Periods stopping at 29, what is happening??

[SaltySpitoon]

Hi all, hope you all had a lovely Christmas ☺️

I am 29 and up until maybe a year ago my periods were very regular. Starting in January ish I noticed my cycles were becoming more and more irregular. Previously they were 27/28 days long but now they were anything from 18 to 60 days!

Now, I haven't had a 'proper' period since August. I have had a couple of days of random pink/brown spotting but it never materialises into anything more. I also get pelvic pain/cramps, bloating, and sore boobs like my period is about to start, but again nothing actually happens. I'm not pregnant, taken loads of tests and they've all been negative. Not on any medication or contraception.

I did see my GP in November. She sent me for some blood tests which came back mostly normal apart from my FSH which was apparently high for someone my age. I had a follow up blood test four weeks later and I assume it came back normal as I've not heard anything about it.

I am booked in for a pelvic ultrasound next month. I'm just worried what they may find 😔 i know none of you can diagnose me, but did anyone else have this and what was the cause? I'm not googling as I know it'll just come back with the scariest, worst case scenarios like ovarian cancer etc which I know is incredibly unlikely.

Thanks!

Yes they did, normal. Sorry to hear your DD suffered similar but glad to hear she's doing better now 😊

My periods stopped for 6 months at around age 25. We need direct sunlight in our eyes early in the or ing to keep our body clock in rythem. A lack of vit d, can cause our body clock to sleep.

Do you exercise and get plenty of sunshine?

That's interesting! I do have a very physical job so get lots of exercise. I also take Vitamin D supplements as I know sunshine can be hard to come by in this country 😆

A conditions called polycystic ovaries may have caused this irregularity of periods. It could be this or perhaps thyroid issues. Both can cause periods to stop and or otherwise become irregular.

Gps are not always up to speed when it comes to such issues and you may want to see a gynaecologist going forward. If you have the means to go and pay for dm initial consultation do so, this is because NHS waiting lists are very long in many areas. Blood tests done on the wrong days can give misleading results; you needed a day 2 test comparing both your LH and FSH levels. With pco the level of LH can be a lot higher than FSH.

An internal ultrasound can show what your ovaries look like eg are they polycystic or not. A pelvic ultrasound will not show much if anything if this is done externally.

You need a diagnosis first and foremost and you will need to be persistent in order to get answers.

What is your BMI? Are you having any classic menopausal symptoms?

If you are normal weight keep going back to the GP until you get a definite cause whatever it is
If you are seriously under weight it may just be that cause.

Thank you, I have been referred to gynaecology but like you said the waiting list is potentially quite long. My ultrasound is transvaginal and is in January so hopefully that will give us some answers.

I did think PCOS but I thought that was something you're born with/develop at puberty? Up until January my periods were regular and always had been.

BMI is 23 so normal. I don't think so no apart from lack of periods!

Yes I'm a normal weight. BMI is 23.

I started my periods at 10, they were always normal and regular. I was diagnosed with PCOS in my 20s.
Good luck, I hope you find some answers.

Ah okay, that's interesting! I should say that I do have two DC, both of whom were conceived very easily. I have also had 4 miscarriages though. Not sure if that's relevant.

PCO can infact occur at any age after puberty. It usually starts in puberty but there are cases when it has started in women in their 20s. Your spotting may also be linked to a lack of progesterone: was that hormone ever measured?. Again this would have needed to be checked around the 21st day of the calendar month. If periods are irregular and or non existent these blood tests can be done according to calendar days.

I was told by a gynaecologist many years ago that due to me having PCOS I was far more likely to miscarry than a woman without this. I was diagnosed with PCOS in my early 30s when undergoing fertility treatment.

I have PCOS and my ‘periods’ are very similar. I have approx 24 hours of very light bleeding 4/5 times a year but still get the pain/bloating/need to eat my body weight in sugar. My periods stopped being ‘normal’ in my 20s and I did see a gynae to rule out anything sinister

Thank you, sounds incredibly similar to mine at the moment! I think my GP is leaning more towards it being a hormonal issue like PCOS (she did mention possibly ovarian insufficiency/failure too).

@Mollydoggersonwe need exposure of sunlight on our skin for vitamin d synthesis to take place. To say we need sunlight in our eyes is not true and potentially harmful.

Mine stopped at a similar age - I was early 30s.
(Presumably pregnancy has been ruled out, as it was for me). I had an ultrasound scan (the same as a pregnant woman does), & was quickly diagnosed with PCOS by the gynaecologist. There may be quicker diagnostic methods now, I don't know. That was it - all very simple.

My periods were very rare until I was age 48, when they became bang on regular again.... until finally stopping at 56. So that was annoying, but otherwise I had no issues.

Thank you. Yes, I must have taken about 50 pregnancy tests over the past few months including one at the GP, and all negative.