Irregular Periods: Understanding Changes & Potential Causes

Question
my cycle has never been regular but for the last couple of months i had been noticing a pattern. i got it on feb 19 it ended 24th. i was supposed to get it on the 26th or so of this month (march) and i got it way early.... on the 11th. it was light, i am usually heavy. and went away after 7 days. i usually last at the most 5 days. then today (march 28) i started again. why is this? is it normal? could i have had a miscarriage or could i be pregnant now? please help. thank you!

Answer
Dear Letisia,

If you have had unprotected sex during the last cycle or two, you cannot dismiss the possibility of pregnancy. However, irregular vaginal bleeding is not a typical sign of early pregnancy. Even with a miscarriage, women tend to have a full 7-14 days of fairly heavy bleeding that will taper off and then will usually not have a regular period again for 4-6 weeks.

You will need to test for pregnancy to know for sure. Although some tests claim accuracy on the first day of a missed period, I usually suggest that women wait until the week after a missed or spotty period before testing for pregnancy. This tends to minimize the incidence of false negative results and also avoids wasting money on a test for a simple delay of a period by a few days. When/if you test make sure to use 1st morning urine to get a concentrated sample for the most accurate results.

However, since you have a history if irregular cycles, this may simply be continued cycle irregularity. There are many various potential causes for irregularities in our cycles. They include:
-Significant weight gain or loss
-Excessive or strenuous exercise
-Poor nutrition (or a diet too high in carbohydrates)
-Smoking
-Drug use
-Excessive caffeine intake
-Excessive alcohol use (interfering with how the liver metabolizes estrogen and progesterone)
-Eating disorders
-Increased stress
-Polycystic ovarian syndrome/estrogen dominance
-Uterine abnormalities (fibroids/cysts/polyps/endometriosis)
-Hormonal imbalance related to perimenopause
-Medications
-Chemotherapy
-Thyroid dysfunction
-Recent childbirth, miscarriage, or D&C
-Breastfeeding

We really don't get concerned until a woman misses three consecutive periods and pregnancy is not the reason OR if periods become very heavy with or without clotting on a rather continual basis. At that point, you should see your doctor so that a cause can be determined.

I hope this has helped you and answered your question. I wish you well.

Brenda