Amenorhea and activity

Some of you may remember me as I used to post regularly on the weight gain board.  I finally felt it would be best for me to stop posting there as I didn't exactly fit the mold and it wasn't fair as I ended up being more harmful to some people there. 

I would like to ask a question though as I continue working on getting healthy.

This is kind of a long post but it needs some history to understand why/what I'm asking:

I have always been an "extreme" athlete so to speak.  Meaning I grew up spending more time in training than I did in school!
But back at the turn of this year, when I was diagnosed with severe anemia, low WBC, amenorhea, and possible bowel disease, I freaked out and decided to stop my training.  I wanted to make sure i was healthy first and I thought it would help me both gain weight and get the health things in order.

It ended up doing the opposite.  I dropped less than 5lbs, but it was not something I could afford.  Plus my digestion hit an all time low and I was miserable constantly rather than just constantly agitated with periods of misery.  I also had trouble functioning and almost lost my job.  Furthermore i got really messed up emotionally and my thinking was all out of wack and I was just in general feeling down and not even wanting to do much I used to be into.

I did start training again a couple months ago and it was like a new world.  Though i am not doing nearly what I was, I feel like I've come back to life.  I immediately put 5lbs on and continued so I am now at the highest weight yet. Even my digestion has improved remarkably, and without even calorie counting I have been hitting intake levels above what I was fighting for, just by appetite. 

I thought this was a good thing--gaining and getting healthier must mean I was meeting the energy balance required for activity, so it was helpful not harmful, right?

Here's my new concern:
I have not had a period since high school, and I am now in my 20's.  I don't have osteoperosis now, but I know I'm headed in that direction.  I already get stress fractures far to easily.  I know I can reverse this process by gaining weight and meeting my caloric needs, but is it just about matching the calories + getting to the good weight, or can the activity by itself keep you from getting your period?

I'm especially concerned because I know I have less than 2 years that my body can deposit calcium to my bones, and I know all the calcium in the world doesn't get absorbed without a natural period. 

As much as resuming training has helped my "symptoms" I have to make sure I get this period thing back so that I can have the kind of joy and health benefits I am getting now for my whole life, not just this year you know?

Does anyone know:  Will I get my period back in the same amount of time with activity if I'm meeting the caloric requirements + gaining the weight or does just being active keep me from it?

My activity is helping me live, get healthy, gain weight--but is it keeping me from long term health?

Honestly, I think it depends on the person.

(you remember me, right?)

Well, I got my period back a week ago. I'm still under the 18.5 BMI and training harder than ever, so I don't know. 

Every body's different, it could be you may never get a period back. Maybe talk to your GP about hormone supplements (not BC, but the actual hormones) I know there are risks involved with those, but there are also risks (osteoperosis the big one) that go without a period.

Hi Chirpp,
I'm not really wondering how to get my period back, I know the factors.

I'm wondering if the activity factor functions independently to hinder getting a period, or if it only does that if you aren't eating enough to compensate or if it's causing your weight to be low.

Honestly, I don't think your level of activity is hampering your menstruation - it's probably stress, illness and low body fat combined. But sometimes, there just isn't any rhyme or reason for why some people get theirs back and some take longer - I had a BMI of 15.5 in high school, and still had my period the whole time. As long as you have a normal level of body fat and aren't super stressed, exercise alone shouldn't keep you from menstruating. But it sounds like you have had stress and body trauma, from illness.

I lost my period at the age of 26, while having severe GI issues, lots of tests involving being put under general anesthesia, 2 surgeries - but I weighed the highest I ever had in my life. The doctors said it was the stress and trauma from my illness, but I was all, how the hell did I have a period back in high school, then? I was wicked stressed out in HS, and very ill (read: on drugs and malnourished because of them.)

I was amenorheic for about 9 months - by month 7, my OB/GYN put me on three sucessive courses of homones to kick start my system, and I take a low dose pill now. Have you talked to your doctor about hormones? You should be taking vitamins and estrogen, at the very least, to protect your bones - you're right to be concerned.

This might help...I agree that everyone is different, but I had an experience that is somewhat related.

I lost around 20 # slowly over a year when I started jogging. Eventually the jogging became running and after 2 yrs. I was in really great, athlete-like shape.  I didn't necessarily lose more weight, but my body continues to change as I traded fat for muscle.  Anyway, my period eventually got very light and down to 2 days in length. I was concerned, but was eating like a horse, so I felt confident it was just a result of exercise. I developed a tibial stress fracture which I didn't adequately honor, and ended up having to take 8 weeks off.  I was depressed and enduring a particularly difficult term at school, so I just gave up on all activity for that 8 weeks. As I got better and started lightly running again, my period came back full force.  It was worse than I had ever remembered it being.  2 days of cramps, diarrhea, nausea followed by 3 more days of bleeding. 

So....I DO think that exercise is closely related to one's period, eating adequately or not.

Hope that helps...?

Activity CAN be a factor. Whether that's due to a stress fracture, or having too low a body fat DUE to working out.

But so can too low a body fat no matter your weight on a whole, too little fat in the diet (though this is likely no longer an issue for you), too low a weight - as you know, stress in general... and then things like your hormones and thyroid. So:

When you lost your period, what condition was your body in? Were you underweight then? Were you working out a lot? Was it a stressful time in life? What was your diet like?

Thank you very much for the responses!

I know that getting to a healthy weight and body fat, plus ensuring a positive energy balance, are essential, I just wonder if right when I'm making progress with that I could be hindering my period by the activity, even though it's helped me with eating and the gain.

Hilary, Could it be that you gained weight during your injury and depression?  I am just wondering if it was the rest that triggered the period, or simply a restoration of body fat that had been lost through your running.  And btw I hope you are feeling better and able to run again now!!

melemel,
I can't get any treatment right now because I don't have insurence. [p.s. I just had a job interview for a full time position that comes with benefits, so that may not be for too much longer!]  When I was seeing a Dr for my injuries, the one who had my blood tested and uncovered the anemia, she said it was purely a matter of energy balance.  She said that one way or the other my intake/absorption has not matched expenditure, and once I maintain a positive energy balance my period will come, regardless of weight or activity level.  The stress could very well be a factor.  Just "finding out" that I wasn't healthy has had me very worked up!  In fact, I was the worst when I got all in hibernation mode just fighting to eat and gain weight.
The hardest part now is finding a balance--tending to my health, not pushing my body to do what it's not ready for, and yet not freaking out or getting overly paranoid. 
And I'm always very self conscious in general which leads to a lot of worry in social situations.  I never used to be uncomfortable with my body all be it too skinny, until I started hearing people say things about me in college.  Now I'm always imagining what people "really think."  Anyhow, yeah, I guess I'm pretty stressed.  Any tips on how to deal with that?  Not something I can just turn off or eat more of, you know!?

You made a good point Lala to look back at when I got my period.  It was weird, I only had a handful of random periods between my junior and senior year of high school.  I was quite active, far more than currently, between to sports.  But it was about a year after I'd quit swimming, which I did intensely for 10+ years, and my very first period was on a "rest week" while on vacation [imagine the chaos!].  So maybe the break helped?

Like you also said Lala, my fat intake has increased significantly since I started paying attention to what I eat.  I pretty much lived off of cereal and bread most of my life.  I like it and it digests easy.  I hated nuts and never cooked.  Now I eat "too many" nuts [according to that nutritionist], use peanut butter, found that I love avocado, and throw leftovers in 1/4c of oil to heat it up.  So hopefully that'll help something, and stick to my bones too (?).

It's hard to evaluate right now.  I know activity isn't the only factor or I would have gotten it after my 2 month break and even now since I am not doing even close to what I have since I was 9 years old.

But like I said, right when I'm excited about the progress, I don't want to be doing something that is keeping me from what i need most! I only have a little over a year to deposit calcium and after all these years of skeletal deterioration I need the natural period asap.  Or, period or not, I won't be active and healthy for long.

I'd say, then, it's probably a combo of being underweight, too much exercise, low body fat and low fat intake. You're working on all of that, though, so the major thing will also apply to you: patience. Even when you do everything right it takes time for your period to return - but if you KEEP doing those things right, it should come back to you.

Good luck in your job search, t2t! I wish you all the best.

On the doctor tip - are they're any free clinics where you live? Sliding scale doctors? Are you in school? Schools usually have a super low cost health facility on campus. They're not ideal, but they're something. And planned parenthood will usually give you medication  - including estrogen / hormones - if you can prove you don't have any money (sign a statement.)

Stress busters: time. sleep. yummy cookies. friends. naps. more time. deep breaths. I know, this is vague, but you'll get better bit by bit. The last thing you need to stress out about is your period! If you can, do yoga, meditate and take walks or hikes instead of more intensive activities for a couple weeks. Bring a friend with you;  I've gained awesome, supportive friendships by inviting acquaintances to go on weekly hikes with me - we've gotten to know each other so well, way better then we would have by going to bars or parties.

Rest up, eat iron supplements (for anemia) and easily digestable fats - you are  on the right track with veggies fats, they'll be easier on your stomach. And eff what other people think, babe - you're awesome and you know it ;) Worrying about something you can't control will make you crazy! Best to concentrate on the things you can change - like making healthy choices. I hope you feel better soon.

Hi again.

To follow up, I guess I didn't really think of it that way, since my period returned with a vengence after I was exercising again (can't remember exactly, but a month or two at most).  I should say that I did cut back to 30 mp week from around 50, at the urging of my doc. I imagine between stopping entirely for almost 2 months and then cutting back significantly for 2 months, I probably did inevitable lose a fair bit of muscle and gain fat, but my weight didn't change notably.

And, yes, I can still run! Only 20 mp week now, but I am perfectly happy with that!!! Thanks for asking!