(no subject)

[puttysan.livejournal.com]

I've always been curious about the idea of women who live together cycling together. I was on hormonal BC for the years I lived with my family, and my younger sisters were old enough to menstruate, so I never got into a pattern with them. I'd lived on my own after that, until this past May. I moved in with three female friends, who had themselves lived together for three years, and always cycled together. My cycle changed from my wonderful 35 day regular cycle to match their 27-28 day cycle.

I don't really understand how this happens. I've got a degree in biochemistry and molecular biology, I've studied hormones in depth, and still, I don't get it. But I can't argue that three years of my regular cycle changed almost immediately to match theirs'.

Now next month, I'm moving in with my boyfriend and another male friend, and I can't help but wonder, will living with two men cause even more cycle changes? I know there's really no definite answer, since every body is different, but any personal stories, just to satiate my own interest?

Comments

[popchex.livejournal.com]

I'm wondering how living with three guys will affect me (even though I'm on the patch).

I'm more thinking along the lines of "Will they survive me?" though. :P
This is the week, so far, so good. heheh

[puttysan.livejournal.com]

Being on the patch means that who you live with doesn't matter. Putting hormones into your body artificially controls your period no matter what, keeping you on a strict 28 day cycle.

[popchex.livejournal.com]

No, I know that. I was trying to be funny. Ha Ha. Like will three guys and I survive me being raging hormonal bitch and will I have a boyfriend and friends after this week.

[puttysan.livejournal.com]

Ah, sorry. Can't pick up on tone over teh intarweb, you know. :)

I was on hormonal BC for four years, and never had any problems with mood swings or the like.

[popchex.livejournal.com]

No biggie - its just what I meant when I said will they survive me. :)

And I don't have a problem while on the patch - its just within a day of coming off of it, I get really cranky. So Monday nights get the crabby, and then I got my period yesterday, so last night was pretty uncomfortable with the cramps. Today is fine so far, but I'm also alone in the house!

[ladieophilia.livejournal.com]

actually, I noticed that even on hormones, I still was on the same cycle as my friends. Here is the realy odd part. I move around all the time, and am not in a place for too long. Usually not even there for a cycle. But those females that I am really close to, we all cycle at the same time, even after just getting off depo, we all started up at the same time. I don't know if it is a chemical thing, or if it is just that when girls care for each other we cycle together out of survival. All of us wanting chocolate together, and then snapping at the same time makes it easier for us to deal with each other.

[plymouth.livejournal.com]

I am on BCPs myself and am on a 7-week cycle (tried to make it 12-week but that failed) but never noticed any cyclematching before I was on them. Then again, I've mostly lived with guys - even in college it was co-ed dorms and my floor was mostly guys. A friend of mine who went to an all-girls college said there was cyclematching in her dorm. She said her cycle got a lot more regular and stable when she moved in with her boyfriend (now husband).

[lindsey-nichole.livejournal.com]

my best friend and i in high school were in sync like nobodys business.

since we had basically the same cycle, we started birth control on the same sunday as well - and now even though we live 4 hours apart - we still have the same cycle.

i think it's terribly interesting as well, i've googled it a bit but never really found any site that had good info on it.

[--heartattack.livejournal.com]

i think it's to do with pheromones.

[achtungbaby.livejournal.com]

i think it does too. i heard that there is an alpha female and everyone goes off of her pheromones that she produces and thats why the cycles change, so they match hers.
So, assuming you'd be the only female, you would probably go back to your old cycle seeing as how you arent being "forced" to have your period early because of the other pheromones floating around.

but that could be a big crock. so, i dunno.

[ladieophilia.livejournal.com]

I went to an all girls high school, and one thing tnhat I thought that was hilarious is that week. All the male teachers dreaded teaching that week because they would sit there and watch us pass tampons around and ask for pain killers. Over a hundred girls cramping, bitching, and moaning all at once.
But I am reminded of apples. See apples produce a chemical when they are ripening, and if there are other fruit around, they will make the other fruit ripen faster because of that chemical release. That is how the saying, 'one rotten apple in the bunch makes the rest go bad'. Not htat we are rotten apples. But I do think that there is something silular going on because there is that trigger effect that goes on. Being around a lot of girls, when one ovulates it triggers anothers ovulation. It is not the menstation, but the ovulation that gets triggered (or so I have read). I just don't know what chemical triggers the ovulation.

[neko-san.livejournal.com]

i don't know either... i've heard comments about pheromones, but i've not seen anything definite.

amusing comment: in college, this subject came up in a group of friends. my roommate said, "well, i've lived with her (points at me) for quite a few months, and we've not synched up. so, i don't think this actually happens." i said, "AHEM! actually... you lead. by a few days." =P