Periods After Anorexia

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katewright1995
katewright1995 Posts: 1
in Goal: Maintaining Weight
I'm recovering from anorexia and have a bmi of around 17.5 I don't want to gain anymore weight, but my periods aren't back. How do I get them back. Do I need to wait at this weight and see if they come back? or will they come back straight away at the right weight?

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  • mrsgoodwine
    mrsgoodwine Posts: 468 Member
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    According to the BMI chart you are underweight if your BMI is below 18.5. It may not come back at 17.5. But maybe someone who has had some experience with this can interject. Wishing you well.
  • LAT1963
    LAT1963 Posts: 1,375 Member
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    If you are not comfortable gaining weight immediately, how about waiting 3 months at this weight, and if no result, go up half a BMI and give yourself 3 months at that weight, doing this stepwise increase until they come back, and then stay at the weight where they're consistent.

    If they have not returned, your body is telling you that your fat % is still too low for you to be healthy, so you really do need to gain more fat.

    Since you have anorexia, you know that your "eyeball judgment" of how you look is proven to be off-kilter. Try to have faith in the numbers and other observations like period regularity. You may look too fat to yourself but everyone else will be seeing you as skinny. Take their word for it.

    add: and congratulations for getting up to 17.5 BMI!
  • sarafischbach9
    sarafischbach9 Posts: 466 Member
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    Irregular and missed periods have more to do with low body fat and stress, rather than BMI. I've had a low BMI ( of around 16 ) and still had regular periods ( between 32-35 days ).

    I'm not sure why you are not getting your period back, but sometimes it takes time. I had anorexia off and on for 5 years. I lost my period completely only once and I lost it at 110 lbs. I eventually kept losing weight and got down to 86 lbs. I went into recovery and didn't get my period back until I was 106 lbs. Doctors thought I'd get my period back once I hit upper 90s/low 100s, but like I said, sometimes it takes a few months for your body to adjust. The second time my weight got really low ( low 90's ) I still got my periods! They were not your 28 day ones, but I still got them every 32 to 35 days.

    You may need to gain some more weight ( probably not a lot ) for your periods to return. I know you don't want to gain much more weight, but that is probably what it is or wait it out.
  • LAT1963
    LAT1963 Posts: 1,375 Member
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    To add onto Sara's comment--the weight you gain should be fat-weight, not muscle. What you're going for is the small amount of estrogen produced by the fat (the cause of moobs in fat men).
  • kshadows
    kshadows Posts: 1,315 Member
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    It's a good idea to check with your OB/GYN or a midwife about this. They should be able to guide you.
  • littleburgy
    littleburgy Posts: 570 Member
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    Agreed with the previous post -- see an OB/GYN.

    I had medical supervision when I had to gain back weight after losing my periods from low body fat. When I was at the goal weight the doctor wanted, he temporarily prescribed me some hormones to "kickstart" it again since it had been gone for a while, I guess it needed a little help.
  • SomeNights246
    SomeNights246 Posts: 807 Member
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    Period loss in anorexia was once thought to be related to low BMI, but it's since been realized that it isn't. Not necessarily. I lost my period at about 130 lbs. Loss of period in anorexia is most often caused by nutritional deficiencies or low body fat percentage. With anorexia, it is rarely related to stress (however, that's not to say it can't be - just that the case is usually related to lack of adequate nutrition and substantial weight loss [with or without being underweight]). As long as you stick to your meal plan, your period should return. Note that every woman entering recovery from starvation and anorexia is different. Some women never lose their periods even at a low body weight, some lose their periods even at a high body weight, some get their periods back while still underweight, some don't until they are weight restored, and some may never get them back.

    Honestly, though, I am not concerned about your amenorrhea. That is normal in anorexia patients. What I am concerned about is that you want to maintain such a low body weight. Loss of period is the least of one's concerns when they are underweight. Honestly, you should discuss all these concerns with your therapist and/or doctor. Because if you don't start gaining, you probably won't get your period back as whatever caused the loss will persist.

    I'm especially concerned that some of these posts seem to be supporting someone maintaining a low weight. But that's a different subject I suppose...

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