STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

kiwi · BCBG

cyles/periods (maybe TMI...?)

halleybird · Hermes

I'm not a doctor, but I would think because it's gradual, it's not a huge problem. I would mention it the next time you go to your doctor (either your regular doctor or a gyn).

gingembre1 · Kate Spade

I would go to the doctor. They will probably put you on birth control to start it up again. You might have endometriosis, which is when you bleed internally rather than having an external problem. It's easily corrected with BC. Or it could be that your body is just undergoing stress. But 5-6 months is a pretty long break. My friend went through about a 3-4 month period without hers when we first moved to France, but I think it was due to the stress of a new environment, school, etc. I wouldn't be super worried, but it is something you probably want to mention to your doctor.

esquiress · Marc Jacobs

i wouldn't worry about it. cycles change for a number of reasons and sometimes for no reason at all. i've gone through periods of regularity, irregularity, long cycles, short cycles, cramps, no cramps, pms, no pms, etc. and it's uncanny how my friends and i get on each other's cycles when we spend a lot of time together (i think it has to do w/ pheremones or something).

bc will regulate your period (and obviously prevent you from conceiving) but it's kind of an artificial way to do so and doesn't really get to the root of why your cycles are "off" to begin w/ (and again, there may not even be a "root", so to speak).

also, about endometriosis, my friend has it and that's when the endometrium, which is the tissue that lines the uterus, is found outside the uterus, like the ovaries or a number of other places. so what happens is it builds up and breaks down each month and if it were in the uterus it would have a place to go and be shed, which is what your period is, but since it's not where it's supposed to be, it breaks down and has nowhere to go so there's internal bleeding. it's really scary because it can cause infertility and symptoms include pain, pain, pain. my poor friend would just hurt all the time, and especially during her period (she was still getting it, there was just more tissue that wasn't where it was supposed to be). so anyway, other symptoms include yeast infections and pain during sex and pain when you have to go to the bathroom. so unless you have those symptoms, chances are you don't have endometriosis.

anyway, this is all based on mine and my friends' experiences, and none of us are doctors but hope it helps!

-- Edited by esquiress at 20:12, 2005-07-22

kiwi · BCBG

wow, you guys are like webmd, only personalized! thanks!

that 5-6 month-long drought was caused by immense stress, so i thought (and still think) that it was my body adapting to the environment, so i was never worried about it. endometriosis had entered into my mind, and i should get it checked out, so thanks for all your experiences/advice! i'll just consider myself lucky i only have 9-10 periods a year

esquiress, my roommate and i started getting our periods at the same time when we were living together, and our apt became a pit of crabbiness. i think the scientific term is called menstrual synchrony. i can only imagine what a sorority house must be like!