What do you do when your periods have stopped? Get tips on naturally overcoming secondary amenorrhea and advice on when to call your doctor.
Often times, skipping a period once in awhile isn't a big deal. But, if your periods have become extremely irregular or have been absent for three cycles, you could have something called secondary amenorrhea. Read on to learn more about this condition and steps to overcome it. Remember, if you have concerns about your health, see your doctor immediately to rule out anything serious.
Where's My Period?
Every once in awhile, a woman with even the most regular and predictable of cycles will have an off month. When this happens the cause is simple. Most months, women release an egg (a process called ovulation) mid-cycle. If a pregnancy does not occur, the uterus lining gets sloughed off, along with the egg, and you have a period. Sometimes, just by fluke, a woman will not release an egg. This can result in a missed period. But, what if your period is spotty, really late or you have skipped your period three months in a row?
Take a Pregnancy Test. The number one cause of a skipped or missed period is pregnancy. If your test comes back negative, wait seven days and take another one. If you have had sex and missed your period there is a chance you could be pregnant. Make sure to rule out pregnancy by visiting your doctor.
Take a Chill Pill. Skipping a period could be a sign you need to take it easy. Make an appointment for some "me" time. Get your nails done, treat yourself to an afternoon matinee, or just spend ten minutes everyday taking deep breaths. Evaluate what could be causing you to stress out and get to the root cause.
Gain Weight or Lose Weight. If you are underweight or overweight consider working with a nutritionist or other healthcare professional to reach your ideal body weight. This can help regulate important hormones, such as estrogen, to get your period functioning properly.
Natural Solutions
Don Quai. Don Quai is an herb that has been used to regulate female hormones for centuries. Taken once a day, throughout a woman's cycle, it can help with mood swings, PMS symptoms and period irregularities. Caution: Not intended for pregnant or breastfeeding women.
Vitex. For irregular periods, take two Vitex three times per day throughout your cycle. This can help regulate your periods and also help improves fertility. Caution: Not intended for pregnant or breastfeeding woman.
Progesterone Cream. Made from Wild Yams, progesterone cream can help balance the ratio of estrogen to progesterone in the body. This works especially well if you have issues with estrogen dominance, which can occur with hormonal imbalances such as PCOS. Use as directed.
When to See Your Doctor
Periods can stop for a variety of reasons, many of which can be overcome naturally with healthy eating habits, stress reduction and even homeopathic remedies. But when these do not do the trick, how do you know when to call the doctor? The general rule of thumb is to give your doctor a ring if your period has not made an appearance for three months. However, if you have any additional symptoms, such as cramping (particularly on one side), strange odors or discharge, or even if you just feel uneasy, pick up the phone and call. Your gynecologist or health care provider should be happy to answer any questions.
The copyright of the article What to do When You Stop Having Periods in Gynecological Health is owned by Dana Herrera. Permission to republish What to do When You Stop Having Periods in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
I haven't seen my period in over 12 years, I got it when i was thirteen and
it stopped somewhere around 19 or 20 just after my father's death. I think
the shock was the reason. I have gained 70 pounds since it stopped over the
years. Dont know if I should take treatment cause I'm not married or
sexually active. But I've heard its not really a problem unless you want
kids.
Dec 7, 2008 6:55 PM
Dana Herrera :
Missing a period can be a serious situation. I am not a medical
professional so it is important to make sure and check with a trained
medical professional if you have any questions related to your health.
Check with your Dr. if you have not had a period in 3 months or longer and
you are not on birth control that would stop your period and you do not
suspect pregnancy. You may be putting yourself at a health risk. Keep
communication open with your Dr. Best! ~Dana Herrera
Jan 30, 2009 8:14 PM
Guest :
I had a baby on june 16,2008. I had hard normal periods up untill nov. I
havent had a period after nov. I have spotted a bit,but no bleeding.I have
had sex with my partner. Here's the deal,It took me almost 5 yrs to get
pregnant with are son,And I read a pretty good book called sperm wars,and
It kind of fits are situation at that time. We had kind of a open
realationship,due to us breaking up for awhile. We went back to the closed
realationship soon before we found out about us being pregnant. We have
went back to are contraceptive ways,thinking We would be fine, But I dont
know whats going on now?
Mar 17, 2009 10:13 AM
Guest :
So i haven't had my period in two weeks. i wouldn't be worried except i'm
very very moody and mildly cramping. I've taken two preg. tests and now i'm
just not sure what the proper course of action is.
Apr 19, 2009 11:14 PM
Guest :
i'm 16 n i got my periods whn i was 12 but i just got it for 3 months n thn
it stopped, i've no gotten it ever since then. do u think it might lead to
a big problem?
Jun 24, 2009 10:58 PM
Guest :
I haven't had my period since 2006,I went on a diet and started taken diet
pills and I notice my period was slowing down than all of a sudden it just
stopped coming on. I went to the doctor and they put me on birth control
pills to restart my period and it came back but, only if I took my pills
and it was slow than.Well I being off my pills for a while cause it was
making my head hurt and still no period.
Aug 6, 2009 9:11 AM
Guest :
hi i got my period around this february. i weighted about 118lbs. then i
lost about 8 to 10lbs. and it stopped. is this normal? do i just need to
gain wieght again?
Aug 28, 2009 11:27 PM
Guest :
I am 21 year old. I had a problem of piles just when my periods day were
near.and for the first time i took Homeopathy pills for piles. I have
missed my periods then. Is this the reason for missed periods.
Sep 6, 2009 6:46 PM
Guest :
Im 17 andd i got my period when i was 11. i had it for about a year, then
when i started high school it jst stopped. i did gain abit of weight when
my period stopped. but thn i lost abit during that year. so i havnt had my
period for 5 years now should i be really concerned about this ? is it
serious ?
Sep 30, 2009 1:32 AM
Guest :
i got my first period when i was in 5th grade or 6th i am a junior now. it
was just the one month cycle and it didn't return till winter of 2005. i
dont really remember if my cycles were regular then but im pretty sure they
were for the most part. i moved to southern illinois from chicago and they
just like stopped. i had a few periods and all but they stopped. i got a
period every few months for a while. then i went months and months with out
periods. then i started to get regular periods again sometime after i moved
to missouri. then they stopped again. i would get one every so often. i
havent had a period since march or so. its not almost october. i am really
concerned but too scared to see a doctor or tell my mom. will i be able to
have children if i do have amenorrhea? is there any health risks i should
be concerned about. i have gained weight since my first period close to 100
pounds. then i lost some and gained some. could that have anything to do
with it?
