Skipped Periods?

Options
MaggieFit622
MaggieFit622 Posts: 64
in Health and Weight Loss
Now, I know this may sound weird to ask, but some months I have skipped periods. It has become that I have my period every other month. I exercise about 6 days per week, not to vigorous... But, I have had skipped periods ever since I went off the pill in April. Anyone else have problems with their period? I eat around 1,400 calories per day, if that. Should I increase? B/C I am beginning strength training and I definitely want to gain some muscle....

How was everyone's hols btw?
«1

Replies

  • MattieJean21
    MattieJean21 Posts: 41
    Options
    I went about 6 months without a period last spring. I was on the depo shot... It helped me gain about 40 unwanted pounds... when I didn't go back to get the second shot, my periods were out of wack!! I went to my doctor and he said that the birth control makes the ... Idk exactly but something thin to were it's hard to release eggs... so he said that the reason I hadn't had my period in 6 months is because the birth control hadn't worn away completed or something like that ... if that made ANY sense!!! lol SO that may be why you haven't had your period often.. I spotted a LOT during those 6 months too btw. Now I am on the pill and have a regular but quite short TOM. :wink: lol I freak out when I skip, miss, or am late!!! So that is great to have one every month.
  • fiberartist219
    fiberartist219 Posts: 1,865 Member
    Options
    Mine more or less stopped. I went a full two months without one and then this week I spotted just a teeny bit and that's it.

    I went to my doctor to see if I should be concerned. He said as long as I feel good and I'm not trying to get pregnant, I am doing just fine.

    If I felt tired or weak, he'd probably test my thyroid again. He knows I'm losing weight, but it's about a pound a week at best, and that didn't seem to raise any red flags. I work out 5 days a week for about a half hour, sometimes more, sometimes less.

    I also stopped taking the pill in October. I am going to get a copper IUD in January if my insurance approves it.

    My doctor said he could test me for PCOS, but since I don't plan on having kids, I really could care less if I'm fertile, since infertility is actually my goal with the IUD.

    If you have low body fat, I'd be worried, but if you aren't having any other issues, and you are a healthy weight or over weight, I wouldn't worry.
  • Demwitted
    Demwitted Posts: 163
    Options
    I had the same issue during and a few months after taking POPs/Mini-pills (the kind with progesterone and no estrogen).... they totally screwed up my cycle. I don't recommend them.

    Also, it happens if you are over/under weight. It can also happen if you have PCOS and some other medical conditions. If you are worried about it, you should talk to you gyn. If they want to put you on meds immediately, you should probably get a 2nd opinion. (I had a doctor tell me that I wouldn't be able to have children without fertility meds b/c I skipped. Two months later, I'm now pregnant without having taken any fertility meds.) Skipping isn't usually a big deal. It just happens to some women.
  • fiberartist219
    fiberartist219 Posts: 1,865 Member
    Options
    I agree that it's not a big deal. It just makes "natural family planning" more difficult because you don't know when you are ovulating, but I wasn't going to ever rely on that method anyway.
  • Yanicka1
    Yanicka1 Posts: 4,564 Member
    Options
    Go see your doctor just in case
  • Lleldiranne
    Lleldiranne Posts: 5,516 Member
    Options
    The pill tends to make your period really regular. Without that, it can revert back to its old ways, or even get more irregular. (I always had irregular periods when not on the pill until recently). There's a good chance it is that.
    By "skipped", do you mean really late (like 6 weeks from one to the next) or truly skipping one or more (more than 2 months in between). Again, it may just be your body - the 28 day cycle is just the average, and many women don't follow that. But it may be worth getting checked, just in case. Could be a symptom of an underlying issue.
    Good luck (and have fun with your strength training!)
  • swinginchandra
    swinginchandra Posts: 418 Member
    Options
    after losing about 50 lbs, I lost my period... haven't found it yet, 6 mos later. every once and a while I get really crabby, or bloated, and I think "Wooop! I get my period back!!" then it doesn't happen... Not that I really miss it or anything, it's just strange not having it.

    I did go to the doctor to have my blood tested and all that (for thyroid issues), and they said everything was fine... just normal, takes some time for your body to readjust.
  • Sidesteal
    Sidesteal Posts: 5,510 Member
    Options
    Go see your doctor just in case

    This.

    Specify that you are averaging 1400 calories per day and your dietary fat intake is often below 30g. I suspect this is reducing your hormone levels and effecting your cycle, but since I'm not your doctor I have no expectation that you'd take my word for it. Worth mentioning to him/her though.
  • TrainingWithTonya
    TrainingWithTonya Posts: 1,741 Member
    Options
    It's called amenorrhea and it is a part of the female athlete triad. You are either over training or under eating or both. If you plan to have children in the future, you need to up your calories and cut back your training until you find the balance that works for you to keep your normal cycle, otherwise you could cause permanent fertility problems.
  • fteale
    fteale Posts: 5,310 Member
    Options
    It's called amenorrhea and it is a part of the female athlete triad. You are either over training or under eating or both. If you plan to have children in the future, you need to up your calories and cut back your training until you find the balance that works for you to keep your normal cycle, otherwise you could cause permanent fertility problems.

    This. I get it when I drop under 18% BF, or 112 lbs.
  • VeggieKelli
    VeggieKelli Posts: 232 Member
    Options
    I went about 6 months without a period last spring. I was on the depo shot... It helped me gain about 40 unwanted pounds... when I didn't go back to get the second shot, my periods were out of wack!! I went to my doctor and he said that the birth control makes the ... Idk exactly but something thin to were it's hard to release eggs... so he said that the reason I hadn't had my period in 6 months is because the birth control hadn't worn away completed or something like that ... if that made ANY sense!!! lol SO that may be why you haven't had your period often.. I spotted a LOT during those 6 months too btw. Now I am on the pill and have a regular but quite short TOM. :wink: lol I freak out when I skip, miss, or am late!!! So that is great to have one every month.

    I was on Depo a few years back for about a year, in which it didn't actually eliminate my period, instead I had constant spotting at least 20 days a month and still had the crazy horrible cramping I get which is why I was on it in the first place. When I went off of it I didn't have a period for 10 months!! Depo is pretty crazy stuff, glad to hear someone else out there can commiserate!

    That being said, OP, I second everyone who says go see a doctor. To me it sounds like you aren't putting enough calories into your body being that you eat "1400, if that" calories and are working out that much. It could be a lot of things really especially since you are coming off the b.c. but it is best to figure it out now, and like others said be straight about your calorie/exercise/weight loss.
  • supertracylynn
    supertracylynn Posts: 1,338 Member
    Options
    What's your body fat percentage?
  • MattieJean21
    MattieJean21 Posts: 41
    Options
    I really don't recommend the Depo shot for girls at all! It messed my up completely... I haven't been on it for OVER a year and still TRYING to get the weight off! So frustrating :ohwell: ..... It makes me feel better that other people experienced simular things aswell because I thought that there was something wrong with me and I was very worried about my health!
  • FitForLife81
    FitForLife81 Posts: 372 Member
    Options
    Yup this just recently started happening to me as well. I am 5'3" and 112lbs and probably 19% bodyfat. I skipped 2 months then took some meds to jump start and then this month only spotted for a day!
  • blink1021
    blink1021 Posts: 1,118 Member
    Options
    I went 3 months without mine and I went to the doctor and she first made sure I wasn't pregnant and then she forced me into one she said it wasn't healthy not to have one, everyone is different so I would check with your doctor.
  • skatermom503
    skatermom503 Posts: 96
    Options
    If you've ruled out all the birth control possibilities, it could well be because your calories are too low. Yours sound okay but they may drop a lot if you factor in your exercise calories too. When you take in too few calories, your body starts to shut down what it considers non-vital systems like the hormones that control your periods. They should resume normally when your calorie consumption gets to the correct level. Sometimes, if you go too long without a period, your doctor may suggest inducing one to kick start your hormones. Hope this helps.
  • MaggieFit622
    MaggieFit622 Posts: 64
    Options
    To answer a few questions:
    My body fat, according to several different calculators, is 18%. I am in my bmi range ( 100 pounds at 5' 2''). And, I am first going to up my calories and then see if next month I get my period. I have periods at an every other month schedule. So, I may just have had not had enough calories to level out my increased amount in exercise. I really think it was the pill that screwed up my schedule. I began taking it for acne and then when it began to improve my acne to the point that I didn't need it, I stopped. But, now my periods are a little wacked....
  • NitaCB
    NitaCB Posts: 532 Member
    Options
    It's called amenorrhea and it is a part of the female athlete triad. You are either over training or under eating or both. If you plan to have children in the future, you need to up your calories and cut back your training until you find the balance that works for you to keep your normal cycle, otherwise you could cause permanent fertility problems.

    Yes it's called amenorrhea but it doesn't necessarily mean it's because of the female athlete triad. I didn't have a regular period for over 2 years and I wasn't over training or under eating, nor was my body fat too low. My doctor wasn't too concerned, because he says that everybody has a different level of exercise (and probably food balance) at which the body may shut off periods. I agree, go and see your doctor. But I wouldn't be stressing out over it too much either. I have mine back now, somewhat sporadically, but it does return.
  • TrainingWithTonya
    TrainingWithTonya Posts: 1,741 Member
    Options
    It's called amenorrhea and it is a part of the female athlete triad. You are either over training or under eating or both. If you plan to have children in the future, you need to up your calories and cut back your training until you find the balance that works for you to keep your normal cycle, otherwise you could cause permanent fertility problems.

    Yes it's called amenorrhea but it doesn't necessarily mean it's because of the female athlete triad. I didn't have a regular period for over 2 years and I wasn't over training or under eating, nor was my body fat too low. My doctor wasn't too concerned, because he says that everybody has a different level of exercise (and probably food balance) at which the body may shut off periods. I agree, go and see your doctor. But I wouldn't be stressing out over it too much either. I have mine back now, somewhat sporadically, but it does return.

    If you look at the OP's profile, you'll see that she is in recovery from an eating disorder, so yes, it probably is a part of the triad. Over exercising can be a form of eating disorder too, so she needs to cut back on exercise because she could be setting herself up for a relapse. So, my original professional opinion stands. Add more calories and cut back on exercise until everything is normal.
  • meagalayne
    meagalayne Posts: 3,382 Member
    Options
    Like many here, I haven't had mine in over a year. I eat a *lot* of food, exercise moderately - although I sporadically train for longer races - and my BMI is around 19. No clue on my body fat % but I'm sure it's around 20-22%... I've still got plenty. I'm 5'7" and hover between 122 and 125lbs lately.

    My doctor is not overly concerned, although she does think I should try to gain some weight she understands that I want to do so through lean muscle gain instead of just gaining unsightly fat again. I'm not family planning at all, so it's not really an issue.

    Good luck with everything and keep your health as the #1 priority. I agree that seeing a physician is a good idea, but don't fret too much. It is likely not a *huge* deal.

    Best of luck :flowerforyou:

Categories