Does the COVID vaccine affect your period?Investigation started after some report changes on menstruation – NBC Chicago

More and more Americans are receiving the first or second dose of Pfizer or Moderna COVID vaccine daily, and some menstruating people are reporting changes in the post-vaccination period. There is also.

Dr. Kate Clancy, an associate professor of anthropology at the University of Illinois, posted her experience on Twitter in February and received hundreds of reports from people who experienced what she thought.

“A colleague said I heard from others that their period was heavy after waxing. Want to know if other menstruation noticed changes? I’m Modena dose 1 to 1 week It’s half. It’s gushing out a day or so early, like in my twenties. ” Clancy wrote.. “Is this related to how the vax response initiates a broader inflammatory response, probably due to lipid nanoparticles or mRNA mechanisms? Either way, I’m fascinated!”

Some people responded to her tweet, noting the irregularities of their cycle. One of the menopausal women said she was experiencing menarche at 28 months, another said she was “bad enough” to have her do a blood test, and a third said she was oral. He said he started menstruating in the middle of contraceptives. It hasn’t happened to her for 12 years since taking the pill.

In addition, some reported that menstruation arrived earlier and the flow was much heavier than normal, while others reported changes in the menstrual cycle after infection with COVID-19 itself, rather than after vaccination. I reported.

The answers were very different and very numerous, Clancy said she and her colleagues would create tools to collect the different experiences of the respondents.She then tweeted Link to the following voluntary survey April 7 Call on social media, “Vaccinated menstruators will gather.”

“Side effects are a common and important factor in vaccine response, and bleeding patterns can be an important way to understand how our immune system is activated,” the study said. I’m asking about reading, vaccine timing, menstrual cycle, and reproductive history. And general health, it takes about 15-20 minutes.

Clancy has been on social media many times since then to reveal her research and misunderstandings about what she is doing in relation to vaccines and how they affect menstruation. I am using it.

Earlier this month, she told someone that there was something “very bad” about a vaccine that could promote menstruation in menopausal people. say it, “I am willing to take the vaccine and hope that others will take it. Our research is to witness, investigate associations and understand the mechanism.”

“Just as it is worth knowing if you may experience arm pain, fever, and malaise after vaccination, it is worth knowing if there is a possibility of menstrual changes, especially. , Menstruation, menstruation, etc. “Clancy added.”If There is a link between a particular menstrual experience and vaccine timing, health history, etc., which may help clinicians advise menstrual physicians on how to avoid or treat side effects. “

Health experts point out that non-vaccination changes in menstruation have also been recorded in recent months.

A Study published in January Of the 177 patients with COVID-19 and menstrual records, 50, about 28%, reported changes in the cycle after infection with the coronavirus, and 25% reported changes in the amount of menstruation. Did. In a reply to Clancy’s first tweet, it was reported that there were changes in physiology even after being infected with COVID.

It has been reported that changes in menstruation are probably due to the entire pandemic environment, even without COVID infection or vaccination. A Washington Post Report from August Several gynecologists confirmed that “many patients reported skipping menstruation or were aware of increased or decreased cycle length, blood volume, and levels of menstrual-related pain.” discovered.

One of those doctors said that “a serious illness can cause the menstrual cycle to get out of rhythm,” and some cited stress as a factor.

For vaccines, MD-Ph.D.Students and writers live together at Yale University School of Medicine I wrote an opinion piece It’s titled “No, I don’t know if the vaccine will change your period” in the New York Times on Tuesday.

“So far, there is no data linking vaccines to changes in menstruation,” they write. “Even if there is a connection, one unusual period does not cause a warning. A long list of triggers that can cause changes in the menstrual cycle, such as stress, illness, changes in diet and physical activity. There is. “

But Clancy last week “I’m really worried” She heard doctors say that there is no “relationship” between the vaccine and changes in menstruation, or that it is “just stress.”

“I think this is coming from a good place. MD doesn’t want to worry people or increase the hesitation of vaccines that some people feel, but in the long run it has the opposite effect. They illuminate patients with gas lights and say their experience is not. “It’s really paternity,” she tweeted. “I hope you realize that more MDs respect our expertise and may actually be capturing something very realistic. Even if you try to understand the side effects, the side effects I’m not saying it’s annoying, dangerous, or atypical. The immune response of the vaccine. “

Clancy also previously stated that the decision to vaccinate is to weigh the pros and cons.

“The presence of side effects on the treatment is not necessarily a reason to discontinue the treatment. Just as an example, see how much hormonal contraceptives you take.” She wrote.. “It’s about cost-benefit. Failure to take the covid vaccine can mean permanent illness or death.”

“So I take a heavy period of one or two and continue my life with much less anxiety about the pandemic and much less risk of death. That’s why MD downplays the existence of this side effect. It doesn’t mean that you need to continue or make menstruation. I feel it’s not important to deal with it, “she added,” which vaccines people with a history of menstrual bleeding or a pandemic You need to talk to your doctor about what is best for them. The research we are doing on this issue will definitely help those people and bring comfort and information to other menstruators. “

Dr. Allison Alwadi, Director General of Public Health, Chicago, was asked on Thursday’s live Facebook broadcast about the potential for vaccination to affect menstruation, re-emphasizing the safety of the vaccine.

“220 million Americans were first vaccinated, right? So, among the 220 million Americans, some are aware of herpes outbreaks, others have a changing menstrual cycle, and so on. “I will,” she says. Said. “What’s interesting is that this really raises the awareness that you want to make sure you’re asking questions about changes in menstruation, right? Most vaccine and most trials don’t. Is really focused on women’s sexual and reproductive health and may not even ask such a question. It probably has some bias in how common trials such as drugs are set up. is showing.”

“Frankly, I haven’t seen anything that suggests that there are persistent side effects. Some local researchers are looking at some of this related menstruation, but it’s clear that they aren’t. It was a link to fertility issues, you know, you know, you know, you know, the purpose of getting a vaccine is for your immune system to get from COVID Is to learn how to protect, your immune system can interact, you know, you can interact with your hormone levels, etc., so at least how many you can have There is some biological relevance, you know, for example, there are some changes in the heavier or lighter period immediately after acquisition vaccination. “

“So I’m glad people see it, but I don’t want people to feel that there’s something dangerous about it,” she said. “Nothing has been detected about the safety concerns of these vaccines, but I think it emphasizes that trials do not always ask this type of question. That’s a good thing to emphasize. I think.”

Earlier this month, Arwady said in a previous Facebook Live: Women are more likely to report side effects than men From the vaccine.

“Some of this is because women may be better reporters … but probably also because something else of interest to those who may not know much about immunity is autoimmune disease. Is there something like that? The same is true for women. “Alwadi said on April 8.” And even more serious, like allergic reactions, are more serious allergic reactions? In women? More likely. “

Alwadi said estrogen can boost the immune response and testosterone can reduce it. At the same time, she said that “many of your immunoregulatory genes” can live on the “x” chromosome, where women have two, while men have one.

“Therefore, in general, there are reasons why some immunity is a little different between men and women,” she said. “So we are looking at women, a little more likely to report some of the side effects.”

Data from the CDC is also for women Likely to experience side effects More than men, according to surveillance from the first month of vaccination.

From December 14th to January 13th, more than 79% of side effects were reported by women, and data showed that about 61.2% of the dose was administered.

U.S. regulators recommended last week to suspend administration of the single-shot Johnson & Johnson COVID vaccine nationwide in a survey of reports of six “very rare” potentially dangerous blood clots. Did. Of the nearly 8 million doses given on Friday, that number increased to 15 women, three of whom died and seven were still hospitalized.

Alwadi in explaining the suspension of the vaccine Blood clots said they “may have something to do with estrogen”..

“At the moment, there are very few 6 cases compared to the approximately 7 million people who received this vaccine, but it’s not surprising to see what might be related to the immune response affecting women. I think, “said Alwadi.

“Autoimmune diseases are common in women because of differences in the immune systems of women and men. Many immunomodulatory genes are on the X chromosome, reminiscent of high school biology. Because women have two X chromosomes, men have only one, and X and Y, women are more likely to have different genetic factors on the X chromosome than men. “I will,” she continued.

“But also, estrogen tends to be a little immunomodulator in a positive way and then testosterone in a slightly negative way, and the reason is that women need to be able to evolve to give birth to babies. You know, you don’t want their immune system to reject the foetation, such a thing, “Alwadi said.

Alwadi probably recommends suspending the Johnson & Johnson vaccine for similar motives, as Clancy stated that the intent of collecting period experience was to “help clinicians advise menstrual patients.” Said: Tell your doctor about potential reactions and specific methods Drugs normally given to patients with blood clots are actually dangerous in these cases when they are low in platelets, as in the identified cases. Please note that it is possible.