In this video – which I have recorded as part of the College of Naturopathic Medicine’s Information series – we look into the various reasons that could be contributing to a period reducing in regularity or stopping altogether. I will also outline some of the methods that could help make improvements.
If you are struggling with hormonal issues and would like some extra support, I’d love to chat with you! Why not click here to book a free discovery call and see how some bespoke diet and lifestyle changes can help your hormones flourish!
Click below to watch:
Transcript:
Are you a menstruating woman whose periods have suddenly stopped? My name is Linda Vezzoli, I am a Nutritional Therapist specialising in Women’s Health and hormones, and in this video I will be taking you through some of the most common reasons for missed or absent periods.
Absent periods are referred to as amenorrhea – this can be either primary amenorrhea → you’ve never had a period in your life or secondary amenorrhea, you’ve had a period but for some reason they have stopped for 3-6 months. So what could be the reason for the lack of period?
- You are pregnant or breastfeeding. Our periods will stop when we are pregnant due to the cessation of ovulation. The period may not return for many months after childbirth if you are breastfeeding. This is due to the hormone of lactation – prolactin – stopping us from ovulating and having a period. Our bodies are clever: if they know we are breastfeeding an infant, they will naturally want to help us space out pregnancies to avoid getting pregnant so soon after giving birth. Having said that, breastfeeding is not a form of contraception, so please still ensure you are careful!
Ok so what if you have missed a period, done a pregnancy test and are not pregnant? Let’s have a look at some other possible reasons:
- You are pre- menopausal. If you are in your mid 40’s or over, you could be entering into the pre-menopausal years where periods become more erratic due to a decline in hormonal production from the ovaries. . When our ovaries start to produce less hormones during our menopausal years, we will ovulate less regularly which will impact our cycles. You may also start to notice some menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes and night sweats, insomnia and irritability. If you are not in your pre-menopausal age, ie. 45 years or over, and you are experiencing these symptoms, it is important to investigate them as it can be a sign of serious hormonal imbalance or even premature ovarian failure.
- Hormonal imbalances: Our menstrual cycle is a delicate dance of various hormones including estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, luteinising hormone → when any of these hormones are out of balance, we can see changes in our menstrual cycle.
- PCOS is characterised by irregular cycles due to elevated levels of certain hormones such as testosterone rather than the normal fluctuations of hormones during the menstrual cycle. These hormonal imbalances will stop the body from ovulating regularly, which will impact how often you have a period.
- Thyroid gland dysfunction: both having an overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism) and underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism)can cause menstrual irregularities. The thyroid has many functions in the body, from metabolic health to energy to regulating the menstrual cycle. Too much or too little thyroid hormone can affect our menstrual cycle by making it irregular, too light or too heavy. Thyroid issues can be identified with a simple blood test.
- Tumours on the pituitary gland which sends messages to release hormones to the ovaries can impact the production of hormones which can lead to lack of periods.
- Weight changes: being overweight or underweight can also cause us to stop having our periods. If you are overweight, you will make more estrogen in your fat tissue as well as in your ovaries.Whilst we need estrogen as part of a healthy menstrual cycle, having too much estrogen can lead to hormonal imbalances which can affect your ovulation, your progesterone production and in turn, your periods. Conversely, if you have lost a lot of weight recently in an unhealthy way, if you are chronically dieting or restricting calories, or if you have an eating disorder such as anorexia or bulimia, this can cause you to lose your period too. Having too low body fat can impact our estrogen levels, which will affect our menstrual cycle, but is also seen as a stressor. In order for our bodies to feel safe enough to reproduce, it needs to be well nourished. If we are chronically undereating or using more energy than we are putting into the body, and our body will always protect us by downregulating reproduction to protect us and our future offspring. Think about it: if we do not eat enough to nourish ourselves properly, how can we nourish a growing baby?
- You are under stress. When we are under stress, our body will produce cortisol, our anti-stress hormone. Our bodies are built to handle a certain amount of stress, but if we are under chronic stress, for example a very stressful job, financial stress, stressful relationships, or even chronic lack of sleep, undereating or overexercising, our body will be using our progesterone stores to make cortisol, therefore affecting the hormonal balance needed for our menstrual cycle to stay regular. Think of it this way: if we are running away from a sabre toothed tiger, it is not a safe time to have a baby, right? Our body knows this and will downregulate reproduction to ensure our survival, and the survival of our offspring. However, it cannot tell the difference between being chased by a tiger and being stuck in traffic every day, or having constant work deadlines, or being in a toxic relationship where we’re constantly fighting or anxious. So chronic stress will have a negative impact on our hormonal balance and menstrual cycle.
- You are overexercising – Regular exercise is definitely important for overall health, and it is important to move our bodies on a daily basis. I’m not telling you to be a couch potato! Competitive athletes can experience secondary amenorrhea due to excessive exercise, especially gymnasts, cyclist, long distance runners but also ballet dancers and rock climbers. This can be caused by low levels of body fat, but also exercising makes the body release certain hormones, such as beta endorphins and catecholamines. High levels of these hormones are thought to affect how oestrogen and progesterone work. Some athletes will also be on strict diets. So if you are doing high intensity exercise on a regular basis such as HIIT training, running, spinning, and other intense exercise routines, your periods may have stopped because of this. Overexercising can also be a stressor to the body, especially if paired with undernutrition and overall stress levels. I like to think about stress as a bucket – how full is your stress bucket? If it gets too full the body will go into protective mode, and our menstruation will most likely be affected.
- Certain medications such as the oral contraceptive pill, antipsychotics, antidepressants, and chemotherapy will also have an impact on your periods.
What can you do if your periods have stopped?
- If the cause of the period stopping is not due to life stages such as pregnancy, breastfeeding or menopause: Address your diet and lifestyle: have you been under considerable stress? Are you over exercising or doing frequent high intensity exercise? Are you nourishing yourself adequately (eating enough calories, eating enough nutrient dense foods, eating regular meals?) Have you lost significant weight recently or conversely, are you overweight?
- If you are experiencing symptoms of hormonal imbalances in addition to missed periods such as facial or body hair, acne, cold hands and feet, hair loss, fatigue. Dry skin, constipation…then you may want to go and have some testing done to rule out issues such as PCOS or thyroid imbalances.
I hope this video was helpful in understanding what may be causing your periods to be irregular or absent. If you are struggling with fertility or hormonal issues and would like some extra support, I’d love to chat with you! Why not click here to book a free discovery call and see how some bespoke diet and lifestyle changes can help your hormones flourish!
