How to Know If Menstrual Periods Have Stopped
Evaluate the contraceptives you're taking., Go over any recent lifestyle changes., Get tested for hormonal imbalances., See a doctor to rule out structural problems., Understand the effect of certain psychiatric disorders.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Evaluate the contraceptives you're taking.
If you missed a period while on birth control pills, your period may be irregular or absent longterm depending on how you use the medication and your body's reaction to it.
Oral contraceptives typically come in 21 day packs with 7 days worth of inactive placebo pills.
While taking these pills, you should have your period.
If you skip the placebo pills and go straight into the next pack, you will probably miss your period.Some newer pills come with 24 days of active pills.
This usually causes a lighter withdrawal bleed or sometimes no bleeding at all.
Some pills come in extended cycle regimens, meaning you take pills continuously for one year without having your period.
If these are the pills you are on, you can assume your menstrual periods have stopped and will not resume until you cease use of the medication.
However, many women experience occasional breakthrough bleeding or brown discharge even when taking birth control properly.
Do not be alarmed if you occasionally bleed while on birth control as it's likely a side effect of the medication.
If it's persistent, however, you may want to consult your gynecologist to rule out other causes and consider switching to a different kind of birth control.Even if you're on a 21 day pack and do not skip the placebo pills, you may occasionally miss a period while on birth control.
If you do not have symptoms of pregnancy and have taken all the pills as scheduled, this is probably just an effect of the medication.There are few health risks associated with occasionally skipping the placebo pills while taking 21-day birth control and many women do so to skip their periods in anticipation of big events.
However, you should not skip the placebo pills every month.
If you're interested in eliminating your period through birth control, talk to your doctor about switching to a continuous cycle brand.If you get the go-ahead from your physician, you may also choose to continue taking the 21- or 24- day birth control and skip the placebo pills, as this can be less expensive than the branded pills designed for use this way.
If you're using an intrauterine device (IUD) your menstrual period may stop after a few months of use. -
Step 2: Go over any recent lifestyle changes.
Sometimes, changes in lifestyle can cause you to miss a period.
This does not usually mean menstruation has stopped longterm.
Have you upped your exercise routine lately? If you're participating in a more rigorous workout routine, this could change the hormone levels responsible for your menstrual cycle and cause a period to be delayed or missed altogether.
Low body fat, stress, and high energy expenditure can all result in missed periods.
Your menstrual cycle will probably return to normal the next month, but see a doctor if you continue to miss periods after adjusting to a new routine.Stress can change the functioning of your hypothalamus, which is the area of your brain that regulates the hormones behind menstruation.
If you've been under undue stress lately due to big lifestyle changes like moving or changing jobs, you may miss your period.
This will not be a longterm change but you should talk to a doctor or therapist about better managing stress if you frequently miss periods due to stress., A variety of hormone imbalances can cause menstruation to stop longterm.
You should see a doctor if your period has stopped unexpectedly to see if you have a hormone imbalance that needs treatment with medication.
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) causes high levels of particular hormones rather than the normal fluctuating hormonal levels of the menstrual cycle.
If you have PCOS, your periods might be occasionally irregular but they will not stop longterm until you enter menopause.If your thyroid gland is overactive or underactive, menstruation can be irregular until thyroid levels are stabilized by the use of medication.
If you're diagnosed with a thyroid condition, your period will not be stopped longterm.Noncancerous tumors sometimes pop up in people's pituitary glands that need removal as they can disrupt hormone levels and stop menstruation.
Once the problem is corrected, your periods should resume as normal., Sometimes, problems with sexual organs result in menstruation stopping.
Depending on the problem, this may or may not be longterm.
Uterine scarring, a condition where scar tissue builds up along the lining of the uterus, can prevent menstruation by preventing the normal uterine shedding associated with your period.
Depending on the severity of the scarring, this may eliminate periods or simply cause them to be irregular.A lack of reproductive organs, which sometimes happens during fetal development, can result in a woman being born without certain body parts.
Depending on which parts are missing, menstruation may stop longterm.Any structural abnormality of the vagina can stop menstruation by preventing visible vaginal bleeding during menstruation.
However, this does not mean you are not ovulating or that menstruation itself has stopped.
Talk to a doctor about your menstrual cycle if you have a vagina abnormality., Eating disorders, like anorexia and bulimia, can stop your menstrual period as hormone levels are affected by long term malnutrition.Anorexia is marked by a prolonged period of not eating or eating in very small amounts, while bulimia is usually marked by binge eating and then purging the calories via induced vomiting or the consumption of laxatives.Amenorrhea, the absence of menstruation, is a diagnostic criteria for anorexia.
However, bulimic patients only about half miss their period.If you believe you may be suffering from an eating disorder, seek medical help immediately as eating disorders can be life threatening. -
Step 3: Get tested for hormonal imbalances.
-
Step 4: See a doctor to rule out structural problems.
-
Step 5: Understand the effect of certain psychiatric disorders.
Detailed Guide
If you missed a period while on birth control pills, your period may be irregular or absent longterm depending on how you use the medication and your body's reaction to it.
Oral contraceptives typically come in 21 day packs with 7 days worth of inactive placebo pills.
While taking these pills, you should have your period.
If you skip the placebo pills and go straight into the next pack, you will probably miss your period.Some newer pills come with 24 days of active pills.
This usually causes a lighter withdrawal bleed or sometimes no bleeding at all.
Some pills come in extended cycle regimens, meaning you take pills continuously for one year without having your period.
If these are the pills you are on, you can assume your menstrual periods have stopped and will not resume until you cease use of the medication.
However, many women experience occasional breakthrough bleeding or brown discharge even when taking birth control properly.
Do not be alarmed if you occasionally bleed while on birth control as it's likely a side effect of the medication.
If it's persistent, however, you may want to consult your gynecologist to rule out other causes and consider switching to a different kind of birth control.Even if you're on a 21 day pack and do not skip the placebo pills, you may occasionally miss a period while on birth control.
If you do not have symptoms of pregnancy and have taken all the pills as scheduled, this is probably just an effect of the medication.There are few health risks associated with occasionally skipping the placebo pills while taking 21-day birth control and many women do so to skip their periods in anticipation of big events.
However, you should not skip the placebo pills every month.
If you're interested in eliminating your period through birth control, talk to your doctor about switching to a continuous cycle brand.If you get the go-ahead from your physician, you may also choose to continue taking the 21- or 24- day birth control and skip the placebo pills, as this can be less expensive than the branded pills designed for use this way.
If you're using an intrauterine device (IUD) your menstrual period may stop after a few months of use.
Sometimes, changes in lifestyle can cause you to miss a period.
This does not usually mean menstruation has stopped longterm.
Have you upped your exercise routine lately? If you're participating in a more rigorous workout routine, this could change the hormone levels responsible for your menstrual cycle and cause a period to be delayed or missed altogether.
Low body fat, stress, and high energy expenditure can all result in missed periods.
Your menstrual cycle will probably return to normal the next month, but see a doctor if you continue to miss periods after adjusting to a new routine.Stress can change the functioning of your hypothalamus, which is the area of your brain that regulates the hormones behind menstruation.
If you've been under undue stress lately due to big lifestyle changes like moving or changing jobs, you may miss your period.
This will not be a longterm change but you should talk to a doctor or therapist about better managing stress if you frequently miss periods due to stress., A variety of hormone imbalances can cause menstruation to stop longterm.
You should see a doctor if your period has stopped unexpectedly to see if you have a hormone imbalance that needs treatment with medication.
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) causes high levels of particular hormones rather than the normal fluctuating hormonal levels of the menstrual cycle.
If you have PCOS, your periods might be occasionally irregular but they will not stop longterm until you enter menopause.If your thyroid gland is overactive or underactive, menstruation can be irregular until thyroid levels are stabilized by the use of medication.
If you're diagnosed with a thyroid condition, your period will not be stopped longterm.Noncancerous tumors sometimes pop up in people's pituitary glands that need removal as they can disrupt hormone levels and stop menstruation.
Once the problem is corrected, your periods should resume as normal., Sometimes, problems with sexual organs result in menstruation stopping.
Depending on the problem, this may or may not be longterm.
Uterine scarring, a condition where scar tissue builds up along the lining of the uterus, can prevent menstruation by preventing the normal uterine shedding associated with your period.
Depending on the severity of the scarring, this may eliminate periods or simply cause them to be irregular.A lack of reproductive organs, which sometimes happens during fetal development, can result in a woman being born without certain body parts.
Depending on which parts are missing, menstruation may stop longterm.Any structural abnormality of the vagina can stop menstruation by preventing visible vaginal bleeding during menstruation.
However, this does not mean you are not ovulating or that menstruation itself has stopped.
Talk to a doctor about your menstrual cycle if you have a vagina abnormality., Eating disorders, like anorexia and bulimia, can stop your menstrual period as hormone levels are affected by long term malnutrition.Anorexia is marked by a prolonged period of not eating or eating in very small amounts, while bulimia is usually marked by binge eating and then purging the calories via induced vomiting or the consumption of laxatives.Amenorrhea, the absence of menstruation, is a diagnostic criteria for anorexia.
However, bulimic patients only about half miss their period.If you believe you may be suffering from an eating disorder, seek medical help immediately as eating disorders can be life threatening.
About the Author
Carol Kelly
Dedicated to helping readers learn new skills in practical skills and beyond.
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