I'm 20 and my periods still are not regular. A cause for concern?

[sarah2801]

I started my period when I was in either year 7 or 8, so either 7 or 8 years ago now. I've often gone 4+ months without a period. Sometimes it seems like it may be starting to get more regular but then it's completely off again. I've never been on any contraception. The periods always vary in length and flow. They've never been very painful, last time (in February) I did experience some discomfort. Do I need to worry about this? Is there anything I can try and do to make them regular?

It's worth getting checked out. I had very irregular periods (when I wasn't on the pill), I didn't realise till I started to TTC that it was due to PCOS.

I agree. I was ( and I suppose still am similar to you). They can put you on the drugs they use for ivf like letrozole and metformin to stop cycles then force a period, they might also try to do this will the contraceptive pill but don’t be forced down that road unless you want to.

@ErrolTheDragon

It's worth getting checked out. I had very irregular periods (when I wasn't on the pill), I didn't realise till I started to TTC that it was due to PCOS.

I've been thinking for a while that I need to go and get checked, I'm just really nervous of going to the doctor. But I'm also worried about there being problems when I want to start a family.

I hardly get my period. Not had it for nearly two years. Normally get it once a year. Very irregular. I used to get it every month at school but then it just stopped. I did a blood test for pcos but the doctor couldn’t say for certain if I have it or not. I’m sure I do. He said I can give you medication to start a period but if you’re fine with not having one then it’s ok. He wasn’t concerned. So I’ve just left it.

@LouiseTrees

I agree. I was ( and I suppose still am similar to you). They can put you on the drugs they use for ivf like letrozole and metformin to stop cycles then force a period, they might also try to do this will the contraceptive pill but don’t be forced down that road unless you want to.

I'd consider whatever the doctor suggested if I went to see them, I just don't like the idea of hormonal medications and things because of the side effects

Teen DD had very irregular periods plus acne, major greasy hair and a few other things - diagnosed with PCOS. At the moment she has a 23" waist but PCOS puts sufferers at high risk of weight gain and type 2 diabetes so following the recommended Mediterranean/low GI diet is important. High impact exercise is also not recommended for PCOS sufferers. Not having regular periods when you aren't trying to conceive probably wouldn't bother most people but the medical condition which invariably causes it is better off known, managed and treated earlier.

I never had regular periods except when on the pill and they are not 'real' periods. They settled down somewhat but I could never pinpoint a day when a period would start, eg between 29 and 35 days for a few months, then a gap. Any upheaval, stress, unhappiness and periods disappeared for a few months, returning when the crisis had passed - in floods.

There was absolutely nothing wrong with me, no pcos or anything like. It's just the way I was. Actually they improved and became more regular when I was in my forties but I do remember, when I was forty-five, my mother was taken to hospital and I was due. I was at the hospital with her nearly all the time and thinking, "Oh I hope my period doesn't come on just yet". I didn't have one for three months! After that they settled down again.

If you are OK and your GP and/or gynaecologist can find nothing wrong with you, don't worry about it.

Yes OP what I’m saying is make that known because they might give different advice depending on whether you intend to TTC, whether you react badly to hormones etc.

Mine were never regular. Often disappeared for years at a time. Still ended up with 3 kids in 4.5 years though. Which definitely was cause for concern.

I was the same as you. Missed periods etc. It was fine until I TTC then I had real problems. I went to the fertility clinic and was prescribed medication to conceive .. Metformin as I had suspected pcos. It worked. But there was a long time I thought I wouldn't be a mum. Seven years I tried. So I began early to TTC

I'm sorry I don't agree with the 'dont worry about it' comments. Not having regular periods IS a worry when wanting a baby. It could mean scarce or no ovulation.

@Namechange1991x

I'm sorry I don't agree with the 'dont worry about it' comments. Not having regular periods IS a worry when wanting a baby. It could mean scarce or no ovulation.

Most people aren't missing periods all the time, just for some 'periods' of time. It would be different if you almost never menstruated but gaps here and there or not being regular, periods late, etc, not unusual in a young person. People like that still become pregnant.

Mine are irregular. Its not really an issue tbh and something I have never been concerned about.

COVID was useful for one thing in that I now always know where my cycle is because of my temperature.

Remember too, the op is only twenty. She will probably find her periods are more regular in a couple of years such as every four to five weeks and rarely miss one altogether. It takes some people longer than others for their bodies to get into a predictable pattern.

Mine were irregular, 26-73 days (av 38), have still managed to trip pregnant twice so it's not really affecting fertility for me just really annoying not knowing when it was going to be. I am very slim so that probably doesn't help make things regular.

Yours sound more irregular though so do try and get that checked.

@jessstan2 I'm sorry I disagree. She has had her periods for 7-8 years so they should have regulated by now and missing four months at a time could be a sign of PCOS, thyroid issues etc. Drs will try and fob you.off but it's not healthy. A woman ideally.needs three to four periods a year in order to shed the uterine lining..if this doesn't happen, a woman will be more at risk of womb cancer.
My periods were like the OPs.
I was told more than once it's not an issue for TTC etc, I spent ten years TTC, falsely believing it would just take me longer to get pregnant. It never happened, all that wasted time and heartache. Until treatment..I wish I'd got help sooner and not allowed myself.to be fobbed off.
OP there is no harm in asking the drs for.a blood test and ultrasound to see if you.have PCOS.
If you want children I'd begin the process sooner rather than later if there are concerns.

I think the op is going to have investigations, Namechange, I wouldn't have discouraged that in any way but I know I was like her at 20 and had nothing wrong. I'd been having periods for seven years. I remember once going five months without a period at 17.

Let's hope there is no cause for concern, there's no point in worrying in advance.

@sarah2801 It's actually quite important that you have a full investigation. There are all kinds of reasons for this, not just conception later on. If you have very low estrogen or don't ovulate, for months on end, this means you might be at risk from other diseases like low bone density later on. (It's the same for female athletes whose periods stop or for women who are anorexic.)
There are also more serious issues with the pituitary gland that can cause loss of periods.
Your GP sounds a little blase about it.
They should refer you to a gynae for perhaps an ultrasound of your ovaries, as well as doing a range of blood tests on your hormones, thyroid and pituitary gland.

NOT trying to worry you, but it's best to be given the all clear rather than wonder what's wrong in the future.

'Only 20' is actually the peak age for fertility and conceiving. Women are at their peak in their early 20s. Girls whose periods start at 11 or 12 ought be have a regular pattern after 8 years, if they are ever going to.

Sorry @sarah2801, I think I had read your dr had dismissed it, but that was another poster.

Sorry to for the multiple posts! There is a huge delay on MN at the moment (or at my end) and it looked to me as if my posts weren't showing.

Not having regular periods IS a worry when wanting a baby. It could mean scarce or no ovulation.... sign of PCOS, thyroid issues etc

What effective treatment would fix that scarce/no ovulation and how would it be more effective treatment by getting treated many years before even starting TTC?

I was reading a blog by a doctor who said we need to switch how we think about hormones and ovulation. Even if you don't want/need the egg right now, ovulation plays an important role in regulating your cycle because of the hormonal changes it triggers. It's important to have a period at least a few times a year to shed the uterine lining.

Don't worry OP – good idea to go and get checked out and take it from there x

Mine are very irregular with lots of 90 plus day cycles as well. It may take a bit longer when you try to conceive as you'll have less chances every year if that makes sense but if you are still having a period a few times a year I wouldn't worry too much.

@lljkk

Not having regular periods IS a worry when wanting a baby. It could mean scarce or no ovulation.... sign of PCOS, thyroid issues etc

What effective treatment would fix that scarce/no ovulation and how would it be more effective treatment by getting treated many years before even starting TTC?

That's for a fertility expert to decide!

First, the OP needs to know if there IS a problem. And if it's going to get worse, and if there is an underlying 'other' health reason for it.

If someone has a low egg reserve it can even be premature menopause (which affects women even as young as under 30). They would then have the option of egg freezing or planning / saving for IVF.

Knowledge is power.

Realistically if you went to the GP with irregular or absent periods, you would be offered a blood test to check for hormone levels, including testosterone. You may also be offered an ultrasound to look for polycystic ovaries.
If say PCOS is found, unless you are wanting to TTC, it is likely nothing will be offered aside from the pil if you want regular bleeds (not periods - the pill simply masks the issue) l or a tablet you take every few months to induce a bleed if you aren't getting regular bleeds, to prevent the uterine lining potentially getting abnormalities which can lead to womb cancer later in life. The womb lining needs to be shed 3-4 times a year and a GP is being irresponsible not inducing a bleed if a woman misses periods for months or years.
I'm not saying any of this to worry the OP. It comes from my own very challenging time of TTC and naively thinking I'd be fine, even though I was not ovulating. I may have had periods but I TTC for 8 years with no treatment and never got pregnant.
I wouldn't want anyone to feel like me.
I would recommend seeking advice on what may be going on. It then gives you the knowledge to decide what to do. If TTC may take longer due to issues, it may be worth considering starting a few years earlier than planned. I did that and I am glad I did. Three miscarriages, one ectopic pregnancy and lost fallopian tube later, I have my rainbow baby. But realistically it was never going to happen on its own. Metformin worked for me as that is a PCOS drug.