Skipped Periods?

MaggieFit622 · December 2011

Thanks everyone! It really means a lot that you all responded

And to know that others also have the same issues that I have makes a lot of my anxiety lessen. And I definitely know that a relapse isn't going to happen--that time during my life was during a real rough patch with other familial issues that occured that caused me to feel out of wack. I am, in both my and professional opnion, fully cured of my ED. Thank god for that

meagalayne · December 2011

Thanks everyone! It really means a lot that you all responded And to know that others also have the same issues that I have makes a lot of my anxiety lessen. And I definitely know that a relapse isn't going to happen--that time during my life was during a real rough patch with other familial issues that occured that caused me to feel out of wack. I am, in both my and professional opnion, fully cured of my ED. Thank god for that

Very happy to hear it! :bigsmile:

busterbluth · December 2011

I am more willing to guess that stopping the pill is the culprit more than anything else: I'm betting (assuming you don't lose more weight) it will work itself out after you've been off the pill for a while.

redheadmommy · December 2011

Skipping period while you are on the pill or other hormonal birth control is totally normal and nothing to worry about . The "period" women experience while they are on the pill is not real period anyway. When the very first pills were introduced they made women stop having periods. As it was so new and strange, women didn't like this. Then manufacturers developed pills that made this fake periods, so women do not feel less as a women. After one or two generation grew up with this concept and pill is not new anymore, there started to be a demand for pills without periods for convenience. Anyway having or not having period on hormonal BC doesn't matter.

However, skipping your periods while you are NOT using any hormonal birth control is a big red flag.
It can have many many reasons, but it definitely means your fertility is declined for some reason. Go to a doctor, even if you do not want to get pregnant right now. If there is an underlying problem that left unsolved , it can cause you huge problem later. Since your profile says you love working with children, I assume one day you want children on your own. Do not neglect this problem right now! It comes from a women who are battling infertility for 6 years.

As others mentioned too low body fat can cause you to stop menstruation altogether called primary amenorrhoea. Since we have fertility issues, I have read a lot about body fat and fertility over the years. As too much body fat can interfere with your fertility, too little can be just as bad.

As a PP mentioned earlier female athletes with low body fat often stop having periods. First you are just start to skipping periods and after a certain BF level , your body just stops ovulating altogether because it doesn't have enough storage for baby.

There are studies that suggest that women fertility requirement is somewhere around 22% BF, and ovulation completely stops around 17%, and teenager girls will lower then 17% BF do not even experience menarche. (source: "Body fat, menarche, fitness and fertility"Hum Reprod. 1987 Aug;2(6):521-33., or here an other source"Fatness, menarche, and female fertility.",Perspect Biol Med. 1985 Summer;28(4):611-33. You can look them up on PUBMED)

Since people are different, there are women who may experience this fertility decrease a bit lower or higher BF% , but generally that what science says. BF lower then 22% may look good, but actually start to interfere with the normal female hormonal cycle. Luckily, in most cases it is not a permanent damage, and easily can be corrected by gaining a few pounds.

meagalayne · December 2011

A few comments for the above poster from someone who has been through this and is currently dealing with it... I'm not getting defensive, just want to highlight that it's a little more complicated than you are making it out to be

However, skipping your periods while you are NOT using any hormonal birth control is a big red flag.
It can have many many reasons, but it definitely means your fertility is declined for some reason. Go to a doctor, even if you do not want to get pregnant right now. If there is an underlying problem that left unsolved , it can cause you huge problem later. Since your profile says you love working with children, I assume one day you want children on your own. Do not neglect this problem right now! It comes from a women who are battling infertility for 6 years.

I understand that you are coming from a place very different from mine, but most doctors do not see this as a "huge problem" or 'a big red flag". It's actually fairly common and if you are eating healthy, training hard, and you're not underweight, there's no reason to feel anxious or obsess about it. Yes - speak to your doctor, but no, don't freak out and think it's a major medical emergency.

Since people are different, there are women who may experience this fertility decrease a bit lower or higher BF% , but generally that what science says. BF lower then 22% may look good, but actually start to interfere with the normal female hormonal cycle. Luckily, in most cases it is not a permanent damage, and easily can be corrected by gaining a few pounds.

This is much easier to preach than to practice, especially for those of us that have lost a lot of weight and continue to battle with food and health issues. Many of us are happy with how hard we've worked to get to where we are and it can be construed as a bit insensitive to suggest that we just "gain a few pounds" to correct what you perceive to be a problem. I'd really rather *not* gain weight back to start menstruating again. I am a healthy weight and I am fairly happy with how I look and feel. It's dismissive of all my hard work for a total stranger to flippantly tell me "gosh, just eat something!"

Just a thought

stylistchik · December 2011

I've never had a body fat above 22% and I've never had problems with my cycle, even as a teenager. I read a long time ago that you only need 17% bf to carry a child safely, and that somewhere around 14-15% you might lose your cycle. When I was cheering I was 15% bf and I never missed, but I was on BC too, so that wasn't a "real" period anyway. I don't know if that's true but can you have your hormones checked? A more recent article I was reading said that missed menstrual cycles are an indication of a hormone imbalance. If you have lost (or gained) a lot of weight quickly, your body hasn't adjusted its hormone levels for your size yet. You mentioned you not-so-long-ago came off the pill... your body could be trying to adjust your natural hormones. I came off during one of my hubby's deployments and it took the entire 6 months for me to get a period, and by then I went back on the pill because he was coming home! :grumble: Your hormones could also be affected by stress or diet or hormone production like a thyroid problem. If I can find the article I'll post it for you.

redheadmommy · December 2011

I understand that you are coming from a place very different from mine, but most doctors do not see this as a "huge problem" or 'a big red flag". It's actually fairly common and if you are eating healthy, training hard, and you're not underweight, there's no reason to feel anxious or obsess about it. Yes - speak to your doctor, but no, don't freak out and think it's a major medical emergency.

I did not said it is a major medical emergency.However it is definitely a warning sign that needs a doctor attention now and not years down the road. The whole issue may or may NOT even related to low weight/ bodyfat. There are many other hormonal problem can cause women to skip period.
If it is related to low body weight, it also need to be checked by a doctor. Professional athletes have low BF and often stop menstruation without any problem or any effect on their fertility later. However they are under constant medical attention that ensures that.

Skipped Periods?

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