[Mes T]

For those who don't know I'm not on hormonal birth control and never will be again. It causes hair loss for me, all brands.

I'm becoming frustrated lately though as my "natural" period lasts incredibly long, longer than a week. A couple of days of heavy bleeding and then that awful, annoying spotting that just drags on and on and on.

I know that going on the pill for a month or so would help to condense my period into a more normal 4-5 days. But I won't go on the pill again under any circumstances, not even for one month.

So. I'm wondering if anyone has any ideas of any natural ways to shorten a woman's cycle? Don't get me wrong, I embrace my period and yadda yadda yadda, but this month it was like what... 10 days long? Noooo thanks.

A drastic change in lifestyle/diet seems to modify people's periods, this we know. So I'm thinking... maybe I can go on a temporary extreme diet? Get into some intense exercising? SOMEthing?

I will not accept that there is no way to do this, other than putting harmful synthetic hormones into my body lol. There must be another way!

[ItsASecret]

A drastic change in lifestyle/diet seems to modify people's periods, this we know. So I'm thinking... maybe I can go on a temporary extreme diet? Get into some intense exercising? SOMEthing?

It will change your period length if you do this. The drastic change will drastically change your body. Your body will become used to that new drastic change and when you go back to your normal patterns and habits your body will go back as well to accommodate whatever environment it is being supplied. Whatever your physiology decides is what it is going to follow, no amount of praying or swearing (I attempt to swear it off with anger-does not work, go figure lol) will change it.

Most people here know I am 100% devoted to science and 100% endorse actual medical manipulation to garner a true effect instead of trial and error methods...but if you do not want a doctor or drugs then absolutely no amount of information should change your mind. But I can say I have heard of pseudomethods of just thinking "change my period" over and over...of course there is literally no reason to believe that works but hey its just words and no drugs lol. But really, you are talking changing your physiology and to do that you need to use a method to change that, so diet and exercise and a lot of it. However if your diet is already okay and you exercise a lot then your kinda stuck with what you have period wise.

[Mes T]

Ah yes the placebo effect, can work wonders in some cases!

I just cannot go on the pill ever again, for any reason. And to be honest I have lost 99% of my faith in doctors. In my opinion they do not care to investigate deeper issues or consider alternatives other than: Girl. Period Problems. The Pill. Prescribe. Next Patient, Please.

We say that our cycles go through changes throughout our lives, and we also seem content to explain it away as something random, having to do with age. I bet you there's a better explanation. Something happens to us that changes our cycles, what is it? And I'm not talking teenage years versus menopause, I'm talking every decade or so, for some women, there are significant changes.

Perhaps this can be my personal little experiment. There is room for improvement in my lifestyle anyway, so hey, just another excuse to get my butt in shape.

[ItsASecret]

I just cannot go on the pill ever again, for any reason. And to be honest I have lost 99% of my faith in doctors. In my opinion they do not care to investigate deeper issues or consider alternatives other than: Girl. Period Problems. The Pill. Prescribe. Next Patient, Please.

Most women who are experiencing bad effects will think there is something else going on, or at least want there to be so they have that closure for at least having an explanation for things. Medically speaking there could be a phase change of sorts after decades of time for example. Not all women have a rough time though and that is the problem, as soon as there is not a general major effect going on that can be very documented (like every 10 years all women report a some change in their cycle) there is no way to tell what is going on. Saying "My cramps hurt more"...well doc and anyone else is going to say take a Tylenol because you have pain and Tylenol rids of that pain. That is the way things are sorted out, very cause and effect (cause of mood change is pain so get rid of the pain to change mood), so if there is a very abstract side effect going on there is no real way to medically do anything if blood work and other things come back perfectly normal. Medicine, drugs or not, is limited to the information given. If something hurts, do something to stop the pain, but if it is "no that answer is unacceptable I want more reasons it cannot be that simple" then the doctor or nurse or whomever is left putting their hands up because there is literally nothing else they can say-I got to do a job shadow for a physician once when I tried to get into medicine with approval of each individual patient and so many of them just refused to accept the doctor's medical opinion. Kinda sad I think, I mean someone just wants an answer and the doctor does give one based on their years of professional experience and the person just does not want to listen. Why would those patients see a doctor if they did not want to hear what the doctor had to say? I am not saying this is what you do lol, you did listen to the doc and you unfortunately fell into the bad side effect group over the years and simply said no more...understandable.

We say that our cycles go through changes throughout our lives, and we also seem content to explain it away as something random, having to do with age. I bet you there's a better explanation. Something happens to us that changes our cycles, what is it? And I'm not talking teenage years versus menopause, I'm talking every decade or so, for some women, there are significant changes.

Only physiological research could figure out a reason for those cycle changes, the relatively minor ones, not talking big ones like puberty or menopause. If blood comes back normal, if scans, and anything else comes back normal and not obscure then there is nothing to work with. It will be explained as an unknown physiological change without any real reason. Some women have a rough time, some are 100% consistent their entire lives. Without a concrete "yes 100% _______ happens every 10 years to women and therefore may contribute to changes in cycles" there is only the individual behavior, diet, or lifestyle changes that can give reason to change a cycle. So yeah you may be stuck with "getting your butt in shape" anyway just to see if things change.

[leezard]

I have to pipe in and add a few thoughts. I"ll use my own case scenario as an example, because I don't want to tread on toes. I know I"m safe!

https://www.womens-health.com/boards/birth-control/37443-tubal-ligation-failure.html

In this example, the patient has presented with several abnormal symptoms. The ONLY tests that have been run was a pregnancy test and a pap smear. This patient obviously has concerns and has stated as much. Instead of following up with other tests to ensure all is well, the doctor has decided on a "wait and see" approach.

The wait and see approach nearly killed this patient's mother, and the patient has offered to get the paper work so the physician may retrieve a copy of the chart for viewing. The physician was not interested.

Some people will take this answer because the doctor knows best, but working in the field changes so many perspectives, because you see other complications that can occur due to attentive negligence on the doctor's part. They are people, and as people, they can get distracted by their own lives as much as anyone else. This sometimes causes them to forget the bigger picture, however, and if they have been in the field for years, they may just look at the current complaint and think anything: this patient wants attentions, it's not as painful as she believes, I've seen these symptoms a million times and the chances are that there's nothing wrong so I won't look, I want to go fishing, oh look - the cleaners didn't sweep behind the door again.

All of these lead to dissatisfaction.

In my case, this leads to consistent pain, discomfort, aggravation, gas money, wasted time, and worry that there's something bigger going on because, frankly, there is. They forget that, after a million of the same cases with the same results, the chances increase that they will have a bigger problem to deal with that exists in the smaller percentile.

Doctor's are human. Smart, but sometimes they forget that not all people are out to waste their time. I love working with them, but hate visiting them as a patient.

I have more thoughts, just not more time!! LOL

[Ashlee T.]

Ya that's a tough one messy mes. I wouldn't suggest extreme dieting...as IAS said it will work while you're doing it, but once you stop you'll go back to "normal". High intensity cardio is prob your best bet and even then, no gaurantee. I run, and I have a 3-4 day period (totally off hormonal bc too, Yeeraw we rock!!). Is my 3-4 period because I run? Eh, who knows... But I will say, I do seem to have heavier bleeding and more PMS when I'm not exercising hard core.

[Little]

Have a baby and practice ecological nursing until your period comes back Guaranteed at least 9 months without a period during pregnancy, up to 18 months postpartum without! I'm almost to 8 months postpartum with no period, though I think I've ovulated, so AF is due anytime. Gonna see about night weaning once she returns.
Obviously joking here, as the decision to have a baby should be based on WAY more than going without a period. But imagine the money you'd save on pads and tampons, that would pay for delivery, amirite?

[Texinator]

Alright chicas, please drop some knowledge on me, please.

Does sexual activity, whether masturbation or intercourse, have any affect on your period, either by making it shorter or by at least making it less uncomfortable? I've heard that orgasms are supposed to clear out the uterus of blood and old tissue faster, which means the period is shorter and the cramping is less. Some women swear by it, others respond with "What are you talking about?", though with the latter I don't know if it doesn't work for them or if they just don't want to engage in any sexual activity while menstruating.

Hope I'm not hijacking your thread Mes, but since you were asking about how to make yours shorter, I had to think of my question

[kristalyn_04]

Alright chicas, please drop some knowledge on me, please.

Does sexual activity, whether masturbation or intercourse, have any affect on your period, either by making it shorter or by at least making it less uncomfortable? I've heard that orgasms are supposed to clear out the uterus of blood and old tissue faster, which means the period is shorter and the cramping is less. Some women swear by it, others respond with "What are you talking about?", though with the latter I don't know if it doesn't work for them or if they just don't want to engage in any sexual activity while menstruating.

Hope I'm not hijacking your thread Mes, but since you were asking about how to make yours shorter, I had to think of my question

Maybe you should move your question to the Ask Women thread, Tex.

Well, for me, contractions associated with orgasm does relieve the cramps, temporarily (for like a couple of hours). But it's never shortened the menstruation time... though mine only lasts 4-5 days anyway. But usually I'm just not in the mood while I'm bleeding, cramping and feeling bloated. My horniest time seems to be during the week before my period.

[CHANDLERS WISH]

I wonder if the mind does really tell our bodies what to do, they say it does so meditation constantly - lighter, lighter, shorter, shorter, may actually work you know

I'm all over the place, since I stopped taking the pill, I think I went 7 months without a period then back to normal but, not on the same day starter as it should be, then a couple and then nada, and now back to normal just days starting are wrong again

Oh Texy, um, it brings it on if it is due, for sure