Secondary amenorrhea

[lilbear]

Hey ladies! I'm new "here", but not to weight lifting. I've always been a lifter, but started taking it more seriously since about February. Long story short, I haven't gotten my period since July, and am really getting worried. I've been celibate for pretty long, so I know for a fact I'm not pregnant I'm 23, 5'4", weigh in between 115-118 lbs, and have ~16% body fat last time it was checked (Sept.). I don't think that I'm underweight, or that my body fat is too low to stop the flow... I keep a daily food log, and I was eating around 1800 calories/day until recently, since I've been becoming more and more worried about my lack of menstruation, and have tried upping my cals between 1900-2000, thinking that low intake is the cause. I make sure to eat at least 30% of my diet from fat daily, so I know I'm getting plenty of fats, only the good healthy kind. Today I've already eaten 2300, oy! I work out 5x/week, 3 days of heavy lifting for a little over an hour, and 2 days of 1 hour moderate to intense cardio/HIIT sessions. On my off days I'm nearly completely sedentary.

I'm looking for help, here, because I'm started to get scared about not having my period for 6 months now. I went about 3 months earlier this year without it, but then it came back. I saw a doctor about it, but she said not to worry, that I was perfectly healthy, and that my blood tests came back fine. But now, after 6 months, I'm definitely concerned. I come to this forum knowing that there are ladies out there who work way harder than me when they lift, and haven't lost their periods. Is this simply a matter of getting it through my skull that I HAVE to eat more to be healthy (and if so, how much more?), or would it be wise to suck it up and seek the opinion of a medical professional?

Thank you all so much for any feedback!

 

[RottenWillow]

While amenorrhea is not intrinsically dangerous, nor need it be a sign of serious illness, it is best to get this checked by a medical professional. It is not unheard of for women to begin to experience symptoms of menopause before age 30. Perhaps this is what you're experiencing.

lilbear, you need to go back and see your gyno and even possibly get a referral to an endo. We could speculate for days, but none of us are physicians. This could be something that requires prompt, expert investigation.

 

[RADAR]

I agree there are many other possible explanations for amenorrhea. A sign, not a disease, amenorrhea seldom results from a serious condition. However, not knowing why menstruation has stopped can be stressful, and the time spent waiting for it to recur may feel like a lifetime. But once you and your doctor get to the root of the problem, treatment of the underlying condition often resolves amenorrhea.

so theres still hope
RADAR