Women's Health Community

Dear neshaakayy: The most common reason for a menstrual pattern like you have described is not having an ovulation every month. In a normal cycle, estrogen is produced all month. Estrogen is responsible for building up the lining of your uterus so you have something to shed each month. The good news is that you have enough estrogen to make a lining that does shed sometimes.

In a normal cycle, progesterone production increases following ovulation and release of an egg.. Progesterone "stabilizes" the uterine lining in preparation for a possible implantation of a new pregnancy. If you are not pregnant that month the levels of estrogen and progesterone fall, triggering the release of the uterine lining—your period.

So, if you do not ovulate, the estrogen build up of the lining continues, but without the usual ovulation associated progesterone. Thus, the hormone levels don't decline, and the lining stays up inside the uterus—your missed period.

Causes for not ovulating are multifold: thyroid problems, pituitary problems, ovarian cysts, physical stressors (eg sudden increases in exercise, crash dieting), emotional stressors (problems with partners, financial worries), increased body weight, anorexia, rotating shifts at work, etc.

Given what you have shared (history of weigh gain) you might have developed polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). Here is a link to more information about treatments to improve ovulations---including details on how much weigh loss might be helpful:

http://blogs.webmd.com/womens-health/2011/02/treating-pcos.html

neshaakayy, if you have a local county family planning clinic you might be able to get some basic evaluations for irregular periods/non-ovulations.

In Support,
Jane

thank you for your help.. now would that mean i have an estrogen deficient and would estrogen pills be recommended??. and as you stated emotional stressors weight and work are key in my life and i am currently working on that

Dear neshaakayy: No, I would really doubt that an estrogen deficiency is contributing to the irregular periods and likely irregular ovulations. Irregular ovulations usually means not enough progesteorne is produced, and that an egg is not being released as frequently. That can make it harder to get pregnant if only a few eggs are ovulated every year instead of one egg a month.

If you can find some stress reduction strategies (eg exercise), and can lose 7-10% of your current body weight that MIGHT kick your body back into a pattern of more regular ovulations. This would show up as very regular periods. Just note that even with irregular ovulations women do conceive unexpectedly. Hope this happens to you!

Yours,
Jane

went to a clinic and they prescribe medroxyprogestone acetate for ten days what do i do after that