Changes in Menstrual Cycle

[Karen]

21 days or 84 days doesn't matter. Birth control is birth control. It overrides your hormones for however many days, then you take the placebo, and the drop in hormones triggers your period.

Early bleeding on the pill is totally common. It doesn't matter how far you are in your cycle as it's an artificial cycle.

[init2winit]

I just wanted to chime in to thank Whole30 for changing, yet another, aspect of my life. I went off the pill a little over 3 years ago and have not had a period since. I wouldn't say I ate terribly but I definitely wasn't eating whole foods in a balanced format. I ate grains and incorporated "cheat days" where I would go all out for a meal. I was vegan for a while and can only imagine I wasn't getting all of the nutrients I needed. I started to become very concerned last year when I still had not gotten my period. I also started doing a lot of weight training and HIIT at least 3 days a week. I know I was also eating restrictively to try and see more physical results. My head was totally in the wrong place as far as my health was concerned. My doctor could not figure out what was going on but she said that my estrogen was super low but she didn't know why. She wanted me to get a MRI but I kept putting it off because I just didn't see how that was going to fix my hormonal issues and my insurance doesn't cover it so it would have been super pricey. I did my first Whole 30 last May and I was amazed at what it did for my life. I didn't get my period back but I ate pretty close to the W30 template up until the holidays. I definitely indulged and enjoyed every minute. I decided to do another W30 starting at the beginning of this January for a small reset and, wouldn't you know it, I got my period!!! I was ecstatic. I was considering ceasing all working out to try and get it to return, which really would have bummed me out because it brings me so much joy. I think my hormones were just so out of whack that it took a while for them to regulate and send all of the right signals. I still have an appointment with an endocrinologist in Feb., which I plan on keeping, to get all my hormone levels tested again but I wholeheartedly believe that W30 brought back on my menstrual cycle. So thankful!

[PerpetualDiet]

Hah, so I am back (and day 25, whoo!). Further update on ovary status: roughly a week after finishing my period, I've started up the PMS symptoms again - cramping and bloating all came back. 

 

I think my body is confused...

[morguanadaun]

I understand that early bleeding/spotting is normal, but can someone please explain what can cause this?  For example, is it soy?  Wheat?  Dairy?  This is my second Whole30 and this is the second time this has happened.  

 

When I did the reintros last time, I did not really have a bad reaction to anything but yogurt.  I want to understand what specifically is causing the imbalance of hormones (if that is what it is), but I can't seem to find much.  Any insight into this would be helpful!  

[Karen]

A drop in hormones triggers a bleed. Think of the placebo pill in birth control - you stop taking hormones and the drop in hormones - progesterone specifically - triggers the bleed.

So what causes a drop in hormones when you change your eating habits? A lot. It's not just one thing. It's eating 3 meals a day. It's eating a balanced meal at each meal. It's eliminating processed foods that are rich in crap that confuse our hormones. It's balancing our cortisol and insulin. For some people dairy or soy contribute as they can confuse our hormones. Ultimately, though, the body is all connected and it's a combination of these and many other things that contribute to helping your body work how it's supposed to, with adequate levels of hormones to support health. A temporary drop in hormones is a sign that your body is adjusting accordingly.

[SugarcubeOD]

I understand that early bleeding/spotting is normal, but can someone please explain what can cause this?  For example, is it soy?  Wheat?  Dairy?  This is my second Whole30 and this is the second time this has happened.  

 

When I did the reintros last time, I did not really have a bad reaction to anything but yogurt.  I want to understand what specifically is causing the imbalance of hormones (if that is what it is), but I can't seem to find much.  Any insight into this would be helpful!  

Unfortunately no one here is a doctor or endocrinologist so it's difficult to say exactly what it is caused for in each individual person.  It IS a rebalancing of hormones (it has to be hormones... they're what drive the female reproductive system).  Depending on where you were eating on the scale of SAD to Paleo previous to your Whole30 can be the indicator of how much your hormones need to reset and how much healing is going on in your system... 

[LucieSC]

I'm on day 12 of my first Whole30 and my period showed up two full days early. I'm on bcp so usually I can predict the start almost to the hour, so this was definitely a surprise. Hoping this doesn't mean it'll be longer...since I've been on bcp it's been 3 days, very little cramping or back pain, so I'd like to keep that going! It'll be a small price to pay, though--I usually get a migraine on day one, and I haven't had even a flicker of a headache so far.

[Happylife23]

Thank God for this post! I am working on my third Whole30 and I do not remember ever having a difference in my period. I usually have VERY light periods and only 3-4 days. My period came 10 days early and was the HEAVIEST I have ever had in my life. It was so bad I was going to the bathroom every 30 minutes at work. After two days I was so tired I could barely function (day 24-25). I finally realized it must be connected. It has finally passed and I am slowly getting back to normal. Thank you for posting!

[SusanB.]

Had my annual gyno visit today. Doc completely unconcerned with mid cycle spotting, told me that if it bothered me and/or there was cramping that I should talk to her and we would change my hormonal BC.

 

For reference, I'm on Minastrin - a 24-day BCP recommended for women who have PCOS. Previously I had been having 1-3 periods a year, each lasting about a day or two. Last six months (unrelated to diet, since there were no changes until January) I've been having one every month. And since I started on the 30, I've been spotting mid-cycle and my periods have been longer.

 

Doctor was very happy with my general health - diet and exercise. Reminded me to make sure I was eating veggies that were high in calcium if I stay off dairy (I'm 43, so she's worried about bone density). Told me to stay eating this way and have my bloodwork done in a few months for thyroid, cholesterol, glucose. Apparently dietary changes take about six months to show up in your labs.

[Rutherford]

Today is Day 26. My period started yesterday (I am on birth control pills) and I still have four pills left to take. I decided to go ahead and stop taking them, have my period and then start a new pack in about a week.

 

This was something I didn't expect, but I read this can happen.

 

Grrr. I was on my stupid period when I first STARTED Whole30....

[aafallon5]

I've just had TWO WEEKS of bleeding/spotting, had 2 days off then got my "real" period. Full blown PMS symptoms. The struggle is real.

[Incandescent]

I just got my period in full force 2 weeks early and I'm on the pill and on day 19 of Whole30. I am glad to hear this happens to other ladies, since its very strange. I thought the pill would override the change in hormones from the diet. It really shows how powerful the whole30 can be. Can anyone who has gone through this before share how it resolved itself for them? I mean, your period is "planned" on the pill, so once you finished Whole30, did you have your "scheduled" period again right away?

[Pandora Black]

I am curious about this topic as well. I'm on the pill (ortho cyclen) and it would be quite unusual for me to have a period when it's not my scheduled time. Hmm. I'm completely mid cycle right now. On day 3 of the Whole 30.

[NoMoreCrunchyCravings]

Mine come almost a week early every time I do a whole 30, despite being on oral contraceptives, then come on time when I'm between w30s.

[amyearonson]

Been spotting and PMS-y crampy for DAYS now, about a week and a half early.  On the pill.  Very annoyed.

[jmcbn]

@amyearonson - this isn't entirely uncommon, even when on the birth control pill. It's much more common, however, when women go low carb - what have your meals looked like over the last 3-4 days?

[AmyRosina]

Mine came 5 days early....and Im pretty much like clockwork usually so it was a bit suprising. Im actually glad though because now I wont have it on vacation next week!

[Jbaehre]

I stopped taking birth control pills during my Whole 30 back in March. Not trying to get pregnant, but my husband got a vasectomy, and I was looking forward to having a normal hormonal cycle again after being on the pill for many years. Also looking forward to no more headaches at the end of each month due to hormone withdrawal. I had a very light, spotting period right after stopping the pill.

It is now the end of August, and I haven't had my period since mid-March. While it is kind of nice not to have to deal with my period, I'm getting worried from a health perspective. It's approaching 6 months. I've also lost a lot of weight, even after finishing my Whole30 , trying to eat mostly paleo, but cheating for things I particularly enjoy. I started my Whole30 mid March at 149 pounds, and today I weigh122 at 5 ft 9 in. I have been exercising (running and cycling) but not at an excessive amount.

I have a nagging worry that the weight loss and lack of period together are not normal, and I might have a serious underlying health issue. Should I be worried? When should I approach a doctor, and what should I ask her?

[ladyshanny]

On 24/08/2016 at 3:33 PM, Jbaehre said:

It is now the end of August, and I haven't had my period since mid-March. 

I have a nagging worry that the weight loss and lack of period together are not normal, and I might have a serious underlying health issue. Should I be worried? When should I approach a doctor, and what should I ask her?

@Jbaehre - there is absolutely nothing about eating protein, vegetables and fats that would cause you to stop having your period for 6 months.

As far as the weight loss, it averages a little less than 1.5 pounds per week, perfectly suitable if you actually had the weight to lose. No one here would know that because we don't know what your body type/frame is or what a healthy weight is for you, but on first glance it seems awfully low for someone of your height.

At the risk of sounding abrupt, please seek out a medical professional to discuss your health issues with. No one here is a medical professional and we cannot dispense medical advise or opinions.

All that said, if you are starving yourself, you will lose appreciable amounts of weight and your period. Are you eating enough to support your basic human functions as well as any additional activity you are doing?

[mrsrooddog]

On 8/5/2013 at 3:36 AM, snailytrail said:

Hello! Glad to have found this thread. I just finished my Whole 30 and whilst I had my period 2 weeks ago, I'm having another one now. That shouldn't happen, I'm on the pill!  It makes me very regular.

 

It's a bit strange. I'm hoping that things will even out a bit, but I agree that it's scary what effect food can have on your body.

I started my period on Friday, 1 and 1/2 weeks early, and I'm also on BC. What the heck!? I'm glad to know I'm not alone in experiencing this. I was super negative emotionally the first day and I've had horrible cramps (which isn't unusual, although when I started BC a few months ago due to the PMS symptoms that had been getting worse as I'm getting older, the cramping was definitely less and my cycle was lighter, although lasted longer). I hope this one doesn't last 18 days! I'm also super tired; can't figure out if it's related to this or some kind of intestinal issues I have on top of all this. 

[Jbaehre]

@ladyshanny Thanks for the advice. I will motivate and make an appointment with a doctor. I'm feeling great otherwise, so hopefully it turns out to be nothing. I'm not starving myself, and I do have the energy to exercise, so maybe it is just taking longer than normal for my hormone levels to recover after 20 years on the pill!

[Pandora Black]

My period was incredibly late this month, and I didn't even finish my first whole 30 (though I've remained as compliant as possible). Like, I am on the pill and it was 7 days after taking my last active pill that my period finally started. And it only lasted 2 days. I was definitely odd.

[SusanB.]

Ha ha ha - I've posted in this thread before, but this month it was just crazy. I have PCOS and I'm on the 24-day BCP that has left me with a minimal period for the last few years. A day of spotting, really. No cramps, no PMDD.

This month, only a week into my 30, it was insane. I haven't bled this much in years. And the accompanying cramping was crazy!

My totally random though? Cutting out soy means I'm not getting the phytoestrogens. But who knows. It's not a source of worry right now - although if it's going to continue like this (and I consider "like this" to be that I'm not getting the PCOS-mitigating effects of the hormonal BC), I might as well get off the hormones and try an IUD.

[laura68]

Day 38 of Whole30 and I'm a few days late for my cycle, which has me on edge.  It is so annoying not knowing when you are going to get it and you are feeling overly bloated.   In that respect, I want it to either not come or just get here and be done with it. I think it was easier when I was all over the map on my cycles, but being fairly regular for several - I wasn't expecting this, especially with the amount of bloating. 

[bje2010]

On 8/6/2016 at 9:18 AM, NoMoreCrunchyCravings said:

Mine come almost a week early every time I do a whole 30, despite being on oral contraceptives, then come on time when I'm between w30s.

Do you continue taking your pills? I'm on day 12 of my first Whole30 and started cramping/dark light bleeding this morning. I'm only on the end of the second week of my pack...so wondering if I should keep taking or stop. I go to doctor for annual end of this month, but thinking I may call her still to check.