I already had my period the first week of this month. It started again today. This has never happened to me. Has it ever happened to you? What in the world is the explanation for this?
Thanks!
IANAD, or even female for that matter, but this has happened to my wife on occasion. I think stress and a whole bunch of other things can bring it on; it’s not unheard of.
Stress can do it. I have a friend who is ordinarily quite regular, but instantly gets her period any time something big and exciting is going on: a trip, or Christmas, or she’s getting a paper ready for publication, etc.
And one of my sisters just has an extraordinarily short cycle: every 21 days. So it can be a variant of normal.
Months are 30 days or so. If your cycle is shorter, then you’d expect it to catch up to the months every once in a while, much like a blue moon.
It could be caused by a uterine or cervical polyp, or fibroid tumor. I’m having one removed tomorrow, oh joy. It’s not an alarming thing to have, apparently, but you might want to get it checked out. I don’t know how old you are, but they are mostly found in women in their 40s and 50s.
Guy here:
I always thought that for many (most?) women, the length of time between menstruations was fairly irregular. How common are women who go 28 days like clockwork, without fail?
My cycle is 29 days, like clockwork. That being said, every once in a while – I think the last time it happened was more than two years ago – I’ll have a shorter cycle. (I never seem to have longer ones.) The shortest it’s ever been is 23 days.
Since it always seemed to be a hormonal hiccup, because things were back on schedule the next cycle (as in 29 days from the last period, not 29 days from where my period would have started if I hadn’t had the short cycle), I never gave much thought to what caused it.
Mine used to fluctuate from 3 months to 3 weeks. When the 3 month time hit I talked to my doctor (after the pregnancy test, negative), and started on birth control.
It was just TOO unpredictable. It’s no fun to have zero clue when your period is going to start, and I would spend weeks just paranoid and running to the bathroom every hour wondering if it started yet.
But now that I’m hormonally controlled it’s like a miracle! Every fourth thursday, like clockwork, it starts. Even at the same time of day!
So check with your doctor. I am infinitely happier now that I’m not worried about the random periods with the possible leaking and pregnancy scares. Also, it could be a sign of other health issues so it’s better to be safe than sorry.
My cycle is fairly predictable (to within a week, about), though stress or illness sends it all crazy again. I’m hoping that with age it will become more regular. For bonus ‘fun’, I usually get bad cramps and other PMS symptoms in the days before - symptoms that you’re sure as hell going to notice (hello, migraine, complete lack of appetite, and backache). Other than the rare times when I don’t, and get caught totally off-guard. If I’m going to get bad PMS, can’t that at least be regular enough to serve some purpose?
(Sorry that turned into a bit of a whine there)
I used to be textbook: every 28 days, and it lasted 5-7 days etc. Time, pregnancy and life ended that.
I had a “period” for one whole month a few years ago–that is, I bled (enough for tampon) for 28 days. This sent me to my GYNE and I had an ablation. Since then, I have maybe one day of spotting (panty liner–don’t you like how I share?).
But I am 45 and have had all the kids I want etc. I don’t recommend uterine ablation to you for this. IMO, your cycle is “resetting” itself or something else is going on. If the irregularity persists, go to your GYNE (keep a record of your periods, btw).
It’s happened to me a couple times, though I still don’t know why. In both cases my cycle was about half of normal (two weeks instead of a month). Do you have any idea how much suck it is to find yourself with your period while at a summer camp, when all they have are tampons (which I was too squeamish to use), no way of getting pads, not having any of your own because your last period ended just a week ago, and a flow so heavy the sharks in Australia can smell you?
24-25 days like clockwork. Not on the pill or anything else that would regulate my cycle, just my hormones. That said, the year I turned 35 my period went all wonky and irregular and then settled back down. Others I spoke with has similar experiences at 35 as well. I’m (gasp) 40 now and very regular again.
Stress, age or pther physiological changes can alter your cycle. I suggest tracking it closely (including heavy flow and light flow days) fo a few months and report it to your gyn. That’s what mine had me do.
My cycle is ussually about 23-24 days. My periods last for 2 to 2 1/2 days. I figure I’d rather have them slightly more frequently and so short a duration.
StG
It depends on the woman. Some are extremely regular, some extremely erratic. Before I was on the pill (which makes your period very regular) I was clocklike in my regularity. In fact, I once had a pregnancy scare because I was about 3 hours late.
When I was in my teens and 20’s, before I went on the pill, my cycle was 28 days regular (it arrived 10am Saturday mornings). The pile kept it like that, but I always had an adjustment phase for a few months after I came off the pill. I’m halfway through my first year of Depo and having mini periods every couple of weeks (Down from five days to five minutes!)
Periods can (and do) align when women live together, has the OP moved or had another woman move in with her?
I’m extremely erratic.
My usual cycle was about every 4 months, until I went on BC, then it became once or twice a year. Usually only lasts a day or so. Completely unpredictable.
On Mirena now, so we’ll see how that goes.
From the age of sixteen until two years ago, I could predict within 2 days when my period would start since it’d start nearly the same day each month. Then it got all irregular for over a year, fequently showing up early and for the first time ever a week late once, but for the past several months it’s been predictable again. I’m relieved, I worried the change would be permanent.
And while it was irregular like that, I twice had two periods in one month - one at the beginning of the month and just over two weeks after it ended it came back. The only other time it happened was when I got brochitis as a teenager and my body figured I wasn’t miserable enough with the hacking cough.
There are so many things that affect your cycle that the anecdotes you get here are pretty much useless. I’m not a medical person of any variety, but—as a female with LOTS of experience—just off the top of my head, these questions occurred to me:
How old are?
How much do you weigh?
Are you dieting?
How much do you exercise?
Do you use alcohol or other substances?
Are you sexually active?
What other health problems do you have?
What medications do you take?
What vitamin/natural supplements do you take?
Are you or have you been pregnant?
Those are just a few of the questions a doctor might ask you. If you’re concerned, you need to talk to your doctor. The reason for your irregular periods is probably mundane, but I’m of the opinion that if you think something’s going on, it’s wise to check it out.
Mine arrived at 9am on Sundays with horrible cramping. Mass started at 11:00 am and once a month I got out of church. This was as a teenager - when cycles are more often irregular. I loved the multiple of seven cycle.
I’m less regular now - pregnancy and 40s.
I’m having one of those months this month, too. I’m usually fairly regular at 26 days, with very predictable warnings (hormone surge, spotting, tender breasts) but it started a week and two days early, with absolutely no warning, the day after a bout of food poisoning( which probably had nothing to do with it). Now I’ve had a polyp before, and thought maybe this was a recurrence, but no, it’s a full-out period. I asked for an ablation a year or so ago, because my periods are so danged heavy and I’m just tired of it, but apparently I’m not a candidate because of a fibroid. Darn. Maybe this irregularity will signal the beginning of menopause, and I’ll be done the old-fashioned way!