Irregular Periods After Endometriosis & Ovarian Removal: What to Expect

Question
I am 38 years old and have had many problems.  I have endometriosis and lost a right ovary and tube.  My cycles have always been like clock work, every 28 days.  However, this month I keep feeling like I am going to start my period but so far I've just had some spotting.  I am almost a week late and I have done a pregnancy test that was negative.  Is this something I should be concerned about?

Answer
Dear Rebecca,

Usually I recommend waiting until after the full week of a missed period before taking a pregnancy test. HPTs do claim accuracy on the 1st day of a missed period, but many women do not have hCG levels high enough at that point for the test to pick it up. So - to avoid false negatives, I simply recommend waiting until after the entire week and making sure at that time to use 1st morning urine for a concentrated sample.

Another possibility is a bit of pre-menopause. (I KNOW!!!) When we get close to 40, some women can start to have some slight variations in our cycles. So if you continue to come up with a negative pregnancy test after another week, that may be a possibility. It doesn't sound like your endometriosis has caused cycle issues for you in the past, so I doubt that is it. If another test is negative, see what happens with your next cycle. The general recommendation is that if three consecutive periods are missed you should see your doctor to determine a cause.

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

Brenda