No period still!
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sarah8352
Posts: 14 Member
So background on me. I struggled with an eating disorder for about six years where I have lost my period. With coaching I have increased my macros to 105 p, 75 f, and 185 c. I have not eaten this much in years and have never felt better. My weight has creeped up slowly but Shirley to what I originally started which is 110 pounds and I am 5’3”. I’ve always been on the petite and so I think this is pretty much my baseline of weight give or take 5 pounds. I have yet to get my cycle back and desperately want to start a family. Any thoughts suggestions on how to get a cycle.
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Replies
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Your best bet is to speak with an endocrinologist who can assess your hormone levels and make recommendations based on your health and needs. Reversing amenorrhea can take years and a professional would be the best person to consult for help/advice. Best of luck!15
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Yes, make an appt. with a reproductive endocrinologist.5
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Another voting for consulting with a medical professional.1
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I agree with all the above, but from someone who has been there done that, I only got my period back after 4 years of being at my recovered goal weight....also, do you actually have a "petite" frame or was it just petite because of the eating disorder? Something to think about. I am 5'4" and needed to gain to 120 before my period came back. I maintained a weight around 110 for 3 years in recovery because it was the minimum acceptable weight to be in the "healthy" range (based on BMI), but only once I gained over that did the period come back. Just something to think about.11
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It can take time. You put your body through very bad things, and stressed it out.
It's also possible that you still don't weigh enough or eat enough for your *body's* needs. You don't get to decide what your body needs.
Do you have a physician on your treatment team? You need to talk to them.4 -
collectingblues wrote: »It can take time. You put your body through very bad things, and stressed it out.
It's also possible that you still don't weigh enough or eat enough for your *body's* needs. You don't get to decide what your body needs.
Do you have a physician on your treatment team? You need to talk to them.
This. I was never anorexic, but I had to work with a reproductive endocrinologist to figure out a weight that would allow me to ovulate. I thought I didn't ovulate because of PCOS, but it really was because of weight even though I was within a normal BMI.
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mom23mangos wrote: »
This. I was never anorexic, but I had to work with a reproductive endocrinologist to figure out a weight that would allow me to ovulate. I thought I didn't ovulate because of PCOS, but it really was because of weight even though I was within a normal BMI.
Seconding this experience - I also got diagnosed with PCOS after my period stopped but after a couple of years of being healthier (not bulimic) and putting on a bit of weight my period returned.
I’m also 5ft 3 and when I was 110lb I still didn’t get my period. It came back very quickly when I hit over 8 st (112lb) and I’ve had 2 kids since then with no probs whatsoever.
So you might just need to put on a tiny bit more weight, even if you had your period before at 110 lb. As you get older you prob just need to be a bit heavier. Best of luck!7 -
OP, first of all, well done on your progress 💐
I have a long history of anorexia. When I was in my late 20's and in recovery, I hadn't had a period for almost 2 years but as soon as my weight crept up a bit I fell pregnant after my first period with my beautiful (now 21 yeard old) son 😍
Please have patience, everyone is different but I just wanted to let you know that all is not lost 💐8 -
I would second the thought that it may take some time. You didn't mention how long you have been at the weight you are at? If it has only been a few months, you may just need some time.
One thing it helps to remember is that it isn't just not getting enough calories that is an issue with eating too little, but also having too few nutrients. These nutrients are used for everything in your body, from building your muscles, to fixing cellular damage anywhere in the body, to creating hormones and enzymes, you name it.
And once you ARE at a good weight, with enough calories, and the nutrient levels are up as well, the body is going to spend some time, well, essentially fixing all the damage that has been caused by the low nutrient levels, if that makes sense? Like, cells that didn't get repaired can be repaired now, certain hormone levels might increase, etc...
Some things will heal/change quickly, some will take some time. I have not had an eating disorder, but I had a medical disorder that severely limited my ability to absorb nutrients. For that, at least, it took 6 months to a couple years to get everything back to a good place.
Also, I have a sister in law who had a problem that involved too low iron, obviously something that could have been a potential issue for you (I do not know what nutritional deficiencies or lack thereof you had, obviously) - her doctor gave her warning about making sure her iron levels were tested - and up to a certain level - before getting pregnant or it could literally kill her, because the pregnancy takes so much iron in the beginning, so quickly, that if your levels are still very low, it can be deadly (not exaggerating on this - she was honestly warned that she needed to be 100% certain she couldn't get pregnant because the risk was so high).
I know certain other vitamins, like folate and vitamin D, can impact the pregnancy as well, potentially BEFORE the pregnancy, even. Truly, like some have said, I too would highly recommend talking to a good doctor, especially about your nutrient levels, to make sure you are back up to good levels, just to be the safe for you and your new itty bitty.
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https://ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4763493/
"In conclusion, we observed that total fat intakes, in particular higher PUFA intakes, were associated with greater testosterone concentrations, although the magnitude of the increase was very small. The PUFA docosapentaenoic acid was not associated with testosterone concentrations but was associated with increased progesterone concentrations and a decreased risk of anovulation. Neither total fat nor specific types of fat were associated with other reproductive hormones or anovulation in this cohort of healthy women without any known infertility. These results suggest a role for fatty acids, specifically PUFAs, in androgen synthesis, although future studies are needed to confirm these findings and to allow us to better understand whether alterations in androgen synthesis have implications for women’s fertility and long-term reproductive health."
Macros may have an impact.
https://ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5372867/
"5. Conclusions
This review found that reducing carbohydrate load can reduce circulating insulin levels, improve hormonal imbalance and resume ovulation to improve pregnancy rates compared to usual diet......"14 -
GaleHawkins wrote: »https://ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4763493/
"In conclusion, we observed that total fat intakes, in particular higher PUFA intakes, were associated with greater testosterone concentrations, although the magnitude of the increase was very small. The PUFA docosapentaenoic acid was not associated with testosterone concentrations but was associated with increased progesterone concentrations and a decreased risk of anovulation. Neither total fat nor specific types of fat were associated with other reproductive hormones or anovulation in this cohort of healthy women without any known infertility. These results suggest a role for fatty acids, specifically PUFAs, in androgen synthesis, although future studies are needed to confirm these findings and to allow us to better understand whether alterations in androgen synthesis have implications for women’s fertility and long-term reproductive health."
Macros may have an impact.
https://ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5372867/
"5. Conclusions
This review found that reducing carbohydrate load can reduce circulating insulin levels, improve hormonal imbalance and resume ovulation to improve pregnancy rates compared to usual diet......"
This is a study of fertility issues in women who are overweight or obese. That's not relevant to the OP's situation.7 -
How do you know the cause of infertility in this case?
"Conclusions: These results indicate that total fat intake, and PUFA intake in particular, is associated with very small increases in testosterone concentrations in healthy women and that increased docosapentaenoic acid was associated with a lower risk of anovulation."
The body often does not ovulate when it might be harmful for all parties involved especially the female due to hormone levels. The advice above to try adding 2 more pounds of weight does make good medical sense.10 -
GaleHawkins wrote: »How do you know the cause of infertility in this case?
"Conclusions: These results indicate that total fat intake, and PUFA intake in particular, is associated with very small increases in testosterone concentrations in healthy women and that increased docosapentaenoic acid was associated with a lower risk of anovulation."
The body often does not ovulate when it might be harmful for all parties involved especially the female due to hormone levels. The advice above to try adding 2 more pounds of weight does make good medical sense.
Long term over restriction of calories and certain nutrients often accompanied by extreme weightloss is well known to cause fertility and menstruation issues in women. That's all we know. We do not know her exact hormone levels nor where she is deficient, neither do you, hence why she has been instructed to see a professional. Advocating a LCHF diet when you do not know the specifics of her condition is highly irresponsible and can result in more damage than what has already been done.9 -
mom23mangos wrote: »
This. I was never anorexic, but I had to work with a reproductive endocrinologist to figure out a weight that would allow me to ovulate. I thought I didn't ovulate because of PCOS, but it really was because of weight even though I was within a normal BMI.
Seconding this experience - I also got diagnosed with PCOS after my period stopped but after a couple of years of being healthier (not bulimic) and putting on a bit of weight my period returned.
I’m also 5ft 3 and when I was 110lb I still didn’t get my period. It came back very quickly when I hit over 8 st (112lb) and I’ve had 2 kids since then with no probs whatsoever.
So you might just need to put on a tiny bit more weight, even if you had your period before at 110 lb. As you get older you prob just need to be a bit heavier. Best of luck!
2lbs is all it took for me too! - I also second your comment about age changing things because I got pregnant with my first son at 8lbs less.4
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