Irregular periods

Im 20 now (almost 21) and I started my period at 15 (almost 16), so pretty late but my mum had hers at pretty much the same age. Ever since I’ve had them they’ve been irregular and they can be months apart. I never know when I’ll have my next one. They’re not that painful or anything, I sometimes get cramps for the first day and it’s only ever really hurt a few times, but it’s never been that bad. It lasts about 5 days when I do get it. I finally spoke to the doctor last week and I had a blood test the other day. The results appeared on my GP app pretty much straight away and I think it mostly said everything was normal. They said it would take about 5 days to get the results and it hasn’t even been 5 days yet, so I don’t know if all the results have been uploaded. The doctor booked me in to have a internal ultrasound next week to look at things in more detail and look for things like PCOS. Has anyone had a normal blood test before and had PCOS? The doctor mentioned maybe going on the pill. What are the side effects? Please can anyone give me some advice or whatever. I don’t really know what to do. I don’t have a lot of symptoms for PCOS, but I do have oily skin and acne on my back. I sometimes have a hoarse voice too.


Thank you

hi, i had a very similar problem for ages. started my periods at twelve and had about 2-3 per year until i was 17. i went to the doctor & she made me do some blood tests to make sure my hormones were alright & then i got an ultrasound (its a little uncomfortable but overall alright) to check for pcos - it sounds like you might have some symptoms of it, so it's good that your doctor is checking for it.

i ended up not having pcos, but went on the pill to regulate my periods & so i knew i'd get one at a certain time each month. i was very irritable the first few days and just very emotionally unstable, but it got better over time. periods hurt quite a bit for the first day or so for me, but they're fine after that & i wouldn't say they're any lighter, but a lot shorter. i know everyone's experience with the pill is different though, so don't take this as me strongly recommending it but i think it's been an improvement on my life. and, if you don't like it, you can stop at really any time

Hi! I am currently on the pill (dianette) for *suspected* PCOS. I had a blood test done a few years ago and they all came back normal but for some reason now my doctor doesn’t want to do anymore tests (like the ultrasound you mentioned) and pretty much just put me on the pill in the hopes it would help my symptoms. PCOS is not black and white and everyone has different symptoms. Like you I have acne and oily skin, some excess body hair and whilst my periods are regular, I would have severe pain.

The first pill I was on, about two years ago, was Rigevidon. To be honest I don’t think it did much other than alleviate the period pains however it definitely impacted my mental health. I remember just not wanting to get out of bed or do anything and felt very low. I decided to stop it and my mental state went back to normal. Last year I was put on Yasmin for about 3 months and I found it worked great for me. My period pains were gone and it seemed like it wasn’t affecting my mental health. However my doctor then decided to switch me to Dianette which I am still on (have been for about 8 months now) purely as this is targeted more towards acne/body hair. I do feel like my body hair is finer and my moustache is gone! It helped with the acne a little however I’ve realised I could do with changing my diet. I do still get a bit of pain but it’s nothing like before. In terms of mentally I don’t know if my decreased mental health is due to the pill or just bc of the current situation! I think for the first few weeks on each pill they would make me feel abit nauseous and I think the yasmin did make my boobs a little sore if I remember correctly. So yeah I think it really depends on what you want the pill for. They will all help with your irregular periods. Unfortunately in terms of side effects, everyone will have different experiences. But yeah that was my experience and good luck moving forward! I hope things settle for you if you have anymore questions then please feel free to ask!!

Ah ok, this was helpful

How long have you been on the pill if you don’t mind me asking and which one? The doctor said that she’ll speak to me after I’ve had the ultrasound and we’ll discuss it after that. She said that it’s quite normal to have irregular periods and most women don’t have a normal cycle like you hear online or whatever.

Thanks

Oh can’t go go back to the doctor and ask again? I’ve wanted to ask for about a year but I’ve been too nervous.

It’s sounds like you’re pretty experienced with it though. I need to look into the different types of pill and stuff. Apart from my periods being irregular there’s not much of a problem. I do hate the acne on my back though... I don’t know if that’s got anything to do with it??

Thank you for this! I hope you are well

i take microgynon, and have been on it for 3 months. my doctor said it's the one they usually give people cos it has the least risks associated with it for most teenagers. i know a lot of people who have really irregular periods; i've just thankful i never had them for 3/4 weeks at a time!

I’m quite a shy person so I would feel bad for badgering ahah, my doctor seemed to be of the mindset that if things don’t change or if I’m looking to get pregnant, only then would he do further tests 🥴 the bacne could be because of the pcos! I know it’s a pretty common symptom. For my acne my doctor also gave me a cream - I think it’s called Duac once daily gel and it’s like a benzoyl peroxide gel. That really helped me with any active spots so that could be something for you to look into!

Ah ok, thank you! That’s true. It’s just because I’m almost 21 and I thought that there might be a problem?? I know it’s not a topic to shy away from, but I never talk about it with anyone because I feel awkward about it.

sorry i misspoke when i talked about teenagers i meant people below middle age-ish. the reason is bc theres a slightly increased risk of blood clotting, which is more heightened in susceptible individuals, which includes being older.