Please help - concerned about my girlfriend...extremely infrequent menstration

[Lector606]

Hi everyone

My girlfriend just got her period for the second time in our 8mo relationship. She is very self conscious about it and scared about possible implications. I have told her to speak to a doctor but I think she is really nervous about talking to someone... I was just wondering if you girls could help me with talking to her and maybe explaining some possible causes or risks (which might help motivate her to go see the doctor)

some things about her:

-almost 21 years old
-high level athlete (she is exercising for about 2 hours around six days a week most weeks)
-not on birth control
-getting period about every 4-6 months
-drinks alcohol quite regularly (1-3x a week, 4-8 drinks I'd say)
-eats a lot (not undereating), low to normal bf% (not too low)
-takes asthma medication

I would point a finger at her alcohol consumption but she would kill me for bringing it up... I have brought it up enough for other reasons and she would really not appreciate me doing that.

I love her, I don't care if she can't have kids, but I really want to help her understand what might be causing this so I can be supportive. Please give me your input. I have read that there is some evidence that high level athletes have this problem due to undereating or too low bf% but I think she eats a pretty regular amount and her bf% is around 14-18% I'd say (I'm a crappy judge). I also read it can be caused by excessive alcohol consumption so that is a big question mark. Are there any other obvious causes that are normal in 20 year old females? What would you do in my situation to help her?

Thanks

[imperfectly_lou]

I would say it is more likely to be caused by her extensive exercise routine and/or low BF. Undereating can cause the problem but it is actually more likely to be an overtraining situation than anything else.

I would recommend she see her GP to rule out any other causes such as endometriosis, ovarian cysts etc.

[terracotta]

Yeah, she really should go see a doctor and get tests done. It is most likely from high amounts of training.

[diggin~deep]

Ahhh,

well, I actually have the same issue. I have went to counteless doctors for it because it has been so sporadic when it would happen and there were really no signs that it was coming. However, I would actually go for 7-8 months at a time.

I was diagnosed with Amenorrhea which I dont know exactly what type she may have (if she does). There is a primary and a secondary.

I would NOT say that this is due to her training. That kind of intensity can be quite normal for a person from beginning to end of a workout. If we were talking extreme cardio on high levels or inclines everyday and her wieght indicated that she was going more anorexic with things, then yes, I would say that could alter the hormone levels within her body, thus effecting her monthly cycles.

I would say based on what you said that she may have amenorrhea. Luckily, this is not that serious and is more common that not. The weird thing for me is that I used no type of protection with my husband for about 4 years and then one day woke up pregnant. That was about 2 months after having been diagnosed. Soooo... it's weird. My son came out totally healthy and since then I have been more regular. Womens bodies are nuts and extremely complicated. Should she go to a Dr. (which I think she should) I would advise going to at least 3 different ones and to include some Naturopathic Dr.s as well. This way she can get a generalized idea about whats wrong and what to do. There are lots of options and she should seek them out. If you guys have any questions feel free to message me and I will help out if I can.

;0)

[imperfectly_lou]

Digging-deep, I think you may be confused. Lack of menstruation from ANY cause is known as amenorrhea. Primary amenorrhea occurs where the woman NEVER get her period in the first place usually due to a genetic disorders, tumour or congenital defect. Secondary amenhorrhea occurs with pregnancy, menopause, dramatic weight loss, excessive exercise (and what is excessive differs from person to person), emotional stress, anabolic steroids etc.

Nursing student here - just double checked all of that in my pathophysiology notes :)

[moon girl]

My periods didn't become regular until I started taking birth control pills. Before then, it was always a mystery when I'd get it - but when I did get it, it got pretty bad (bad cramps, heavy flow). Could be once every 2 months, or once every 6 months, or anywhere in between.

Once I started taking birth control, my periods became very regular (never more than a day off 'schedule', and only rarely) and it's not as bad as before. I had to play around with different brands to find one that made PMS and menstrual symptoms (cramps, bloating) most manageable.

I never found out what the 'problem' was but my doctor said it wasn't unusual. Although he never struck me as a very good doctor :o Maybe it's just a matter of regulating hormones.

Anyway, in short: taking birth control, even a low dose pill, might help.

P.S. I didn't start taken the BC pills until just before my 19th b-day, and I started getting periods at 13 - so it was irregular for quite a while.

P.P.S. I hardly drank alcohol at all at the time so her alcohol consumption doesn't necessarily have anything to do with it. (Although it's not really a healthy habit, IMO)

[cindys76]

I would strongly encourage her to see a doctor. Based on the little you've said, her problem could be any number of things including PCOS. PCOS is Polycystic Ovary Syndrome and irregular periods are just one of the symptoms. However, it also could be any number of other issues that a doctor will need to investigate.

[BlondePirate10]

Digging-deep, I think you may be confused. Lack of menstruation from ANY cause is known as amenorrhea. Primary amenorrhea occurs where the woman NEVER get her period in the first place usually due to a genetic disorders, tumour or congenital defect. Secondary amenhorrhea occurs with pregnancy, menopause, dramatic weight loss, excessive exercise (and what is excessive differs from person to person), emotional stress, anabolic steroids etc.

Nursing student here - just double checked all of that in my pathophysiology notes :)

Speaking with a doctor is the best way to go, when I did sports and training intensively, I also didn't get my period, but never for such an extended period of time. I understand if she's shy but she really should talk to a doctor.

[xxx_KILLER_x]

I have the same problem sort of. Won't get my period for months and months and then when I do get it it will last for months and months. I went to countless doctors, but they weren't willing to look into it because of my age, so instead just put me on the birth control pill which did solve the irregularity. Now though I just found out the real reason which was abnormal cervical cells and possible cancer (in the process of figuring it all out). Anyways, moral of the story you need to convince her to go get it checked out to make sure that it's not anything serious and the sooner the better.

[Pepperminty]

She should definitely see the doctor! My guess is that the doc will put her on BC to get some more estrogen into her system so her body knows to shed the lining. Or figure out what else is causing the problem.

[clovely]

Ahhh,

well, I actually have the same issue. I have went to counteless doctors for it because it has been so sporadic when it would happen and there were really no signs that it was coming. However, I would actually go for 7-8 months at a time.

I was diagnosed with Amenorrhea which I dont know exactly what type she may have (if she does). There is a primary and a secondary.

I would NOT say that this is due to her training. That kind of intensity can be quite normal for a person from beginning to end of a workout. If we were talking extreme cardio on high levels or inclines everyday and her wieght indicated that she was going more anorexic with things, then yes, I would say that could alter the hormone levels within her body, thus effecting her monthly cycles.

I would say based on what you said that she may have amenorrhea. Luckily, this is not that serious and is more common that not. The weird thing for me is that I used no type of protection with my husband for about 4 years and then one day woke up pregnant. That was about 2 months after having been diagnosed. Soooo... it's weird. My son came out totally healthy and since then I have been more regular. Womens bodies are nuts and extremely complicated. Should she go to a Dr. (which I think she should) I would advise going to at least 3 different ones and to include some Naturopathic Dr.s as well. This way she can get a generalized idea about whats wrong and what to do. There are lots of options and she should seek them out. If you guys have any questions feel free to message me and I will help out if I can.

;0)


My periods didn't become regular until I started taking birth control pills. Before then, it was always a mystery when I'd get it - but when I did get it, it got pretty bad (bad cramps, heavy flow). Could be once every 2 months, or once every 6 months, or anywhere in between.

Once I started taking birth control, my periods became very regular (never more than a day off 'schedule', and only rarely) and it's not as bad as before. I had to play around with different brands to find one that made PMS and menstrual symptoms (cramps, bloating) most manageable.

I never found out what the 'problem' was but my doctor said it wasn't unusual. Although he never struck me as a very good doctor :o Maybe it's just a matter of regulating hormones.

Anyway, in short: taking birth control, even a low dose pill, might help.

P.S. I didn't start taken the BC pills until just before my 19th b-day, and I started getting periods at 13 - so it was irregular for quite a while.

P.P.S. I hardly drank alcohol at all at the time so her alcohol consumption doesn't necessarily have anything to do with it. (Although it's not really a healthy habit, IMO)

I was very much in this same boat. If/when I got off bcp it stops or gets really sporadic (and painful) again. It's not about the drinking, probably not about the exercise. I had the exact same issue and, in my early 20's I wasn't drinking or exercising...which is weird because I couldn't imagine giving up either now, LOL!


Digging-deep, I think you may be confused. Lack of menstruation from ANY cause is known as amenorrhea. Primary amenorrhea occurs where the woman NEVER get her period in the first place usually due to a genetic disorders, tumour or congenital defect. Secondary amenhorrhea occurs with pregnancy, menopause, dramatic weight loss, excessive exercise (and what is excessive differs from person to person), emotional stress, anabolic steroids etc.

Nursing student here - just double checked all of that in my pathophysiology notes :)

But not everything can be explained in the books. I've seen numerous doctors. They don't even try to diagnose or solve this issue. They just want to keep me on the pills; they don't have explanations or answers. The only "diagnosis" I ever got was endometriosis and that was what I was told after a miscarriage.

I've got two beautiful kids now so it's not like she should panic or worry excessively about the ramifications of this in the future; she'll just make herself nuts. A trip to the doctor wouldn't be a bad idea but, frankly, they'll just put her on bcp. My story quickly - after about 6 years on the pill, I stopped and got pregnant within a couple months but had a miscarriage. After the DNC (basically an abortion without the baby), I had two periods exactly 45 days apart. Weird! But it was the only time in my life I was ever "regular" about it. Got pregnant and had my daughter. When she was 6 months old I stopped nursing and was pregnant within a couple weeks. After my son was born (after three years being pregnant or nursing) I hoped I wouldn't have to go back on the pills. But within a couple months, I was back to the pain and "surprise" periods out of the blue. The older I get the harder it seems to be to find a pill that works; nothing seems to work like it did in my 20's - you can take that a lot of ways! It's frustrating but there's no simple explanation for it and there's no simple fix. BCP might alleviate it, though. If that helps.

[sjayne80]

My 29 year old sister has had very infrequent menstrual periods since she was 14 years old, she finally was tested by her doctor for a multitude of things and they found that she has low estrogen levels. Its not the end of the world, she can still have children, but she may need to take some sort of medicine or hormones when she wants to try and get pregnant. Your girlfriend should definately go to the MD, reassure her that she'll feel better afterwards because it sounds like ignorance is NOT bliss for her, she sounds really worried. Most likely it is something they can inform her about and help her with. Its great that you are that supportive of her, I'm sure that will help alot!