My periods are heavy ever since I got chickenpox. Why?

Question

Hello doctor,

My periods have been heavier ever since I got chickenpox three years back. The first two days it is just spotting; the third day, it starts with cramps, sometimes really severe, with sharp and excruciating pain on both sides of the lower abdomen, radiating to the inner sides of the legs, warm legs, back pain, dizziness, an exhausted feeling, sleepiness, and black moods. Then on the fourth and fifth days, I experienced heavy bleeding along with cramps. There are clots. The bleeding is very red and not viscous when clots are discharged. If I sit down for a while, it is like the clots get accumulated, and when I get up, so much is discharged all of a sudden, and I am forced to stay at home. This affects my professional and personal life quite a lot. After this period, the bleeding tapers off fast. But I do feel exhausted, and it takes me days to get back to normal.

My blood tests and pelvic ultrasound have come back normal. The only thing is that my hemoglobin is at 11.3. The thyroid test and LFT are normal. No fibroid, and ovaries are normal. My doctor is not able to figure out what is wrong. I just turned 37. My child is 8 years old. My pregnancy was normal and uneventful. I gave birth to a full-term baby through NVD.

What could be wrong?
Should I undergo any further tests?
As my tests are normal, can I have another child?
Will another pregnancy solve my issues with menstruation?
My periods were regular with a cycle of 28 days; even now, it is regular with these problems.

Please help.

Thank you.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

Chickenpox usually does not have anything to do with heavy periods. You seem to be suffering from severe PMS (premenstrual syndrome) with dysmenorrhea and menorrhagia. You have not mentioned the prolactin level. I presume it is to be of normal value. If you have not done it, please do so. I also presume you are non-diabetic with no high blood pressure.

Does the ultrasound mention the size of the uterus? Is it of normal size? If no pathology can be found, then you belong to a group of patients who are believed to be having dysfunctional uterine bleeding, mostly seen in the perimenopausal age group, roughly beyond 35 years. They usually get relieved by a progesterone course for six months, or in refractory cases, a simple operative procedure called dilation and curettage does the trick. I believe your doctor must have already suggested that, or maybe you are on it right now. Regarding bearing children, I do not see why you should not conceive, and there might be normalization of your symptoms after a second pregnancy.

I hope this helps.

Thank you.

Answer 2

Hello,

Welcome back to icliniq.com.

The menstrual cycle not only depends on hormones but also on so many other factors as well. Stress or tension, both physical and mental, can alter a woman's menstrual cycle significantly. As you had started having these symptoms after an acute illness, even if it is not directly related to the illness, the emotional and physical stress that your body took can throw your cycle into disarray. Perimenopausal age can stretch up to ten years from your actual menopause. They are the hormonal alterations that happen in your body, which is slowly progressing to menopause. Nowadays, because of the good nutritional status and improvement of the standard of living, menopause is delayed up to 50 years.

The refractory case means those who do not respond well to progesterone. The progesterone course has very minimal side effects, like bloating, stomach upset, weight gain, headache, etc. At the age of 37, you will carry a higher risk of abortion than the general population. There are also certain medical disorders, like pregnancy-induced hypertension and diabetes. And there are certain genetic defects that are common in mothers crossing 35 years, like Down syndrome, etc., but these can be diagnosed early in pregnancy, and termination is usually offered. DUB (dysfunctional uterine bleeding) does not necessarily mean you are anovulating. There is ovulatory DUB, too. Like I said, DUB is only diagnosed when no other possible causes can be found. So I would say you have a chance of 50% to get yourself corrected on your own after pregnancy. As your cycle has shortened, you should do AMH (Anti-Mullerian Hormone) too. This is to know about your ovarian reserve, and it should be between 2 and 6.

I hope this helps.

Thank you.