*TMI* strange AF- some insight please?

Normally I have my period for about 8 days and is light to medium flow, red blood, then light flow, brown blood for the last 2 or 3 days. The last one was heavy flow, dark red blood right from the start and lasted about 4- 5 days then just stopped as suddenly as it started.
I often get nasty cramps, about 2 out of 3 periods will be preceded by very painful cramps that start the day before or on the day I get it and last 1 or 2 days at most. This time I had no cramping until 2 days after it finished. Rather than the almost constant pain I usually get, they have been on and off in varying degree's of pain for the last 3 days.
I thought for sure I was up for the second wave but it never showed.
I've also had quite a lot of CM the last 2 days. Enough to have to change liners every 2-3 hours when normally I'd only use one a day! It's clearish/ white and the consistancy of snot.

There is no chance I'm pregnant as we haven't DTD in about 4 months.

Can anyone tell me what's going on or at least give me some idea of what might be causing it?

Thanks :)

I don't really have any insight other than our bodies are strange strange things.

I used to be like clock work and then i hit 17 and my AF became very irregular, heavier than normal lasting longer than normal and i started to get period pain where as before i haven't.. for 3 years i was told it was "normal" when infact i had PCOS. Not saying you do but its just so hard to keep track of why our bodies do what they do.

Have you been stressed lately, lost weight? gained weight? changed your diet? gone on or off the pill recently?. I'm just guessing but these things can have an affect on our bodies.

If your concerned you should speak to your doctor.

I'm almost always stressed and it hasn't made a difference for the last 9 months? before DS my periods were very irregular, I'd go from nothing for 6 months to 2 periods in one month now I have almost perfect 28 day cycles (probably why this one threw me so much).
No weight changes, no dietry changes, no medications.

I have wondered about PCOS in the past, because of the severe cramps and it took us about 7 months to conceive, but that can be completely normal too so :dunno:

I'm not really concerned, was just really suprised and I guess curious as to whats going on.

Has your doctor tested you for PCOS?

They can tell by blood test and its confirmed by ultrasound. Can't hurt to ask to be tested.

Na, I always just thought I was being a hypochondriac lol.

I dont know much about it but I've not had any other symptoms that I've heard of.

I have to go to the doctors for some other stuff sometime soon so I'll try to remember to ask about it then.

LOL dont worry thats how i felt EVERY time i saw a doctor when my AF didnt show and i wasnt pregnant!

The annoying thing about this condition is you can just have one or two of the symptoms. Some women have them all while others only have the irregular cycle.

I noticed things changed when my AF became irregular, i gained 15kgs in 3 weeks, noticed hair growing in places it shouldn't and the cramping. I saw doctor after doctor and was told it was all normal and it would fix itself and then it wasn't until i had excruiating pains in my belly at work last June that a doctor diagnosed me with having PCOS, the extreme weight gain was caused by an insulin resistance the tests showed it was 3 times what it should be :o and my doctor wondered why i wasn't a size 24! so gaining only 20kgs in 3 years was good considering...

It really cant hurt to ask and if not they can atleast see what they can do for you.