Periods suddenly off schedule

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Hello,

I am hoping you may be able to help with my question. I know most responses online are go to the dr. I have an appointment for a week from now but in the meantime I have myself so worried it is driving me crazy. My biggest fear is cancer and googling online is just making things worse! I am 39 years old going to be 40 in less than a month. My periods have been 28 day cycles for as long as I can remember very rarely there would be a few days off early or late but for the most part 28 days. I would say the past year or so it changed a bit to 26 days. All of the sudden starting may of this year my cycles just totally went off schedule. In May for the first time ever my period did not show for 32-35 days (right around there). I was on a trip to another state.. stressful few weeks and driving 18 hours there and back so I figured I was just all messed up. Upon returning after this late period it showed up 16 days later.. that has never happened to me and again I figured it was because of the crazy trip I just went on to visit family so far away and the stress. I started really watching and it seemed to go back to normal.. June was 28 days.. but July was 22 days then August was 26 days.. I wasn't too worried with this but now I just got a regular period 19 days out uggg. My periods have always been about 2-3 days then lightened off and gone by 4-5 days .. and very bad cramps on first day maybe a bit next day or so… this has not changed. If anything a few of the periods lately have been less crampy.

Everything I see when I google keeps saying this is usually a sign of some type of endometrial or ovarian cancer. I also read a few things that the fact that I am almost 40 (smoker.. working on quitting) would be common to have peril-menopause.

I tried pushing my appointment up but they just don't have the time open. I am just wondering if this is the most common symptom of a cancerous condition .. .or if there is a chance this could be something else?

I never had to worry about my cycles this has really thrown me off

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Type: Question • Score: 4 • Views: 2,236 • Replies: 7

@Luem2014,

Sounds quiet a bit like perimenopause, particularly given your stated age (PS I love your typo!). It can be annoying and uncomfortable but it's something that all women go through, if we live long enough.

A doctor's appointment in a week is a smart idea, just to make sure it's not something else. I'm no doctor but it looks like you're dotting all your i's and crossing all your t's.

I bet that's what it is.

PS Hot flashes stink. 70 degrees F is halter top and shorts weather for me these days. But this, too, shall pass. Smile

Welcome to A2K.

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@Luem2014,

The same thing occurred to me, jespah. I had always been very regular until I hit my early 40s, then it was early one month, late the next, I never knew what to expect. When I told my doctor about it, he smiled and told me to be sure I used birth control VERY conscientiously. They used to call babies born to women in their 40s "change of life babies" because of this very thing.

I remember thinking that if this was Nature's way of making me ready to give up having periods, it worked!!!

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@Luem2014,

Hi - once you're past 35, it's not at all unusual for cycles to start going whack. It's a pretty standard clue that you've entered perimenopause.

Good thing you've got an appointment with a doc to confirm, but really ... over 35 and the cycle is changing ... it's business as usual for women.

And then, thank goodness, the whole thing ends and you can really start to enjoy life!

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@ehBeth,

ehBeth wrote:

And then, thank goodness, the whole thing ends and you can really start to enjoy life!

True Dat!

BTW, to the OP, your dr is probably going to want to check your hormone levels, but believe me, that's a crap shoot.

My periods were like clockwork too. Then, one month I was late by a week or 2, and the period I had was weird.

More months, maybe 5 or 6 went by, and a period didn't come one month. I happened to be going to the doctor right at that time and mentioned it to her. She took all the usual bloodwork, and when the results came back she said everything was totally normal, and I shouldn't be experiencing often missed periods for a few more years. Internally, I said "yeah, right". I just knew.
The month before that was the last period I ever had. They just stopped. Bam.

I used to worry about being post menopausal, but let me tell you, it's AWESOME!

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@chai2,

Thank you everyone.. it makes me feel so much better to hear this could be totally normal! I forget I am getting older (well try to forget) then this pops up and I am like.. okay I am a few weeks from 40!!! Smile

Oops on the Peril-menopause.. I love autocorrect!

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@Luem2014,

Welcome to the Wise Elders Club.

Laughing

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@chai2,

We have pie, and we're going to get tee shirts made.

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Periods suddenly off schedule

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