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Irregular Periods
A “regular”
period occurs every 24-29 days, but some women have cycles that
are 23-35 days. Therefore, an “irregular” period is measured by
what is irregular for you.
In addition to
a change in the cycle pattern, irregular periods can be:
-
Heavy
bleeding every 2-3 months
-
Periods 2-3
times per month
-
Spotting
between periods
Most irregular
periods are benign, meaning not harmful. Shifts in hormone
balance can alter a woman’s pattern. These shifts are especially
common in the time we call perimenopause (the years leading up
to menopause). Missed periods, too frequent periods, spotting,
or bouts of heavy clotting and bleeding are usually caused by an
underlying hormonal imbalance.
Irregular
periods may be caused by:
-
Increased
stress
-
Estrogen
dominance
-
Fibroids
uterine cyst, endometriosis
-
Peri-menopause
-
Medications
-
Caffeine
-
Excessive
alcohol use
-
Polycystic
ovarian syndrome
-
Chemotherapy
-
Poor
nutrition
-
Excessive
carbohydrate intake
-
Significant
weight gain or loss
-
Anovulation
– cycle in which a woman does not ovulate (does not release
an egg)
Heavy Bleeding
-
may be due
to low progesterone
-
may be due
to polycystic ovarian syndrome
Significant
weight gain or loss
-
Over
exercise
-
Poor
nutrition (or a diet too high in carbohydrates)
Irregular periods and stress:
Under
conditions of stress, the adrenal glands are designed to secrete
the hormone cortisol. Cortisol is a powerful hormone which has a
direct impact on the sex hormones estrogen, progesterone, and
DHEA.
Many women who
lead high stress lives may also be having anovulatory cycles.
Natural
progesterone can help block cortisol from the body’s receptor
sites and hep restore hormonal balance.
Do irregular periods always indicate you are going into menopause?
Irregular
periods are not necessarily related to menopause, but may just
indicate hormonal imbalance. However, it is not unusual to have
irregular periods in the time leading up to menopause. This is
because women entering peri-menopause often have irregular
cycles due to a deficiency of progesterone.
Progesterone
regulates the amount and length of the menstrual cycle.
Menopause is
defined as not having had a menstrual period for a period of 12
months or one year.
If you have not
had a menstrual period for a full year and then experience
bleeding, this is different than irregular periods and you
should consult your physician.
Anovulatory Cycles Can Lead To Irregular Periods Which Do Not Signify
Perimenopause
The most common
type of irregular period or missed period involves anovulation,
or a cycle in which a woman does not ovulate ( does not release
an egg). This may occur once or twice a year and can be related
to the causes listed.
Perimenopause & Irregular Cycle
If you find
yourself skipping periods for a few months and then experiencing
a heavy period that lasts for days, you may be entering peri-menopause.
Peri-menopausal periods can be lighter than usual, heavier than
usual, longer than usual or shorter than usual. If you have two
or more successive months of heavy bleeding, your physician
should be notified.
How To Use Natural Hormones For
Irregular Menstrual Cycles
(Natural Progesterone often restores menstrual cycles to regular
pattern)
If you have just
had a cycle, count the first day of your bleeding as day 1. Use the
Progesterone cream from day 12-26 of your cycle.
Then stop.
If your period does
not come within a week after you stop taking the progesterone,
consider the last day you took the progesterone as day one of a new
cycle. Then begin on day 12 again.
If your periods
stop for a total of 3 months in a row, then begin to use the cream
for 25 days of each month.
Based on research of John R. Lee, M.D.
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