I've lost my period - amenorrhea, causes, treatment, natural remedies
what happens?
It's a classic puzzle: when you've normally been experiencing regular menstrual cycles, why are they suddenly on hold? The answer is secondary amenorrhea - the mysterious disappearance of periods. Secondary amenorrhea is the absence of menstrual bleeding in normally menstruating people, for three cycles, or more than six months.
To solve it takes exploring some uncharted regions of your body! Specifically, examining how fluctuations in hormones released by our hypothalamus and pituitary glands affect ovarian hormone production – leading to an interruption in ovulation and menstruation.
what are the risks?
Low levels of estrogen and progesterone are associated with osteoporosis, low bone density, adverse cardiovascular events, mood changes, sexual dysfunction, and infertility (Maczekalski et al., 2014).
common causes of amenorrhea
Malnutrition and undereating, particularly carbohydrates
Excessive exercise
Stress
Low body fat %
Medications such as the OCP, antiepileptic and antipsychotic drugs
Post-pill amenorrhea
Hormonal conditions including PCOS, and hypothyroid
Iron deficient anaemia
Pregnancy (Priyanka et al., 2017)
what can I do about it?
Consult your preferred health professional to get to the underlying cause.
Ensure you are getting enough kilojoules in your diet each day. Be consistent with eating regular, highly nourishing meals. Ensure your meals include good sources of protein, healthy fats, and complex carbohydrates.
Protein is essential for hormone production. Aim for 1g of protein per kg of body weight.
Healthy fats are a good way to boost your kilojoule intake. Examples include raw nut and seed oils, avocado, coconut product, wholegrain nuts and seeds, and oily fish. Avoid low fat foods.
Complex carbohydrates are essential for hormone production. Examples include whole grains, such as whole-wheat flour, quinoa, brown rice, barley, oats, beans, peas and legumes.
Reduce excessive exercise. Excessive exercise is known to contribute to “the female athlete triad”, which is an interrelationship of menstrual dysfunction, low energy availability, and decreased bone mineral density (Nazem et al., 2012). Cut back on your exercise, and/or opt for less intense work outs such as yoga, pilates, or light walking.
Manage your stress. Chronic stress is associated with increased cortisol levels, which suppress GnRH release and can result in amenorrhea (Fourman & Fazeli, 2015). Incorporate stress relieving activities into your daily routine, such as reading, mindfulness, breathing exercises, yoga and stretching. Make time for YOU. Consider supplementing herbs and nutrients that nourish your nervous system.
Increase orange vegetables and fruit which are rich in vitamin A to nourish the reproductive system. Examples include pumpkin, carrot, sweet potato, butternut squash, mangos, tomatoes, papaya,
Support your bone health by eating foods rich in calcium, magnesium, vitamin K and vitamin D. Include plenty of green leafy vegetables, oily fish, nuts and seeds.
Increase your intake of iron. Sources include red meat, soybeans, eggs, kidney beans, split peas, mussles, almonds, hazelnuts, and wholegrains.
references
Fourman, L. T., & Fazeli, P. K. (2015). Neuroendocrine causes of amenorrhea--an update. The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism, 100(3), 812–824. doi:10.1210/jc.2014-3344.
Meczekalski, B., Katulski, K., Czyzyk, A., Podfigurna-Stopa, A., & Maciejewska-Jeske, M. (2014). Functional hypothalamic amenorrhea and its influence on women's health. Journal of endocrinological investigation, 37(11), 1049–1056. doi:10.1007/s40618-014-0169-3.
Nazem, T. G., & Ackerman, K. E. (2012). The female athlete triad. Sports health, 4(4), 302–311. doi:10.1177/1941738112439685.
Priyanka, S., Anubha, V. & Kumar, S. (2016). Secondary Amenorrhea: causes, management and outcome using algorithmic approach. Journal of Dental and Medical Sciences. Retrieved from http://www.iosrjournals.org/iosr-jdms/papers/Vol16-issue5/Version-12/Q1605128791.pdf.