Ammenorrhea's effects

I've read a bit about the effects of ammenorrhea---I've had it for about 2 years---so I'm curious about others' experiences with it.  I'm 18, and I've been feeling quite strong and healthy most of the time (haven't been sick for about 2 years), but I'm still feeling pretty anxious about gaining weight.  This combination has made me not focus on REALLY gaining enough weight back as I probably should, and I think it would help to hear about how others' have been affected by it, but, more importantly, how they managed to get healthy again.  Thanks for reading, I appreciate anyone's response.

http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Periods-absent/P ages/Introduction.aspx?url=Pages/what-is-it.a spx

You should read the attached link to the NHS website.   And the people you shold listen to, really, are your doctor, dietician or counsellor.  If your periods have not happened for two years, I assume you're getting some kind of medical assistance?   It's really easy to give you advice on how to gain weight.... eat 2500+ cals a day for as long as it takes.  But until you fully accept and embrace the reality of weight-gain you're not going to get very far.

Yes, I've seen a doctor, and I've been working with a dietician, but I've always had a hard time sticking to their plans..usually when I started "seeing" the changes in my body as the scale went up, I'd ditch the plans and keep myself just at the edge between underweight or healthy, but lately I've been eating way more (about 2500-3000+ daily) and the weight's been going up and down, but more frequently up, without as much upset.  When it comes to eating, I still don't really like eating much during the school day, so once I get home sometime after 5, I basically just eat and eat and eat until my stomach hurts----and then I wait a few hours and eat some more.  I just ate about 1000 calories or so worth of peanut butter, yogurt, 4% cottage (I'm trying to be brave) raisins, celery, bread, and bananas even after I'd already calculated that I was at about 3300.  I kind of feel like I'm binging though because I wasn't really hungry for it, and that scares me a little.  I don't want to sabotage myself by eating like that at a healthy weight...I know its fine for right now, but I tend to hold onto habits that I develop, and thats obviously not a great habit to have.  Its strange though because their's a big part of me that really does like eating a lot of things, alone at night, straight from the container and not feeling that old guilt about it because I know its actually healthy for me.  I know I'm rambling at this point, but now that I'm thinking about it, maybe thats another reason I've kept myself at a lower weight: so I can binge and feel like I'm trying to fix a problem  instead of just being "greedy."  

Whatever it is, I'm going to start taking this more seriously because I know I'll be better off for it.  Thanks for your quick response and the helpful article.

To avoid the post-school overeating episodes, eat more during the day....  Start with as big a breakfast as you can muster and take it from there.   Go equipped with healthy, high-cal snacks and a substantial lunch.  Prioritise mealtimes... make time for the snacks.   It's important to conquer the fear of eating in front of other people - if that's an issue.   When you're underweight and unwell (amenorrhea is an illness), you are completely entitled to eat plenty of food and ignore whatever others (who aren't ill and underweight) choose to do.

Do all of the above and you won't find you're eating until your stomach hurts.  Eating regularly throughout the day is the good habit that will help you most. 

i've been experiencing ammenorrhea for years. i've told a couple different doctors about it during routine check-ups, and none have been at all concerned..

but, my instincts tell me it's *not* normal..

I had ammenorrhea for 5 months after I stopped birth control pills, prior to that I was at 15% body fat for about a good year, so had it not been for the pills - maybe my period (har har) of no periods would have been longer.

I will tell you that even though you feel so great, strong and such - there is damage being done!  Very bad, horrible damage.  Your bones are SCREAMING at you.

It has taken me over 1 solid year of eating right, GAINING WEIGHT, and lifting weights (with a healthy amount of cardio) for me to stop feeling like s***.  I would have headaches when I woke up, fall asleep at 7 pm, my bones and joints would crunch and pop, and I was a total mean witch for about - a year.  I literally thought i was going insane.  But it got better.

Today I'm struggling with infertility, which I can tell you firsthand is horrible.  Having suffered a miscarriage without explanation I can't help but think that I helped to cause it by years of not eating properly, abusing myself and just keeping that damn scale under 120#'s - at 5'8".  So stupid, I know now.

I'm sorry to be a toughy about it, but eat well and eat often.  You shouldn't feel bad about 2500-3000 calories for now, you need them.  Do it smart though.  Spread it out, your body is adaptable and can totally adjust to a new feeding regimine.  And try weights, nothing beats it!

Good luck!  Your future is in your hands, no one elses.

I suggest you blind weigh yourself if it is affecting you as you describe. Furthermore you should know that your weight will fluctuate like crazy for around the first two weeks of increasing.

As well as weight gaining, keeping your fat intake around 30%, even 35% of your caloric intake will help with your period returning.

Please, talk about all of this with your doctor and your dietician. You're right in wanting to sort out your weight but developing an unhealthy pattern of eating won't help you. Furthermore, I don't know if you have noticed it but you describe a good many symptoms of an eating disorder - the desire to maintain an unhealthy weight, anxiety over weight gain, fear of eating around others, binge-restrict... have a read of both of these links and again PLEASE, talk to your doctor about all this.

The Aim is to Gain: Advice on Weight Gain, Whatever Your Reason

and the Eating Disorders Health, Resources and Info Thread, particularly the Signs of an Eating Disorder Questionnaire. If you fill this out and print it off you could show this to your doctor, too. There is also the EAT-26 test - The EAT-26 Eating Disorder Screening Test with each question explained after it. Again, I'd show your results of this if you do it to your doctor.

Original Post by rgliptak:

I had ammenorrhea for 5 months after I stopped birth control pills, prior to that I was at 15% body fat for about a good year, so had it not been for the pills - maybe my period (har har) of no periods would have been longer.

 

If you don't mind me asking, how long would you say your "period of no periods" would have been (including the time on the bc pills)?

I was 150 in 05/2006 and 104 in 05/2007 - which was my lowest at 5'8".  I think, had I not been on BCP's my periods would have stopped somewhere around May, 07, although probably before.  Got it back March 2008, it was the happiest I ever was to see that in my life :)

Thanks... I was trying to figure out maybe how long it takes for damage to set in... I could care less about fertility (I've had only bad, bad, experiences with kids... babysitting and siblings), osteoperosis is a whole other story... espicially with my triathlons and racing and all... 

Has anyone regained thier cycle without taking BCP's?  Also, what kind of an excercise routine did anyone have where you actually got healthy again? I know that lifting weights is the ideal choice and that cardio is detremental, but I'm curious of how much is too much or too little.  I'd like to get stronger as I get healthier, not just fatter, you know?  Thanks for all of your replies so far.

Yes, I did.  No BCP's, no hormones.

I suggest that you find balance in your calorie intake, divide your intake by 5-6 "food adventures" - say 3000 calories into five times a day of 600 calories or six times a day at 500, and so on.

Food is fuel, so once you are comfortable physically getting your calories, you totally can work out.  Weights - go nuts but beware, if you aren't eating to lift, you're body will scream at you.  As for cardio - loooooooow intensity.

I'm a yoga teacher.  It helped me to get over ED.  It's slow and its about shutting your mind up so that you can really be present within your body.  You can't do that running, I've tried.

Your body is in flight or fight mode right now.  You have to let it know that everything will be okay.  Your body will thank you.

i have a gyno appt tomm afternoon for this and i can tell u im scared out of my mind.  im 25 and im thinking i could have ruined my life for good bc of undereating and not having a natural period for hmm, about 3-4 yrs.  im so mad at that.

i have  bmi of about 20 now but have not regained my period on my own.  i dont do a lot of cardio.  im thinking w/ the pills ill get it + i hope that afterwards itll become natural.  but yes, i pray that im not infertile and havent ruined my life w this sickness.  i dont know what else i can do?

Kate- I have to ask you honestly, do you want your period? It sounds like you don't.

I'm going to be honest, I really enjoy not having to deal with my period. It made my life equivalent to hell the one time I had it. To make it even harder to want it back, I have absolutely no desire for kids. 

You sounds just like me... I get scared when I see my body starting to get some flesh on it... It helps me to concentrate on my times going down (I do tri's... and that includes mile splits!), but I still freak out. a lot. I try to focus on being healthy... and whatever comes with that (but TOM is still a b*tch).

CHIRP-hi, ur what, 15? think about the future, down the road, you might want kids later.  im 25 and dont want them now but MAYBE later, y ruin that chance?  yes, having my period is hell, i hate it, tampons, bloat, pain, its gd awful, but it also means ur healthy.  do you want to be healthy? think about it.

Agru- I'm 15 but, I've had a really rough life as far as siblings go. I've been in and out of therapy for it. My life is complicated- very complicated- and at times I've had to take care of my younger siblings. It was hard- and a complete disaster- so kids, me? no thanks. Even if I did ever decide to take care of a child, I'd probably go through the adoption route, think of all the poor, homeless children in the world.

Right, I do want to be healthy, continuing triathlons, hence why I'm actually making an effort now. A few months ago, I would have turned down anything with fat in it in disgust, but now I'm actually putting spreads on my bread. 

good for u. 

me, well im just desperate to be healthy already.  i mean, this just sucks, i want my period already.

I've had amenorrhea for a little over two years now. I think I've gained up to 19 pounds since it first started. My weight always fluctuates as well and I'm not accepting any more weight gain. I actually don't want to get my period ever again, it never was normal when I was younger so it being gone was a huge relief, even though I do know my uterine wall is probably not so great....I know I'm stubborn when it comes to this. Children and infertility are of no concern to me in the future so I guess that's another reason why I'm "glad" I still haven't gotten my period again. But I've never told a doctor about it so I really just forget about it all. And your experiences sound so much like mine! I tried to gain weight before I got any worse, and had "fun" with it since I let myself eat whatever I absolutely wanted and have no regrets. I acutally still do up to an extent. Now it's coming back on me and I'm unable to wear the same sizes without discomfort. I now feel like I've moved more into binge eating disorder unfortunately. I'm managing to control it better than it was before. My eating habits just seem way out of whack now. It's like I'm overeating with no regrets, then I need to compensate the month later and try to restrict with no success. I'm just trying not to freak out and plan things better, without disappointing myself now. Wowww this is long :O

Seelerys, you do know that a lack of menstruation can also lead to osteoporosis, right? You might not want kids but I'm going to bet you'd like to be able to go about the day to day without fearing you'll break something. |:

From the sounds of it you need a lot of help. I suggest you go to your doctor.

im freaking out a bit. i get my period sometimes...then sometimes i dont. it would be off for a month, then ill get it back like normal. im not EVER pregnant even though i am sexually active. and i am not on birth control.

however, right now i haven't had my period for two months and someday i would LOVE to have children, just not now.

does ammenorrhea lead to problems with fertility? because i really want to go to see a doctor asap because this has been a problem with me for awhile.

Original Post by 23inchwaist:

im freaking out a bit. i get my period sometimes...then sometimes i dont. it would be off for a month, then ill get it back like normal. im not EVER pregnant even though i am sexually active. and i am not on birth control.

however, right now i haven't had my period for two months and someday i would LOVE to have children, just not now.

does ammenorrhea lead to problems with fertility? because i really want to go to see a doctor asap because this has been a problem with me for awhile.

 I am in the same boat. I was overweight during high school and up until I was 21. Then I dropped about 45lbs (got down to 135). That was in Nov of 2006 I was 135lbs and a size 8 (just joined the gym). I worked out about 6 days a week and regimented dieting brought me down to size 3/4 but still weighing 135lbs - currently. I was eating really unhealthy for about 6 mos (at about 1150-1350 cals). Then I bumped it up and up and up, and slowly reduced the workouts too. Still nothing. Since joining the gym almost 1.5 yrs ago I have had about 4 periods... and they have been way less in length and in amount.

I dont use bc and I do have a steady sexual lifestyle with the bf... and no pregnancies. Not that I am trying but at almost 25 now and it's a little upsetting that I haven't had a "mistake". I enjoy not getting my period but I feel like I don't work out all that hard and I do eat a ton of food... so what gives? I'm not underweight either. The only thing I can think is contributing is stress... (I work a ton, go to school, and I balance a hectic schedule). But life has always been busy for me... so idk.

:(