Got Two Periods In One Month These Are All The Possible Reasons Why
Its bad enough dealing with your period once a month the cramps, the mood swings, the ruined underwear But twice?
As it turns out, getting your period twice in one month isnt all that abnormal. But if youre part of that group, know this: Irregular bleeding can have different implications depending on age, medical history, and family history, says Dr Alyssa Dweck, a gynae and author of The Complete A to Z for Your V. So its important to seek ob-gyn guidance if you have persistent, recurrent, or worrisome bleeding habits.
So how is it even possible to get two periods in one month?
The average cycle should occur every 21 to 35 days and last anywhere from two to seven days, explains Dr Lakeisha Richardson, a gynae based in Greenville, Mississippi. So if youre on the shorter end of that spectrum, that math could easily translate into getting your period twice in one month. And about 40 to 60 percent of women will have some irregular periods throughout their lives, she says.
If you dont just have a cycle thats on the shorter end of the spectrum, your period might actually be bleeding linked to a medical condition or missed birth control. And even though most of the reasons are totally benign, seeing your doctor can help identify the cause.
Heres what might be going on if youre getting two periods in one month and what to do to get your cycle back on track.
1. You forgot to take your birth control.
What to do about it
2. Youre pregnant.
What to do about it
Two Periods In One Month
An adult womans menstrual cycle can range in length from 24 to 38 days and in teenage girls it can last even longer. Based on how long your cycle normally lasts, if you think youre having a second period in that stretch of time, it is important to determine if it is just spotting or menstrual bleeding.
In most cases, having two periods in a month occasionally is not serious. However, if youre frequently having two periods in one month, you may have an underlying health condition.
Treatment For Frequent Menstruation
The treatment for frequent menstruation depends on the underlying cause. If you have just started having periods or you normally have shorter menstrual cycles, you wont need any treatment. However, if your doctor is concerned that the frequency of blood loss due to your periods is causing anaemia, they may suggest taking iron supplements.
In some cases, hormonal birth control may be recommended to treat frequent menstruation.
Read Also: Can Birth Control Make Your Period Late
You Have Uterine Or Cervical Polyps Or Fibroids
Uterine issues like polyps or fibroidsbenign lesions or tumors that can grow in the uterusare very common and may be related to hormonal issues. Uterine polyps can cause bleeding in between periods, says Dr. Dweck, especially if they are touched, like during sex, and fibroids can cause pain, back pain, abdominal bloating, anemia, pain with intercourse, and spontaneous bleeding because theyre not associated with the menstrual cycle, explains Dr. Richardson.
While fibroids can affect women of any age or race, Black women are about three times more likely to develop them compared to white women, and their symptoms tend to emerge at an earlier age with greater severity. Its unclear why exactly Black women are disproportionately impacted by fibroids, but some studies suggest that greater exposure to racial discrimination or genetics could play a role.
As the Black Womens Health Imperative notes, heavy, painful periods may seem like a fact of life since theyre so commonand many women wait years to seek treatment for fibroidsbut you dont have to needlessly suffer.
You’re Seriously Stressed Out
High levels of stress can cause either more frequent periods or completely missed ones, says Dr. Masterson, because the hormones that trigger your ovaries to ovulate every month originate in the brain .
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Basically, when youre swamped at work or worrying a lot , those hormones can misfire and affect your cycle in negative ways.
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How The Emergency Contraception Pill Works
The EC pill is the method you reach for after having unplanned sex when you do not have protection. Protection means taking a regular contraception method like daily pills, implants, injections, or using a condom before sex.
Currently, after unprotected intercourse, we have two main methods for preventing an unplanned pregnancy the emergency pills or the copper IUD.
The Copper IUD or Copper coil is a small device that an experienced health provider fits inside your womb in the clinic.
It is the most effective emergency birth control method and needs to be fitted within five days of unplanned sex or five days of ovulation.
But if you cant get the Copper coil, the emergency contraception pill is your next best bet.
Plan B Am I Having My Period Twice
Question posted by melcee6 on 17 Feb 2014
Last updated on 10 March 2017 by Azilxo
Took Plan B a day after my period which ended feb 10. I started bleeding again as if i started my period 3 days ago . How can I get my period twice in a month? Should I be concerned? Did the pill work? I don’t want to end up pregnant.
Azilxo
Ladies same thing is going on with me but a little more weird so I ended my period on a Friday I took the plan B on that sunday then about three days later I got my period. Then it lasted a week … it stopped and just today I got my period again legit almost all back to back I feel so weak
+0kim10023
I’m having the same problem I took the plan B pill on Thursday and I just started bleeding today like crazy on Monday is this another period ? I already had my period this month
+0kaismama
Its just the Plan B. Its breakthru bleeding from the hormones. Your regular period will probably be a little late too. This is also the plan B effect. There is no way to say the pill worked until its time for your period.
+0
Read Also: What Age Do Girls Start Their Period
Reaction To Birth Control
Hormonal birth control introduces hormones into your body. This can affect your menstrual cycle, and cause spotting in between periods.
You may need to try a few different types of birth control to find one that works for you. It also takes a few months for your body to adjust to a new method of birth control.
Talk to your doctor about what you should expect when starting a new birth control method.
What Causes Menstruation Twice A Month
Two periods in one month can be caused by having a shorter menstrual cycle or by an underlying health condition that causes vaginal bleeding.
Reasons your menstrual cycle may suddenly become shorter include stress, illness, extreme weight loss or gain, reacting to hormonal birth control and a failure in the egg releasing from your ovary .
In young girls, puberty can cause shorter menstrual cycles, while in older women, this can occur due to menopause.
Health conditions that cause more frequent periods
Health conditions that can cause sudden, shorter menstrual cycles include:
- Hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism
- Miscarriage if you are pregnant, a miscarriage can cause heavy bleeding contact your doctor or midwife urgently if this occurs
- Pregnancy early pregnancy can cause spotting, however, you should still tell your doctor or midwife
- Sexually transmitted infections STIs can cause vaginal bleeding and discharge
Read Also: Why Am I On My Period For A Month
You’ve Recently Taken Emergency Contraception
If youve taken an emergency contraceptive and found that you bled shortly after, its because the hormone levels in Plan B, for example, are similar but higher than the ones released in your body when you use birth control, resulting in spotting. Dr. Lincoln describes it as short-term and not harmful to your body.
What Is In Plan B
“Levonorgestrel is the active hormone in Plan B,” says Krishna Kakani, an MD who has her own OB/GYN practice.
Levonorgestrel is a synthetic progestin hormone that prevents pregnancy in two ways:
It’s important to note that plan B works to prevent fertilization, it will not terminate a pregnancy if the egg has already implanted.
Since levonorgestrel affects ovulation and the uterine lining to prevent pregnancy, taking Plan B could alter the timing, length, and flow of your next period.
“Emergency contraceptives that contain levonorgestrel are most effective if taken within 72 hours of unprotected sex,” says Kakani. Plan B is just one type of emergency contraceptive that contains levonorgestrel. Others brands include:
Also Check: What Causes Cramps On Your Period
After Taking Plan B And Having My Period I Started Bleeding Again A Week Later Is This Miscarriage
Question posted by katblack500 on 8 Aug 2012
I took plan B on July 23rd , got my period the next weekend around July 28th and had a light period for a few days . Then just recently started bleeding again around August 4th. At first it was just kind of spotty, until last night when it got much heavier. I’ve also been having some strange abdominal pains that seem different from cramps. Do you know what the cause could be? Is this a sign of miscarriage? Or could it be related to plan B? Thanks
SuperGirl09
So I took the pill twice in a month I had my period at the beginning of the june and then again at the end of the monthNow Im worried Ive been feeling nauseous and i havent started waiting to see of i start at the ens of the month Im just worriedIm probably over thinking and making my self sick
+0Mono lulu
I took plan b like a month ago and now Ive had my period for more than 10 days and it wont stop!!!
+0emnoel+0Heirs+0saviag+0Cdavalos1992+0AnnieAuburn
I know its a bit late but I would like to know what happened to you because I am going through the same thing right now and kind of nervous, and worried.
+0DzooBaby+2
Your Weight Is Fluctuating
Rapid weight gain or loss and excessive amounts of exercise can also affect the hormones that stimulate ovulation, changing the typical pattern of your cycle.
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Usually if you are doing extreme exercise or have gotten underweight, your body turns off the ovulatory processit thinks its in a famine situation, and thats not a great time to have a baby, Masterson explains. But if youve become extremely overweight, you might see irregular bleeding happening more or less frequently than normal.
Recommended Reading: What Is The Average Period Cycle
When To Go To A Doctor
For some people, getting two periods in one month is nothing unusual and not a reason for concern. However, if you find the change in your cycle to be untypical for you personally, you should definitely consult a doctor. That said, dont hesitate to schedule an appointment in case you:
- Suffer from lower abdominal pain that doesnt seem to subside even after a few days
- Experience rather heavy bleeding that fills up a pad in two to three hours or shorter
- Believe that you have vaginal bleeding/spotting in between periods and not an actual period
- Feel pain during sexual intercourse
- Find that your period blood has some darker and thicker clots in it
- Experience more severe menstrual cramps than whats typical for you
You Have An Infection Down There
Vaginal and cervical infections are incredibly annoying for a number of reasons, not least of all that they can cause bleeding outside of your period. Inflammation or infection of the cervix with bacteria, such as bacterial vaginosis or trichomoniasis, can cause irregular bleeding, says Dr. Richardson.
Many STDs often dont cause any other symptoms, although you may experience foul-smelling or gray, white, or green discharge itching or burning in your genital area or burning during urination.
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Taking The Combined Pill Back
If you take a combined contraceptive pill, you can delay your period by taking the packets back-to-back.
How you do this will depend on the type of pill you take.
Examples are:
- monophasic 21-day pills, such as Microgynon and Cilest you take a combined pill for 21 days, followed by 7 days without pills, when you have a bleed . To delay your period, start a new packet of pills straight after you finish the last pill and miss out the 7-day break.
- everyday pills, such as Microgynon ED and Lorynon ED you take a combined pill every day. The first 21 pills are active pills and the next 7 pills are inactive or dummy pills, when you have your period. To delay your period, miss out and throw away the dummy pills, and start the active pills in a new packet straight away.
- phasic 21-day pills, such as Binovium, Qlaira and Logynon the mix of hormones in each pill is different, depending on which phase you’re in. You need to take these pills in the correct order to have effective contraception. Speak to your pharmacist, community contraception clinic or GP for more information before taking phasic pills back-to-back.
Taking your contraceptive pills in the ways described above will not affect how they work as contraceptives.
If you’re not sure which pill you’re on, which pills in the packet to miss out, or you need advice, speak to your pharmacist, community contraception clinic or GP.
Taking the combined pill can cause side effects, such as:
Can The Morning After Pill Delay Your Period
So you want to know how late can a period be without being pregnant. But can the emergency birth control pill delay your period? Yes.
The three potential effects of the pill on your period are:
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I Got 2 Periods In A Month After Taking Plan B Is This Normal
Question posted by Megs1234 on 19 Feb 2014
I took Plan B and got my period about a week and a half later. It was a week early. I know this is normal. But now, a week later, I’m on my period again. This is when it’s supposed to be. It may just be spotting, but I’m not sure. Is this normal? I’m also on birth control to control when my period comes.
LousArk
Oh yes, that can happen. Plan B is a huge dose of artificial hormone for your body to deal with. When you combine it with the artificial hormone in your regular birth control, it can really mess your cycle up for a month or even more.
+0Ioghtter
I actually had similar so I took plan b because condom broke the. Got withdrawal bleeding a week later which was spotting then 3 weeks later I got my period for two days. Im worried if Im pregnant because on third day Im spotting but the other two days was normal dark red.
+0kaismama
Its not two periods, the first one is break thru bleeding from the hormones. If you are on the pill why in heavens name did you take plan B? It is not magic and not near as effective as birth control. All you did was mess up your cycle with unnecessary hormones. I don’t understand when you girls do that. There are only a few cases where you need plan b when you’re on birth control. If you took it because the condom broke, you don’t even need a condom to prevent pregnancy when you’re on the pill.
+0Megs1234kaismaman_cat13akumandoMegs1234MissyEGRDanigurl123Claudia101lolSavyrosepoohboob
Q: What Are Options For Emergency Contraception
A: There are currently four available methods:
- Levonorgestrel . These pills contain a synthetic hormone called progestin and are available over-the-counter. They prevent pregnancy by delaying the release of the egg from the ovary to prevent fertilization. They will not work if you are already pregnant.
- Ulipristal acetate . This medication also suppresses or delays ovulation but is only available by prescription. It will not work if you are already pregnant.
- Copper-releasing IUD. Once its placed in the uterus by a healthcare professional, it offers additional pregnancy protection for as long as you keep it in, up to 10 years.
- Yuzpe regimen. This method calls for a woman to take multiple birth control pills that total 100 mcg of estrogen and 1 mg of progesterone twice in a 12-hour period. It is the least effective method of emergency contraceptive, and will not work if you are already pregnant.
Also Check: I Got Pregnant Right After My Period Ended