Amenorrhea for almost 2 years...?

[Sheila Murphy]

Ok, so here's my back story--everything I can think of that would be relevant:

For about 5 or so years previous to the summer of 2009, I was on hormonal birth control (the pill, then the nuva ring).  I always had farily regular periods then (and before the BC), but also ate a crap diet and was quite sick most of the time. 

Starting about the winter of 2009, I started cleaning up my diet, and eating less sugar, more whole foods etc, progressing until today; I now eat a primal type diet--lots of grassfed meat, eggs, and poultry, some seafood, seaweed, veggies, berries, and the occasional fruits, nuts/seeds and dark chocolate. 

I went off of the hormonal BC around the summer of 2009-ish, when I realized it was contributing to making me sick, crabby and depressed.  I had one period of bleeding directly after removing the last BC ring, and that has been it since then. 

My vitamin D level is good, I eat plenty of calories (trust me--I <3 food!! haha), low-ish carbs but not super low (maybe like 100g/day on average--I tried going higher for a time, but that made no difference and I didn't get my period back).  I did lose bout 15lbs at the very start of going primal (which was about Oct 2010) but I needed to, and I am at my normal, comfortable body weight now (132.5lbs, 6' tall--this sounds skinny I know, but it is alot due to family genetics and this is just where my weight stays when I eat plenty of healthy food) I supplemented with Lugol's iodine solution (12.5mg/day) for a few months which got rid of my fibrocystic breast tissue.  Now I eat kelp and other seaweed daily for iodine. 

I am 25 (26 in March!) years old.  I started mensturating at age 16. 

I take Dr. Ron's pancreas and organ delight supplements along with Natural Calm magnesium, fermented cod liver oil and high-vitamin butter oil every day.  My digestion is good with taking the pancreas supplements 1-2 per meal.  I usually eat about 3x per day with maybe one little snack. 

I am a very active person (I work as a nurse during afternoons and during the day I do a lot of art stuff--woodcarving, sewing, patternmaking etc) but I don't currently do any formal exercise.  I will probably  be doing some P90X with my husband, starting pretty soon, to help build muscle. 

Does anyone have ANY ideas as to why I still haven't gotten my period back after stopping the BC??  I have gone through EVERYTHING  can think of, but haven't had any luck yet. : (  I'd really like to get it back, so I can start charting my cycles and doing the FAM.  All I can think of is that maybe since I have such a low body fat level for a female, it is taking my body longer than normal to build up enough hormones again to mensturate, after my hormones were screwed up by the hormonal BC?

*whew* that was a novel LOL!  Thanks in advance!

 

 

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[Leah Spencer]

I've had the opposite problem when I went off of birth control (pills for 3 years, Nuva Ring the last year) in 2007. Pretty much menorrhagia. I've bled up to a cup a day, 11 day long periods sometimes. It was exhausting and hurting my iron levels. I was dealing with that for over 2 years until I got pregnant.

 

During my pregnancy, my midwife introduced me to essential oils. After the baby was born, I started to use them frequently. To my disappointment, my periods returned 3.5 months after birth; but I noticed the more I used the essential oils, the less intense my periods became. My last one was only 6 days long, and I didn't bleed anywhere as heavily as I used to. The only real change I can think of is from using the essential oils - both directly and indirectly (on my baby or husband).

 

In my Modern Essentials book, for amenorrhea, they suggest the following oils: basil, clary sage, peppermint, rosemary, marjoram, lavender and Roman chamomile. Dilute if needed. Apply the oil topically to the abdomen, lower back, shoulders or reflex points on the feet. You can also add 1-2 drops to a tampon and leave it in overnight.

 

Just thought I'd share what worked with my periods, even though it's the opposite problem.

 

Leah

[Sheila Murphy]

Thank you so much!  I never even thought of essential oils!  I will have to look into those more... I do use tea tree and lavender frequently for other things :)

Leah Spencer said:

I've had the opposite problem when I went off of birth control (pills for 3 years, Nuva Ring the last year) in 2007. Pretty much menorrhagia. I've bled up to a cup a day, 11 day long periods sometimes. It was exhausting and hurting my iron levels. I was dealing with that for over 2 years until I got pregnant.

 

During my pregnancy, my midwife introduced me to essential oils. After the baby was born, I started to use them frequently. To my disappointment, my periods returned 3.5 months after birth; but I noticed the more I used the essential oils, the less intense my periods became. My last one was only 6 days long, and I didn't bleed anywhere as heavily as I used to. The only real change I can think of is from using the essential oils - both directly and indirectly (on my baby or husband).

 

In my Modern Essentials book, for amenorrhea, they suggest the following oils: basil, clary sage, peppermint, rosemary, marjoram, lavender and Roman chamomile. Dilute if needed. Apply the oil topically to the abdomen, lower back, shoulders or reflex points on the feet. You can also add 1-2 drops to a tampon and leave it in overnight.

 

Just thought I'd share what worked with my periods, even though it's the opposite problem.

 

Leah

[Jennifer Steinbachs]

Are you open to a homeopathic solution?

[Sheila Murphy]

Sure, I'm willing to give anything (within reason LOL) a shot!

Jennifer Steinbachs said:

Are you open to a homeopathic solution?

[Sarah Wood]

I'd recommend reading "Fertility Cycles and Nutrition" by Marilyn Shannon.   I think it's a great book for any woman to have, but especially a wonderful resource for anyone practicing FAM/NFP, as you can learn a lot about your body and health through charting.  (Which I know you have nothing to chart right now... but then again, maybe if you started looking at your basal temps and charting if and when you have any mucus and its qualities, you could get some clues as to what you might need to do..? )

[Anna]

I think Nettles would help.  I was researching amenorrhea for a friend's daughter and nettles kept coming up.  There were many stories of periods returning in 30 days.  I gave them some nettles and sure enough her period came back in 30 days.  They couldn't believe it.   It had been 6 months to a year for her, I think. 

 

They are super nourishing and worth a shot.   I love my nettles :)   ~Anna 

[Sheila Murphy]

I do have a bunch of dried nettles...how do you prepare yours?

Anna said:

I think Nettles would help.  I was researching amenorrhea for a friend's daughter and nettles kept coming up.  There were many stories of periods returning in 30 days.  I gave them some nettles and sure enough her period came back in 30 days.  They couldn't believe it.   It had been 6 months to a year for her, I think. 

 

They are super nourishing and worth a shot.   I love my nettles :)   ~Anna 

[Steve Kraisinger]

Do look at Maca, a wonderful adaptogen, that balances hormones in both men and women.

[Anna]

I put a large handful into a quart jar (or quart size french press), pour hot, not boiling water, over the nettles. Cover and let steep over night. I drink 2 cups a day, so I put 2 cups in the fridge for the next day. Really easy and I can tell a huge difference if I miss it.

~Anna

[Sheila Murphy]

Oh, Okay!  I've done that before but I never stuck with it becuase I *hate* how it tastes...:P  Which is weird becuase there are very very few things I dont' like the tatse of.  I guess I'll just have to suck it up and drink it, though!  I suppose I can  mix it with my fermented cod liver oil and butter oil; at least it can't make those taste any worse!  ;)

Thanks!

Anna said:

I put a large handful into a quart jar (or quart size french press), pour hot, not boiling water, over the nettles. Cover and let steep over night. I drink 2 cups a day, so I put 2 cups in the fridge for the next day. Really easy and I can tell a huge difference if I miss it.

~Anna

[Anna]

I've gotten to where I love the taste but you can sweeten it if that helps.  You  can use it to make smoothies, things like that too.  I really do crave it now :)   Cod Liver oil . . . no way!  LOL!! :)

 

~Anna

[Sheila Murphy]

Ok, so Istarted my nettles today...it wasn't as bad as I was remembering either! :)  Thanks for the suggestion--I hope it works :)

Anna said:

I've gotten to where I love the taste but you can sweeten it if that helps.  You  can use it to make smoothies, things like that too.  I really do crave it now :)   Cod Liver oil . . . no way!  LOL!! :)

 

~Anna