Question (for Women...)

[mamachick]

Megan, if you are sure you are not pregnant (have not been active), I would call the dr if it doesnt start in the next couple of weeks and this is abnormal for you-just to be cautious as I have no medical background on this. You are way too young for menopause IMO. I have known people as young as 40 to go into menopause, but generally closer to 50.

I was a regular 28 dayer all my life. Then I went 25 days for a couple of years. Then erratic and very heavy. Then stopped all together for a year. That is when I was physically assaulted and I immediately started bleeding very, very heavy. I was not sexually assaulted but was taken to the ER because of heavy blood loss. The ER Dr said it was abnormal bleeding. I cannot tell you how many people thought I was sexually assaulted because of this. I was repeatedly asked if I was sexually assaulted. When it finally stopped, I have not had a period in 3 yrs now.

Stress and trauma can do about anything. Women who exercise excessively or are anorexic stop having periods. If you were my daughter, I would want you to at least discuss it with the gynecologist.

 

[maddog]

I went for more than 3 years withouta period. No kidding.

I was grossly underweight at the time, was exercising obsessively and was battling a potentially life threatening medical condition, so I guess my body just figured it had more than enough to cope with without the risk of having to carry a child as well. I think our bodies are pretty good at figuring out when they have the capacity for such things, and when they don't.

Unless you're actively trying to get pregnant of course, the greatest risk in not having periods relates to the potential detrimental impact to your bone density, resulting from decreased production of certain hormones. If the inconsistency persists, at some point it may be useful to consider a bone density test to see how you're travelling on that score (mine checked out, not surprisingly, as very low) and you should make sure that your calcium intake is as high as possible in the meantime.

Not that I'm a doctor of course, but this is what I researched/learned.

Maddog

 

[Belle]

(((Megan))) I agree with brat17, get it checked out, could be stress, could be hormone inbalance, could be something or nothing, but getting it checked out would be the way ahead I reckon.

 

[mamachick]

PS mine was menopause. I was 50 at the time.
Better to be safe and just get it checked.

 

[Anna]

My mum started her menopause at 38 which was really really early. I would definatly as Brat17 says, get it checked out by a doctor. They can even do blood tests and everything.

 

[EloiseLandau]

Women in their 20's are still developing, even their immune systems are developing, and the development of proper immune function relies upon hormone balance. This is conjunction to bone density needs. And I am for some reason assuming you are in your 20's.

 

[Emilie]

There was a time when I missed periods in my younger years but more likely had to do with drug abuse than with stress. I know that stress is said to make it irregular. Hormones play a huge role too though like eloise said. I think after a certain point of sexual maturity (hitting puberty for the second time in your twenties, which by the way, I know some women that didn't hit their second growth spurt until 30, or until after having a child) it tends to balance out. I know mine did, until I got pregnant again :P (I'm 3 1/2 months in)