weight loss related ammenorhea

Question:

Hi Diane, I’m not sure that it’s scarey. From what I can tell – I appear to be unlikely to have any deep nasty underlying cause. Should I be worrying about something else? As for the bodyfat – I guess being an Ob/GYN it wasn’t his field of expertise – it was only when surfing the ‘net I came across the body fat – ammenorhea link, so I may have to get that checked myself. Scarey or not – it is something I want to get sorted out – purely cos I hate having unexplained things floating around, and I’d like to know what’s going on! *grin* thanks for the prayers, I appreciate them. — krys UK 157/122/126 Started March 1st 2001 GOAL August 16th 2001 http://community.webshots.com/user/krystrot http://www.geocities.com/welcomenotice/index.html

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Krys, This is actually fairly scary, I think. Doesn’t your specialist have a way to test for body fat? Otherwise, most health food stores have a bioelectrical impedence test that you can take for a buck or two. Either that or check at your gym. How long has this been going on? Since March? Nearly a year? That seems to be pretty long to me. Good luck with this, I’ll keep you in my prayers. Best, Diane asdww FAQ: http://www.didian.com/asdww/ 185/150/145 (150 WW goal) Lifetime: 20 Feb 01

Response:

thanks Roxan – I’ll check them out and see how I do — krys UK 157/122/126 Started March 1st 2001 GOAL August 16th 2001 http://community.webshots.com/user/krystrot http://www.geocities.com/welcomenotice/index.html

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Here is information on measuring body fat and the use of skinfold calipers. Roxan More info on ordering and measuring: http://www.enforcergraphics.f2s.com/bodyfat.htm hi guys as some as you may recall, since shortly after starting this WOL, my periods stopped, never to be seen again. Can’t say as I miss them, although it does have some impact on my libido, not having a natural cycle and all that. I saw the specialist guy today – and barring some further tests – he doesn’t think there’s any underlying cause for this, other than the diet + excercise. His feeling was that although I may be a healthy weight for my height, I may not be for my hormones. Now I’ve done a bit of ‘net surfing to look at this, and opinion seems to be that it’s only a problem if you have say 12% or below body fat – which I can’t imagine to be true in my case. So – a few questions – What’s a good way to measure body fat? Has anyone else experienced this, or know anything about it? Or do you know of any good resources where I could research further? Currently his prognosis appears to be test more, take some pills to force a period and see what that shows – and providing these show to live at this weight without them (increasing my risk of osteoporosis in they would reappear, though he couldn’t say how much I’d have to put on! (obviously I don’t find this an attractive option…) I have to say I’m not convinced. I reckon if left maintained and to its own devices for a while, my body would reassert itself……but I’m no expert. Any help would be hugely appreciated. Thanks for listening — krys UK 157/122/126 Started March 1st 2001 GOAL August 16th 2001 http://community.webshots.com/user/krystrot http://www.geocities.com/welcomenotice/index.html

Response:

hi guys as some as you may recall, since shortly after starting this WOL, my periods stopped, never to be seen again. Can’t say as I miss them, although it does have some impact on my libido, not having a natural cycle and all that. I saw the specialist guy today – and barring some further tests – he doesn’t think there’s any underlying cause for this, other than the diet + excercise. His feeling was that although I may be a healthy weight for my height, I may not be for my hormones. Now I’ve done a bit of ‘net surfing to look at this, and opinion seems to be that it’s only a problem if you have say 12% or below body fat – which I can’t imagine to be true in my case. So – a few questions – What’s a good way to measure body fat? Has anyone else experienced this, or know anything about it? Or do you know of any good resources where I could research further? Currently his prognosis appears to be test more, take some pills to force a period and see what that shows – and providing these show live at this weight without them (increasing my risk of osteoporosis in would reappear, though he couldn’t say how much I’d have to put on! (obviously I don’t find this an attractive option…) I have to say I’m not convinced. I reckon if left maintained and to its own devices for a while, my body would reassert itself……but I’m no expert. Any help would be hugely appreciated. Thanks for listening — krys UK 157/122/126 Started March 1st 2001 GOAL August 16th 2001 http://community.webshots.com/user/krystrot http://www.geocities.com/welcomenotice/index.html

Response:

Ballet students and gymnasts often lose their periods from the heavy exercise and diet. I lost mine after the first weight loss surgery when I lost 160 pounds in one year (1975), but when I sort of stabilized at 190 they came back. Then, of course, I started all the medical problems from that first surgery, and along the way had to have a total hysterectomy at age 42. I’ve heard that extreme weight gain in a short period also can stop periods. If your doctor has checked you out and sees no medical reason for your periods to stop, I wouldn’t worry about it. I suspect they’ll come back on their own in a few months. Until then, enjoy the freedom! Carol Schmidt

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – hi guys as some as you may recall, since shortly after starting this WOL, my periods stopped, never to be seen again. Can’t say as I miss them, although it does have some impact on my libido, not having a natural cycle and all that. I saw the specialist guy today – and barring some further tests – he doesn’t think there’s any underlying cause for this, other than the diet + excercise. His feeling was that although I may be a healthy weight for my height, I may not be for my hormones. Now I’ve done a bit of ‘net surfing to look at this, and opinion seems to be that it’s only a problem if you have say 12% or below body fat – which I can’t imagine to be true in my case. So – a few questions – What’s a good way to measure body fat? Has anyone else experienced this, or know anything about it? Or do you know of any good resources where I could research further? Currently his prognosis appears to be test more, take some pills to force a period and see what that shows – and providing these show live at this weight without them (increasing my risk of osteoporosis in would reappear, though he couldn’t say how much I’d have to put on! (obviously I don’t find this an attractive option…) I have to say I’m not convinced. I reckon if left maintained and to its own devices for a while, my body would reassert itself……but I’m no expert. Any help would be hugely appreciated. Thanks for listening — krys UK 157/122/126 Started March 1st 2001 GOAL August 16th 2001 http://community.webshots.com/user/krystrot http://www.geocities.com/welcomenotice/index.html

Response:

I think he was an OB/GYN – guess I should have been paying more attention! *grin* I’ve been doing some research into possible causes – and have come across PCOS, some adrenal gland disorders, and lots of websites that seem convinced that having lost weight and my periods – I simply MUST be anorexic. I’m going to wait for all the tests to be done and come back – and then ask him about the things I’ve found to check that he’s ruled them out. Doctor’s must hate internet browsing patients! — krys UK 157/122/126 Started March 1st 2001 GOAL August 16th 2001 http://community.webshots.com/user/krystrot http://www.geocities.com/welcomenotice/index.html

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I saw the specialist guy today – and barring some further tests – he doesn’t think there’s any underlying cause for this, other than the diet + excercise. Can you say what type of specialist this was? Was he a reproductive endocrinologist or an OB/GYN? No big deal, I’m just curious. His feeling was that although I may be a healthy weight for my height, I may not be for my hormones. Now I’ve done a bit of ‘net surfing to look at this, and opinion seems to be that it’s only a problem if you have say 12% or below body fat – which I can’t imagine to be true in my case. That’s what I’ve always heard, that this was most common in women who participated in competitive sports. The active weight loss could be the cause still, even if you didn’t have very low body fat. See: http://www.womens-health.com/health_center/gynecology/gyn_md_amenor.html. Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome can also cause amenorrhea, but that’s usually associated with being overweight (although there are many women in the normal weight range with PCOS). So – a few questions – What’s a good way to measure body fat? I’ve heard that the Tanita scales are pretty accurate. I think that some gyms may also have the electronic versions that read from other locations in the body. I have heard that the old standard caliper measurement is not that accurate. Or do you know of any good resources where I could research further? You may want to broaden your search and not exclude other causes for this. You could have PCOS or some other problem causing the amenorrhea. Also, I recommend the book _Taking Charge of Your Fertility_ by Toni Weschler for studying your cycle (if you really want some detail). I have to say I’m not convinced. I reckon if left maintained and to its own devices for a while, my body would reassert itself……but I’m no expert. I also agree that giving your body time to adjust may be a big factor. It may just be that you need to settle in your new self. Jennifer Jennifer in Tempe

Response:

Hi Carol, Yep – that’s pretty much my feeling too – that I should leave well alone and trust in my body. I guess I’ll take the pills the doctor prescribed and see if that brings one one (though I’m still considering that), but I’m really what the results say, and knowing the system here, that could be quite some time yet anyway! *grin* — krys UK 157/122/126 Started March 1st 2001 GOAL August 16th 2001 http://community.webshots.com/user/krystrot http://www.geocities.com/welcomenotice/index.html

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Ballet students and gymnasts often lose their periods from the heavy exercise and diet. I lost mine after the first weight loss surgery when I lost 160 pounds in one year (1975), but when I sort of stabilized at 190 they came back. Then, of course, I started all the medical problems from that first surgery, and along the way had to have a total hysterectomy at age 42. I’ve heard that extreme weight gain in a short period also can stop periods. If your doctor has checked you out and sees no medical reason for your periods to stop, I wouldn’t worry about it. I suspect they’ll come back on their own in a few months. Until then, enjoy the freedom! Carol Schmidt

Response:

Hi Donna, As discussed on a previous post, I am cutting back on the excercise anyway, so it’ll be interesting to see what effect that has. I also am all done in the baby department – and how! My two are more than enough on some days I would like to have my periods back in some ways – were I hormonally normal again my libido might increase somewhat. Not having them is somehow de-feminising. And osteoporosis doesn’t appeal – though I’m not AFAIK in a high risk group to start with, so an increased risk might not be as bad as it sounds. Ho hum – I guess I’ll have to wait and see what the results, and time, bring. Thanks for your input — krys UK 157/122/126 Started March 1st 2001 GOAL August 16th 2001 http://community.webshots.com/user/krystrot http://www.geocities.com/welcomenotice/index.html

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi Krys Can’t really provide any answers here, but if it were me, I would hold out for nature to take it’s course, and maybe cut back on the exercise….but, it depends on what reason you want your period to return. I’m done in the baby department, so a reprieve from my period would be a nice change of pace…….as long as I didn’t feel awful because of it….I’m probably also about 4 years. Donna C

Response:

Here is information on measuring body fat and the use of skinfold calipers. Roxan More info on ordering and measuring: http://www.enforcergraphics.f2s.com/bodyfat.htm

Response:

Krys, This is actually fairly scary, I think. Doesn’t your specialist have a way to test for body fat? Otherwise, most health food stores have a bioelectrical impedence test that you can take for a buck or two. Either that or check at your gym. How long has this been going on? Since March? Nearly a year? That seems to be pretty long to me. Good luck with this, I’ll keep you in my prayers. Best, Diane asdww FAQ: http://www.didian.com/asdww/ 185/150/145 (150 WW goal) Lifetime: 20 Feb 01 – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -hi guys as some as you may recall, since shortly after starting this WOL, my periods stopped, never to be seen again. Can’t say as I miss them, although it does have some impact on my libido, not having a natural cycle and all that. I saw the specialist guy today – and barring some further tests – he doesn’t think there’s any underlying cause for this, other than the diet + excercise. His feeling was that although I may be a healthy weight for my height, I may not be for my hormones. Now I’ve done a bit of ‘net surfing to look at this, and opinion seems to be that it’s only a problem if you have say 12% or below body fat – which I can’t imagine to be true in my case. So – a few questions – What’s a good way to measure body fat? Has anyone else experienced this, or know anything about it? Or do you know of any good resources where I could research further? Currently his prognosis appears to be test more, take some pills to force a period and see what that shows – and providing these show live at this weight without them (increasing my risk of osteoporosis in would reappear, though he couldn’t say how much I’d have to put on! (obviously I don’t find this an attractive option…) I have to say I’m not convinced. I reckon if left maintained and to its own devices for a while, my body would reassert itself……but I’m no expert. Any help would be hugely appreciated. Thanks for listening — krys UK 157/122/126 Started March 1st 2001 GOAL August 16th 2001 http://community.webshots.com/user/krystrot http://www.geocities.com/welcomenotice/index.html

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Response:

I saw the specialist guy today – and barring some further tests – he doesn’t think there’s any underlying cause for this, other than the diet + excercise.

Can you say what type of specialist this was? Was he a reproductive endocrinologist or an OB/GYN? No big deal, I’m just curious. His feeling was that although I may be a healthy weight for my height, I may not be for my hormones. Now I’ve done a bit of ‘net surfing to look at this, and opinion seems to be that it’s only a problem if you have say 12% or below body fat – which I can’t imagine to be true in my case.

That’s what I’ve always heard, that this was most common in women who participated in competitive sports. The active weight loss could be the cause still, even if you didn’t have very low body fat. See: http://www.womens-health.com/health_center/gynecology/gyn_md_amenor.html. Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome can also cause amenorrhea, but that’s usually associated with being overweight (although there are many women in the normal weight range with PCOS). So – a few questions – What’s a good way to measure body fat?

I’ve heard that the Tanita scales are pretty accurate. I think that some gyms may also have the electronic versions that read from other locations in the body. I have heard that the old standard caliper measurement is not that accurate. Or do you know of any good resources where I could research further?

You may want to broaden your search and not exclude other causes for this. You could have PCOS or some other problem causing the amenorrhea. Also, I recommend the book _Taking Charge of Your Fertility_ by Toni Weschler for studying your cycle (if you really want some detail). I have to say I’m not convinced. I reckon if left maintained and to its own devices for a while, my body would reassert itself……but I’m no expert.

I also agree that giving your body time to adjust may be a big factor. It may just be that you need to settle in your new self. Jennifer Jennifer in Tempe

Response:

Hi Krys Can’t really provide any answers here, but if it were me, I would hold out for nature to take it’s course, and maybe cut back on the exercise….but, it depends on what reason you want your period to return. I’m done in the baby department, so a reprieve from my period would be a nice change of pace…….as long as I didn’t feel awful because of it….I’m probably also about 4 years. Donna C

Response:

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