So much TMI—Covid vaccine relared

[Mrs Tiggywinkle]

Please don’t quote—

Is there any truth to the Covid vaccine/abnormal bleeding/period rumor? You guys know more about the vaccines  than half the doctors I know.  I figured it was just anti-vaxx nonsense and correlation doesn’t equal causation but…

I boostered on Wednesday. Saturday I started bleeding, heavily. First period in five years(I am on the BCP due to pcos).  It hasn’t stopped, just gotten heavier. I contacted my gyn but she’s on vacation for two weeks and it’s a small office so no one covering(they don’t do obstetrics)

correlation? Causation? Something I should worry about?

(I had my annual exam a month ago and everything was normal so I don’t think there’s something going on like cervical cancer. And I am on the birth control pill and DH had the V, so I can’t imagine I am miscarrying.)

Edited December 21, 2021 by Mrs Tiggywinkle

[itsheresomewhere]

I know quite a few who experienced the same thing.  My Bf ended up getting help with her Gyn as she was bleeding badly ( soaking a tampon and pad in less than an hour). 

[fairfarmhand]

My dds and I all had some crazy period stuff for several months after our bout with covid. Didn’t seem to have the same problem after vaccination thoughX

[desertflower]

I’m not a doctor. 
my period doubled the first month after my second shot. That’s it. Normal after that.

I just got boostered two weeks ago. My period came on time two days ago. Seems normal so far.

I’ll update in a few days if it’s not normal. 
I don’t know what rumors are out there, but I don’t think the vaccine has affected my menstrual cycle in a bad way. 
 

i got the Pfizer shot. 
 

I don’t think it’s an emergency. I think you can wait until she gets back. Or can you leave a message? 

[Lawyer&Mom]

100% true.  I was boostered on Tuesday. My period started early that same day.  It’s a week later and it’s still going.  Not super heavy, but it normally would have stopped after day four or so.  I had period wonkiness after covid too.  I would alternate three week and four week cycles, after decades of being exactly 28 days like clockwork.

Obviously if the flow is too heavy it’s a problem, but otherwise I’d just ignore it and let it work itself out. 

[Katy]

Anything that causes inflammation or immune response can cause an immediate shift in periods.  That’s neither unusual or a sign of fertility issues.  

[Mrs Tiggywinkle]

I did leave a message. I kind of think it’s weird that there is a lot of rumors about the Covid vaccine messing up periods and I get my first one in five years a few days after the booster.

it’s not abnormal to not have periods on the birth control I’m on so the doctor has never been concerned about that:

BUT corralation doesn’t equal causation.

[catz]

I am perimenopausal so my periods are all over the place anyway.  But I was vaxxed last month and had an extra long period last month (like 10 days vs 6-7 I had at least the previous 3-4 months).  Since I had been in with crazy periods last spring and had blood work, a pap, etc and had been declared slightly andemic but otherwise 50 and perimenopausal, I definitely didn't feel the need to follow up unless it continues.  

[Storygirl]

I've only had one period over the last two years, and it happened after my first Covid shot in the spring. It didn't happen again for the second shot or the booster. After I heard on here on the boards that others were having unexpected bleeding,  I chalked it up to a weird side effect and didn't worry about it.

[TechWife]

I have had some irregularities & heavy periods for a while now, so my info isn't super helpful. I can tell you that it's been a really hard year, period wise. As soon as I thought things might be getting better, they worsened. I can't necessarily tie them to vaccines by date. I had vaccines in February, March & October. I know the spring was hard, and late Oct/Nov. were hard.

This is being studied.  I expect this will take them years to tease out, in all honesty.

https://covid19.nih.gov/news-and-stories/covid-19-vaccines-and-menstrual-cycle

Edited December 21, 2021 by TechWife

[EKS]

I experienced a small amount of bleeding after each shot.  The last real period I had was in the fall of 2020.

[Dianthus]

I know a 12 yr old who started their period (light for a couple days) the day after the 2nd shot months ago but hasn't had a period since.

[Moonhawk]

My periods have been sporadic for the past 4 years. Before all my shots, (original 2 plus booster) I was 2+ months waiting for my next period, and the shots did not jumpstart anything for me (I was hoping it would, lol). 

I don't disprove correlation for others, but the only period I've had in the past 8 months starting the morning, the only morning in the past 4 years I might add, I was going to a beach. Since my booster didn't get my period started again, I am considering booking a plane ticket to California and only packing a swimsuit, lol.

[kbutton]

51 minutes ago, Moonhawk said:

My periods have been sporadic for the past 4 years. Before all my shots, (original 2 plus booster) I was 2+ months waiting for my next period, and the shots did not jumpstart anything for me (I was hoping it would, lol). 

I don't disprove correlation for others, but the only period I've had in the past 8 months starting the morning, the only morning in the past 4 years I might add, I was going to a beach. Since my booster didn't get my period started again, I am considering booking a plane ticket to California and only packing a swimsuit, lol.

I wanted to laugh, but not without offering a virtual hug also! 

[DreamerGirl]

Yes, after the first shot. I had to call my doctor.

[Acadie]

I'm perimenopausal and had my first period in about 6 months after my first Pfizer shot. My naturopath said she was seeing menstrual irregularities in many of her patients after the vaccines, but that it's just a transitory effect. As long as the bleeding isn't excessive she does not see it as a problem and encourages vaccination. 

[JennyD]

I had a period after 16 days right after my second shot.  Super weird but then everything went back to normal the next month and has stayed that way, including after my booster.

This is a very good analysis -- from April, by an OBGYN-- of the -possible mechanisms by which the vaccine might temporarily affect one's menstrual cycle.  Presumably there are some studies going on and we will learn more in the fullness of time.  

 

Edited December 21, 2021 by JennyD

[Mrs Tiggywinkle]

I honestly thought it was an anti-vax trope, but the mechanism makes sense.

This is super annoying though lol.

[vonfirmath]

2 hours ago, Mrs Tiggywinkle said:

Please don’t quote—

Is there any truth to the Covid vaccine/abnormal bleeding/period rumor? You guys know more about the vaccines  than half the doctors I know.  I figured it was just anti-vaxx nonsense and correlation doesn’t equal causation but…

I boostered on Wednesday. Saturday I started bleeding, heavily. First period in five years(I am on the BCP due to pcos).  It hasn’t stopped, just gotten heavier. I contacted my gyn but she’s on vacation for two weeks and it’s a small office so no one covering(they don’t do obstetrics)

correlation? Causation? Something I should worry about?

(I had my annual exam a month ago and everything was normal so I don’t think there’s something going on like cervical cancer. And I am on the birth control pill and DH had the V, so I can’t imagine I am miscarrying.)

It did not affect me but I've got an friend who is avidly pro-vaccination that had period issues after both her vaccine and the 2nd shot. (no idea about booster. If so she did not mention it)

[TexasProud]

Well, so far the booster hasn’t affected me, but my second shot caused me to have my period, even though I had not had my period in 5 years.  My gyn did not think it was connected and did a pap smear, ultrasound, and biopsy to make sure.   I think it was the vaccine. 

[Faith-manor]

I am in the "my ovaries are too stupid to figure out they should stop working already" phase of perimenopause/menopause. So I can go two or three months without a period and then have one. That said I have always had one start within two or three days of getting a Moderna dose (I had the two shot series plus a booster) and they were very heavy whereas when I am "normally" skipping and then getting one, they are light. So I think that the inflammation caused by the immune reaction may cause it.

I would really like for 2022 for my ovaries to just die. Give it up. Seriously, it has been going on 43 years of this and I am beyond over it. The youngest is 21. This uterus is not available for rent or lease.

[BusyMom5]

Well, I'm glad to read this- mine was crazy heavy for 3 months (vax, second vax, then the following month), then back to normal.... then I double ovulated last month (I do this occasionally,  I'm aware when it happens and have twins to prove it).  

[MercyA]

NPR did a story on this in August.

[MercyA]

I keep data on my period and my daughter's. Just habit after years of endo. I don't see that either of our two initial shots had any effect on either of our cycles. My booster didn't seem to have any effect, either. 

[SounderChick]

I've heard a lot about changes to periods. The part that is anti Vax hooey is that that means it will affect fertility.  Or even more so that if I take the Vax I will shed to other people and cause them to have infertility. 

[sassenach]

It's enough of a thing that the NIH is funding research about it. It's absolutely been an issue for both dd and I. 

Edited December 22, 2021 by sassenach

[Dianthus]

14 hours ago, BusyMom5 said:

... then I double ovulated last month (I do this occasionally,  I'm aware when it happens and have twins to prove it).  

How can you tell you double ovulated?

I conceived twins once that I know of, 7 yrs ago, but wondered if it would happen again, especially as I age.

[BusyMom5]

10 minutes ago, Spirea said:

How can you tell you double ovulated?

I conceived twins once that I know of, 7 yrs ago, but wondered if it would happen again, especially as I age.

I can always feel when I ovulate- its a pinching feeling on one side or the other, lasting 10-15 minutes.   This last time I felt it on a Monday afternoon,  and on the opposite side Tuesday morning. Double ovulation has to occur within 24 hours.  Same thing happened when I conceived twins.  I even told DH I double ovulated.  I knew from the moment the test was + that it was twins.  Took me 13 weeks to get an US to confirm.   I think I double ovulated around 1x a year or so, or at least that about how often I notice it.  

[Dianthus]

23 minutes ago, BusyMom5 said:

I can always feel when I ovulate- its a pinching feeling on one side or the other, lasting 10-15 minutes.   This last time I felt it on a Monday afternoon,  and on the opposite side Tuesday morning. Double ovulation has to occur within 24 hours.  Same thing happened when I conceived twins.  I even told DH I double ovulated.  I knew from the moment the test was + that it was twins.  Took me 13 weeks to get an US to confirm.   I think I double ovulated around 1x a year or so, or at least that about how often I notice it.  

I don't think I've ever felt that.

I thought I'd conceived twins because I had strong symptoms of nausea, which I hadn't had before, and the pregnancy test was so dark pink, which hadn't happened before either. I had about a 7wk ultrasound and Dr could see two, but one was vanishing. So had a singleton. I've always thought he got a double portion, such a handful.

Edited December 22, 2021 by Spirea