as i’m nearing my 30s, it feels like my period has started to get worse. like i’m way more emotional than i used to be, the cramps have (somehow) gotten worse, and i’m bleeding so heavily that two nights in a row now i’ve managed to bleed through three layers (though thankfully not onto my sheets or blankets somehow).
googling has led me to conflicting information, so i guess i’m curious about personal experiences with periods as you age. mine have always been somewhat bad but never quite like this.
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Yeah, so I went to the gyno and they found precancerous cells on my cervix. You should def get menstrual cycle changes checked out.
Yes, it was fine until I hit my 40s and it’s been rough since then
Yes. More crampy and moody
Yes. Just turned 30 this spring and ive noticed an increase in cramping, breast tenderness and mood swings. I’d take my teenage facial breakouts back to get rid of the other things!
My period got much worse in my mid 30s and after complaining several times about how heavy it was to my gyno, she finally ordered an ultrasound – turns out I had 3 fibroids. Fibroid are very common and typically benign but they can cause heavy bleeding for many women – even if the fibroids are small. I’m on a progestin only minipill now which keeps the uterine lining quite thin so that the fibroids don’t cause the heavy bleeding anymore (it also means I only get a few very light periods a year now). It’s definitely worth bringing up to your gynecologist – an ultrasound is a quick and painless exam that can give you a lot of information.
Yes and no. In my 20’s i had alot of issues with ovarian cysts rupturing every few months(which is absolutely hell on earth if anyone has experienced this and knows), but my periods were lighter flow and only lasted a few days. But the fear of a cyst bursting around my period start time caused me to have to always schedule stuff around it just incase. Also going to the Dr’s and hospitals for it was awful too.
Towards my late 20’s i cut out any drinking, smoking, etc – and greatly cleaned up my diet to be more clean as well as working out alot more. I definitely have lost weight and am at a healthy necessary weight for my frame(probably 25 pounds lighter than my 20’s). BUT, although ovarian cysts don’t really happen anymore i have noticed my periods are much heavier in flow the first two days and in general bleeding and wearing a tampon is longer now (5-6 days). And on top of it my PMS symptoms are pretty bad 4 days prior to me getting my period, and i experience ALOT of bizarre stinky pungent sweating at night now. (i am now 33).
Yes. Found out it was endo which just continually gets worse if nothing is done about it. I’m fine now after surgery and proper treatment! But mine were getting so bad I was having mobility issues even during non period times.
Mine have gotten easier and lighter overall. Look into healing/balancing your hormones naturally through cyclical eating and living. The color of your bleed and the way it manifests are all clues into your current hormone balance.
For example spotting before your bleed is an indicator of low progesterone.
It kind of fluctuates based on diet and other health issues.
Mine was getting heavier and more painful as I neared 30. One of the options my gyn laid out as a solution was a hysterectomy and I jumped at the opportunity. They didn’t find endo or adeno.
The 3-4 years leading up to my hysterectomy (at age 37) were the worst I’ve ever had. I had fibroids.
I think the moodiness has gotten worse but I’ve also stopped taking hormonal birth control which I think helped with that. Otherwise, my cramps have lessened and my period itself has gotten lighter. I also have a shorter cycle than I did when I first started my period but, again, I was on hormonal birth control for ~15 years so that change probably would’ve felt more gradual if I’d actually been bleeding all those years.
Mine suddenly got super heavy (I’m 28) – not really added pain just added blood. Got it checked out, no fibroids to be seen so we are still not sure why it’s happening but naturally the on,y suggestion I get is “go on BC”
Yup when I turned 30 it got way worse. It was like going through puberty again but with even more issues I didn’t deal with the first time. My PCOS flared horrifically too, and I had such painful cystic acne all along my chin (I had acne before but more manageable, this was unbearable). At 33 I got my first IUD and not only did it help in a lot of ways, I completely stopped having a period. Couldn’t be happier from that POV
Mine have always been bad and not consistent, so it’s very hard for me to know when something isn’t right.
However, the last few months have made me have some concerns. I had 2 periods in one month, just days apart and both lasting for 8 days (my usual time, which sucks).
I have never felt so drained in all my life. I lift as well and had to really up my calories to keep up with all my fitness.
Then, I got my period on my “normal” schedule. While they are never fully consistent, since my 30s, they have been “trackable” somewhat.
I usually get pains as well, lower back and breasts. That can be anywhere from a week to 2 weeks before my period starts. It sucks.
I’m finding a new gyno so I can get checked out. I might be in peri and not aware.
So much. I had the worst period of my life the day after my 40th birthday. Heavy flow, terrible cramps, lasted twice as long as normal. I do have PCOS though so I’m sure that is a factor. I also get cramps when I ovulate now. So now, for two weeks out of the month, I get horrendous cramps (even when I’m not on my period) and a week of sore nipples.
I hate getting older.
Yes, and it took multiple doctors acting like it was all in my head before my current doctor took me seriously. I had fibroids causing the bleeding and cramping and it was affecting my quality of life and making me anemic. In my case the issue was fixed by having an ablation.
Read up on perimenopause and get to your yearly gynecologist check ups. Things absolutely change in your 30s. Nobody tells us.
Mine worsened after COVID
I’m 39, I haven’t noticed any difference yet, with mood or my period being different or more irregular. I feel it feels better as I’m so used to it.
I’m getting closer to my 30s too and my periods have gotten better oddly enough — in my teenage years they were extremely debilitating damn near every month.
Now I only have those debilitating cramps maybe a couple times a year. I find that odd since I recently developed (small) fibroids, so you’d think they would’ve gotten worse knocks on wood. My pmdd/pme(??) has also improved with time. For context, I’ve never had kids or any procedures.
I can’t think of any reasons why that would be except I was slightly overweight and inactive as a teen and now I’m not. Everyone’s bodies and life experiences are different so there could be any number of factors going on.
Hoping you find relief soon—especially with heavy bleeding, you’ll want to monitor that so you don’t become anemic (or worsen if already). Hugs
Nope! In fact, they got better after I entered my 30s and finally found a doctor who took my symptoms seriously. They’re less painful, less intense and shorter now and it’s been amazing.
For me, quite the opposite.
It’s much less severe compared to the teenage years (I started age 12, and am now 36). In my late 20s I became irregular and tested positive for HPV. Not sure if the two are related. I’m still not regular, but much better than it was.
Then again, in terms of cramps and moodswings I’ve been super lucky. On real bad cycles I take 2 whole painkillers and after an hour of hating the world, I’m good to go.
Yes. I got an ablation and it was the best thing I could have done.
Mine got so much worse, finally got a hysterectomy last year at 35. I feel like I got my life back!
Yes, I had to have a surgery about it.
Insanely heavy. Like leaking through a super tampon in under an hour. Terrible migraine for 2 days beforehand. Finally had to go on birth control to help both
Damn, sorry OP. Mine got better. It used to be a solid 7 days and I’m down to two days of bleeding and three of light spotting. Cramps vary but they always have. One month they’ll be very mild, and the next, I need to stay home from work. Got a pap a year ago and everything was fine. I’m assuming it’s starting to shut down, thank Satan
Yes, omg! I eventually found out I had fibroids and endometriosis. It used to be bad from 10 until college age, then in my mid to late 30s it got terrible, worse than before. I was really pissed because I was in good shape and was really getting more confident and adventurous. Now my life revolves around my period. I don’t like doing anything on my period because the bleeding, cramps and nausea can get so bad. During my 20s my period was the easiest. I wished I had done more things with my life during that time.
33 now. Mine got WAY better. They’re regular, I bleed for 5 days and I’m done, and it’s only heavy for the first two days. Cramps are still bad but they’re not the in-the-fetal-position-on-the-floor cramps that I used to have as a teenager. I still get wicked PMDD, though, and that has gotten much worse.
Yup got heavier after 35 and my PMS is more like post period not pre.
Yes.
Mine have been worse since my second and third covid jabs, and my last 2 bouts of covid. Each time I think it’s going back to normal, I get covid again! Does finally seem to be settling down 11 months after I last had it, so fingers crossed!
Yes. I have had annovulatory cycles and thrown large clots and I have had 9 day periods. I am about ready to remove my uterus with a rusty spoon.