Missing menstrual cycle

[khadijah_jade]

Hi,

This is a bit of an embarrassing post and I do apologise for any discomfort while reading this but really need some advice.

Since becoming type 1 diabetic 17 years ago my menstrual cycle has been all over the place.

When I had my first child in 2013 my periods started to come back more regularly but after my third child in 2017 they have gone haywire again.

I last had my period 3 months ago and the one before that was 2 months. This is normal for me. However I'm starting to get worried and just overall concerned.

I went to my gp around 2015 for this reason and I was sent for an ultrasound of my ovaries and all came back clear. So its nothing to do with my ovaries or cervix ect.

So my question is, does this happen to a lot of diabetics? Is this normal? Is there anyway around it? Anything I can try? Diet, vitamins, exercise, anything!?

I'm at my wits end and feel like my body needs this. I get hormonal outbreaks and mood swings all of the signs of an oncoming period ect just no period!

Any advice would be greatly appreciated

 

[EllieM]

Hmm, your profile suggests you are 28, were you even having periods before you became diabetic?

I've been diabetic since 8 and have always had moderately irregular periods (plus a 3 year gap in my teams that in retrospect I think was caused by insufficient weight and/or insulin, though doctors pronounced me normal at the time). They only became reasonably regular after my second child, but then became so heavy that I got anaemia. (I have been on mirena since the age of 50 which eased things immeasurably).

Dr google says thyroid issues (much more common in T1s) can be a cause, so if you're looking for diabetic reasons I'd check your thyroid levels out. Otherwise if your BMI is on the lowish side you might want to increase your carbs and just be a little heavier?

Those are the only diabetic related reasons I can think of, though there may well be others. And of course, there are probably plenty of non diabetic possible cause.

Good luck.

 

[OB87]

I have similar issues but not related to diabetes as I was only diagnosed 4 months ago. I would often miss a month or so and found it very stressful. I had blood tests and ultrasounds at the doctors but no problems were found (I had two kids during this time as well). I started metformin 4 months ago (one tablet in the evening ) and since then they have been regular for the first time in 7 years. I know metformin can be given for pcos (though no tests shown I had this). I'm type 2 so I imagine it was related to insulin resistance so might not be relevant for type 1 but thought i would share what worked for me. Good luck

 

[Hopeful34]

I had all the same problems when I was younger, with awful mood swings. The combined mini pill helped to a degree, as at least I was having regular periods. It caused issues with blood sugar control though, and I stopped it eventually. Sending hugs as I know how awful it made me feel. Hope you can find something that helps.

 

[Brunneria]

I would suggest you ask for a consultation with an endocrinologist, and ask them to investigate. There are a lot more tests they can run than ultrasound. I had 25ish years of no menstruation (bliss) which EVENTUALLY got referred to an endo, and had a scan that showed the cause (prolactinoma). Appropriate meds and a month later, the periods were back (doom and gloom). So please don’t assume that it is D related, or ovary related. There are all sorts of different hormonal things that can go wrong and affect menstruation.

hope you find the answer.