The Strange Phenomenon of Monthly Cycles

[Tills]

Good morning ladies (and this one is for the ladies),

For some time I've had a suspicion that my body has been on a monthly cycle. I'm now becoming convinced of it.

Every month I go through a fluctuation in hormones. My estrogen level peaks and my libido goes through the roof in the days running up to a full moon. Although I'm quite Nature aware I don't always pay attention to lunar cycles, so when my libido rocketed this past week I eventually looked out the window and thought to myself, 'ah of course!' Full Moon was yesterday. Peak libido.

This has now happened for so many months and years that I'm convinced of it. I can also back up some evidence of actual estradiol level fluctuations tying in with this.

How can this be, we might ask ourselves? I'm not on progesterone and never have been. My hormone input is regular day in - day out. It's true that I have a chromosome rearrangement ('mutation') but I don't have ovaries. So how?

Well, in the immortal words of Dr Ian Malcolm, 'Life uh ... finds a way.'

Nature is amazing. Whenever anyone tells you something about your life is not possible, remember that.

xx

[KathyLauren]

This is indeed a thing.  Anecdotally, when I asked about it on a trans forum, about half the replies indicated that they had experienced some kind of peri-monthly cycle.  It is not widely known in medical circles, though I did see that there was one graduate student who was planning to study the phenomenon for a thesis.

My symptoms are now unnoticeable.  But for a while, after my GRS, I experienced pain in the surgical area.  For the first couple of years,the pain was continuous.  But then, I started to notice that there would be pain-free intervals, followed by recurrence.  The pain-free intervals seemed to be semi-regular, so, being the nerd that I am, I started keeping track.  Yes, the pain wasn't just "semi" regular.  It was as regular as clockwork: every 26 days! 

When I mentioned it to my doctor, it boggled her mind, too.  Like I said, the medical profession does not recognize this as a thing at all.

Anyway, it has been five years now since my surgery, and the pain has finally subsided.  With it, my cycle became invisible, since I detected it by the pain.

It kind of makes sense.  Hormones are regulated by one of those glands - thyroid or pituitary or something - and everyone has one.  It kind of makes sense.  Whichever gland it is probably thinks, "Oh, we are running on estrogen now?  Fine, estrogen is supposed to go in cycles, so lets fiddle with the breakdown rate to make a cycle."

[Lori Dee]

I have noticed this too.

My hormone levels remain steady, and I weigh and measure myself on the first of each month and on days when I will have labs drawn to check my levels. I began to notice that my bustline measurements were different at times other than the first of the month. Now I am checking my weight and measurements on the first and 15th to see if this is a cycle or more coincidence.

If it appears to be a cycle, I may change my measurements to add to the first of the month whatever day is 28 days from the highest reading. Then see if there is consistency between the measurements.

This could be an interesting experiment!

[Allie Jayne]

I have experienced monthly cycles since my puberty, and my doctors have said it was not unusual. Mine were about gastrointestinal variations. I would start the month a little constipated then have normal motions for about a week before having severe intestinal cramping before a couple of days of diarrhoea. Towards the end of that cycle, I would get nosebleeds. This all eased in my 20's, but never completely left me. I saw a number of doctors about it, and they all said it was likely a gut cycle involving irritable bowel syndrome. While treating me for a severe nose bleed, one doctor joked it was menstrual.

There have been other strange things though, I was diagnosed with Hypogonadism, and when they checked my blood hormone levels prior to starting HRT, my Estrogen levels were already at the bottom of female range, so I never needed anti androgens. I have always had trouble with hormone levels, and in the last year, it has been crazy. My doctor has reduced my estrogen dose to minimum, but my blood levels are still high. We even changed labs to see if there was some mistake. My labs are every 6 weeks so I can't relate the results to a monthly cycle, but the results do go up and down.

My biology has always been strange, so I can't say I have a hormone driven cycle, just general variations.

Hugs,

Allie

 

[NatalieRene]

I never really thought about it either but I do have the occasional cramps and mood swings. I find myself being a little shorter with people.

I never really thought much about it though. I'm going to have to start paying attention and marking the dates to see if there is a trend.

[ChrissyRyan]

I do not notice much of any change in pain levels except about once a month for just a few days I tend to weigh 6-7 pounds more than most of the rest of the month.  I never tracked to see if this is because of perhaps drinking more fluids or eating more during the prior two days of noticing the peak weight.

I never tracked how many days are between these peak weight days.  It could be because of eating more sodium rich foods too as sodium retains water.

Chrissy

[ChrissyRyan]

I do not tend to be more crabby or on edge except for something that is extremely irritating.
So I doubt I have a monthly mood cycle.

I tend to be displeased when insurance premiums go up more than the annual rate of inflation over the past 12 months, especially because I have had no claims for many years. 

If I mash my toe that irritates me.  If I turn the corner at home and smash a boob on the wall that can hurt for a bit and that is irritating, and as I am usually not wearing a bra the discomfort lasts for a little while more than if I did that at work.  But I have not ever done that at work.

So I doubt I have monthly a monthly mood cycle.  Even when the bills arrive.


Chrissy

[Lori Dee]

If I turn the corner at home and smash a boob on the wall that can hurt for a bit and that is irritating, and as I am usually not wearing a bra the discomfort lasts for a little while more than if I did that at work.

Just wait until you get old, then you will have to worry about slamming one in the kitchen drawer when you close it.   

[ChrissyRyan]

Just wait until you get old, then you will have to worry about slamming one in the kitchen drawer when you close it.   

Oh my.  I am grateful mine are perky. 

Chrissy

[NatalieRene]

Just wait until you get old, then you will have to worry about slamming one in the kitchen drawer when you close it.   

There are some nice bras that will help with the drooping. That and yoga.

[ChrissyRyan]

There are some nice bras that will help with the drooping. That and yoga.

I like the notion of preventive maintenance to make high value things last.

[NatalieRene]

I never really thought about it either but I do have the occasional cramps and mood swings. I find myself being a little shorter with people.

I never really thought much about it though. I'm going to have to start paying attention and marking the dates to see if there is a trend.

Ok marking the date as today and symptoms.

Headaches, joint and muscle aches and mood swings. Cramps and throbbing in lower abdomen. In general feel like ->-bleeped-<- today.