Hi everyone--

I read another thread about women who are experiencing heavy periods in the first few months of Atkins -- I am experiencing the exact opposite! This is my first cycle since starting LC, and it is almost non-existent -- extrememly light spotting, no cramps, oh, and a nice little yeast infection to boot. Before starting Atkins, my periods were always extremely heavy, almost hemmoraging-heavy. Any thoughts on why it could be different this time, not only from my own past experiences but from what I take to be a large number of other women? Am I not eating enough of something? Is my body rebelling against something? Or is this also normal for some LC-ing women?

Thanks for your help, Athena

My first two periods after starting LC were *very* heavy with severe cramping. Then the periods got very light but the "compensation," as it were, has been five days of mid-cycle bleeding, almost like a mini-period. I have always gotten a little ovulation bleeding but this was enough where I had to wear a tampon sometimes. This last cycle was really messed up--I had an early but *extremely* light period for about 10 days on and off, and then when it seemed to have gone away it would return just after exercise. This bleeding after exercise continued for about a week. So I was in some state of light bleeding for almost three weeks. Now there's no more bleeding, but I am getting sore breasts and other PMS symptoms which usually predict a period in about 10 days.

I was really in a panic about all of this weirdness until I started reading a lot of the posts on this forum and others, concerning LC and the menstrual cycle. (OBTW, I'm not on BC pills. :^)

My partner is LC'ing too and she has had unusually light periods alternating with very heavy ones.

Just wanted to let you know that you are not alone.

Emily

Thanks Emily, this is so strange to me! Now I'm really curious what it is that's happening inside our bodies on Atkins that there would be fluctuations like this. I noticed a very good side-effect of the diet -- the adult acne that I developed two years ago and that had been slowly getting worse and worse has completely cleared up. Now I'm thinking this plus the super light cycle -- hmm, am I losing my estrogen along with the ketones?

Athena

There have been many threads on mid-cycle bleeding and general TOM weirdness. I searched this site with "mid-cycle bleeding" and "TOM" as search terms, and found a lot of info which really set my mind at rest. Women's bodies respond in a huge variety of ways to the low carb diet. It puts some people's cycles right, for the first time in years--with others, it screws them up for a while. Still other women experience no change whatsoever.

When you LC you are massively changing your hormone balance, going from (usually) high levels of insulin, to low levels of insulin and high levels of glucagon. Since insulin is involved in many body functions and cycles, that may be part of the explanation.

Another explanation I've seen is that bodyfat, especially visceral (abdominal) fat, is a repository for estrogen. As you lose weight and your fat cells release their contents into your bloodstream, your hormone balance can be thrown out of whack. Simply put, there can be too much estrogen floating around for a while, until your body adjusts. This can cause various symptoms, the most common of which seem to be midcycle bleeding, persistent spotting, extra-heavy periods and extra-long periods.

There is also the explanation that deliberately eating less than you take in, for months at a time, is in and of itself a stress on the body. And chronic stress can also screw up your cycle. All the more so if you begin an exercise program along with your diet.

Who knows what it is. I'm hoping and expecting that mine will straighten itself out over the next couple of cycles. If not--well, that's why I'm seeing the gyno when I go back to the States in October.

Emily

I went on Atkins last year and didn't get my period for 5 months until I took BC to see if that would help (it did). Now I am on Atkins again and my period hasn't happened for 2 months. ALso, I'm only 16. Anyone know whats going on?

I noticed since going lc my periods have become regular like clockwork. Before i was very irregular. It only lasts 2 days. I don't feel very good but it's over quick enough so i don't mind. I'm not on BCP.

My *flow* decreased dramatically when I began this WOE...