I have periods every 45 days

Hello,
I am a 26 year old married Indian woman. I got married 6 months back..
My periods were very much regular before marriage that is in 30 days. But after my marriage I was relocated to UAE, and I started getting my periods once in 45 days. And that cycle is very regular but only problem is that it comes in 45 days. I talked to our family doctor in India and she has asked me to take iron tablets for 60 days. Will it help? Is there any side effect like weight gaining or something if I take those tablets? And please tell me weather there will be any problem if I am leaving this issue of 45 days periods, or let it be like that?? Please help me out.
Ms George

vi nguyen

Hi Ms. George,

Thank you for your question. It seems like you are asking about irregular periods, i.e. oligomenorrhea. The following is from Wikipedia and might be of help to you:

“Oligomenorrhea is the medical term for infrequent uterine bleeding episodes with intervals of more than 35 days. The duration of such events may vary.

“Oligomenorrhea can also be a result of prolactinomas (adenomas of the anterior pituitary). It may also be caused by thyrotoxicosis, hormonal changes in perimenopause, and Graves disease. “Endurance exercises such as running or swimming can affect the reproductive physiology of women athletes. Female runners, swimmers and ballet dancers menstruate infrequently in comparison to non-atheletic women of comparable age or not at all (amenorrhea). The degree of menstrual abnormality is directly proportional to the intensity of the exercise. For example, Malina et al., have shown menstrual irregularity is more common, and more severe among tennis players than among golfers”

“Eating disorders can also result in oligomenorrhea. Although menstrual disorders are most strongly associated with Anorexia nervosa, Bulimia nervosa may also result in oligomenorrhea or amenorrhea. There is some controversy regarding the exact mechanism for the menstrual dysregulation, since amenorrhea may sometimes precede substantial weight loss in some anorexics; thus some researchers hypothesize that some as-yet unrecognized neuroendocrine phenomenon may be involved, and the menstrual irregularities may be related to the biological undergirding of the disorders, rather than a result of nutritional deficiencies.”

Also, it is unlikely that iron pills will be of help if you are not anemic (if your red blood cells are not decreased in number) or if you are not bleeding too much or too frequently.

In summary, you should ask your doctor to rule out the conditions mentioned above (thyroid problems, other endocrine problems, prolactinoma- a small tumor in the brain which can be removed-, ovarian failure/early menopause, or excessive exercise or dysregulated eating patterns).

Please write back if you have additional concerns,

Vi, for AlterHeros