Question for women who lift heavy...

It happens to be too, even though I'm on Yaz. I asked my doc about it, and he said that it shouldn't be a big deal and that once your body gets used to the lifting then everything will even back out. He said that lots of cardio (like running five or more miles everyday) will do it too.

Oh and the pill is still effective. Lol. First thing I asked about.

One more thing lol. I spotted, and then I went 3 months without a period. Took multiple at home tests and they were all negative. That's why I decided to talk to my doctor when I went for my annual check up.

Ok, I cannot comment on the pill issue, and I have not experienced any hormonal upheavals myself. But I do want to comment on the question of irregular periods and exercise/weight loss. My understanding is that it has more to do with intake than with body weight; even women at a normal body weight can have oligo- and amenorrhea. Sorry, can't find the reference right now.

And here's a study on the effects of oral contraceptives on female athletes you might want to look at:

http://jcem.endojournals.org/content/89/9/4364.short

Yes - I had something similar happen to me when I started training again with a personal trainer. I would say my workouts were intensive and moderately heavy. I started to spot mid way through my cycle. I went to the doctor had internal ultrasound and the results were nothing conclusive. The spotting has stopped it last about 4months.

I'm definitely not working out at a level that would be called excessive or too much...half an hour to an hour of cardio and/or strength training 3-4 times a week, usually every other day. They are hard workouts, yes, but nothing insane!

I've actually ALWAYS had trouble finding pills that work for me...but the last two times I've had to switch, the trouble coincided with an increase in weight training. The last time I switched pills, the doctor actually did an ultrasound and yes, everything was normal. So I am inclined to say that my hormones are just out of whack...not necessarily due to the weight training ONLY, but it does seem to have some kind of an effect.

Thanks for all the responses ladies! Of course I'll still be talking to the doctor about this, but I appreciate the insight!

Actually, the thing I really wanted to say was this: there are so many factors that could be at play that it's hard to be sure that your problems arise from the pills or from weight training. You probably also changed your diet recently, right? To pin down the cause, you have to think scientifically. Start systematically taking out one variable at a time, give your body enough time to respond to the change (2 months is probably the minimum for anything involving the menstrual cycle), and then adjust as necessary.

SInce I started lifting my period has been acting crazy also. Mine went from every 26 days like clockwork lasting 6 to 7 days (not on the pill) to being 4 days late and only 4 days. I believe I read that the diet might be too low for the exercise your doing.

and im in the opposite boat! got off the pill in June, didnt get my period until november (happened to me before, the only other time i got off the pill). got my period regularly for 3 months, happened to increase my weight training around that last month- and havent had my period since (which sucks since im trying to get pregnant). i never thought to link it to lifting until now... but maybe?

Add me to the list of people who are glad this is happening to others as well.

In my case, I'd have a week or more of super-light spotting (what I call a "warning that it's coming") and THEN it would finally start, and last for about 5 days. This all started up around the same time I began the 5x5. I mentioned it to my doctor in March, and he sent me for an ultrasound (that came back totally normal) and now has me scheduled for a hysteroscopy and biopsy. I called the nurse today and explained that I feel this is a bit like going after a housefly with a hand grenade, and could we please postpone any further testing until a few more months go by, as this most recent cycle seemed to be back to normal. Still waiting for her to call back with what the doctor recommends. Here's hoping he agrees with me.

Editing to add: Just heard back from the doc's office. He said it's fine to postpone the appointment, and to keep a menstrual diary for the next 3 months, then check back in with him to report how things are going. Of course, if something alarming happens sooner, contact him immediately. So, for anyone else also experiencing menstrual disruptions of any kind - it may be a smart move to start tracking everything in a paper journal.

I haven't experienced that, but after I started lifting around a year ago I started getting really white splotches on my skin around my neck and chest (think a *very* mild case of Michael Jackson whiteness). Freaked me out a bit so I talked to my doctor, she said that it had to do with my hormones changing from the intense lifting I was doing. It had something to do with a bacteria that lives on everyone's skin becoming "active" and making my skin stop producing melanin in those areas.

Sounds like it could be a hormone thing with you as well- I would ask you doctor, honestly.

I get those spots sometimes as well. It is a fungus on your skin that becomes active . U can actually dab athletes foot cream on them for 2-3 days and they will disappear