GIRLS: runners with no periods

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kated930
kated930 Posts: 132
in Fitness and Exercise
I just replied to a post on this subject but I wanted to post this to ask some female runners if they have this issue. I have been running every week since March probably, and I have been experimenting with High Intensity Intervals, and recently I've been running for distance in hopes to run a half marathon in October.

Sooo, I havent had my period in 4 months. I've been to the DR and she concluded that my BMI might be too low, and that i might be one of those people who just "function with a higher BMI". I thought this was kind of a weird answer because my BMI is right in the healthy range, I am 117 at 5'3''- these normally would not be considered low! She's the DR so I trust what she says but I think this was a weird conclusion and I'm kinda bummed out since I set some personal goals with running and losing weight.

My DR prescribed me a hormone to jump start it, and it worked, it was very light but it was there. However, I am still running as of now and I feel as though it will be gone again next month.

My main question is, has this happened to anyone who runs? what did you do to get it back?

THANKS!

Replies

  • barbiex3
    barbiex3 Posts: 1,036 Member
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    I can tell you that this has NOT happened to me lol.
    I weight 133 at 5'8.5".. which is about 9 pounds from being "underweight"
    I run cross country for my college. I run about 40 miles a week.
    I wish I had this issue ! Periods suck. But i'm pretty sure most of the people I know who run still get their period. I would just listen to your doctor =]
  • shreddin_mama
    shreddin_mama Posts: 1,076 Member
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    bump
  • balconywriternb
    balconywriternb Posts: 21
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    It's actually quite common. I'm a dancer and a runner. I am perfectly healthy, take my vitamins, etc. No period. If I want one (and who really wants one?) I have to take Provara.
  • balconywriternb
    balconywriternb Posts: 21
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    And I've had this problem for YEARS. My doctor says it's not a big deal, but might present a problem when I want to have a baby someday. When that time comes, she says I would most likely have to take a different hormone and cut down on cardio.
  • alli_baba
    alli_baba Posts: 232 Member
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    Hi. I went through this several years ago when I was running 40-50 miles/week. I was diagnosed with amenorrhea
    and was told that my long distance running had to stop unless I wanted to pay a heavy price with my health down the road. So, I cut my mileage down to 25 - 30 miles/week (no long runs) and my period became as regular as clockwork again (sadly, I had to put marathon dreams on the shelf). I'm 5'7" and at the time I think I weighed about 120 pounds. But as your Dr. said, everybody is different (I have lots of friends who can handle this mileage no problem but my body couldn't).

    Maybe there are new treatments for the condition now (like I said, I had this several years ago) but my Dr. scared me about future consequences and I decided that distance running was not that important.

    Anyway, I advise you to follow whatever your Dr. says. Good luck!
  • NitaCB
    NitaCB Posts: 532 Member
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    I've gone for many years without getting periods. When I first stopped getting them I was doing a dance degree (not running) but always doing heaps of exercise. I was never really underweight or anything though. True I did cut my food intake down quite dramatically at one point, but my period was already gone by this point. Eventually I went to a Dr, cos I was worried about it, and he put me on the Pill, so that I got it. I only stayed on that for a few weeks though, cos it made me feel really down and I hated the feel of all the artificial hormones running around my body. So I left it, and a few years later when I talked to my regular Dr about it he wasn't worried. He said to me that some bodies simply have different thresholds of the amount of exercise (and probably calorie intake linked as well) that their bodies tolerate before they stop ovulating regularly. He said he could tell me to stop exercising and put on some weight (once again I'm within my healthy weight range) but that he knew I wouldn't do that. He wasn't worried, and said that there are things you can take to encourage it to return when you're wanting to try and get pregnant, but that he didn't see the point of putting me on the Pill for the sake of having one. In the past year while I've been doing heaps of running (and probably eating a bit more too) it has come back, almost regular. But... I now haven't had it in a few months.

    Basically if my Dr's not worried about it then neither am I. (So much more convenient without!) I think as he said it relates to a threshold that is individual to your body in terms of the amount of exercise you're doing and the amount that you're eating.
  • ambermichon
    ambermichon Posts: 404 Member
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    bump...would like to know more as I missed mine for the first time in my whole life last month and I have increased my running and exercise in general quite a bit. Nice to know it might not be a big deal. I got freaked out though and had to go get a test! lol
  • crazysailorj
    crazysailorj Posts: 4 Member
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    This is normal for many active people. I having your period in this case is probably not related to you BMI but to your body fat percentage. To calculate go to http://www.healthstatus.com/calculate/body-fat-percentage-calculator.

    A certain amount of fat is required by the body to maintain a pregnancy, so if you don't have the fat to sustain one, your body doesnt even go thru the motions. Generally, this amount of fat is usually about 15%.
    Here is a link with more info as well http://ehealthforum.com/health/body-fat-percentage-and-periods-t141736.html

    hope this helps
  • kated930
    kated930 Posts: 132
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    Thanks for all the feedback!

    I really don't want to run into complications down the road when I'm trying to start a family. My DR wasn't too worried either, even though I was! I want to be healthy and fit, but not to the point where it's compromising other aspects of my health.

    @Crazysailor- I am on target with my body fat and my BMI, but I guess maybe there are no magic numbers for everyone and maybe I do need higher numbers, who knows... :-/

    For now I'll see where I am after my race in Oct, and then it may be time to cut back on the running...
  • lp0007
    lp0007 Posts: 125 Member
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    Hi there,
    I encountered the no period phenomenon when I was 16 or so. I did a lot of exercise at that time and was 126lbs. Even though that is fine for my height (5ft7') My doctor encouraged me to up my calories and put on a little more weight and at 128lbs my period came back. I think everyone has their own set point for this kind of thing. I also have friends who lose their period when they go below a certain body fat %.

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