I am 26, no kids and on BC pills. I have seen my doctor several times due to an abnormal TOM since the start of Atkins last year. The only pattern I see is while on Atkins my cycle is messed up. I went off Atkins from November to January (gained 35 lbs) and I am now back on again. While off, my cycle was fine, now it's messed up again. I love the BC pill because you always know when your TOM is coming. I hate wondering all of the time if I am bleeding!

I looked on the general health forum and found an explanation for this:

"Bleeding mid-cycle is not unusual during the first few months of low carbing. From what I recall, it has to do with the fact that estrogen is stored in fat cells, so when we burn fat we release stored estrogen, thus tricking the body into "delivering the monthly periodicals"

"Insulin is a master hormone which regulates all the other hormone systems. By eating the LC way, you have drastically reduced the amount of insulin, so it only makes sense that all the other systems will undergo some adjustments. In fact, LC is used as a treatment for some forms of infertility (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome) which are thought to be insulin related."

I feel best when I am on Atkins, I have energy, I safely loose weight, my hair and nails grow dramatically. I just don't know if messed up cycles is worth it?!?!
I don't ever remember reading anything about women having problems with TOM in DANDR! This is something that Atkins Center needs to address!!!!!!!

Im no doctor, but I am in Nursing...and I used to work for a local OB/GYN's office, so I thought I would try to help....

Prob the reason it is affecting your cycle is Estrogen is stored in fat cells. Produced in your ovaries, the hormone cant just circulate and be eliminated in your blood stream....your body stores it in your fat cells so there is a ready supply....thus the reason why women with less than 5%body fat have no cycles...they have no estrogen stores...and also the reason why it is more common for women with high body fat to be more prone to cycle problems...that being said....the pill (depending on which one you are on) helps to regulate that by providing a daily intake of estrogen/progesterone....however, if your body is 'digesting' or metabolizing fat stores, you may be releasing more estrogen into your blood stream, putting too MUCH estrogen circulating, causing the bleeding problems....you may just need a BCP with a smaller amount of estrogen in it while you are LCing....

Again, NOT a doctor....but learned the above info from a FABULOUS OB/GYN I worked for...talk to a local OB/GYN...I hope this helps....Good luck!!!

If I can help answer any questions....drop me a line....

Maybe DANDR does not address this problem, but here, on this forum there are many threads discussing this issue. Many women experience some kind of irregularities during the first 1-3 months, but I do not remember to read about frequent problems later.

Does - temporary - messed up cycle worth it? Only you can answer this question:-)

Atkins helped get me started once a month and I am more regular now than I have been in my life (8 months nothing 2 months nonstop bleeding)

i think your problems will subside with time. i battled this for months, and just lately have noticed that it seems to be more normal. i totally believe the fat/estrogen connection. in my opinion, it was horrible to be wondering what was going to happen every day, but it was much more FUN to be losing weight, so i just stuck with it!

Thanks everyone, I am still going to go for testing and a sonogram because my doctor wants me to but I am also going to discuss this info about LC'ing and about changing to a lower estrogen pill. I told her last year when this all started that the major change in my life has been Atkins and she told me that had nothing to do with it! I sware it has everything to do with it!

I am going to stick with it and try to get over this hump!

Wow, I had the opposite. Actually I have been irregular all my life...mostly getting periods late or too early or for long or too short of time...and yes, the first few months my periods were heavy, spotty, long and painful BUT now I am on time every month - 28/29 days...for the first time in my life!! - and they last 3.5 days and are either med-light or light with minimal PMS symptoms. Granted, every so often I get a bad one...but for the most part the last 2 yrs (on 4/6/04) have been pretty good. It took me 4 months to achieve this.