anyone get their period back?

stupid q i know, im just sort of freaking and i do see my gyno tomm, but im so scared that ive lost my period and chance for health for good.

has anyone had any good news in this area?

thanks

So are you on a type of bc?

I thought that bc produced bleeding, but not necessarily the hormones related to the slowing the bone loss/osteoperosis prevention.

its not BC, its hormones. it produces new lining in the uterus and that is what bleads out.  the doctor said that its goof, healthy, something, to get a new lining in and out at least 4/yr. 

there are the BC where u get your period 1/yr, atheletes who are healthy +dont get it but he said its good for the uterus lining.  but it is not a natural period.

all my bloodwork and all that has always come back 100%, thank gd.  when i want to get pregnant-need a bf, husband 1st lol, then id need stronger hormones.

It is good for the lining if it sheds through regular periods, unfortunately a lot of women don’t know that though and they think it is okay to not have a period for a year.

It is SO annoying how a couple of years of anorexia can stop you from EVER getting a natural period again… I mean, SURELY your body can recover in 10 years or so, if you give it a lot of time how can only like 2 years stop your body from EVER functioning normally? GRRR.

It is just frustrating because I am such a pure eater now I am honestly so healthy and do not put a single artificial or bad thing into my body, and it just feels like if I live such a healthy way for the rest of my life then what I did for 2 stupid years should not affect the REST of my life?

*sigh* if I ever do get a natural period I am throwing a party.

Original Post by personaltrainer87:

It is good for the lining if it sheds through regular periods, unfortunately a lot of women don’t know that though and they think it is okay to not have a period for a year.

It is SO annoying how a couple of years of anorexia can stop you from EVER getting a natural period again… I mean, SURELY your body can recover in 10 years or so, if you give it a lot of time how can only like 2 years stop your body from EVER functioning normally? GRRR.

It is just frustrating because I am such a pure eater now I am honestly so healthy and do not put a single artificial or bad thing into my body, and it just feels like if I live such a healthy way for the rest of my life then what I did for 2 stupid years should not affect the REST of my life?

*sigh* if I ever do get a natural period I am throwing a party.

 

out of curiosity, how much do you work out?

I've done a lot of research on this over the years, and for some women their body is just so sensitive that they really can't work out if they are trying to get their periods back.  Even if they are eating over maintenance.

You are still pretty small.  Honestly, you probably have to be over 22 BMI and really limit your workouts if you want to resume your period.  That's pretty much what the research shows for some women...unfortunately you may be one of them.

Original Post by agruskin:

got back from the DOCTOR, lol, doctor knows best!

he said that i may never get my period back naturally, being 115 where i am, 120, whatever, weight wont likely change that.  he said that w/ diff hormone pills i shouuld get it 4/yr and that there is surprisingly nothing wrong now harmful to my body not having my period.  when i want to get pregnant, he would then give me stronger pills but that u dont need your period to be natural but that u should get it, even if its with meds, to give your uterus new lining.  so i hope to start the pills this week-the drugstore didnt have them, and thats it, no weight or bmi or whatever will change what ive done but im still healthy and can still have kids!

he's full of Sh$t, no offense.

I've spent years researching this.  99% of docs know nothing about hypothalamic ammenorrhea.  I can't count the number of women I know who have resumed their periods after losing them.  It takes:

a lot of patience

a lot of REST:  limited workouts

eating over maintenance, especially fats

possibly getting over 22 BMI.

If its important to you, I'd try all of those things.

FOR ZEV-hi, the gyno was a ctually the 1  who first suggested to me that i might have an ED and that the loss of period is probably from that, this was a few yrs ago.  so he realized enough to make the connection.  i asked him a few times if gaining more weight would raise the liklihood of my period returning on its own, he said no.  maybe bc i havent had it in 3-4 yrs now, i dunno, but he said there isnt anything i can do other than the progestrin pills.

i could stand to gain more sine im at a bmi of 20sih and not 22 but yea, he said it wouldnt make a diff.  and patience, yea, been there.  and ive eaten way above maintenance for a while now, especially since my maintenance is so low, but been way above for months+months.

thanks

I do not work out hardcore at all,  I do a one hour body pump class once a week which is high rep, low weights for toning, and I do Pilate’s about 2 - 4 days a week. I also stretch every day and make sure I do 1 abdominal exercise on the days I do not do Pilate’s or body pump.

The only cardio I do is incidental, like walking through town to meet a friend, and if I walk a lot in one day then obviously I would feel more hungry and eat more to compensate.

And I do not think I ever had a proper period BEFORE I went on the pill at about 16, I don’t remember exactly but I do not remember ever getting a distinct period, just some bleeding once or twice before the pill. And definitely nothing regular.

I would have been a BMI of 22 - maybe even 23 in high school when I used to abuse my body with food, not an eating disorder, but I just ate terribly and far too much so even eating my guts out at a higher BMI I couldn’t get a period!

I have large D cup breasts at a BMI of 19 and I know what feels comfortable/ too thin/ and unnecessarily big for my body frame.

I am 114 - 116 lbs so I am not clinically under weight any way, and I am a small build so I look curvy and very healthy even at a low weight

You know, a BMI of 22 and over is actually chubby on some body types even though IT IS SLIM on others, so I recommend you do not go telling people to simply “ gain to a BMI of 22 or over” unless you actually know their body type and have seen them.

Agruskin - Even if the doctor said you won’t, you never know, if you keep up the good work with eating plenty then that will really encourage it

If you had normal periods before the ED then you are more likely to get it back naturally.

And did you mean that some women have to gain a little EXTRA to get their period back?

A BMI of 22 is extra weight for some women of a small build, like myself, so I am wondering if some women need the extra fat and weight to jump start their period?

Or, are you talking about women who naturally have BMI’S of 22 who are suppressing it through an ED or starvation who should gain it back?

Original Post by agruskin:

FOR ZEV-hi, the gyno was a ctually the 1  who first suggested to me that i might have an ED and that the loss of period is probably from that, this was a few yrs ago.  so he realized enough to make the connection.  i asked him a few times if gaining more weight would raise the liklihood of my period returning on its own, he said no.  maybe bc i havent had it in 3-4 yrs now, i dunno, but he said there isnt anything i can do other than the progestrin pills.

i could stand to gain more sine im at a bmi of 20sih and not 22 but yea, he said it wouldnt make a diff.  and patience, yea, been there.  and ive eaten way above maintenance for a while now, especially since my maintenance is so low, but been way above for months+months.

thanks

Its good that your doc saw the connection, but he is incorrect in saying that weight gain wouldn't help.  Lots of research is in support of that fact.  But again, most docs are not so aware of that fact. 

The progesterone doesn't really do much...all it does is signify if you have enough estrogen to build a uterine lining.  It doesn't 'kick start' anything, really.

Honestly, it can take months to a year of regular eating for your body to get back in shape hormonally.  AND LOTS OF REST.  If I were you, I'd see a reproductive endocrinologist and get the proper hormone tests done.

Additionally, there was a nice study showing that even ED thoughts can inhibit your period at a natural weight.  So if you haven't been working on the food/stress connection, I would work on that as well.  If you still have anxiety issues around food, that could be playing a role.

PT - I meant for people who restricted to an unhealthy weight.  Sometimes they have to go over 20 because their bodies need the extra kick.   Your brain may need the extra 'confidence' that your body is healthy.  Fat releases estrogen and releases signals to the brain that your body is healthy to reproduce.  

FOR ZEV-hi, yes, im aware that its a false period and that its not real, just a new lining for the uterus etc altho he said i should be able to get pregnant in the future w a high dose of some sort of med.

ive had my thyroid checked and its normal, is that anything to do w a hormone check or no?  blood tests of exactly what im not sure, but theyre normal too. 

thats crazy that even ED thoughts, altho i guess its linked w/ stress+anxiety, can inhibit a period.  i dont think i get stressed about food anymore but i know im not "normal" when it comes to eating either, but i dont really get anxious about it.

i guess ill obviously give it more time of eating+resting, not like im planning on going back to being stupid+starving myself again, and ill hope to eventually get a normal period.  oh, and ill look to gain some more too i think but i guess just waiting it out is all i can do?

thanks

yes, you could, but having done that myself I really REALLY suggest you work hard at getting it back on your own.  You can't just take a drug and get pregnant.  The success rates are very low...around 10-20%.  And it costs thousands of dollars for each try if your insurance doesn't cover it (most don't).  

I would do a complete thyroid panel (your doc probably only did TSH, because that's what most do).  free T3, free T4, reverse T3, and TSH.  

A reproductive endo will also check FSH, LH, prolactin, progesterone, estrogen, testosterone, and the other reproductive hormones.  You should be getting an MRI of your pituitary to rule out a benign tumor as well.  A cortisol test can help as well, but that's a pain in the butt since it requires both a morning and an evening saliva test.

Yes, stress is highly related.  But honestly, WEIGHT is the biggest factor.  If your BMI is 20 or below I think you just need to gain a little more.  And make sure your fat intake is high.  Low fat and too high fiber is also related.

ahh, my GI doctor did the thyroid check bc i have stomach probs but i dont know how in depth it was, this was only a few weeks ago.

the gyno said i probly would be able to get pregnant, not w whatever the octuplet woman did or anything like that, just a higher level hormone or progestrin type thing. 

im a bit scared, a benign tumor? from starving myself basically?  i dont think im TOO stressed and i actually dont eat enough fiber but i am at a bmi of 20 so ill gain.  im scared thinking about all those tests.  im not about to get pregnant now, just thinking about the future.

i want my period to be natura ofcourse, but i think that since i havent had it naturally in about 4 yrs, its not about to now.  i no longer log my food or really count anything, just ballpark calories but ill focus on more fats, im not so active already, and yea, i guess ill look into those diff tests.  scarey stuff!! ahh, deff scarey!

how is ur health, hope ur ok

Original Post by agruskin:

ahh, my GI doctor did the thyroid check bc i have stomach probs but i dont know how in depth it was, this was only a few weeks ago.

the gyno said i probly would be able to get pregnant, not w whatever the octuplet woman did or anything like that, just a higher level hormone or progestrin type thing. 

im a bit scared, a benign tumor? from starving myself basically?  i dont think im TOO stressed and i actually dont eat enough fiber but i am at a bmi of 20 so ill gain.  im scared thinking about all those tests.  im not about to get pregnant now, just thinking about the future.

i want my period to be natura ofcourse, but i think that since i havent had it naturally in about 4 yrs, its not about to now.  i no longer log my food or really count anything, just ballpark calories but ill focus on more fats, im not so active already, and yea, i guess ill look into those diff tests.  scarey stuff!! ahh, deff scarey!

how is ur health, hope ur ok

I know what drug your doc meant.  Its the same drug, its just the dose that differs.  I took it, so I know how infertility drugs work.  Octomom's doctor just let her take too much of the drug for too long...generally when that happens doctors stop it from happening, but he didn't.

A benign tumor should just be ruled out since that can also cause lack of periods.  Very rare, but could be a cause.

But really you just need a full hormonal panel.  And four years is nothing.  I know women who have lost it for much longer and got it back by getting their BMI closer to 22 and with lots of fats and rest.  So don't lose hope.  :)

hi FOR ZEV, thanks for everything.  an endocrinologist is it that i should be looking into now for the full hormone check?  sheesh, so many doctor appts!

ok, gaining, rest-im not working out crazy so i guess im resting, lol, idk, and waiting.

thanks again

That's what I would do.  If you can find one, one who is a reproductive endocrinologist.

GYNs are great, but they don't know enough about the hormonal stuff and how it is all inter-related.

But the take home is:  you CAN get your period back.  It just may take a lot longer than you want it to, and you may have to gain more weight.

Other things to try:  make sure you are getting enough sleep.  Maybe try some relaxation protocols (meditation, relaxation techniques, whatever).  Make sure you are getting enough essential fatty acids (fish oil supplements).  Etc.

Good luck.

well i got my period this morning.  induced w/ meds from the doctor so not a real period but still good i suppose since im cleaning out my uterus and what not.  good enough

Dang i haven't had my period for like 3-4 months now. I thought I got it back but it was only for like a day... -_- I did feel alot better though with that. I'm trying to up my fat intake but dunno what I should eat... olive oil? nuts? ice cream? I might just start eating straight out of peanut butter jar although I honestly feel like a pig. urgh. (I sat here tonight and ate through 2 mini bags of prangles, 16 strawberries, 2 small packages of crackers, and yogurt at like 12)

Going to the doctor probably this friday...

Hurray! Go agruskin's body!

I got mine back after a nine month (non-pregnancy induced!) absence. I, too, needed to take hormones to get it back. I dropped a lot of body fat due to severe GI problems and had 4-5 surgeries/procedures which involved general anesthesia. My OB/GYN said the low body fat, stress from illness, trauma from surgery and anesthetic drugs all cause your reproductive system to shut down.

I take birth control now, and am trying to gain a little fat back (kind of hard, since eating it gives me pain.) But I hope to have kids in the next couple of years, so we'll see if I can have a period without taking extra hormones when the time comes.