amenorrhea

[dormars1979]

Hi Cathe,

First I'd like to say that I love your DVDs. I think that you are an amazing athlete and I always look forward to doing your workouts.

This is my problem:

I'm a 27 year old female. I was always into running and weight lifting throughout high school and college, but when I started work, as a sedentary computer programmer, I got lazy and stopped working out for a couple of years. I gained about 40 lbs and got very out of shape. Then I decided to get serious, started watching what I was eating, and went back to the gym. In the last 2 years, I've lost all the weight, and am currently in the best shape I've ever been in. However, in November, my period stopped coming, and I notice that I've been shedding more hair than usual.

I've been to the doctor and had all the endocrinology/gynecology tests done, hormone level tests, PCOS test, etc, and all is normal. My bodyfat and BMI are also in the normal range (I'm 5'2, 115 lbs, and somewhere around 16% body fat). I eat a healthy diet, and even saw a nutritionist to confirm that I am getting the right combination of nutrients. I'm really stumped as to what could be the problem. My gynecologist said that it's probably because of all the working out, but this is where my question comes in: I'm sure that I don't work out any more than other women in this forum, so I really don't know if I should cut back on the workouts, or try to eat differently or what.

As far as working out, I do 6 days a week...
Monday - all body weight workout, 60 mins
Tuesday - 45 mins of cardio (usually step aerobics)
Wednesday - all body weight workout for 60 mins + 30 mins of cardio, usually running or the stairmaster.
Thursday - same as Tuesday
Friday - same as Wednesday
Saturday - about 60 mins - one of your IMAX step DVDs or low max.
Sunday - rest

I was wondering if you have any suggestions for me. Have you or anyone you know ever experienced this problem, and if so, what was the solution? I would really appreciate any advice you might be able to give me.

Thank you very much for your time,
Doreen

 

[fitnessangel]

Doreen,

Not Cathe, but here is some thoughts

What was your weight before you gained the weight (and then lost it)? You may be doing too much cardio or not enough calories to meet demand. Do you have try doing a body part video rather than an all body workout. Sometimes the all body workouts are better for those who want to lose weight and tone down, while other times it is good to add in as a change in program. Since you are down to the size you want to be, maybe doing a Gym Style Video may be a good change. Some people have higher metabolisms, especially when they work out (normal), so you may be burning more than you actually think. What activity level do you have outside of the gym? Do you walk a lot at work or do you sit at a desk? If you are extremely active, this may be another culprit. Combining all the levels of activities would be your best solution to finding a good calorie baseline. Also, do you take a vitamin? Does it include iron or are those tests normal? Do you take any medications that may have these side effects or do you take any herbal supplements/diet aides? These can also cause some unknown consequences.

Are you under a lot of stress? Stress really can cause multiple problems to your body (plus it may cause weight loss). When I was under a high level of stress at my job, I started losing hair and my period became obsolete. Also, are you developing fine downy hair on your body? That is another sign of nutritional deficencies. Of course, I am not an expert but there has to be an underlying cause. It may be a multitude of factors, but one major culprit.

If you are under a high level of stress, perhaps taking some time for yourself in a relaxing environment may relieve some of the problem. I took up yoga and found it has really helped me. Of course, I still do Cathe's workouts. Best wishes.

 

[maggietc]

Not Cathe, and I don't have too much by way of ideas or suggestions but a question. Are you on any medications for anything or on the pill? Sometimes meds can affect a person strangely, and in ways one would never think of. Even if you've taken it for a long time, sometimes because of other changes in your body a medication (or as the last poster mentioned a suppliment) could begin to affect your body in a different way. I've known people who were on the pill and stopped getting their period and just had to go off it for a while.

Also, this may seem far fetched, but imo you have quite a stumper here, so I'm really reaching! Sometimes things can be psychosematic (sp?). As the previous poster mentioned, stress can be the culprit. Sometimes we can worry so much about something (like a pain, illness, postural distortion, or missed period) that we actually exacerbate it with our mind. I myself caused muscle spasms in my neck to become chronic and destructive because I was so afraid of them. And I have read in psychology journals of cases of false pregnancy, where women actually induced the symptoms of pregnancy (no period and pregnancy belly) as a reaction to other trauma or stress. For me, a therapist really helped me to deal with some of the issues that had me reacting to stress and fear in a way that actually hurt my body. We women and our cycles can be very sensitive to emotional and psychological changes, it may be worth checking out.
Also, have you had children or are you thinking about having children (sorry to get so personal). I have also known a couple of women who tried to have a baby for years and couldn't conceive until a month or two after they completed adoption procedures. I know it's not the same thing, but similar. We can put real pressure on our bodies to "perform" with our minds.
Those are all the things I can think of looking into once you have rulled out things like getting enough rest (both sleep and wakeful downtime), enough calories, calories from the right sources, and hormonal problems.
Good luck and keep us posted.
--Laura

 

[Author]

Again, not Cathe.

A couple of comments, though. Medications can cause unusual side effects and so if you are on any kind of medication -- including birth control pills, you might have a look at their side effects.

As an interesting note, I do alot of research -- I'm a historical romance author -- Native American -- and I ran across something in my research today about the Crow women, who were active and quite physical, and the note was about their periods being very light because of their constant activity. Just an interesting side note.

If you are interested in nutrition and looking toward it to find out why this might be happening to you, let me recommend a few books: one is Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon and the other is Enzyme Nutrition by Dr. Edward Howell.

Hope you do well. :7

 

[Mariela]

Did they tested your iron levels?

 

[meredith]

This happened to me a couple of times also, once in my 20's and recently in my early 40's. It was stress. Your amount of exercise doesn't look excessive to me at all.

 

[dormars1979]

I wanted to thank everyone who responded for taking the time and for showing concern for my problem. I'll try to answer all the questions that were asked.

FitnessAngel:
I weight 110 before I gained weight, eventually getting up to around 155 and then losing it. So currently I'm still a few pounds heavier than I was prior to gaining weight. Outside of the gym I am somewhat active, but nothing crazy. Once in a while on the weekends I'll go for a hike, or something like that. But during the week, I'm very sedantary outside of working out. I'm at my desk at work for the majority of the day.

Maggietc:
I am not on any medications. About 4 months ago, my gynecologist had given me Nuvaring to try to see if it would restore my period, and it did, but I was unhappy with side effects that I experienced, and I don't want to just get an "artificial" period which hides the fact that my body isn't happy with something. Besides that, I just take a daily multivitamin.

Mariela:
I did have my iron tested, and it is normal as well.

The idea of this being related to stress sounds very plausible. Since getting into shape, I have been very stressed, and maybe even somewhat obsessive/compulsive about staying in shape and not regaining any of the weight that I lost. While this hasn't led me to exercise obsessively or deprive myself of food, it has definitely increased my stress level. I always have thoughts of how I'm going to get my workout in when I have to travel or if I have to work late, or what will I eat when I have to go to a wedding or some other social event centered on food, and just other constant obsessive thoughts about working out and eating right. Maybe this could be causing all my problems. If that's the case, then I really need to look into getting some help for myself, because besides just hating having these thoughts, they could be causing me physical problems as well. So far I haven't figured out a way to quiet the internal voices.

Again, I really appreciate all the replies and advice. Thank you all so much.

 

[pudgy]

I have suffered from amenorrhea since October of last year, so I do know where you are coming from.

Even though you are in a "normal" range, some women do need a higher body fat percentage to have a normal cycle.

Do a search on the "female athlete triad" and you will get an abundance of info.

 

[fitnessangel]

I wish you well in your journey battling stress. Just remember that we all have encountered stress and it will probably not be the last time you have to deal with stress. Instead of being overly concerned about regaining the weight, think of the positives about your loss thus far. Remember to relax and take time for yourself (even outside of the gym). Stress can cause so much problems to your body that you may not know now, but it can contribute to many problems in the future. I sufferred from major depression for years, and I had a difficult time with stress. Now, I am sensitive to stress, but I have learned to take it one step at a time (or one day at a time). If there is nothing you can do about it today, let it leave your mind. Other than that, it is hard to get rid of stress. Stress can be good, or it can be bad. There are many self-help books at a local bookstore or library. Sometimes a good, funny book helps a lot. If you have the time, and/or money, invest in a hobby (scrapbooking, ceramics, reading, whatever). It always helps relieve me when I am under stress

Good luck.

 

[kbjenkins]

hi!! i am going through something similar. I have not had a period for 14 months. My gyn attributes it to stress, and decreased body weight. I have started to decrease my exercise dramatically, and trying to get my stress under control, and increse my weight some, but I miss working out regularly. Let me know what it atkes for your mentstrual cycle to return. To make matters worse my hsuband and I are ready to start a family, hence coming off the pill. I know that without a period your bones are becoming more prone to osteoporosis, so be sure to get adequate amounts of calcium in your diet to help prevent this until your cycle returns. Also, maybe consider seeing soeone for the stress, and obsessive/complusiveness. I too suffer with this. Hope this helps some. I will keep you posted and same with you. Take care, and good luck getting things back to "normal".
Kim