periods after anorexia

hey

im 16 and i had just recoverd from anorexia! i am 157cm and 47-48kg (up from 40) and i just got my periods back, but they are realy light! is this normal?? and is there anything i can do to make them normal again?? anyone have any experience or advice that would be great

thanksssss

I recently got my period back as well. Mine was light too. It stayed for like 3 days. In June I'm going on Birth Control to get it back normally. Lots of people say eating enough good fats will put u back on track.

I'm not really sure, but I had the same problem.

I've been recovered for a year but i'm still pretty light and irregular.

Once you start eating normally (i know you probably hate that term, i did) with proper fats and protein and good stuff, it'll come back.

Congrats on recovering. My recovery was the hardest thing I've ever done. Good luck!

I was pretty hardcore with "ANNA" back in my day. It has been almost 10 years since I started my own recovery, and my peroids are still coming and going. Most literature would suggest that, once you reach a normal "healthy weight" that your peroids should return.

I cry out to anyone out there who is using this site to feed "ED" or "anna" please be careful. It is (in my opinion) an addiction/coping device that you will fight for the rest of your life.

I trashed my metabolisim with years of "anna" and too much exercise, and now I struggle every day. In fact, I have gained more than 100 pounds from my all time low. And have screwed my digestive system up so badly, from so many years of neglect (when I was active in my drug of choice-"anna") that I ended up with feeding tubes, and lots of other yucky stuff, simply because I didn't eat for so long. It is REALLY hard to loose weight now.

I have seen a few posts here, that scare me (mostly the teens trying to loose weight, despite a seemingly normal weight/height proportions)!

If you are toying with the idea-please stop!

If you are already dealing with anna or ed, PLEASE STOP NOW! Get some help before you end up with long term damage like I did!

This site is a great resource, but in the wrong hands it could really trigger eating disorderd issues. Yeah, you might get your peroids back...but TRUST ME!!! your digestive system will NEVER be the same if you don't STOP NOW!!!

I pray this reaches someone, and makes them think twice! I wish I could turn back the hands of time. Because of years of "anna" I am now shopping in the "plus size stores".  It can easily spiral out of control into an all out addiction, like alcohol or drugs!

Please...is there anyone else out there with similar experiences or thoughts on this matter. I love the site, but am kinda scared about triggering a re-lapse.

it can take a while... when i got mine back after losing it for a year... it took about another year to get back to normal

I'm 15, 156cm and 48kg [similar stats to yours] and I'm up from around 36kg

My period stopped for 11 months, and I finally got it back last month but it only lasted one day. My doctor has told me that it often takes a while to get it back to being regular, so you just have to keep maintaining your healthy weight and it should come back soon.

[just to let you know, exercise and stress can also cause period loss - so if you exercise excessively or stress out heaps it can make your periods irregular or late]

I am similar. I'm 14 years old and 97 lbs and 5'3. I havent had my period since April 09. I have lost weight about 20 lbs, at first I was 130 and it came off gradually then it started coming off even more faster. I went to my doctor and she said wait a few more months. Now its July still no period.

I gained one lb from yesterday, I dont know how? Because I went swimming and I went on a walk.

I'm trying to get my period back as well. I ate like 4 tspns of peanut butter today (which I really shouldnt have).

What should I do?

yea im kinda similar i lost 20lbs and im 14 im kinda recovering but not fully im trying not to be losing a pound a day just 2 or 3 a week u know i want to get down to 115 im 5,4. but yea after that know more ill fight to maintain it and keep healthy since i royally screwed up my metabolism and period. but i do know it will take u around a year to get it back normally and dont feel guilty to have eaten the peanut butter its ok eat at least 1200 cals a day to start with since our metabolism are retarded from anorexia we may gain weight if we go more i know i do so yea eat healthy get a book on healthy eating and research it like model diets and celebrity ones (not the loosing weight type of diet) just the eating healthy one. best of luck

hey i have recovered from ed for about  3 months now gained 20-30lbs but still no period...its depressing...havent had one for about 20months now

Original Post by sexxiibexi:

hey

im 16 and i had just recoverd from anorexia! i am 157cm and 47-48kg (up from 40) and i just got my periods back, but they are realy light! is this normal?? and is there anything i can do to make them normal again?? anyone have any experience or advice that would be great

thanksssss

You probably need to gain a little more weight as a start point.  Get your BMI well over 20 since below 20 is when period problems typically start and below 19 is when they're really likely to shut down.

Other measures include.... eating plenty of iron-rich foods i.e. red meats, whole eggs, beans, wholegrain breads, fortified breakfast cereals, dark green vegetables.  If your iron-stores are low blood-production will be affected and, of course, periods involve blood-loss.  

The things to avoid are excessive exercise & stress. Both affect periods.

Original Post by gossip90210:

yea im kinda similar i lost 20lbs and im 14 im kinda recovering but not fully im trying not to be losing a pound a day just 2 or 3 a week u know i want to get down to 115 im 5,4.

At 14 your body is meant to be growing, not shrinking.  And starving on 1200 calories is going to damage your body horribly, physically as well as mentally.

'Kinda recovering' the way you describe is not recovering at all, unfortunately.  You remind me of the smoker that says they'll give up after they finished their last four packets..... They never give up.  You should talk to the people close to you, make a doctor's appointment and start getting the nourishment you need now... not when you're 115lbs.

Posting Guidelines

Calorie Count's mission is to promote healthy and sustainable weight management. Please help our moderators follow this vision and respect the following guidelines.

• Promotion of starvation diets or habits that exhibit signs of an eating disorder ("pro-ana", "pro-mia", etc.) is prohibited.

Original Post by xnithyarx:

I am similar. I'm 14 years old and 97 lbs and 5'3. I havent had my period since April 09. I have lost weight about 20 lbs, at first I was 130 and it came off gradually then it started coming off even more faster. I went to my doctor and she said wait a few more months. Now its July still no period.

I gained one lb from yesterday, I dont know how? Because I went swimming and I went on a walk.

I'm trying to get my period back as well. I ate like 4 tspns of peanut butter today (which I really shouldnt have).

 

What should I do?

 You should also go back to your doctor.   This time be honest about your situation, how you're feeling and what you're eating.  You're at a very low weight which wouldn't necessarily be an issue for someone your age if they'd always been very small.  However, if you've lost 30lbs to get to that weight and you're only maintaining it by starving, it's clearly far, far too low.

If your body-weight is too low you won't get your period and you're at risk of permanent infertility plus a lot of other really nasty medical problems.

You need to gain and, given that 'I shouldn't have' peanut butter comment, it's clear that you'd find that difficult and you've lost touch with what normal eating looks like.  There are experts that can help you come to terms with why you need to be heavier in order to be healthy.  They can also help you devise structured mealplans to work with.    

Posting Guidelines

Calorie Count's mission is to promote healthy and sustainable weight management. Please help our moderators follow this vision and respect the following guidelines.

• Promotion of starvation diets or habits that exhibit signs of an eating disorder ("pro-ana", "pro-mia", etc.) is prohibited.