[Malon]

So I haven't had my period since Thanksgiving (November 22). It's now Feb 6, and I am starting to worry a little.

I am not on birth control pills, nor am I pregnant. I have done home tests and also went to the clinic, so that's definitely not the cause.

I know that one of the more common explanations for loss of period is being underweight. I have lost my period for this reason before, but not for a few years. I admit that I still do still struggle with my eating, and according to my BMI, I am borderline underweight. But I've been this thin before, and I didn't lose my period then.

I am 5'3" and weigh about 105. Sometimes I'm more like 104, sometimes 106. That's a BMI of 18.6, and an 18.5 is considered underweight. However, like I said before, I've been this thin before and not had a problem until a couple months ago. Before that, I only lost my period when I went down below 100 pounds a couple years ago.

I know I might have a skewed perception of what is too thin and what isn't, but I don't think I'm completely off here when I say I don't believe I am underweight enough for this to be the cause. Am I wrong? Could there be anything else causing this?

Any ideas/advice would be appreciated. Thanks!!

[Euphoric]

You may want to visit the clinic again and explain your situation. Sometimes BC pills are used to help regulate mentrual cycles. If you are sexually active, it is better to have some form of protection so that you don't have to worry so much about an untimely pregnancy. As far as your weight being the issue, I wouldn't think from your description that that is the issue. It is not normal to skip periods, especially for several months at a time, though that happens to a lot of girls.

[Malon]

You may want to visit the clinic again and explain your situation. Sometimes BC pills are used to help regulate mentrual cycles. If you are sexually active, it is better to have some form of protection so that you don't have to worry so much about an untimely pregnancy. As far as your weight being the issue, I wouldn't think from your description that that is the issue. It is not normal to skip periods, especially for several months at a time, though that happens to a lot of girls.

I do use protection--I'm just not on the pill. So I'm not really worried about an untimely pregnancy. I'm just concerned about the missed period. I know that the general advice is to talk to my doctor, but all that they've come up with so far is the weight issue. I used to be anorexic, so my doctor is always questioning my eating habits, weight, etc. so she just kind of assumed that's the problem.

[Euphoric]

How long have you had the anorexia under control? It's sad, but sometimes when a dr. learns of a disorder they have a tendency to lump every problem that comes along due to ones past. I think that tunnel vision is the reason that many people get misdiagnosed and they have a tendency not to look for further complications causing the existing problem. Glad to hear that you are taking some measure to protect yourself. There are many things that can throw our hormones into a funk, which in turns causes other issues. Stress, changes in diet, exercise routines, etc. can all affect our cycle. Has your dr. checked your hormones levels? Estrogen and progesterone levels can affect your cycle as well. Be proactive and get a second opinion if necessary. You state that you do use protection. Are you on something like the depo shot? That can cause these symptoms, actually it's a fairly common issue for many women. Give us a little more info. Age, type of bc, eating disorder info. and when the issue was resolved. It may help us to assess your situation and give you a more educated opinion

[Malon]

How long have you had the anorexia under control? It's sad, but sometimes when a dr. learns of a disorder they have a tendency to lump every problem that comes along due to ones past. I think that tunnel vision is the reason that many people get misdiagnosed and they have a tendency not to look for further complications causing the existing problem. Glad to hear that you are taking some measure to protect yourself. There are many things that can throw our hormones into a funk, which in turns causes other issues. Stress, changes in diet, exercise routines, etc. can all affect our cycle. Has your dr. checked your hormones levels? Estrogen and progesterone levels can affect your cycle as well. Be proactive and get a second opinion if necessary. You state that you do use protection. Are you on something like the depo shot? That can cause these symptoms, actually it's a fairly common issue for many women. Give us a little more info. Age, type of bc, eating disorder info. and when the issue was resolved. It may help us to assess your situation and give you a more educated opinion

No, I'm not on any sort of hormones for birth control--so no depo shot. I always use condoms for protection. I used to be on the pill, but it always caused me problems, and I went off of it over a year ago.

As far as the eating disorder goes, I am much better than I was before. I do still tend to restrict my diet quite a bit, and I can be very hard on myself if I feel like I "messed up". I was actually wrong about my weight in the earlier post--it's just a bit lower than I estimated. More like 102. So I suppose that might be pushing it a bit, as far as my health goes. I feel like the problem might be more my diet than my actual weight, though. I eat mostly fruits and vegetables, sometimes salmon, rarely chicken and hardly any red meat. Maybe a lack of protein is the issue? I did have a blood test done recently and was told I have low levels of potassium and vitamin D. But those could hardly be the cause, could they?

Thanks for the help

[Euphoric]

Milk is a good source of vitamin D, and bananas are a good source of potassium. You should be able to add them to your diet unless you have an aversion to them for some reason. Lack of protein could be part of the problem. Have you considered protein shakes? Stressing about your weight or lack of menstrual cycle could contribute to the problem as well.

BC pills cause problems for a lot of people. Continue to use condoms and be careful. The form of BC you prefer is a personal choice and everyone has to do what's best for them.

Don't be so hard on yourself. We all mess up from time to time, concerning some part of our life, be it diet, exercise, choices made, etc. When you feel like you've messed up, address the issue, forgive yourself, and move forward.

How do you feel about going to the clinic or planned parenthood and explaining the issue you are having with your cycle. I understand that the dr. you have been seeing is blaming your past eating disorder, so how about seeing someone else?? Sometimes we just need to get that second opinion for piece of mind.