Does this sound normal?

Question

I'm thirteen and this is what I experience every month:
1. Irregular periods that last up to 10 days (heavy for the first four to five days, then very light for the next 5 to 6 days), and cycles that ONLY SOMETIMES take more than 35 days to return (i.e. I started one period last year on July 4th and didn't begin my next period until the 11th of August)
2. Almost painless bowel movements
3. Rarely, painful urination (every couple of months, I suppose due to yeast infections)
4. Severe cramps (they vary every time. They can be so painful I have to stay in bed for a few hours, which is usually the case, but sometimes they can be pretty light. I use ibuprofen to lessen the pain)
5. Very heavy flow (for the first four to five days, then it gets really light)

I have had my period for almost four years...Is all of this normal? My mom says she used to be this way at my age and that I am ok, but I've never been to a gynecologist.

Answer 1

It is normal for the first few years when you start menstruating but you should go and get an annual pap smear to rule anything out.

Answer 2

Ok, your mom may think that you are too young to see a gyno right now, but it may be the best thing for you. I am betting, with your cycle, they will want to put you on the birth control pill to regulate your cycle to 21-24 days, then 3-5days of your period, which is really good.....they are lighter, the cramps arent nearly as bad, and it does not last but a couple days. It would get you regular. If you decide to go that route, you can expect your periods to still be irregular until your body adjusts to it. But, to tell you the truth, I was 14 when I started taking it because of my bad periods, my boobs were always hurting, my cramps made me actually vomit, REALLY BAD periods for me, but then I took it, and it took 2 months to regulate everything, and it was literally a GOD SENT. I am 24 years old now, I have 1 son, whom I had when I was 18 and happily married, (got pregnant the first day I did not take my pill after my period stopped, then just kept forgetting because I was so busy with my husband, my sister, and her kids etc) I have been on the pill ever since I delivered my son. I love it. It is so much easier for me! Good luck!

Answer 3

Painful periods, particularly when combined with your other symptoms, are never normal.

Although menstrual cramps occur in almost all women due to the release of hormones known as prostaglandins, which are hormones produced by the endometrium (the lining of the uterus) that cause the uterus to contract, sometimes quite painfully, in order to expel the menstrual debris, severe cramps that debilitate and cause you to be bedridden deserve investigation.

Diseases and disorders like Endometriosis, Adenomyosis, Pelvic Inflammatory Disease, cervical stenosis, structural abnormalities in the vagina or uterus itself, fibroids, or similar concerns can cause the symptoms you describe, most notably Endometriosis. The disease can and does affect young women and can negatively impact a teen or adolescent's entire life. Unfortunately, the mistaken stigma that periods are "supposed to hurt" or that crippling pain is somehow "normal" for a woman lead to a marked delay in diagnosis and mistreatment of many Endo patients. Pain is a sign that something is wrong, and it is worthy of investigation - if nothing else, to rule out any suspected concerns and ensure that you are, in fact, ok.

See your gyn and check out some of the following resources:

http://www.endocenter.org/pdf/2007ScreeningEducationKit.pdf

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/ERCGirlTalk

http://www.endocenter.org/girltalk.htm

Good luck to you and feel better.

Answer 4

When your mum was young it was something she would probably have put up with, in this day and age though there are lots of things your doctor can do to ease the suffering. Heavy periods like that must be making you miserable and you dont need to be! It could be a slight hormonal problem. I would make sure you take iron supplements or get plenty of it in your diet as usually heavy bleeding can leave you anaemic. Make an appointment with your doctor, you are young and are going to have many more years of periods so you deserve to get them sorted. Good luck x

Answer 5

No, heavy irregular periods are never normal. You should start by seeing your family doctor and see what they recommend for you at your age.

Answer 6

Talk to your mom and a doctor about getting on a birth control pill to regulate it.