Treating Irregular Periods And PMS

Most women experience premenstrual syndrome (PMS) in the days just before their period begins each month. It tends to affect a woman’s physical health, as well as her emotions and behavior. A woman’s menstrual cycle typically lasts 21 to 35 days, the average being 28 days, and most periods last for 5 days. Irregular periods are those where bleeding lasts for longer than 8 days, the cycle is longer than 35 days, or there are other changes in what each woman may consider normal. Missed, early, or late periods are all signs of irregular periods.

Irregular periods can be caused by many different factors, and the treatment for each varies. The causes of PMS and its more severe form, premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) are considered unknown. However, like irregular periods, many believe hormones play an important role. This is why some treatments include hormone therapy for PMS, medications to treat PMDD, stress reduction for irregular periods, and once again, hormone therapy for PMDD.

Hormone Therapy

When a woman is going through menopause, her hormone levels are changing and irregular periods can occur as a result. Most women go through menopause in their late fifties. However, irregular periods can begin to occur up to ten years before this. As menopause begins, the frequency of ovulation decreases, and thus, periods start to become infrequent as well. Hormone therapy is a key treatment for menopause, and certain forms can cause monthly bleeding and help treat irregular periods.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common hormonal disorder in women of reproductive age. While it comes with a wide array of symptoms, the most common are prolonged and irregular periods. Progestin therapy, one type of hormone therapy used to treat PCOS, can help regulate a woman’s periods through pills taken once every couple of months.

Medication

Medication, as mentioned, plays a big role in a woman’s menstrual cycle. Many medications can cause irregular periods as they alter how the body produces progesterone and estrogen. These medications include the standard Aspirin many take and thyroid medications only certain women will take. Thus, doctors may make changes in the medications a woman takes to stop irregular periods.

Pain medication like ibuprofen and naproxen can help abdominal pain associated with PMS. Diuretics can help women shed excess water that causes bloating. There are also several medications recommended for PCOS patients to help with their irregular periods. Those medications include metformin, letrozole, clomiphene, gonadotropins. Metformin, for instance, helps a woman with PCOS with her insulin production, which can result in more regular ovulation.

Birth Control Pills

Birth control pills alter a woman’s hormones to control her menstrual cycle. However, the body can take a few months to adjust to birth control pills, which means periods can still be irregular and PMS symptoms can stick around during this time. Certain birth control pills, such as ones with low estrogen, can mean light or non-existent periods. As well, it will take several months for a woman's menstrual cycle to level out and operate normally if she stops taking birth control pills. Unfortunately, there is no treatment for irregular periods after coming off of birth control pills except for time. Stopping birth control pills can reveal hormonal issues influencing a woman’s PMS or irregular periods.

Combination birth control pills, which include progestin and estrogen, are often used to treat PCOS. They regulate the estrogen a woman’s body produces while also reducing the high levels of androgen many PCOS patients have. This corrects the abnormal menstrual bleeding women with PCOS experience.