Light periods since TTC? Now lighter on Clomid

[mk8]

Hello TTCers... I hope you are all having a nice and relaxing weekend.

I have a question that I hope some of you can help with. Since beginning my TTC journey, I have found that my periods are a lot lighter. I used to have around 4 days flow with an extra couple of days of light spotting after but now I have 1 day heavy flow and light/medium flow either side. I am now on clomid and I am getting even lighter flow. My doc just says its due to hormonal imbalance and tells me to go away. I wonder if my lining is light and if so, whether that is stopping implantation. Hmm...

 

[cooch]

If your worried about your lining you could get you estradiol day 21 tested. I have incredibly light periods, worse than your but I've had follicle tracking scans which measured my lining and had regular estradiol tests. Funnily enough my lining was great and my estradiol levels have always been great too. I have had a lap to remove endo though. Don't know whether or not that has anything to do with it xx

 

[mk8]

Thanks Cooch. I have had day 21 progesterone tests but not estradiol. My GP doesn't offer that blood test actually so I am not too familar with it.

Out of curiosity, how come you ended up getting a lap done? Was it investigatory and they saw the endo or did they know you had endo so decided to "go in"? Best of luck with your testing- I see you are 15dpo - fingers crossed!

 

[cooch]

I suspected endo all through my twenties and was only given an ultrasound- which only shows endo if its in big cysts. When I went to Napro they say you have to get a lap to show whether or not you have a normal anatomy, etc. So I went back to GP about endo and was referred- I did ask for it though and needless to say I was right! Trust your instincts x

 

[mk8]

Hey Cooch- well done to you for persevering with the docs. But what made you suspect endo? I know a couple of people who have had it and they had painful and heavy periods and/or pain.

I had pelvic pain for a few months in 2011 and went to see the docs. He referred me for bloods and an internal ultrasound and everything turned out ok. On the bloods, he tested my white blood count and red blood count (to check for infection I think) and CA-125, which I think is to test for cysts, cancer and endo. Doc wouldn't want to refer me for a lap because it is "invasive" and Im sure NHS costs has something to do with it.

But back to you, when did you have the endo removed? Was it recently? If so, I hope you catch that eggie soon

 

[cooch]

I had it removed start Nov last year. I just get painful period that's the main thing. There are a few other symptoms that can be put down to endo or other things. TBH I was told they can't tell any other way other than a lap, never heard of them doing blood tests. It is invasive but lets you know if your body's fine or not, so well worth it. Although another lady I chat to was told- and she had no clue before the lap- her uterus was badly twisted and would never be able to carry or conceive. SO sometime you can hear things you don't want to but at least she now knows x

 

[mk8]

Hope 2012 is your year to be a mamma cooch, keep me posted on your cycle.

 

[cooch]

Right back at ya. Good luck x

 

[Lisa92881]

I was trying to remember who mentioned lighter periods, I thought it was you! (I mean, probably a few people have, but I thought I remembered you specifically, haha!) As you know, this was my 1st clomid round, and my period was so crazy light! I spotted Thursday, medium flow Friday, light flow yesterday, spotting again today. Hope that doesn't mean my lining was thin. I mean, how thin could 25 mg make it?! Ugh. Always something to worry about!

 

[mk8]

Hey Lisa, yeah, lots to worry about! Haha. What was your flow like before clomid?

 

[Monalissa]

My periods are usually about 2 days even without Clomid, but usually it's 2 days of heavy flow with spotting before and after. Last month on 50 mgs, it was about 1.5 days. This month on 100 mgs it was less than a day of heavy flow!!! It started getting heavier yesterday afternoon for the rest of the day (but still not as heavy as usual) and now today I am back to a really light flow/ spotting dark brown.

 

[mk8]

You planning to spk to your doc about it mona? I have an appointment on thurs.

 

[Lisa92881]

Hey Lisa, yeah, lots to worry about! Haha. What was your flow like before clomid?

Never super heavy, but heavier than this. Maybe like 1 heavy day, 2 medium days, maybe a day or two of spotting. Oh well, guess I'll ask when I go to the dr in Feb! On another note, really dreading the INSANE thirst that Clomid gives me, but I know the side effects could be a lot worse so I am thankful for that.

 

[mk8]

Interesting as I don't feel thirsty on clomid at all. But I try to drink more. I haven't got hot flashes this cycle but my goodness am I moody!

 

[brumbar]

Double post

 

[brumbar]

Hey mk8! Clomid is known for thinning the lining, usually viagra is given to help if that is an issue...
Have you rulled out all STDs? Including mycoplasma, ureaplasma and chlamydia?
Uterine abnormalities ? Hormonal imbalance may not always be the issue. Mine was fine, lining thickness at implantation was awlays described as "perfect" bloodflow to uterus was fine ( dopler ultrasound) and even with endo, i still had very light and scanty periods, 2 days of light bleeding and 3 days of spotting.. In my case they recon the weird bleeds were due to infections in the uterus ( i had all 3 of the above!) and the fact that i had an arcuate uterus ( rare mullerian abnormality) with no blood vessels in the fundus! So nothing would've implanted there!

Hope you get your BFP v soon!

 

[mk8]

Hey brumbar, wow, I never knew there were so many issues! Where are you and how did you end up finding out you had endo and an arcuate uterus?

Im pretty sure no stds. One partner for past 8 yrs. got tested end last yr just in case at a gum clinic- they tested for chlamydia and Gonorhea - everything fine.

 

[brumbar]

They found endo on my Left ovary during u/s, so i had a laparoscopy to remove any implants... That was in jan 2010. The arcuate uterus was first seen on HSG ( the tube test) and then 3d ultrasound and MRI. Its a mullerian anormality and affects a small number of ladies, but the NHS considers this normal.... The last hysteroscopy i had showed that there was no blood supply to the arc part of the uterus and basically showed strawberry appearance of the uterus which is caused by infections, i already knew i had
the infections and had already taken 2 five week courses on antibiotics but it was clearly still there! So just finishing a third session!!! Hope the bloody thing clears!
I never knew i had infections as i've awlays tested negative on the normal tests but the infections were all the way up in the uterus so the normal test wouldn't have ( and didn't ) picked them up...
I gues if you've been with your OH for a long time the risk is probably quite low
Have you done an HSG?

 

[Lisa92881]

Interesting as I don't feel thirsty on clomid at all. But I try to drink more. I haven't got hot flashes this cycle but my goodness am I moody!

Hahaha, we'll see if I'm moody this time around. I wasn't last time, I don't think! Yeah the thirst thing is so random, then of course I'm peeing like every 20 minutes! At least it's not really making me dehydrated, just making me thirsty.

 

[Bugbabe77]

you know guys i've been wondering the same thing - as i've got older my periods have got shorter - i remember being in my teens and early twenties and my period being heav and painful for 7 days plus. This month (first on clomid), it was 4 days in total with only 1 really painful day and 2 heavy days.
I have had ridiculously bad back pain - to the point of crying - since i started taking the clomid so tbh my period wasn't the major trauma it usually is.