period

Hello, my period is 16 days late and its usually on time, on two occasions it was less than 4 days late. I did a hpt in the afternoon 4 days ago and it was negative. My nipples are sore, I'm very gassy, eat more than usual, very emotional, have a lot of tiny pimples in my face all of a sudden, very frequent urination and regular headaches(I almost never have a headache usually) what else could it be if I'm not pregnant? Please answer me I'm desperate. Thanks

[Elaine Brown, MD]

Hi!
If you were my patient, I would first tell you that your problem is very common.  Secondly, I would tell you that what I usually do in this circumstance is order a blood pregnancy test, since these are the most accurate.  If the test is negative, I usually offer the patient a prescription for progesterone to start the period for them. Usually this happens only once in awhile for the patient, but if it becomes a pattern, it may be a sign of polycystic ovary syndrome and further work up may be necessary.
Good luck!
Dr B