First came the news that my womb doesn’t look at all like I thought it would.
Then, I found out that, yup, period blood can flow backwards.
But among all those, er, discoveries, I never once thought to ask whether my period would continue if I was in a coma.
Luckily, greater minds than mine – like the one which surgeon, author, and lecturer Dr Karan Rajan Stitched on TikTok – have.
“This answer might surprise you,” he began his video.
“It depends.”
On what?
Though you might associate periods predominantly with the uterus, the surgeon shared that it’s actually governed by three areas ― the pituitary gland, the hypothalamus, and the ovaries.
“If this biological pulley system is still intact, a woman in a coma may still ovulate and form the monthly sacrifice,” Dr Rajan said.
But if even one of them is affected by the patient’s condition, it’s likely their period will stop.
“Any form of severe stress on the body during the coma which can lead to an increased level of stress hormones like cortisol can stop menstruation,” he explained.
Even significant or sudden weight loss can trigger this response because fat is where a lot of oestrogen is produced.
So, being fed by a tube may trigger weight changes, which lead to hormonal changes, which prevent a person’s period.
Infection, sepsis, organ failure, some sedatives and steroids that may be administered to a coma patient, and a brain injury that harms the hypothalamus or pituitary gland can all put a stop to the monthly process too.
People had... thoughts
In the comments beneath the video, fellow app users felt some questions had been left unanswered.
“Who changes her pads/tampons?!” one commenter wanted to know.
“Great, so not even a coma can give me a break,” another TikToker wrote.
Multiple women confirmed that they’d had their period in a coma too – seems like that break really is harder to get than you’d think.