To the ladies who have Mirena & eat Paleo...you may want to look further in depth into the synthetic material & hormone contained in the iuc. I had it for 18 mos & found that it can have devastating effects to your health. My opinion is that your Paleo lifestyle is working to naturally balance your hormones, while the iuc is constantly working to imbalance your hormones in an unatural way. Obviously it's a personal choice. But I couldn't fight daily for whole health by abiding to the Paleo lifestyle, avoiding "poisonous foods" while an evil little foreign object lived in my body releasing "poison". But I'm a little biased against Mirena if you can't tell! Anyway...

So the caveat I'll throw in is that I've only done Paleo for a month now, and so am just experiencing my first period post-paleo. But, I have noticed two things:

No zits! I always get a zit or two prior to my period, and realized this time, none appeared.

And the other thing, that I didn't even realize was a period thing until the last year or two, finally talking with my female friends about this. In the first day or two of my period I will get struck with an instance of REALLY needing to go to the bathroom (#2). Apparently, there is something hormonal that occurs with your digestive tract, that causes a strong need for elimination, shall we say? Funny that no one ever talks about this aspect of the cycle.

Anyway, didn't have that occur this time.

TMI, certainly, but hey, that's the human body for you!

I'm 40 years old, been eating low-carb for 18 months and Paleo/Primal for 10 months. My cycles were always long - 35 to 42 days - although the flow usually was only about 5 days. I've always had massive tension headaches two days before the flow starts and also in the middle of the cycle, plus water retention, cramping, increased hunger, lowered immunity (interesting someone else mentioned that too, I'd never heard of it anywhere else but definitely noticed it myself), joint aches, flu-like symptoms, and an attack of diarrhea the day before the flow started (funny someone else mentioned that one too, I only saw mention of that one other time. I read somewhere that it's from a hormonal surge just before your period starts - progesterone I think it was). All of that has gone away, and my cycles are now very consistently 28 days, flow for two days. Mostly symptom-free except for slight increased hunger. Most of the symptoms went away pretty quickly, within the first 6 months. I did go through a couple months when I spotted very slightly in the middle of the cycle, but that went away too. It took over a year for the cycle to reduce down to 28 days and for the headaches to go away completely.

Before I cut the carbs, my hormones were way out of whack, and I had some of the symptoms of PCOS. My cycle was long (like 33-35 days), and I had spotting. Insulin is such a powerful hormone, and it can really wreak havoc with your system. My doc's recommendation was oral contraceptives. Nice. Now, my cycle is pretty much 28 days and is much lighter (never any spotting). No more monthly backaches either -- those were a b*tch.

I'm 32 and recently quit the hormonal birth control pills (ortho tri-cyclen/generic equivalent) that I'd been on for over 15 years (!!). That was about 6 months ago and approximately four months after I started eating Paleo. My main motivation to quit was the horrible mood swings I was experiencing that only seemed to get worse every month. I expected a rough adjustment and potential few months of irregularity but have so far only suffered one seriously late period out of about 7. Cramps are minimal (1 day) and heavy flow only lasts for one day - in fact I happened upon this thread because I was starting to wonder if a light, 4-5 day long period is normal or healthy. The only downside of kicking the pill thus far has been occasional acne. Sex drive went through the roof and my moods stabilized greatly so I'm happy with my decision.

I've ha a similar experience to you, Melissa. Pre-paleo I was on birth control on and off for a fair few years, due to irregularity and acne issues. Although I've slowly been moving towards paleo for about a year now (before I even knew what paleo was!) it's only the last 2 months I've been almost purely paleo without birth control. And boy, the difference! It only lasts about two days, I have no headaches the day before, no insane tiredness from nowhere and best of all; my immune system doesn't seem to be as fragile in the days prior either. That's a biggie for me! I would always get minor colds, almost every month, in the days before my period. But the biggest and best deal of all is that my acne is essentially gone and cleared up. And yet people around me still won't believe it's due to a diet change. :P

I cam to Paleo directly because of my menstrual issues - I have endometreosis.

I was (finally) diagnosed in 2004 and went to see a nutritionalist in the hopes of dealing with it without recourse to hormone therapies which my (gentleman) specialist introduced with the comforting "well, we're not sure what will work ... it won't cure it ... we'll just keep trying you on different cocktails until we find something that makes you feel a bit better" Um? No, thanks!

(The nutritionalist didn't get me to Paleo but started me on a course of eating and investigating that eventually ended here.)

Paleo has radically changed my periods for the better, these are the things that I have noticed:

(1) I rarely have pain now - if I do it is a vague cramping on day one. I don't really experience the pain that I identify with the endo side of things any more at all.

(2) My cycle has shortened, I was always a 28 day cycle but now am 26 days - you can set your watch by me!

(3) I used to have pretty much a full on 5 day period but I would say that I only have 3 days now and the rest is very light and on and off for the last two days.

(4) I used to get PMS symptons, funny tummy, confusion, clumsiness and sometimes a terrible aching sadness for no reason. That's pretty much all stopped and the emphasis on hormonal changes seems to have shifted to mid cycle ovulation where I am generally ravenous for 3 days or so and occassionally hit with the sadness - but in a much milder form.

All in all I have transitioned from violent pain and mind-fug to pretty much what I expect is considered quite normal. I really can't articulate the relief and delight I feel in having won free of the endo. On the flip side though - the minute I stray from Paleo eating I get hit like a truck and it can take a good few months for the endo symptoms to subside again. But unless I'm in a situation where I have no control or no choice (kinda rare) I've never wanted or needed to stray from Paleo .. so it's all good.

I've always been pretty regular, averaging 28 days. I think it's important to note that I don't use hormonal birth control. My husband and I follow FAM and have since we got married. I think my flow has gotten slightly lighter and slightly shorter since following a paleo diet, but it wasn't ever that heavy.

melissa wrote on her blog: "With most big proponents of the paleo diet being male and the general taboo against this subject, it's not surprising that menstruation and the paleo diet is little discussed."

actually, as soon as i found the arthur de vany blog and started paleo, i plunged into the period topic right away. no one slapped me down for it. so if it is taboo, it is women who feel too uncomfortable with the subject who make it that way.

also, talkin' menstruation, i think we have to know people's ages. i'm 44 and may be perimenopausal, at which time irregular heavy periods are seen as a symptom and not abnormal. i was passing big clots and lots of blood. i was anemic. but with each month of paleo (i'm on month 6 now), my periods have gotten lighter. they last for 6 days, with day 2 being the heaviest and the rest of the days fairly light. i have never taken birth control. i have 2 children and my birth control now is tubal ligation.

Ok this is totally weird but I'll post it anyway. I had a total hysterectomy with my ovaries removed 18 months ago due to severe endometriosis. Since going paleo (about 2 months) I've been getting the endo pain back and also the sort of breast pain I used to get pre-menstrually. I'm waiting for the results of blood tests on my hormone levels because it feels as though I'm making estrogen again. I don't and never have eaten soy products so I've no idea why this might be happening although there is something called ovarian remnant syndrome and it could just be a coincidence that its surfaced now.

sarah-ann - i'd look into getting my hormone levels tested if i were you! A good naturopath or really good MD or gyno would hopefully be able to help you out with this. sounds brutal! good luck!

Paleo eating = barely any cramping, and a shorter cycle. Still get the odd zit or two. I also have a better idea of when it's coming, just via slight breast tenderness.

Some other interesting changes happened after I switched to a menstrual cup and stopped using tampons, and apparently other women have noticed this as well:

My cycles got even shorter, and now I basically have my period for the first two days, and then some irregular spotting/bleeding for the next two days.

After I first switched, I actually started passing casts of my uterus once in a while. Hasn't happened in a few months now, but I had about 3-4 months where I'd feel this 'popping' sensation, and then find a complete cast. First time it happened I was all-meat (ZC), and honestly my first thought was that I'd somehow eaten too much meat and my body was getting rid of it! This could have been related to something else and co-incidental with the cup thing, who knows. Anyone ever had this happen?

I'm 24, and have been off hormonal birth control of various sorts for four years. I agree that young women are pressured into taking hormones as birth control in spite of harmful long-lasting side effects. Plus, insulin's effects are far-reaching!

A year ago, I got the ParaGard copper IUD when I got married because I didn't want any extra hormones in my system. My period went from heavy and irregular with some cramping to regular and very very heavy with cramping severe enough to keep me home in bed for a day. At the time, I was a raw foodist with fish occasionally, so lots of fruit, juicing, agave, dates, nuts, and sprouted grains = high insulin levels.

Since last Octoberish, I've been Paleo, and have seen great changes in my period, though this may partially be due to my uterus getting used to the IUD!

•Anyway, my period lasts 3-4 days instead of 7-8 and is lighter than pre-IUD days.

•Cramping is also much less severe, which may be significant since I have not read any accounts of it diminishing, but something that must be planned for each month indefinitely.

Hi I've been doing paleo for about 7 weeks now, and I lost a fair amount of weight. My first period on the paleo diet was a few days ago and it was all old blood and it wasn't enough to fill a pad. It had me thinking I was pregnant (I'm 24). Does paleo diet interfere with your body releasing an egg? Should I expect a more normal flow next period ? (shorter is fine, but this one has me worried). I've been spotting for 4 or 5 days now when my normal period (yet very heavy) only lasts about 3 days. Anyway, I just don't know what to expect my next period.

Still heavy and crampy, but down to 3 days from 7. That's enough to make me ecstatic! :)

My period will start later today. I did notice a lack of PMS meltdown this past week. It may be attributable to cutting dairy out of my diet in the past couple weeks. I used to eat a lot of cheese and half-and-half, plus some sweeteners in my coffee. Now my only dairy is a couple Tbsp of whole cream/day, and nothing sweet in my tea or coffee.

I've been easing into paleo for several months now. And I am on the pill. (It takes care of some issues for me; maybe I'll try going off in the future but for now I like the hormonal balance it provides.)

I'm on the pill Ortho Tricyclen Lo and have been for years. I went Paleo about 3 months ago and since then my periods have been several days early, where before it was like clockwork. They are lighter, too. I think I'm going to go off them and see what happens. In one of Robb Wolf's podcasts he mentions that women on the pill often can't lean out to where they desire and can't lose that last 8-10 pounds.

I guess I am the odd one out :( I have be paleo for about 2 months. I had the worst 2 weeks of PMS, huge chocolate cravings which I caved into to, depression, anger. Period was a week late. Now that I have it my PMS symptoms have not totally cleared up - which normally happens. Plus the flow is out of control! Heavy, clots, leaking through to my pants, sorry TMI! No cramping though. I have lost 13 pounds since going paleo but that is not drastic. I am only on day 2 and I am praying this will be over soon.

I get my periods naturally now since going paleo/primal. I don't have to take bc pills anymore in order to have a period. I'm 31, and have never had a regular cycle. I got my period twice a year, if that, lasting for 10-14 days. Some years I only got it once, or not at all. I was told it would be this way for the rest of my life and that I'd be on hormones for that long as well.

Since most of my periods were artificial or torturous, I am now trying to get used to the idea of menstruating every 28 days or so since I never have over the past 18 years. I can start to predict when I am ovulating due to various feelings and behaviors - aggression, exercising more, eating a lot more, that pimple that just has to show up, and other things, like more male attention. Being fat before, I was invisible to men anyway, but even though I'm not now, if I know my period is due by calendar and a guy is paying more attention to me, then it's probable I am ovulating because I'm sending out the signals. I use a Diva Cup since tampons are kind of icky and expensive in this country. That, and you have to throw them away. At work, we don't have staff bathrooms so I am apprehensive about throwing pads or tampons away in the bin in the same bathroom stalls that the kindergarteners use or having to leave class to change them. This way, I change it in the morning, when I go home for lunch and when I come home from work and before I go to bed.

When I get my period, I am bloated for a day but my skin clears up. My periods have been getting lighter since they've come in regularly - at first, they were five days, then four, then three with some light spotting. No cramps, no clotting, no having to call in sick being doubled over in pain unable to walk. I do get more sleepy but nothing unmanageable. I also stop feeling aggressive when I have my period. Other symptoms are starting to lessen, like breast tenderness, backaches and constipation as time goes on.

I went into paleo with many hormonal issues including acne, hair loss, painful cramps, horrible bloating and breast pain for almost half my cycle, and increasingly long, irregular cycles, sometimes with no ovulation at all, and with over a week sometimes of protracted spotting. I also often had severe IBS symptoms around my period.

2 years later: no acne for the first time in 10 years, hair looks to be growing back in (it's a slow process), cramps much reduced, almost no period side-effects (no breast pain to speak for the first time since puberty!), and I am back to a regular 28-31 day cycle, only bleed for 3 days and spot for 2. And I don't have IBS any more as long as I stick to my usual plan.

If I hadn't gone paleo I think I would have ended up with full-blown PCOS.

It's worth noting that my first two or three cycles on paleo were even worse than usual... scared me for a bit. Then they got steadily better.

Paleo helped me gain weight and my body fat is higher.

Mine used to be only 3 days anyway, but since I've been doing paleo, it is 2 days, exactly 48 hours every time. Used to always get very bad cramps, but now if I stick to paleo and also supplement magnesium, the cramps are either non-existent or tolerable. If I eat anything non-paleo in the week before, then the cramps come back.

I've had a Mirena IUD in since fall 2006. It was a godsend because prior to that I'd always had really, really heavy periods. After getting the Mirena, getting my period was a lot like spotting, and I could get away with panty liners during it. It would also last 3-5 days instead of 7. Now, however, having switched to a much more paleo diet, it's getting heavier (but still nowhere near what it was like pre-Mirena) and lasting 7-9 days. I think it's also coming closer together, but I haven't been organized enough to track it.

Actually, since taking up IF, they stopped completely. I'm 34! This is an unusual but not unheard of experience of women on paleo. Freetheanimal.com has some info.

I have been paleo for about a month and a half, and my period is now two weeks late. From what I've read here, almost everyone has experienced shorter cycles and lighter flow... My tubes are tied, so I'm hoping pregnancy is not it, but could paleo be causing this?

Mine were never bad physically symptom wise, but I get a deep black weepy depression for four days before my period, I've tried magnesium, vitamin d, agnus castus (that made it worse!) evening primrose you name it. It's awful I'm cantankerous and impossible to live with and morose and pessimistic, and I'm usually quite cheerful normally. Just having come through another bout recently, I am desparate not to go through it again. Been paleo for about a year now and it's the only health problem that won't go away. Suggestions welcome.

I chalked it up to being perimenopausal, but my flow only lasts maybe 2 days now. I've always been pretty regular and usually lasted about 5-7days. I did suffer from breast tenderness and sometimes headaches and mood swings, not bad (except for the mood swings) but noticeable - again maybe from peri-menapause. Those symptoms have all pretty much diminished. I've been paleo (about 95%) about a year now.

Im on Paleo for 6 months. I never had issues with my period, it was regular. What I experience recently that the first 1-2 day got heavier and the rest lighter. Why Im writing here is that yesterday it got really heavy - I think the blood left my body within 2 hours normally would take a day. Can paleo diet cause this? Does anyone experienced the same?

I meant to post here because I came to this thread looking for a similar topic. I have had the Mirena IUD and my period has essentially been spotting or missing since about a year ago. When I started eating closer to Paleo at the beginning of this month, a light period with cramps and some minor PMDD-like symptoms showed up. I want to chalk it up to my hormones getting adjusted but I am not really sure what to think.

I have a had a Mirena IUD for about a year. I spotted for the first 5-6 months and then had no period at all. Within a few weeks of going Paleo (I am actually following the Primal blueprint--higher fat, moderate protein, low carb), I got a period. I have now had three periods since then. They are regular, but last for about 10 days with moderate to heavy bleeding for about 6 of those days. My OB checked my IUD but it is fine. He says it's unusual, but he doesn't have any theories, except to suggest a sensitive cervix. I'm frustrated, and wondering if it is the diet or something else.

I have not really had one since prior to starting paleo at the end of January. One day of spotting a month into paleo, but nothing since. Not pregnant, and have had issues with cycle regularity since going off of birth control two years ago. I am pretty sure between years of eating disorders, a little flirt with veganism, and the hormonal birth control that my body is beyond confused. I am definitely getting enough calories and definitely not getting too much activity. I've had blood work done, but it was through my insurance and their conclusion was that everything is normal and I should just go back on the pill, which I'm not going to do. So I wait and eat more liver and wait some more...