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How Can a Menstrual Period End Early?

In most women, the menstrual cycle normally lasts anywhere from 21 to 45 days, but in some women, this is not the case. Several things can go wrong within the menstrual cycle to change the length of menstrual flow and cycle frequency. These occurrences can be inherited medical conditions, newly developed medical conditions or voluntary changes. Some women choose to stop their periods for special occasions, such as weddings or anniversaries, and others are required to stop them before going ahead with certain medical procedures.

  1. Medical Conditions

    • Medical conditions such as hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid) can cause what's called secondary amenorrhea. Secondary amenorrhea is caused when a woman has had normal periods in the past and then stops menstruating for a period of six or more months. Thyroid diseases can stop the period by increasing prolactin levels. High prolactin levels can stop ovulation by deactivating gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnHR) and follicle-stimulating hormones (FSH), which are responsible for developing and maturing the egg in ovulation.

    Hormonal Imbalance

    • According to Womenshealthcareforum.com, 90 percent of the body's estrogen is made in the ovaries. Conditions that cause imbalances in this hormone or in the hormone progesterone, such as polycystic ovarian syndrome or perimenopause (menopause transition) can cause menstrual flow to end early. With polycystic ovarian syndrome, the level of estrogen can fluctuate widely month to month, causing there to be a lack of ovulation and abnormal menstrual cycles. Cycle abnormalities affect the length, volume and frequency of the menstrual cycle and menstrual flow. Perimenopause is the two-year period leading up to menopause. During this time, estrogen is decreased, causing the menstrual cycle to become lighter and more sporadic. Once post-menopause begins, estrogen is significantly decreased, if the ovaries have been removed, this level will decrease drastically.This reduction in estrogen will cause the menstrual cycle to end. Post-menopause begins one year after periods have completely stopped.

    Goserelin (Subcutaneous Route)

    • Goserelin is a synthetic hormone, similar to the hormone that's generally released from the hypothalamus, which is located in the brain. Goserelin is a medication that's used to treat prostate and breast cancer, if the breast cancer develops before or during menopause, and endometriosis. Endometriosis is a condition that causes endometrial tissue to grow outside of the uterus. This tissue acts the same as the tissue in the uterus, becoming thick and causing bleeding during the menstrual cycle. Goserelin works to stop this, by restricting estrogen levels in the body. This prevents the growth of endometrial tissue. The most common side effect of goserelin is light, irregular, vaginal bleeding, and the abrupt stopping of menstrual periods.

    Suprecur

    • Suprecur contains an active ingredient called buserelin. Buserelin is a medication typed as a gonadorelin (LHRH) analogue. LHRH acts on the pituitary gland. This gland is a storage house for sex hormones, luteinizing hormones (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormones (FSH). The latter two, LH and FSH, are hormones in women that are responsible for the production of estrogen. A hormone called gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) naturally controls LH and FSH by sending pulses in low and high frequencies to control the stimulation of each hormone at various stages in the menstrual cycle. Low levels of GnHR will stop menstruation and high levels will start ovulation. Buserelin is a synthetic version of the GnRH hormone. In fertility treatments, the ingredient buserelin works to stop the menstrual cycle by mimicking low level of GnRH, and is administered just before the use of synthetic FSH and LH, to artificially stimulate the ovaries to produce several eggs. This medication on its own is used to treat endometriosis.

    Birth-Control Pill

    • Seasonique is a birth control pill that's taken orally each day to prevent pregnancy and stop periods. Seasonique is designed as a three-month pill pack, with active pills that contain enough hormone to prevent pregnancy; and low-dose estrogen pills, to start a light bleeding. When taking Seasonique, women have just four periods a year; these are called pill periods. Pill periods happen in the last seven days of the three-month packs, when you begin taking the low-dose estrogen pills. A pill period is lighter and shorter than your average menstrual flow, and according to Seasonique.com, women who have taken Seasonique report that their period lasts just three days while on it.

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