A ‘typical’ menstrual cycle lasts anywhere between 24 to 38 days. In most cases, cycle variation is normal. But sometimes, an underlying condition impacts your cycle, causing you to get your period twice in one 30-day time period. So, if you’re asking, “why did I get my period twice in one month,” there could be many different answers. And, to help you determine the cause of your irregular periods, we’re about to explore four conditions that could cause you to experience trigger two or more menstrual periods in one month.
Fibroids are non-cancerous growths that form within your uterus or uterine wall. These tumors can cause many disruptive symptoms—and two of the most common complaints are heavy, painful periods along with bleeding in between cycles. For that reason, if you get your period twice a month, and you’re also experiencing pelvic pain, constipation or other fibroid symptoms, fibroids could be the reason why you’re getting your period twice in one month.
Endometriosis can also affect the menstrual cycle. Now, there’s a lot of overlap between endometriosis and fibroid symptoms. But endometriosis pain is the result of uterine tissue forming in other parts of the body. When that happens, symptoms can include stomach and pelvic pain, along with heavy periods and mid-cycle spotting. Sometimes, that bleeding is heavy enough to seem like a menstrual period.
Now, sometimes it takes a while to diagnose endometriosis. But, if your doctor notices endometrial tissue when you get an ultrasound exam, you may need to get a surgical biopsy to confirm the diagnosis.
We define menopause as having gone one year without getting your period. But before you’re officially in menopause, there’s a time of your life called perimenopause, during which you experience many changes in your cycle. In some months, you may skip a period entirely, or just get a very light flow. But in other months, shorter times between cycles could leave you getting a period twice within one 30-day time frame.
In some cases, thyroid malfunction impacts your menstrual cycle, which is only natural, since this gland regulates the hormonal balance in your body. So, with hyper or hypothyroidism, fluctuating hormones could result in cycle changes.
The same may be true if you experience rapid weight gain, since that can lead to shifting estrogen levels in the body. In turn, you may notice changes to your monthly period.
Stress can impact the way you sleep—and the way you get your period. In fact, at the height of the COVID-19 lockdowns, lots of women spoke out about getting their period twice a month—or more. Luckily, if stress is the cause of changes in your body, things should reset once you manage your stress and return to a normal routine.
Now, one British Medical Journal study did reveal that some COVID vaccinations affected the timing of women’s periods. Specifically, after getting one vaccine dose, women's periods appeared to experience a one-day delay. Interestingly, the changes were more noticeable when women received two vaccine doses during the same menstrual cycles. In this setting, their periods came about four days late, with a few women noticing longer delays of eight days or more.
And, after those big delays? Well, the next month, those women could gotten their period twice a month, since the delays weren’t permanent, and most women's cycles got back on track the next month.
Clearly, many different factors could give you a period twice a month. For that reason, it may be hard to tell what’s behind your cycle changes. So, how can you know when to seek medical intervention?
Here’s the story: nobody knows your body better than you do. So you should talk to your doctor about any changes that seems strange or worrying to you. Do you suspect that fibroids are the reason why you get your period twice a month? Reach out to our Dallas area fibroid specialists and request a consultation. We’re here to discuss your minimally invasive fibroid treatment options.
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