How can I regularise my periods?
Faculty member, Department of Family Medicine,
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill,
USA
Q: I have a problem of irregular periods by eight days and only sometimes they are regular. I am 23 years old and unmarried. My last due date was a week back but still they have not come. I want my periods to start immediately so that I can attend my brother's wedding next fortnight. I have already started tablets regesterone-5 twice a day since last 6 days but no luck. Kindly suggest me something so that they can start. I am a doctor but not a gynaecologist.
A:Have you ever had regular periods? Are you overweight? Do you have facial hair, or hair in places that women usually do not have hair? If so, you may have a condition called Polycystic ovarian disease. I would recommend seeing a gynaecologist to get tested for it. Women with PCOD have erratic periods due to some anovulatory cycles. About your immediate problem of not having a period, you are doing the right thing by taking progesterone. For future, if you do not want to have period at a certain period of time, birth control pills are a better option. You can start taking them the month of the event, and before you come to the last week of the pills, start a new pack. That will delay your period by at least a month and give you period free time when you want it.