Anovulation is the term used to describe cycles where you can bleed for weeks or months without relief (or you just may not bleed at all). This means that your ovaries have stopped releasing eggs, the lining of your uterus (endometrium) continues to build and build until it reaches critical mass then it starts to shed on its own.
Please don't do what I did and just let this go on and on, see your GP or ob/gyn as soon as you have been bleeding for longer than 5-7 days. He/she will probably prescribe a drug called Norethisterone which you take for 5 days, this stops the bleeding then you will have a super heavy period (my Dr called it a "chemical curette"). After that you may be sent for blood tests 2-3 weeks later to see if you have been able to ovulate. If you haven't, the Dr or ob/gyn may prescribe Clomid or another fertility treatment to induce ovulation.
In my experience, I can recall two occasions in my life when I was anovulatory. The first happened when I was about 20-21 years old and my GP prescribed the Pill which he deemed was the cure-all rather than trying to find out what was causing my problems. I just obediently took the prescription and started using the Pill without question.
If only I had someone tell me what would then happen to my body! My weight ballooned by about 20kg (45lb?) and that's when all the facial hair began to sprout.
The second occasion when I became anovulatory was in early 2005, at age 30.
Because I had suffered a stroke in November 2004 the Dr was extremely reluctant to prescribe anything so I put up with the bleeding for about 6 months before saying enough's enough and started demanding answers. Mr J and I were also wanting to start trying for a baby but how on earth was this going to be possible with all this bleeding going on?
I saw an ob/gyn who sent me for a blood test, prescribed Norethisterone and ordered another blood test for cycle day (CD) 21. He also sent me off for an ultrasound to check my ovaries, and this showed the classic "string of pearls" - a chain of cysts on my ovaries where the follices had developed but the eggs were never released.
The CD21 blood test proved that I was not ovulating spontaneously, so that was when I began my journey with Clomid.
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