanitary towel before leaving work to come home and the journey took about 40 mins door to door. By the time I got home I had blood trickling from the bottom of my trouser legs. My knickers had to be thrown away. The pad was saturated...

Tried a mooncup and i would find it got too full too soon and when it came to bathroom time it was a crime scene so couldn’t get on with it.

Tampons were ok for 20/ 30 mins until I sat down or sneezed and it would cause ‘pooling’

Ya it was bad

Forgot to say this period nonsense started from I was about 14years and didn’t settle until I was 22 and had my son.

@MapleLeaf0 thank you. The first pregnancy I wasn't taking metformin and that ended up being a chemical pregnancy. I didn't fall Pregnant for nearly a year after that one because my periods were so hit and miss. My consultant put me on metformin and I conceived within a month or two of been on it. Miscarried at 6 weeks, fell Pregnant again 7 months later (didn't know until I felt a pop and a gush whilst in the shower and looked down to see a tiny embryo in the sac this time weeks unknown but I'd say around 5-6 weeks. Then fell Pregnant 14 days after that one and miscarried at 9 weeks but Baby didn't really grow much past 6-7 weeks. That was my most recent one 3 weeks ago. My last 3 have all been within less than 8 months and I'm now awaiting to speak to someone at the Leeds recurrent miscarriage clinic to see why this keeps happening to us

@MapleLeaf0 the best advice I can give you is just don't over think it and to be honest years ago had anyone said that to me I'd have told them where to go, but now In hindsight looking back at all the times during the 15 years I ttc I think I was stressing myself out too much!! The last couple of times I've fallen Pregnant I tried to stop thinking about it, stopped doing ovulation tests and just relaxed and enjoyed the time I had with my long distance Partner and that was it really.

@CTRL that sounds absolutely horrible :( poor you x

@Lozz22

How awful. I am so, so sorry. Hoping you will find out why this is happening.

Hugs x