When Katy Fyksen started having a heavy period a few days after receiving her second dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, she didn’t think there could be a connection.
The 43-year-old woman in Plainfield, Illinois, hadn’t had a period for over a year and a half because of her Mirena IUD, so the sudden red flow was a surprise. But she didn’t think about the timing in relation to when she got her vaccine until she saw a Twitter thread.
‘I didn’t really think it was anything until I saw someone said that, that it might be a symptom or a side effect of the vaccine. It was like, ‘Oh, that’s interesting’, ”she said.
The tweet was from Kathryn Clancy, an associate professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, who posted April 7 about a new survey she is conducting to map people’s menstrual experiences after receiving the COVID-19. vaccine.
The research is a collaborative effort by Clancy and Katharine Lee, a postdoctoral fellow at Washington University School of Medicine. As of Monday, Lee said more than 25,000 people have filled it in.
So far, there have been only anecdotal reports of menstrual changes following the COVID-19 vaccines, and experts stress that there are no signs of danger in getting the vaccine, nor is it a reason not to get vaccinated.
Clancy and Lee were inspired by their own experiences with abnormal periods after their vaccination and wanted to document the experiences of others. They said they initially expected 500 people to respond to the survey; instead, they achieved that goal in a matter of hours.
Clancy outlined her personal menstrual experience in a February tweet, after receiving her first dose of the Moderna vaccine. Hundreds of women and menstruating people responded in the comments with their own experiences.
A Twitter user wrote: “I haven’t had a period in years and I haven’t had a second chance for about 3 weeks and I’m gut bleeding. I panicked, but now I see I’m not alone. This is crazy. “
Another replied, “Two weeks right after shot # 2, my cycle started 12 days earlier and heavier than the past three years.”
“I eventually found a lot of people with similar experiences,” said Clancy. But to be fair, a lot of people who said, ‘Really, I didn’t notice anything’, and some people who said, ‘Actually, I had the opposite, where I’ve had a later or lighter period. ”
While the study will look at trends, Lee said, they won’t be able to determine cause and effect.
“Our research cannot tell us about its prevalence or the number of people affected,” said Lee. “What we can do is look for associations and trends that will help us guide whatever the next study might be.”
Dr. Rakhi Shah, an obstetrician at Northwestern Medicine Delnor Hospital, said she sees no way the COVID-19 vaccines could affect menstruation.
“I think there is really no biological mechanism that is plausible in terms of how that could be possible,” Shah said. “I think people have potentially normal menstrual pain plus the aches and pains that come with post-vaccination, and maybe by combining and associating all of that.”
Dr. Julie Levitt, an OB-GYN at Northwestern Medicine, said two patients came to her with concerns specifically related to their periods after being vaccinated.
“Bleeding occurs for so many reasons that it’s really hard to isolate the two,” Levitt said.
She also said the COVID-19 vaccine can cause a hormonal spike that can cause bleeding.
“A hormone rises, it goes down, you bleed a withdrawal bleed. But is that a bad thing? No, ”said Levitt.
Levitt stressed that this was not a cause for concern, nor a reason to discontinue birth control.
No. 1, I wouldn’t worry. No. 2, talk to your doctor if you want to talk about it to get that reassurance, “Levitt said.” If it persists after a few weeks of vaccine administration , it’s probably something else. “
Clancy said those experiencing abnormal menstrual symptoms after receiving the vaccine should speak to a doctor if they have any concerns.
“If you are a postmenopausal person who has had a bleeding episode, you really should talk to your doctor,” said Clancy. “And if you have significant or worrisome symptoms in addition to your changes in your menstrual cycle, you should also see a doctor.”
For Fyksen, the unexpected period was over after about seven days, and she said that even if it was related to the vaccine, it was worth it.
“I am just very happy that I was fully vaccinated. If that’s the worst of the side effects I have, then we’re good at it, ”she said.
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