- How Thyroid Affects Menstruation
- Changes in case of hypothyroidism
- Changes in case of hyperthyroidism
- When to go to the doctor
Changes in the thyroid, such as hypothyroidism, can lead to an increase in menstruation, whereas in hyperthyroidism, a reduction in bleeding is more common, which may even be absent.
These menstrual changes can happen because thyroid hormones directly influence the ovaries, causing menstrual irregularities.
How Thyroid Affects Menstruation
The possible changes that can happen in the menstrual cycle can be:
Changes in case of hypothyroidism
When the thyroid produces less hormones than it should, it can occur:
1. Menstruation before the age of 10: it can happen because the increasing TSH has a small effect similar to FSH and LH, which regulate menstruation.
2. Early menstruation: Thus, the woman who had a cycle of 30 days, can have 24 days, for example, and in addition, menstruation can come completely out of time;
3. Abundant menstruation: This is a situation called menorrhagia, where it is necessary to change the tampon more often throughout the day and, in addition, the number of days of menstruation may increase;
4. Increased menstrual cramps : Cramping can become much more intense, characterizing dysmenorrhea, which causes pelvic pain, headache and malaise and painkillers need to be taken.
Another change that can happen is the difficulty to get pregnant because there is a decrease in the luteal phase. There may be galactorrhea, which is the exit of 'milk' through the nipples, even if the woman is not pregnant.
Changes in case of hyperthyroidism
When the thyroid produces more hormones than it should, there may be:
5. Delay of the 1st menstruation: when the girl has not yet had her menarche and already has hyperthyroidism in childhood;
6. Delayed menstruation : The menstrual cycle may become more widely spaced, with a greater interval between cycles;
7. Little menstruation: The use of pads can be reduced because there is less bleeding per day;
8. Absence of menstruation: In certain cases menstruation can be suppressed for months.
After having surgery to remove a part of the thyroid, changes in menstruation also appear. Shortly after surgery, while still in the hospital, heavy bleeding can occur even though the woman is taking the pill for continuous use normally. This bleeding can last for 2 or 3 days, and after 2 to 3 weeks there may be a new menstruation, which may come as a surprise, and this indicates that the half of the thyroid that remained is still adapting to the new reality, and still needs to adjust in relation to the amount of hormones you need to produce.
When the thyroid is completely removed by surgery, it causes hypothyroidism, and the doctor can indicate hormone replacement within the first 20 days to regulate menstruation.
When to go to the doctor
You should make an appointment with a gynecologist if you have the following changes:
- If you are over 12 and have not yet menstruated; Stay more than 90 days without menstruation, and if you are not taking the pill for continuous use, nor are you pregnant; Have an increase in menstrual cramps, which prevent you from working or studying; bleeding for more than 2 days, completely outside the menstrual period; if menstruation becomes more abundant than usual; if menstruation lasts more than 8 days.
The doctor may order TSH, T3 and T4 tests to assess thyroid hormones in order to check if there is a need to take medications to regulate the thyroid, because this way the menstruation will be normalized. The use of the contraceptive pill should be discussed with the gynecologist.
