HELP!!! My period lasted for 12 days? What does this mean?

[Loni1988]

Hello, Im 19 years old and I started my period on November 5th and stopped on November 9th. Then the next day it started back and lasted until the 16th of November. Any ideas to what would cause this? Last month my period started 13 days early and lasted for 7-10 days.

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
Thanks for keeping me updated.Yes,surely thyroid disease is one of the important causes of irregular periods.

I feel that you should consult an endocrinologist and get your T3,T4 and TSH done and get appropriate treatment.If you are having Graves disease then it is not hypo but hyperthyroidism.Both hypo and hyper thyroidism are responsible for irregular menstrual cycles and should be properly investigated.One thing more is that treatment of graves disease is antithyroid drugs and sometimes they lower the thyroid levels which can cause hypothyroidism and complicate the picture.So regular estimation of thyroid hormone levels is important.

If the symptoms persist,then the other causes which I have mentioned earlier should be probed.

Hope this helps.Take care and pls do keep me posted on how you are doing or if you have any additional queries.Kind regards.

[Loni1988]

I do have hypothyroidism (graves disease)

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,

Your symptoms are suggestive of irregular menstrual cycles and intermenstrual bleeding.It can be due to many causes.These are stress and anxiety,genital infections,cervical polyps, hormonal imbalance(can be due to PCOS),hypothyroidism,cigarette smoking ,underlying Chlamydia infection while on birth control,ectopic pregnancy and fibroids.

I sincerely advise you to consult a gynecologist and get pelvic examination along with blood tests for thyroid levels ,cervical swabs microscopic examination, serum androgen and testosterone levels,LH-FSH ratio,prolactin levels,TSH levels,17 hydroxyprogesterone levels  and ultrasound abdomen done to confirm a diagnosis.Treatment will depend on the same.

Hope it helps.Take care and regards.

[Halielz]

Have you recently started Birth Control pills?  I know that when I start a new BC pill, my period lasts about 3 weeks... it's a real pain.  I dunno why it does that.